Transform Hawaii Government Talks Tech and COVID-19 with Taiwan’s Digital Minster
Jul 6 2020
HONOLULU – Taiwan is widely recognized as a successful case study for both COVID-19 mitigation and governmental transparency. Much of that citizen-centric technological progress is attributed to Taiwan’s Digital Minister, Dr. Audrey Tang. Last week, Transform Hawaii Government’s (THG) Executive Director Christine Sakuda sat down with Minister Tang for a virtual, trans-Pacific interview.
Following an early career as a software developer, starting her own company at age nineteen, and consulting for Apple on artificial intelligence, Tang joined the administration of Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen in 2016. Serving in the president’s cabinet has afforded her the opportunity help bring Taiwan’s modern democracy and economy into the digital future.
On a videoconference organized by THG and the Hawaii Leadership Forum, Tang explained that, “Digital technology remains one of the best ways to improve participation as long as the focus is on finding one ground, not division. Social innovation is at the core of our response, which means people participate from all walks of life in order to publicly benefit the society.”
When asked what the key ingredient for success is in responding quickly to challenges from the pandemic, Tang asserted, “My team is literally twenty-three million residents and citizens. It is not my idea alone; it is the [collection of] random civic technologies from Taiwan.”
Executive Director Sakuda expressed, “We were so fortunate to have such an open and robust conversation with Minister Tang and with a diverse group of attendees. We hope to cross-pollinate Taiwan’s experiences in e-government with ours.”
Given the State of Hawaii’s efforts in deploying technology to combat the spread of COVID-19 and promote a vibrant, inclusive socio-digital economy, THG is always on the look-out to convene best practices by thought leaders at home and abroad.
Watch the recorded online discussion here.
Media Contact:
Angus Kelly
Anthology Marketing Group
Direct: 808-544-3016