Sharing Session: Asian View Overcoming Global Issues
Bernadia I. Tjandradewi, Secretary General of UCLG ASPAC, with members of German Parliament visiting Jakarta.
ASIA is the most culture-rich region where more than 50 percent of world urban population now live. Its richness and complexities attract attention of many. With the urbanization issue coming up, as the urban population grew much faster than other regions, complexities in Asia have doubled the curiosity of many of us. Asia has half of the world’s mega-cities, those with populations of 10 million or more. It is also home to over 45 percent of world’s youth, amounting to around 700 million young people. This rapid urban growth has given opportunities, and at the same time challenges. UCLG ASPAC Secretary General, Dr. Bernadia I. Tjandradewi was invited to join a discussion on “Challenges of Urbanization – Megacities in Asia,” with German Members of Parliament during their visit to Jakarta on March 16, 2017. The gathering aimed to share various issues faced by mega cities in Asia, such as Jakarta, and to discuss factors that could accelerate the
development toward prosperous Asia. Issues shared were infrastructure and connectivity, regional cooperation such as ASEAN, transparent and accountable government, political will as well as women leadership. At this lively open discussion, German Members of Parliament were also keen on how German experience, technology and innovation could be shared and replicated to many Asian cities. The event was organized by Robert Bosch Stiftung Foundation in the framework of the program “Policy Making in the 21st Century.” The program was implemented in partnership with the Harvard Kennedy School and Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.