SOI Asia participated in APAN 61, held in Dhaka, Bangladesh, contributing to regional discussions on Internet education, capacity building, and collaboration across Asia and the Pacific. This participation followed the strengthening of SOI Asia’s relationship with the APAN community after the MoU signed at APAN 59 in Yokohama, and reflected continued engagement through joint sessions and partner collaboration.
SOI Asia–led session on learning pathways
SOI Asia led a dedicated session titled Designing Learning Pathways for the Next Generation Internet Engineers, facilitated by Noriatsu Kudo, lead of the APIE program. The session highlighted SOI Asia’s approach to capacity building through collaboration among universities, research and education networks, industry, and learning communities.
The panel brought together perspectives from academia, industry, and learners.
Prof. Hossen Mustafa (Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology – Institute of Information and Communication Technology) discussed shared challenges faced by universities across the region, including limited teaching capacity and the need for more practical, hands-on learning opportunities beyond formal curricula.
Learner perspectives were provided by Arnab Nath (BUET) and Syifani Adilllah Salsabila (Universitas Brawijaya), both APIE alumni. Syifani also participated in APAN 61 as a fellow, bringing a learner-centred perspective grounded in both academic study and regional community engagement. They reflected on how APIE enabled cross-border peer learning, engagement with communities and industry, and access to opportunities beyond formal academic programs.
From the industry perspective, Christoff Visser (IIJ – Internet Initiative Japan) shared how industry partners are contributing to the development of new curriculum components for the APIE Advanced Camp, alongside efforts to promote internship opportunities that support learners’ transition from training to practice.
The session concluded with a focused exchange on learner progression and mobility, including how universities, communities, and shared digital credentials can support smoother transitions across programs and learning pathways.
Keynote contribution at the Closing Ceremony
At the APAN 61 Closing Ceremony, Achmad Husni Thamrin represented SOI Asia with a keynote on digital credentials. The presentation introduced SOI Asia’s work on portable digital credentials and discussed how shared recognition mechanisms can support learner mobility, skills visibility, and progression across programs, institutions, and communities.
Partner and community engagements
APAN 61 also provided opportunities to reconnect with SOI Asia partners and collaborators, including Bani Lara and Franz de Leon (ASTI), and Karma Jamyang (DrukREN). These exchanges focused on ongoing collaboration and future directions related to research and education networking in the region.
SOI Asia also met with Shankar Karuppayah, founder of BitRanger and an ISIF Grant recipient from Malaysia, to discuss community-driven initiatives and the longer-term impact of regional learning programs. In addition, discussions with Shamim Reza and Dihan Islam Olif from The Team Phoenix, another ISIF Grant recipient in Bangladesh, covered updates on cybersecurity community activities, university engagement, mentorship, and fellowship initiatives.
The team also caught up with Thy Boskovic (APNIC) and Jamie Gillespie, a cybersecurity specialist who has previously contributed to the APIE e-Workshop series as a lecturer, exchanging views on community engagement and capacity-building efforts in the region.
Through its participation in APAN 61, SOI Asia reinforced its engagement with the APAN community and regional partners, and reaffirmed its commitment to supporting inclusive, connected, and sustainable learning pathways for Internet education and practice across Asia and the Pacific.