by the University Information Office
In line with its efforts to fortify the university’s data protection program, Saint Louis University is hosting the Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum (APrIGF) at the Fr. Francis Gevers Hall from today (29 August 2023) up to 31 August 2023.
The event has focused on the latest industry trends in data privacy, artificial intelligence (AI), and emerging technologies and discussions on digital accessibility, cybersecurity, and the evolution of Internet governance from industry leaders and experts across the Asia Pacific.
Among the topics of the three-day forum are as follows:
- AI in Asia-Pacific: Charting A Path for Responsible Innovation
- Policy Development on Generative AI-Based on Biometrics and Weaponizing Information Bubbles
- Breaking Security for ‘Online Safety’: What’s at Stake for Asia-Pacific?
- Content Moderation Policy Advancing Technology for Democracy
- Co-Creating Digital Future for Children: An Intergenerational, Multi-stakeholder Dialogue on Children’s Data Protection
- A Framework for Developing Gender-Responsive Cybersecurity Policy
- Tech Policy Atlas: Your One-Stop-Shop for Internet Law, Regulation and Strategy
- The Fulfillment of the Data Justice Framework Through the Data Governance Model in Implementing the Village Information System; Indonesia Case Study
- Online Safety Self-Regulatory Codes of Practice as a Means to Tackle Digital Harms– The New Zealand Experience
- AI and Gender in Asia-Pacific
- To Protect or Harm? What the Tensions Between Privacy and Civic Freedoms in Personal Data Protection Laws Mean for Civil Society
- Evolving Internet Governance for the Next Phase of the Internet
- Is Fragmentation the Future of the Internet and How Can We Resist?
According to Ms. Magie Antonio, the Philippine Country Convener of APrIGF, through APrIGF’s programs, she would like to see the Philippine internet community active in participating in policy-making and contributing to the issues in internet governance to improve or address misinformation and disinformation, including making policies on data use and data sovereignty. These efforts are currently being made through the active participation of the National Privacy Commission (NPC).
Ms. Antonio also stated that with Saint Louis University being at the “forefront of data protection or the Data Protection Act (DPA),” another aim of the program is to establish a center of excellence for data protection in the Philippines, which will be significant in sharing best practices on data privacy and data protection with the neighboring countries of the Asia-Pacific region.
Meanwhile, Dr. Cecilia A. Mercado, the Data Protection Officer and OIC of the Technology Management and Development Department (TMDD) of SLU, confirms that the university has already forged a partnership with the National Association of Data Protection Officers of the Philippines (NADPOP) and is currently extending this partnership by working towards establishing SLU as a Global Center for Data Privacy and Security.
In line with this, Dr. Mercado stated that in the wrap-up meeting on the data privacy compliance visit, the NPC Monitoring Team found SLU notable in its commitment and leadership in its data privacy efforts. This level of “maturity” is seen through the organizational factors of DPA practices, specifically that in each unit of SLU, there is a Compliance Officer on Privacy (COP) in place.
Saint Louis University, through the Data Protection Office (DPO), continues its initiatives towards data privacy and security. Certification for COPs, awareness programs, and incident and response management provisions are in place and embedded in the university processes. The DPO is also expanding its network beyond the university, resulting in partnerships with other organizations and the hosting of the APrIGF.
APrIGF was initiated by Bluepoint-Heimdall, an APrIGF Local Hub for the Philippines, in cooperation with the Data Protection Office of SLU and the Philippine Society of Information Technology Educators (PSITE) – CAR. It is one of the key regional initiatives on Internet governance. By adopting the multi-stakeholder approach as its core principle, APrIGF serves as a platform for discussion exchange and collaboration at a regional level and also, where possible, to aggregate national IGF discussions to ultimately advance the Internet governance development in the Asia Pacific region.
