Mesyuarat Negara-negara ASEAN dalam Bidang Sains dan Teknologi Kuantum

Penulis: Nurisya Mohd Shah, PhD
Pensyarah Kanan, Jabatan Fizik, Fakulti Sains, Universiti Putra Malaysia

Bangkok– Pada 25 – 26 April 2024, telah berlansung perjumpaan buat julung kalinya di kalangan penyelidik-penyelidik yang berkecimpung dalam bidang sains dan teknologi kuantum dari negara Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN dalam program “Strategizing Quantum Science and Technology in the ASEAN Context”.

Thailand merupakan tuan rumah dan sekaligus menjadi jawatankuasa penganjur untuk program ini dan mendapat sokongan daripada PMU-B di bawah Office of National Higher Education Science Research & Innovation Policy Council (NXPO) dan juga Quantum Technology Research Institute Collaboration (QuTRic). Selain Thailand yang menjadi tuan rumah, negara-negara ASEAN lain yang turut serta dalam perjumpaan ini termasuklah Singapura, Indonesia, Malaysia dan Filipina.

Sebelum berlansungnya program ini, satu perjumpaan antara wakil-wakil ASEAN juga telah diadakan lebih awal iaitu pada 17 Januari 2024 secara dalam talian, untuk mengumpulkan maklumat berkenaan perkembangan semasa bidang sains dan teknologi kuantum di negara masing-masing.

Program ini dikelolakan oleh fasilitator Dr. Clarissa Ai Ling Lee, penyelidik sains sosial dari Monash School of Business/Asia School of Business, pembantu beliau Dr. Choong Pak Shen, dari UCSI College dan co-fasilitator Dr. Zeki Seskir, wakil Technology Assessment group dari Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).

Tujuan utama penganjuran program ini adalah untuk merancang suatu acara atau aktiviti di peringkat ASEAN yang berkaitan dengan bidang sains dan teknologi kuantum. Peserta didedahkan dengan kaedah mereka bentuk strategi yang terbaik untuk merealisasikan idea dan aktiviti secara lebih bersistematik. Ini kerana bidang kuantum dilihat masih berada dalam status membangun di peringkat ASEAN kecuali Singapura yang lebih terkehadapan. Beberapa faktor utama telah dikenalpasti yang melibatkan isu bagaimana bidang kuantum memainkan peranan dalam sektor pendidikan, peluang kolaborasi saintifik, perkongsian kepakaran, sumber dan lain-lain lagi.

Program juga diteruskan dengan sesi perkongsian dan perbincangan daripada Dr. Zeki Seskir dan Director of Sectoral Development of ASEAN, Dr. Kanchana Wanichkorn. Dr. Zeki yang juga merupakan penyelaras projek di KIT-ITAS mempunyai pengalaman yang luas dalam struktur gerak kerja dan pembangunan inisiatif teknologi kuantum negara-negara Eropah. Tajuk pembentangan beliau ialah “Responsible Quantum Science & Technology”. Sebagai co-fasilitator, Dr. Zeki turut sama memberikan pandangan dan buah fikiran serta melihat peluang keupayaan komuniti kuantum di ASEAN secara menyeluruh.

Manakala Dr. Kanchana, berkongsi mengenai kepimpinan sektor Science Technology and Innovation (STI) ASEAN, ASEAN committee in STI dan juga perancangan ASEAN dalam STI. Melihat kepada kepesatan penyelidikan teknologi kuantum di seluruh dunia, beberapa negara ASEAN juga telah mempunyai inisiatif bidang kuantum masing-masing. Ini termasuklah Singapura, Thailand dan Filipina. Dr. Kanchana seterusnya menyokong usaha komuniti kuantum ASEAN untuk sebarang peluang kerjasama dan aktiviti antara negara-negara ASEAN dalam bidang sains dan teknologi kuantum khususnya.

Sesi terakhir sebelum program berakhir, satu jawatankuasa pelaksana telah dilantik mewakili negara-negara ASEAN. Satu persetujuan telah dicapai dengan memilih Malaysia sebagai penganjur Quantum ASEAN Summit (QAS) pada tahun 2025. Penganjuran program ini merupakan sebahagian daripada sambutan “International Year of Quantum Science and Technology 2025” (IYQST) bersempena 100 tahun kemunculan Teori Kuantum. Sambutan International Year of Quantum Science and Technology 2025 telah mendapat pengiktirafan daripada United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

English version

Bangkok – On April 25-26, 2024, the first-ever meeting between quantum researchers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) took place. They gathered for a program called “Strategizing Quantum Science and Technology in the ASEAN Context”.

Thailand hosted and chaired the organizing committee for this program, with support from PMU-B under the Office of National Higher Education Science Research & Innovation Policy Council (NXPO) and the Quantum Technology Research Institute Collaboration (QuTRic). Participating countries included Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

Prior to the program, an online meeting among ASEAN representatives was held on January 17, 2024, to gather information on the current developments in quantum science and technology in each country.

The program was led by facilitator Dr. Clarissa Ai Ling Lee, a social science researcher from Monash School of Business/Asia School of Business, assisted by Dr. Choong Pak Shen from UCSI College, and co-facilitator Dr. Zeki Seskir, representing the Technology Assessment group from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).

The main objective of the program was to plan an ASEAN-level event or activity related to quantum science and technology. Participants were exposed to methods of designing the best strategies to implement activities more systematically. This was because the field of quantum science was seen as still developing in the ASEAN region, except for Singapore which is more advanced. Several key factors were identified, including how quantum plays a role in education, collaboration opportunities, knowledge sharing, resources, and more.

The program also included sharing sessions and discussions led by Dr. Zeki Seskir and Dr. Kanchana Wanichkorn, Director of Sectoral Development of ASEAN. Dr. Zeki, who is also the project coordinator at KIT-ITAS, has extensive experience in the workflow and development of quantum technology initiatives across Europe. His talk is on and the “Responsible Quantum Science & Technology”. As a co-facilitator, Dr. Zeki also provided insights and ideas and looked at the potential capabilities of the quantum community in ASEAN as a whole.

Meanwhile, Dr. Kanchana shared about leadership in the Science Technology and Innovation (STI) sector of ASEAN, the ASEAN committee in STI, and ASEAN’s strategic planning in STI. Considering the rapid pace of quantum technology research worldwide, several ASEAN countries have initiated their own quantum field initiatives, including Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines. Dr. Kanchana further supported ASEAN’s quantum community efforts for any collaboration opportunities and activities within ASEAN, especially in the field of quantum science and technology.

Before the program concluded, a working committee was appointed representing ASEAN countries. An agreement was reached to select Malaysia as the host for the Quantum ASEAN Summit (QAS) in 2025. The organization of this program is part of the celebration of the “International Year of Quantum Science and Technology 2025” (IYQST) commemorating 100 years since the emergence of Quantum Theory. The International Year of Quantum Science and Technology 2025 celebration has been recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

List of participants

Malaysia
Yap Yung Szen, UTM
Norshamsuri Ali, UniMAP
Nurisya Mohd Shah, UPM
Siti Munirah Mohd, USIM

Thailand
Worawat Meevasana, Suranaree University of Technology
JirawatTangpanitanon, Quantum Technology Foundation (Thailand): QTFT
Areeya Chantasri, Mahidol University
Sujin Suwanna, Mahidol University
Anucha Watcharapasorn, Chiang Mai University
Pruet Kalasuwan, Prince of Songkla University
Sorawis Sangtawesin, Suranaree University of Technology

Singapore
Leong-Chuan Kwek, NIE, NTU and NUS
Jibo Dai, National Quantum Computing Hub, Singapore

Filipina
Dylan Josh Lopez, OneQuantum Philippines (Quantum Computing Society of the Philippines)
Jabez Ayson, OneQuantum Philippines

Indonesia
Andriyan Bayu Suksmono, Institut Teknogi Bandung
A.R.T. Nugraha, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN)
Almer Fandriyanto, Institut Teknogi Bandung

Nota: Penulis merupakan salah seorang wakil Malaysia Quantum ASEAN Meeting