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Friday, 16 January 2015 |
Filed under Education, Innovation, Nation Building
Already devastated by the twin aviation disasters of MH370 and MH17 in the first half of the year, we were dealt two more double whammies at the end of the year - the unprecedented floods in the East Coast and the crash of Air Asia 8501.
The floods - the worst in over 40 years saw the evacuation of over 100,000 people with many going days without food as rescue efforts were hampered by bad weather. The Air Asia crash - though a subsidiary of the parent Air Asia company born in Malaysia - cost 162 lives.
While there is no upside to these tragedies, what it has uncovered is that under duress, the fundamental values of the people who built this country - of helping each other - remains very much a part of who we are.
In times of national tragedy we see the coming together of Malaysians. What that reveals is that while some extremists revel in stoking a growing racial and religious divide - the silent majority remain steadfast in rejecting them.
While these people remain a thorn in the side of kind-hearted, peace-loving Malaysians of all faiths and races, we must remain vigilant against those who seek to divide us. The wedge they drive has socio-economic repercussions that could set back all that we have achieved socio-economically. We have been an Asian and multi-racial success story to the world for decades… so let’s not lose sight of what’s gotten us this far.
If we are to keep pace with the frantic pace of change, we must keep our eye on the ball, and run with others so that we are not left behind.
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| Stay focused on designing the best future
In March of 2013, four economics researchers from the New York Federal Reserve published a report that about half of the current occupations (47%) are at risk of being obsolete within the next decade or two. Economic efficiency, they said, will be the driver adding that “the social consequence is that good-paying jobs will be increasingly scarce.”
“Only the best-educated humans will compete with machines,” said internet sociologist Howard Rheingold.
The experts also noted that education systems remain mired in an industrial era mode.
“Education systems in the US and much of the rest of the world are still sitting students in rows and columns, teaching them to keep quiet and memorise what is told them, preparing them for life in a 20th century factory.”
In Malaysia, 3.3 million new positions are expected to be added to the workforce by year 2020 and at least 46% of this placement will require training to vocational of certificate standard whereas only 22% of the new job created will require university qualification.
How do we create curriculums that are future ready when much of curriculum development is designed by those whose jobs are to follow the rules?
How do we get our children to ask questions and be creative, when they are groomed to conform in school, and penalised for being different?
How do we change education that is still largely designed for the left brained and make it more holistic and inclusive for the creative, artistic types?
How do we innovate a new kind of examination that is aligned with a collaborative - even global - workplace compared to the industrial era model still being practiced?
Are these questions even being asked by those tasked with aligning our formal education system with the needs of the future.
Show leadership through ASEAN
This year, we officially take leadership of the Association of South-East Asian Nations. It is a dynamic part of the world, with over 600 million middle class consumers. ASEAN is also in the neighbourhood of India and China, the world’s giant economies of the near future.
As Chairman of ASEAN, we are in a perfect position to bring wealth and social justice to the people of this region. Our Malaysian story is a strong one and we must do all we can to show our nation as a stable, peaceful and modern nation so that others can emulate our success.
We are at a fork in the road socio-economically, and there is no time to waste because we simply cannot afford it. After a tough year, we need to be hopeful for the new year. Malaysia has a lot of work ahead of her to build this country so that it remains ever competitive in the region and globally.
We know where the weak points are, and it’s time to get real to get the job done. If we don’t no amount of good intentions will stop us from losing valuable time and being left behind when others are racing ahead.
About Tan Sri Lim
Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Paduka Dr Lim Kok Wing, the Founder and President of Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, does not fit into any ordinary mould that would describe most entrepreneurs.His journey has been closely linked with the economic and social development of Malaysia.
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Consumerism is Dead. Is Producerism the Behavior of 2015?
 
Geoffrey Colon
Strategic Growth Hacker, Design Thinker, Social Metrics Scientist @ Microsoft
Consumerism is Dead. Is Producerism the Behavior of 2015?
Jan 8, 2015
I have always loved five things the most in my life. My family, soccer(futbol!), reading, learning and broadcasting on the radio.
From 1990 until 1996 I produced a radio show on 91.3 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. WLVR were the call letters on the FM dial and I hosted a weekly show called "Furthur." I loved the show and every week for four hours I played some of the top on the edge tunes from around the globe for an audience that could hear the signal (which was very small, maybe around 800 people tuned in).
This was during an era where the producer tools were in the hands of big companies who could afford the technology. The cost was ten of millions of dollars for entry. Fast forward to 2006 while working for a startup in New York City I discovered a company out of San Francisco called Podsafe Music Network. It was a podcast hosting and discovery network prior to the mainstreaming of podcasts on iTunes. They hosted and promoted hundreds of podcasts that replicated radio shows like the one I had produced in the 90s during my non-commercial radio tenure. However the tools to produce a podcast were still not simple and had a high cost barrier to entry. I loved listening to some of those early podcasts but didn't have all the technology required to get back into the broadcast booth to produce my own. Fast forward to 2012 and a startup called Spreaker emerged allowing anyone to use their tools to create and distribute podcasts. The barrier to entry was practically a few hundred dollars and whatever I could make up in my creative mind.
As a result of this new level playing field I did what all people who love broadcasting would do. I started recording a podcast called Disruptive FM. I tried to do it every week but sometimes I would miss a week here or there. I eventually then moved into recording myself on video and would edit both for distribution across social networks. Spreaker gave me the creation tools, social networks gave me the distribution, my creativity gave me the ideas for programming and content. Instead of reaching 800, I could reach 8 million or more. The world was my audience. I also learned something from those early days of experimental production on radio. Like all good startup thinking goes, I ripped the template of my old analog radio show to apply to the digital transformative world of now. Instead of cutting edge music, I started focusing on the cutting edge businesses of the startup economy. Instead of a Top 5 tunes of the week, I talked about the Top 5 startups of the week to watch. Instead of giving out a number to reach me on, I told people to connect with me on Twitter. Business shows that exist on CNBC, Bloomberg and Fox Business are still produced with an older demo of Wall Street investors in mind. It's doubtful those in Silicon Valley or Silicon Alley who are in their 20s have any interest in said content offerings. However, like all disruptive ideology, there is a whole area of commerce to be discussed and covered beyond what appeals to that demographic. This was my niche and my long tail. Because the cost of production was low, it was worth the risk of producing the content I enjoyed that others may enjoy as well.
In the past if I didn't have access to media creation tools, I couldn't take action. I couldn't produce anything. I simply had to consume what outlets wanted to push on me. That all has changed. In 2015 it will tip even further (no pun intended). We no longer are simply consumers. We are also the producers. The best term to help describe this human behavior? Producerism. Producerism is the ability of anyone to create anything as long as they have the creativity and willingness to do so. Productivity technology exists in so many shapes and sizes now that it's up to the individual to take action. It also represents a pitfall for brands and mega corporations. Self-made content and controlling the market isn't the theme anymore. The ability for people to create on your behalf is the new behavior to tap into. Marketing now opens up to the masses rather than the boardroom where employees ran all the messaging and produced all the content and products.
Some examples of what we will see more of in 2015 include: 1. Companies that crop up in a matter of days, not months, due to the power of cloud computing 2. Short form videos and commercials produced by people, not professionals or agencies 3. Fashion design that is replicated via 3D printing 4. New food sourcing opportunities that tap into natural ingredients and not chemicals 5. Broadcasts created and distributed by anyone who has something creative to say or showcase 6. Self-published books that incorporate embedded Vines and Instagrams 7. The first mobile social network that goes beyond "sharing" and gives one the tools for actually "creating."
Instagram, one of the fastest growing social networks is more than a distribution platform but also about creation. From this platform sprung the popularization of the "Selfie" behavior. Although weird sounding, the term ultimately became the word of the year in 2013. In 2016 will we be looking back at 2015 and saying the same thing about "Producerism?"
Geoffrey Colon is a Group Product Marketing Manager at Microsoft. Follow his left-of-center business thinking on Twitter or listen to his weekly podcast DISRUPTIVE FM on the Spreaker app where he talks business in the era of the startup economy, digital trends, social media technology, disruptive innovation, digital transformation. Broadcasting from Seattle on the world wide mobile web.
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