GermanAsian AI Partnerships Driving Talent Innovation the Future

20 Feb 2026 13:00h - 14:00h

Session at a glance

Summary

This panel discussion focused on international cooperation between Germany and India in developing AI partnerships that address workforce development and innovation challenges. The conversation centered on how governments, industry, academia, and development partners can collaborate to ensure AI becomes a driver of opportunity for all, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises that form the backbone of both economies.

Dr. Bärbel Kofler from Germany’s Federal Ministry emphasized the need to make AI technology accessible and useful for everyone, highlighting concerns about job displacement and the importance of closing power gaps in AI access. She discussed concrete initiatives like the AI Living Lab at Mumbai University, which brings together students and SMEs to work on real-world AI applications. Mr. Govind Jaiswal from India’s Ministry of Education explained how India is systematically integrating AI training across its education system, including mandatory internships and industry collaboration, while drawing inspiration from Germany’s dual education model.

Industry representatives highlighted the gap between current educational offerings and market needs, noting that while students are aware of AI, they lack practical skills in productivity tools and application development. The discussion revealed successful examples of industry-academia collaboration, including large-scale faculty training programs and blind hiring processes that demonstrate talent exists across all educational tiers, not just elite institutions.

The panelists identified key application areas for AI cooperation including healthcare, agriculture, energy sustainability, and water management. They emphasized the importance of addressing data protection, avoiding dependency on non-European AI platforms, and ensuring inclusive access to AI technologies. The session concluded with the announcement of a new AI Academia Industry Innovation Partnership between Germany and Asian countries, featuring “living labs” that combine academic learning with real industry challenges to bridge the skills gap and foster innovation.

Keypoints

Major Discussion Points:

– AI’s Impact on Employment and the Future of Work: Panelists addressed widespread concerns about AI displacing jobs, emphasizing that while technology creates disruption, it historically leads to new opportunities and improved quality of life. The focus was on ensuring smooth transitions through effective training and reskilling programs.

– Industry-Academia Collaboration for AI Skills Development: Extensive discussion on bridging the gap between educational institutions and industry needs, with examples like AI Living Labs, hackathons with thousands of participants, and dual education programs modeled after German systems to create job-ready graduates.

– International Cooperation and Partnership Models: Strong emphasis on German-Indian collaboration in AI development, including specific initiatives like the AI Academia Industry Innovation Partnership in Asia, shared research programs, and the need to overcome global power gaps in AI access and development.

– Inclusive AI Development and Addressing Digital Divides: Concerns about ensuring AI benefits reach small and medium enterprises (SMEs), tier-2 and tier-3 cities, and marginalized populations, while addressing issues of data bias, language barriers, and dependency on non-European/non-Indian AI platforms.

– Practical Implementation Through Living Labs: Introduction and promotion of AI Living Labs as structured learning spaces where universities, students, and companies collaborate on real-world problems, combining German expertise with Asian innovation and talent.

Overall Purpose:

The discussion aimed to explore how international cooperation, particularly between Germany and India, can address the challenges of AI integration in the workforce. The goal was to develop strategies for creating inclusive, human-centered AI ecosystems that benefit small and medium enterprises while ensuring workers are prepared for AI-enabled workplaces through enhanced education and training programs.

Overall Tone:

The discussion maintained a consistently optimistic and collaborative tone throughout. Speakers demonstrated mutual respect and shared commitment to partnership, with practical examples and concrete initiatives being highlighted. The tone was professional yet enthusiastic, with panelists building on each other’s points constructively. There was a notable sense of urgency about addressing AI skills gaps, but this was balanced with confidence in the solutions being proposed and implemented.

Speakers

Speakers from the provided list:

– Moderator – Role: Event moderator/host

– Dr. Kusumita Arora – Role: Panel moderator for the AI discussion session

– Dr. Bärbel Kofler – Title: Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (Germany); Area of expertise: International cooperation and sustainable development

– Mr. Govind Jaiswal – Title: Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Education of the Government of India; Area of expertise: Higher education and skills development

– Mr. Jan Noether – Title: Director General of the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce; Area of expertise: Indo-German economic and business cooperation

– Dr. Augustus Azariah – Title: HR leader for Asochem; Role: Works for Kindrel (IBM spinoff); Area of expertise: Infrastructure management and industry-academia collaboration

– Arthur Rapp – Role: Representative of DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service); Area of expertise: Academic research and international education programs

– Video Narrator – Role: Narrator for the promotional video about the AI Innovation Partnership

Additional speakers:

None – all speakers mentioned in the transcript are included in the provided speakers names list.

Full session report

This comprehensive panel discussion explored the critical intersection of artificial intelligence development and international cooperation, focusing specifically on the German-Indian partnership in addressing workforce transformation and innovation challenges in the AI era. The session brought together high-level government officials, industry leaders, and academic representatives to examine how collaborative approaches can ensure AI becomes a driver of opportunity for all, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that form the economic backbone of both nations.

The Challenge of AI-Driven Workforce Transformation

The discussion opened with a fundamental acknowledgement of the widespread anxiety surrounding AI’s impact on employment. Dr. Bärbel Kofler from Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development emphasised the importance of taking people’s fears about job displacement seriously, noting that these concerns have valid foundations. She argued that the strategic priority has shifted from merely developing artificial intelligence to ensuring its responsible and effective deployment, particularly for SMEs which face greater barriers to AI access compared to large corporations.

This perspective was complemented by Mr. Govind Jaiswal from India’s Ministry of Education, who provided a historical framework for understanding technological disruption in response to these employment concerns. Using the analogy of electricity’s introduction, he demonstrated how disruptive technologies ultimately democratise access to benefits and improve quality of life for marginalised populations. His argument that “any technology, whenever it comes, it creates disruption in the ecosystem” but eventually leads to better opportunities for those who previously lacked access, helped establish a more optimistic foundation for the discussion.

Dr. Kofler referenced studies suggesting significant job creation potential through AI, though she expressed uncertainty about the exact source, mentioning it could be from the World Bank or World Trade Organization. However, she emphasised that skills shortages remain a critical challenge that requires coordinated international action to bridge the gap between job creation and workforce readiness.

Local Perspectives and Ground-Level Realities

Dr. Augustus Azariah from Kindrel (an IBM spinoff) and HR leader for Assocham opened his remarks with a telling anecdote that captured local perspectives on AI. He recounted how his cab driver in India, upon learning about his AI work, remarked “AI means All Indian” – reflecting both the optimism and the grassroots understanding of AI’s potential in the Indian context. This story illustrated how AI discussions must account for diverse cultural interpretations and local aspirations.

Industry-Academia Collaboration: Bridging the Skills Gap

A central theme throughout the discussion was the inadequacy of traditional industry-academia partnerships in preparing students for AI-enabled workplaces. Dr. Azariah provided compelling evidence of this disconnect, noting that whilst students are aware of AI and often use it to generate CVs, they lack practical skills in productivity tools like Microsoft Copilot or the ability to develop AI applications. This observation highlighted a fundamental problem: surface-level AI awareness without deep technical competency.

The industry response has been to move beyond traditional guest lectures towards comprehensive engagement models. Dr. Azariah described large-scale initiatives including hackathons with over 18,000 participants and faculty certification programmes that have already trained more than 1,000 educators in AI tools. These efforts specifically target tier-2 and tier-3 cities, recognising that talent is distributed across the educational spectrum rather than concentrated in elite institutions.

His example of blind hiring processes provided empirical evidence supporting inclusive talent development strategies. In recruiting for positions paying close to 30 lakhs per annum for freshers, only 4 candidates came from prestigious IITs while the rest were from tier-2 and tier-3 institutions, yet all performed equally well. This demonstrated that talent exists across all educational tiers, challenging assumptions about where AI innovation can occur.

Educational System Reform and International Learning

India’s systematic approach to integrating AI across its educational landscape emerged as a significant discussion point. Mr. Jaiswal outlined comprehensive reforms following the National Education Policy 2020, including the introduction of 50% skill courses in humanities programmes, expansion of research parks in Indian Institutes of Technology (from three before 2014 to nine currently, with plans for nine more), and mandatory internships and apprenticeship programmes. These changes represent a fundamental shift towards industry-aligned education that prepares students for immediate workplace contribution.

The German dual education system served as an inspiration for these reforms, with Mr. Jaiswal specifically mentioning his visits to Stuttgart and Munich to study vocational training models. This cross-pollination of educational approaches exemplifies the type of international cooperation that the panel advocated. A concrete example of this collaboration is the recently signed agreement with the dual university of Baden-Württemberg for a master’s programme, with Mr. Jan Noether from the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce noting that two-thirds would be handled in India and one-third in Germany.

Arthur Rapp from DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) provided additional context through two studies he referenced on AI in European higher education and university students’ use of generative AI. He noted that students increasingly consult AI for career choices and university selection, with computer science overtaking engineering as the preferred field of study. This shift reflects students’ recognition of AI as a career opportunity, but also highlights the need for educational institutions to adapt their offerings accordingly.

AI Sovereignty and Dependency Concerns

The discussion revealed sophisticated thinking about the geopolitical dimensions of AI development and deployment. Arthur Rapp raised critical concerns about dependency on non-European AI platforms, describing this as a threat to freedom of research and teaching. He emphasised that “AI is not intelligence, at least not at the moment – this is statistical tools that are predicting an outcome” and warned that AI systems are inherently biased. His concern that researchers might unknowingly share sensitive intellectual property through AI platforms added important complexity to the cooperation discussion.

Dr. Kofler responded by emphasising the need for international cooperation to overcome “power gaps” in AI access and development. She distinguished between being a creator versus a user of AI, arguing that meaningful cooperation must enable countries and organisations to become AI creators rather than merely consumers. This perspective shaped the discussion towards concrete partnership models that build indigenous capabilities rather than creating new dependencies.

The Living Labs Innovation Model

A significant portion of the discussion focused on the concept of AI Living Labs as a practical solution to bridge the gap between academic learning and industry needs. Dr. Kofler described the recently launched Living Lab at Tata University in Mumbai, developed in partnership with the University of Leipzig, as an exemplar of this approach. These structured learning and innovation spaces bring together students, faculty, and SMEs to work collaboratively on real-world AI challenges.

The Living Labs model addresses multiple objectives simultaneously: students gain hands-on experience with practical applications, SMEs access AI capabilities they might not otherwise afford, and faculty strengthen their curricula through direct industry engagement. This approach moves beyond theoretical AI education to create environments where innovation occurs through applied problem-solving, democratising AI development and ensuring that solutions address real business and social needs.

SME Integration and Sectoral Applications

The specific challenges facing SMEs in AI adoption received considerable attention, reflecting their crucial role in both economies. Mr. Noether noted that 98.5% of German businesses are SMEs, with similar proportions in India, making their AI integration essential for national competitiveness. However, he highlighted that German SMEs are typically cautious spenders who require clear demonstration of financial or operational benefits before investing in new technologies.

The discussion identified key application areas where AI cooperation could deliver immediate productivity gains: healthcare data analysis and remote patient access, agricultural optimisation through satellite imaging, water resource management, and energy sustainability initiatives. These sectors represent areas where AI applications can demonstrate clear value propositions that might convince cautious SMEs to invest.

Mr. Noether advocated for creating international “sandboxes” where young talents from multiple countries could collaborate on developing AI solutions for entire industry sectors rather than individual companies. He emphasised the potential for combining German SME experience and methodical approaches with Indian talent and innovation speed, creating mutual benefits rather than one-sided technology transfer.

Addressing Inclusion and Equity

Throughout the discussion, speakers consistently returned to themes of inclusion and equity in AI development. Dr. Kofler highlighted that millions of people are excluded from AI benefits due to language barriers, literacy challenges, or lack of access to computing infrastructure. She emphasised that overcoming these exclusions is essential for realising AI’s full potential.

The focus on tier-2 and tier-3 cities in India exemplifies this inclusive approach, supported by Dr. Azariah’s evidence that talent exists across all educational tiers. This perspective suggests that inclusive approaches may actually unlock greater innovation potential by tapping into previously underutilised talent pools.

The AI Academia Industry Innovation Partnership

The session concluded with the formal announcement of the AI Academia Industry Innovation Partnership in Asia, commissioned by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented through GIZ. This initiative, involving Germany, India, and Vietnam, represents the concrete operationalisation of the principles discussed throughout the panel.

Dr. Kofler referenced the Hamburg Sustainability Conference as an example of concrete commitments being made, emphasising that this partnership represents a commitment to measurable outcomes rather than merely aspirational cooperation. The partnership aims to address the widening gap between demand for AI skills and the availability of job-ready talent through Living Labs that combine students, researchers, and industry experts in collaborative innovation environments.

Mr. Jaiswal expressed optimism about the partnership’s potential to bring academic and industry worlds closer together, creating a more responsive educational ecosystem that can adapt quickly to changing industry needs. The initiative’s multi-country approach allows for diverse perspectives and complementary strengths whilst building shared capabilities.

Future Implications and Ongoing Challenges

Despite the optimistic tone and concrete initiatives announced, several significant challenges remain. The question of how to ensure decent work conditions as AI transforms job markets requires ongoing attention, as does the practical implementation of faculty training at scale across diverse educational institutions.

The discussion revealed tension between the rapid pace of technological change and the time required for comprehensive workforce retraining. The compressed timeframe of AI adoption may require more proactive intervention than previous technological transitions, necessitating the kind of international cooperation and innovative educational models discussed.

Data protection and AI sovereignty concerns also require continued attention. Balancing the benefits of international cooperation with the need to maintain domestic capabilities and protect intellectual property represents an ongoing challenge that will likely require evolving policy responses.

The moderator’s commitment to follow up on the discussion, responding to Dr. Azariah’s request for continued engagement, demonstrates recognition that this conversation represents the beginning rather than the end of a collaborative process. The panel’s emphasis on concrete outcomes and measurable commitments suggests recognition that the AI transformation requires sustained action and adaptive management as circumstances evolve.

This discussion demonstrates the maturity of thinking about AI’s societal implications and the recognition that technological development must be accompanied by deliberate efforts to ensure inclusive benefits. The German-Indian partnership model, with its combination of German methodical approaches and Indian innovation speed, may provide valuable lessons for other international collaborations seeking to harness AI’s potential whilst addressing its challenges through cooperative approaches that leverage complementary strengths and shared commitments to human-centred development.

Session transcript

Moderator

global digital transformation for partners such as Germany and India. The strategic priority is not longer solely the development of artificial intelligence, but very much its response limit effective deployment. And particularly for small and medium -sized enterprises, which in Germany and in India and other countries, these are the backbones of our economies, access to skills, innovation, ecosystems and trusted partnerships will determine whether AI becomes a driver of opportunity for all. Today’s panel will explore how cooperation amongst governments, industry, academia and development partners can address these challenges and shape a future of work that is innovative, inclusive and human -centered. It is now my great pleasure to introduce our distinguished panelists. We are deeply honored by the presence of Dr. Bärbel Kofler, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, whose leadership underscores Germans’ strong commitment to international cooperation and sustainable development.

Ms. Kofler, please come up. There’s no signs. You can choose in the middle. Next panelist, I would really warmly welcome Mr. Gobind Jaswal, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Education of the Government of India. He plays a very pivotal role in advancing higher education and skills development here in India. Also, it’s my great pleasure to welcome Jan Noether, the Director General of the Indo -German Chamber of Commerce, reflecting the strength of Indo -German economic and business cooperation. Please, Jan. Jan Noether, the Director General of the Indo -German Chamber of Commerce, reflecting the strength of Indo -German economic and business cooperation. of Indo -German economic and business cooperation. Jan Noether, the Director General of the Indo -German Chamber of Commerce, reflecting the strength of Indo -German economic and business cooperation.

Please, Jan. Jan Noether, the Director General of the Indo -German Chamber of Commerce, reflecting the strength of Indo -German economic and business cooperation. Please, Jan. Jan Noether, the Director General of the Indo -German Chamber of Commerce, reflecting the strength Please, Jan. Jan Noether, the Director General of the Indo -German Chamber of Commerce, reflecting the strength of Indo -German economic and business cooperation. Please, Jan. of Indo -German economic and business cooperation. Please, Jan. Jan Noether, the Director General of the Indo -German Chamber of Commerce, reflecting the strength of Indo -German economic and business cooperation. Please, Jan. Jan Noether, the Director General of the Indo -German Chamber of Commerce, reflecting the strength Please, Jan. Jan Noether, the Director General of the Indo -German Chamber of Commerce, reflecting the strength Jan Noether, the Director General of the Indo -German Chamber of Commerce, reflecting the strength Today’s discussion will be moderated by

Dr. Kusumita Arora

Good morning. Good morning, everybody. Thank you to GIZ for this very special and important session. So we have been hearing, I think, about all aspects of AI in the last few days. And today… Close up? Okay. Okay, I will be, wait one minute. Okay. So this session, we want to talk about people in the age of AI and what partnerships are going to look like for talent, which is going to drive the innovation, and also completely the future of work as we know now. This forum where we are going to discuss policy intent, what is required for scaling, for startup needs, for infrastructure and other pragmatic issues which are going to drive the conversation ahead.

This includes and always have to include the people, personal growth, their dreams and their particular circumstances through which they will connect to AI and to each other. I would request all our panelists for their comments on the different issues. To Dr. Babel Kofler, I will ask you to just explain your views. Thank you. cooperation, public policy support between AI partnerships in industry, academia, as well as technology providers, how will this drive productivity and drive jobs? Because people are scared of the jobs.

Dr. Bärbel Kofler

Well, you’re quite right. Also, with your last remark, thank you for the question, and good morning, everybody. Start with that. Good morning, everybody, to all of you. Yes, people get afraid of that there might be a loss of jobs, and it’s also an issue then, and maybe we come later to that issue also, on how decent the work jobs are they can require. I think we have to take those feelings very carefully because there’s reason for that. I think we dive a little bit deeper in that in the next round. What we are doing, and I will start a little bit with a general remark, what we are doing is First thing is with our cooperation, we try to be a reliable partner in a very uncertain world.

We all know how power shifts around the globe are taking place, how the international order is redrawn somehow. And I think what we need, especially if it’s coming to technological transformation, which is really having a big impact on everybody’s life, we need to make sure that that technology, included in all the other changes which are going on on the planet, is really there for serving people, serving those who are in the workforces, serving enterprises, serving not only big enterprises, but as we are jointly thinking, small and medium -sized enterprises. Because only if we do that, if we overcome that power gap, which is still existing, the full… possibility of new technology can be spread and can be used by everybody.

And I think that’s the aim and the goal of my ministry and that’s the aim of the goal of the German government to make the new technology being applicable, useful for everybody. And I think we are very aligned with that with the Indian government, so I’m very happy that colleague, General Secretary, is here on the panel with us because at the end of the day we are discussing about open source, open data, we are discussing about computing possibilities about how we can make that all more climate friendly, reducing the costs of energy, reducing environmental impact, the use of water for example which is necessary for all those computing things there. So there are a lot of things we have to regulate, I would say, in the overall governmental framework.

to make it then being applicable in a very positive way for the people, for their companies. One concrete example of what we are doing is just coming back from Mumbai. We also met Mr. Newton and where we were opening AI Living Lab at University, Rattentata University at Mumbai. What is it all about? At the end of the day, it’s about making the new technology being part of a curricula of a university, offering students the chance to get close to that, but not doing that in something artificially made up, doing it with concrete working examples from small media enterprises who get the advantage then to have access to AI, which is also not always there. So bring those two groups.

Those groups who normally don’t have so much access. as a creator of AI, but sometimes, yeah, you may use it. You have to have GDP on your mobile, but not really as a creator and as somebody who is inventing the solutions which are needed in business, which are needed also for social interaction. Bring that together. That’s something we are doing as government, and I think that’s something we can talk a little bit more about it later on, but that’s something we want to foster in a global cooperation and in an overall momentum, we really strive to close the power gap. I was talking in another panel about the chances on getting access to competing data centers.

That’s totally different in the global north than in the global south. The access to venture capital, there are so many things surrounding the setting, but also then at the end of the day, how are the regulations on decent work, for example? So people are really suffering from that or are really participating. So those things are the overall topics we have to solve in government. Thank you.

Dr. Kusumita Arora

I will move to Sri Jeshwar, Joint Secretary. I think many universities, departments are already starting AI courses or some centers or departments. So how do we plan to have higher education and vocational training systems orient to or reorient to work closely, not only on the courses, but along with industry and innovation ecosystems so that workers, the graduates who are coming out of these systems are prepared for AI -enabled workplaces, because having the talent pool is one of the priorities. I think that is one of the priority areas nowadays. Thank

Mr. Govind Jaiswal

you. I’ll start. With some context of the first question, then I will link how are we preparing. Most of the time it has been asked about this afraid about the introduction of new technology. I’ll give one example because there are many person who might be interested into AI as a layman and they may not be aware. Any technology, whenever it comes, it creates disruption in the ecosystem. I’ll give one example. When electricity was introduced, discovered long time back, you’re just imagining one person who was manually doing the work of a fan for some elite or some rich person. When the electricity was introduced, the same kind of question might have arised whether he will lose his job or not.

But what happened, the electricity, when it was reduced, the consequence of that fan, freeze, the vehicle, everything, the electronic batteries, everything came into existence. But what technology does, if it has been used effectively, it ensures the person who never thought that he will have access to a fan and he will get fan, which he is doing manually after one or I think one or two centuries, he might be using the same thing. The quality of life, especially marginal people, increases with any technology. What is the role of government and the industry to ensure that when the transition takes place, they are effectively and efficiently trained for new skills and a new job role? I am 100 percent sure a person who was doing that kind of job a few centuries ago, after a few decades, he might be doing a better job and a new kind of thing.

That’s the challenge, actually. And when you said about the university and the ecosystem and the introduction of vocational training and the introduction of AI courses, we are keeping that in the mind because the transition which took place in one century that few centuries ago will take in few decades. So that transition it has to be very seamless. So no one is adversely affected. And any technology emotional agnostic it will not go with the emotion. It go with the hard core reality. So in government of India is already taking many steps to ensure that everyone is being trained about the new skills including AI. And in the last six seven years it has been introduced after the new education policy 2020 where we have enabled all the university ecosystem especially humanities also to include 50 % courses especially for the skill courses.

And it’s a very very organized and very very structured way that we are moving in last five to eight years especially last one decade. We introduced national education policy where focus on skill courses. We started six new research parks in the premium institution, especially in IITs. Before 2014, it was three. So now it is nine. We are still going for another nine. So, and all the courses of the civil engineering, mechanical engineering, we have introduced a certain component where the students who are getting through the, they are also equally trained with AI. If you see about the industry academy of collaboration, the recent budget also, where it was announced, five educational cities, the core word was it should be near to the industrial corridor.

It is so curated and if you go for the last ten years, it is so organized way that every student of this country is getting equipped with artificial intelligence. Not only this, either it is semiconductor or it is quantum theory. Everything we are trying to train our human resources equally. as we are also in negotiation and we are already having some cooperation with our German government for the introduction of AI courses and it has been launched also in some of our portal slowly slowly we will embed everything what I suggest with the industry academy of collaboration most of the time it was confined with the curriculum thing we are going ahead and we are requesting not only to involve for the curriculum they should be involved for the entrance they should be involved for the assessment they should be involved for the practical training as much as possible last month I was in Germany actually Stuttgart and Munich I have seen the dual education system very influential very effective way and we are also going aggressively to ensure that every student gets industry exposure internship was made mandatory apprenticeship embedded degree program was launched entire education landscape is changing drastically we have series of activity that we are doing.

And I’m very much sure that students, especially in higher education, we have around 40 million students enrolled and they will be equipped and they are equipped in the coming year. We will lead into AI sector also. Thank you.

Dr. Kusumita Arora

Thank you. That’s very encouraging. Very hopeful. Mr. Azaria, from the point of view of the Indian industry, what would be your comments as to what kind of partnership or collaboration models already exist? And how do you see the students coming into the young workforce and turning AI innovation into real productivity improvements and improvements for companies for the bottom line as well as for sustainability? Thank you

Dr. Augustus Azariah

very much. Truly delighted to be here this morning. Quick commercial about me and my company. All right. I work for Kindrel, which is an IBM spinoff, and we’re in the space of infrastructure management, which means that most of the transactions that you’re doing, banking to airline to various other things, are powered by our technology. That’s my day job. I also serve as the HR leader for South, for Asochem, and that’s the Industry Connect. Now, coming to your question, as I was riding in and my cab driver, I chatted up with him and asked him, what is it about this AI conference? AI, sir, AI means all Indian. Wonderfully put. Not to take the credit away from other countries, but you see.

At that level, the penetration. and the hope that AI sovereignty could happen right here where we are sitting. So that is from that level. Now, the other one I wanted to tell you is the industry -academia collaboration. And as a HR leader, the first thing I see is that there is some chaos and confusion among the laterals as well as the freshers. When you go to campus to hire, you don’t find real AI skills except that you see the CV developed by ChatGPT. And when I read through that verbosity, I know very well this is system -generated. This is AI -generated. And I tell them, look, we need some levels of originality. You get your ChatGPT or whatever, Gen AI.

The AI system wants to generate your stuff. But I want your involvement. So which means that the human element that we want to put here is to oversee what is actually being generated by generative AI. The other requirement from the pressures is that college freshers we’re talking about is not just an awareness of what’s Gen AI. They know that. But for them to know certain productivity tools like Copilot, OK, to use Copilot to develop small applications or, you know, have AI agents running. That’s the level. And I’m not saying that you can’t do that. And I would say that’s pretty basic. Is it available today for the industry? The answer is not as much as it should be.

Why? Because the faculty are not trained to impart that level. of AI awareness. And therefore, we saw this gap. And we said, hey, look, let us address this gap and go into colleges. The industry goes into colleges with partnerships, with large companies, call it NVIDIA, call it Google, call it IBM, call it Kindle. And we go beyond the guest lecture. We start with making it competitive to them. All right. And telling the faculty and certifying them. Recently in a hackathon with about 18 ,000 people in the southern city of Mangaluru, there were more than 18 ,000 students. And during that time, we got more than a thousand faculty certified in Copilot. And. I would say that our target is to go into the hundreds and thousands and millions for faculty to be trained and also to provide faculty.

an endowment fund so that they can innovate and they can come up with models and patents that they can file. And I suppose that is where we have a big gap. And if we are able to do it, we are going to the hinterlands, tier two, tier three cities in India. And that’s where the talent lies. And AI, while you can call it all India, it’s also about unlocking talent. The talent that is available in tier two and tier three cities is so humongous I will just take 30 seconds and tell you. When we did a hiring, we did what is called a blind selection. And in that blind selection of 10 people who were shortlisted or finalized for a job that was paying close to 30 lakhs per annum, which is for freshers.

Four of them were IITs. three of them were tier two tier one the rest were all tier two and three what does this tell me this tells me that the talent doesn’t just stay in our top tier institutes it’s also so common and it’s socialized right across the spectrum and that my dear friends is the challenge that we have the opportunity that we have and I think today it’s about making sure that they unlearn the past and learn about how to cope with AI for the

Dr. Kusumita Arora

that is a real wonderful to know I mean this is an example or demonstration of how industry is really engaging with academia and engaging on a long term basis at least a medium term basis and I’m sure this is going to yield results at the pace that industry and academia is looking at. Mr. Jan, can you please tell us where you see the strongest potential for cooperation in AI? And this translates directly into productivity, into gains, economic growth.

Mr. Jan Noether

Glad to do so. Now, of course, we need to bring people together. We yesterday had a tour around our German pavilion. And it’s amazing what’s going on in Germany as well when it comes to AI. So all India is great, but AI does not know any borders. And we need to bring people together. Now, when we talk about application, looking at India, the first thing which comes to my mind is healthcare. since if you look into a let’s say analysis of these millions and millions of records of we have of healthcare data if we look into disease management if we look into remote access to patients via AI systems that is going to be the future not only in India that’s going to be the future I mean across the world agriculture digital imaging satellite imaging and water is unfortunately not only used to cool systems water is the scarce raw material if you want to on our planet in the years to come how do we use that in a meaningful way and how do we protect this resource and how do we look at the agricultural development in certain areas.

So all of that could be done. Energy sustainability, very, very important. And AI will play a very crucial role in that segment, as does in the skills development, remote learning. We do have, and Secretary, I’m very happy to share with you, you were in Stuttgart, which is fantastic. We just signed an agreement with a dual university of Baden -Württemberg on a master’s program where like two -thirds is going to be handled in India, one -third is going to be handled in Germany. But these are the concepts of the future. So if you ask me where to apply, it’s across the board. It’s

Dr. Kusumita Arora

Okay. Thank you. Mr. Ross. I came up as a representative of DAAD, which has been supporting academic research for decades. What would be your comments as to how our programs would, on research, would integrate AI skills, new directions in AI, right from maybe schools and greater into universities and, in fact, lifelong learning, to equip leaders, learners with skills, the critical thinking, to use AI for their personal uses as well as to drive the economy? What would be the role in this direction?

Arthur Rapp

So the second study – oh, sorry, one important point, one very important conclusion was that there is a big risk of dependence on non -European AI platforms, and this is a threat to freedom of research and teaching. Now, this is, of course, very much centered on Europe, but this is also something that, of course, applies to India as well. When we use certain systems and the owners of these systems, they are not in our countries. They are somewhere else. There are people training this AI, you know, so AI is not neutral. It’s also biased. This is another interesting aspect, you know. Today, maybe this application is free of charge, so I’m using it. I’m putting my data inside, so at the same time I’m training that.

Tomorrow, this application might not be available anymore, and then me as a country or me as a company, I will get into trouble, right? Because suddenly I’m… Maybe I need to pay for something, and I can be excluded. But the whole aspect of data protection is also mentioned in that study because there was a lot of questions. For example, when people today write a research proposal and they use AI just to check the spelling, you know, and to make the sentences a bit more polished so it sounds nicer, right? They don’t understand, I think, the impact it has because where does this data go to? I might have a new great idea, right? This might be a revolution.

So it could be that someone has access to this, will extract this information at another end of the world and might use this, might even file a patent, right? So we don’t know that, right? So there’s also this dimension. So another study, another publication that was published that’s called University Student and Generative. If I am parroted. that’s about two years old already but I would say it’s still important and what I very much liked about it is that there’s basically three messages so I don’t know if you would be surprised but they found out a lot of young people today consult AI on their career choice on their choice of university and the subject I’m going to study so I don’t ask anymore maybe my teacher or my aunt I consult AI and then I take the decision what career I’m going to choose and then again not a big surprise four out of five people use AI so this is two years ago I’m sure this number is a lot higher today and another interesting fact is engineering used to be number one among the people asked and today it’s computer science and information systems so So this is where the tension is going now, of course, because people see there is an opportunity, right?

This is an interesting career path. So you can see there is a lot of different aspects. And we as an institution, we are, of course, also quite active. We do offer scholarships, so we support any field. And just about a week ago, we conducted interviews. So we conducted interviews. There was about 100 people participating in these interviews for PhD scholarship and research scholarships in Germany. So the conclusion the professors came to was almost all the applicants used AI. And you can see this. This was mentioned before, right, by the way it’s written. You can see it, okay? And then a lot of people did actually have AI in their research proposals. It was part of the title.

So we see that. We see that. That. That changed. and this is positive right because we will progress and there will be new opportunities and just maybe also to draw a little conclusion out of these two publications that I mentioned my personal conclusion is this is a disruptive technology it’s just like when robots were invented and when computers changed our world you might recall, those who are a bit older will recall that there was also a lot of fear there is going to be mass unemployment we need, as the minister has said, we need to listen to the people we need to educate people to tell them what AI actually is AI is not intelligence at least not at the moment this is statistical tools that are predicting predicting an outcome you know but we need to listen to these fears and there is a lot of opportunity opportunity to for the entire world, which has just been mentioned before, right?

When we look at, for example, how we do agriculture, how we do farming and so on. Thank you.

Dr. Kusumita Arora

Thank you. I think we have very interesting aspects of AI, what it already means for individuals, for people, and what it’s likely to mean in the future. As it has come out, AI is without borders. So a few questions now on what international cooperations are needed and what they will do for AI, for humanity as a whole. I think AI in India and AI, the actual circumstances are a little bit different, but the fundamentals of AI will be very, very potent and very important for all countries and all environments equally. So, Dr. Kotla. I’ll come to you first to ask that. how international cooperation programs should get involved for better integration of AI for skills and innovation initiatives and to ensure an inclusive workforce globally.

Well, maybe

Dr. Bärbel Kofler

I’ll start with an overall topic. I’m just coming from another panel, which was about responsible AI. I think we have to get involved in responsibility because, yes, it was said, it’s crystal clear, that’s not neutral. We have biases in data. We have languages where millions of mother language speakers are excluded because they cannot use it in their language. People who have challenges to read and write are still sometimes excluded. So there are still things we have to overcome. We have to overcome to be really inclusive. And as I was pointing out before, it’s also in the business sector that way, that there is not the same chance for a small, medium -priced enterprise to be included in using AI or making it available for their purposes than it is for a big company.

So what international cooperation should do is to overcome the gaps. We formulated always that there is still a power gap, a gap in being a creator of AI, a gap in using AI in certain parts of the world more than in others. Dependency was talked about before. So we have to overcome those gaps. That’s the first thing we have to do in international cooperation, and we have to do it in a meaningful way. So it’s really to the perspective. To the purpose of those who are using it, to the purpose of countries, to the purpose of individuals, to companies, and so on. I still think we should have a close look how those new technologies can support agreed, internationally agreed ideas like the sustainable development goals because there’s a lot of potential in that technology that could help us to reach those goals.

So we should do that in a general way, but we also have to be concrete because it doesn’t really help us if we have conference after conference and there’s no concrete outcome on the ground. So we have to make ourselves controllable, I would say, as a government. We have to have commitments also in an international cooperation. We have to stick to those commitments and we have to report them and discuss them with public how to develop them further. So that is quite important. And that’s, by the way, something we try to do with our Hamburg sustainability, our declaration on responsibility. I was at the Hamburg Sustainability Conference. with concrete commitments by all stakeholders, governments, industry, academia, NGOs, everybody who wants to join that to come out with very concrete outcomes.

There are outcomes in skilling people to be not only users but co -creators. There can be outcomes like we were debating a little bit before, for how to bridge academia, industry needs, and the needs of the young generation of students. There are concrete topics we are working on that. I was mentioning the Living Lab in Mumbai we were launching. That’s not my ministry only or government only. It’s a cooperation of government. It’s academia with University of Mumbai and University of Leipzig who is sharing their insights. And there are concrete stakeholders from industry, and especially underlying small and medium enterprises who need access. and need workforces who don’t have to be trained for years when they left university.

They need to come up with solutions immediately when they enter a company. So we have to bridge all those things. And I think a governmental approach has to be also, on the one hand, to set frameworks, to create a reliable setting so people can trust and know what they are doing. Privacy was one of the topics. But, on the other hand, we also have to bridge the gaps which are existing in the conversation in between the stakeholders. So, yes, I’m always saying I love that with AI and all India, but at the end of the day, it’s the whole world. We all have to bridge if we really want to be useful or make use of that technology.

I think that’s, for me, the most important thing for government.

Dr. Kusumita Arora

Thank you. And Mr. Jeshwal, would you have some quick comments as to whether there needs to be other avenues of cooperation? Dr. Kofler has already said how cooperation has started between India and Germany for education. Would you like to add something to that?

Mr. Govind Jaiswal

Yeah, I’ll just add one point that AI is primarily based on the pattern. So when both the countries are collaborating, normally they have a different pattern set depending upon the societal structure, industry, maturity. Small media enterprises challenges. So when we collaborate, we try to complement each other because as long as we take to train the entire system and train the entire ecosystem, especially you said about the commitment of a stakeholder, that’s the core thing. If you want to achieve and we are working on that aspect, both the country industry and academia are doing excellent in some other field. And we will definitely collaborate and complement each other aspect. That’s it.

Dr. Kusumita Arora

Thank you. Thank you. We are a little bit running out of time, but just. One last question to Mr. Yan. How do you think German and Indian SMEs can better integrate into this? effort that is starting in full force, in fact.

Mr. Jan Noether

Yeah, thank you. That is, I believe, a central, a very central question, since if you look into Germany, 98 .5 % of the German business setup is SME. And if you look into India, it’s similar. And what is important to an SME, it is basically, I have to develop myself into a scenario where I am efficient, I am saving costs, I am innovative. Otherwise, there’s a very fierce competition, which makes me very, very vulnerable. So if we now bring this long -term experience of these Germans, German mid -sized and small companies, and we talk about decades of experiences, if we bring that together… with the talent, the spirit, the creativity, and this innovation spirit of the Indian talents.

And very important, if we in Germany get used to the speed we have in India, then this is going to be unbeatable project teams. So we need to bring people together, and we need to bring people together across countries. We need to form sandboxes where young talents of both countries and no borders of European countries and India can really experiment and come up with solutions which is not geared towards one SME, but for an industry within the SME sector. That is basically how we need to go forward. German companies are cautious when it comes to spending. and they are not risk takers so there needs to be a benefit and they need to see the benefit whether it’s a financial benefit an operational benefit they need to see that benefit in order to act therefore I look forward to be a little bit working on the field of integration together of course with other entities we’ll have in India and in Germany Thank

Dr. Kusumita Arora

hank you, thank you everybody and I think we have all come together Can

Dr. Augustus Azariah

I just make one last observation sorry, here here one last observation, sorry this thought came to me in terms of how do we collaborate and cooperate and how well the EU has done GDPR okay, making sure that people have that security similarly there’s a lot to learn from Germany in terms of how they improved their vocational training from elementary levels right up to master’s and PhD levels. And I think today, like the Honorable Secretary also said, at the school level, we need that level of collaboration to ensure that AI is seeded at the elementary level, if not at the primary level. And my request, of course, is to this eminent panel to enable our educational institutions and provide them the expertise that they can mature in taking this at the elementary level.

Thank you. Yeah.

Dr. Kusumita Arora

Of course, that would make a world of difference. And I’m sure all the partners here are ready to see a conversion of intent to commitment in the very near future. And I wish everybody the best and look forward to the outcomes. Thank you. Thank you.

Moderator

Mr. Govind and Mrs. Kofler to stay here and thank you very much for the other panelists for the days and good luck and I wish you a good summit. So because Mr. Azaria asked for follow up and we will do a follow up, we now turn to an important initiative that exemplifies the next phase of German -Indian cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence the AI academia industry innovation partnerships in Asia commissioned by BMZ and implemented through GIZ and this exactly addresses the widening gap between widening demand for AI skills and the need for job ready talent We learned about the living labs. This will be all included, combining students, researchers, industry experts to co -create and test AI solutions in a real world setting.

So this is all about and it’s just my honor to ask to invite Babel Kofler to deliver her remarks on this initiative and followed by Mr. J. J. Stahl’s remarks, That’s for me. You can stand also. No. Okay.

Dr. Bärbel Kofler

It’s a little bit dynamic at the end of the day. And I’m very brief because there was said a lot about the necessity of cooperation, especially on the training sector and the training field. What we all know is we were talking about workplaces of the future. And we know there is a chance in create also new jobs through new technologies. You were mentioned. And also. So there’s a World Bank study about, or is it World Trade Organization, I think, to study about already the creation, job creation is 1 .3 million, but we don’t have really enough skilled workforces for that sphere. So there are almost 1 million job opportunities not really filled in with adequate people, which at the end of the day leads to personal loss, economic loss, and we want to bridge those things.

That’s why we are creating this academic approach together. We want to bridge that and offer those job opportunities, which are already there on the ground, to people around the globe, and that initiative should be a part of that. And that’s why we’re really happy, and I also have to read the title, that we created. We launched this project of Artificial Intelligence Academia Industry Innovation Partnership in Asia. through my ministry together with India, Indian partners and partners in Vietnam and I’m very happy that we can do that today. Thank you.

Mr. Govind Jaiswal

Actually when we started the collaboration for this project and when we got to know about this innovation, this living lab actually. So the name is very interesting. The lab which where you incubate your idea and create a prototype and living means it has should be all the attributes of a life. So I hope it will be able to solve the problem of the industry and academia and it’s about bringing the academic world closer to industry and industry closer to academic world and academic training to just come straight with the requirement of industry. That is the major objective. and I convey my wishes for this project I am very much sure it will achieve its objective and will have further collaboration in the future also.

Thank you Thank you Thank you

Moderator

So now we invite you to watch a brief video representing the initiative Okay

Video Narrator

AI and digital technologies are reshaping how businesses operate faster than ever before. For companies the challenge is no longer access to technology but access to people. People with the skills to adapt, innovate and work confidently with AI What is taught today is often no longer what industry needs tomorrow especially for German SMEs expanding into global and Asian markets At the same time, Asia is emerging as a powerful driver of growth, dynamic economies, new ideas, and a rising generation of digital talent ready to engage with the world. This is where German Development Cooperation, implemented by GIZ, brings together German and Asian universities, businesses, and governments in a new AI Academia Industry Innovation Partnership. The question is simple.

How do we develop AI -ready skills, support innovation, and grow across borders? The answer lies in learning and innovation spaces, living labs. Living labs are structured learning and innovation spaces where universities and companies collaborate on real, industry -driven challenges. Students work on real business problems. Companies test ideas. Innovate and access emerging talent in a low -risk environment. Faculty strengthen curricula through direct engagement with industry And institutions build long -term, meaningful partnerships For students, this means hands -on experience, global collaboration, and improved employability For businesses, it means access to future -ready talent, fresh perspectives, a vibrant AI ecosystem, and a testing ground for innovation More than a program, this is a partnership at eye level Combining German expertise with Asian entrepreneurial energy and drive to innovate This is the AI Innovation Partnership Uniting academia, industry, and governments across Germany and Asia to shape what’s next Developing skills, enabling innovation, building an AI -driven future together

Moderator

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Dr. Bärbel Kofler

Speech speed

143 words per minute

Speech length

Responsible AI, bias, and data sovereignty

Topics

Human rights and the ethical dimensions of the information society | Artificial intelligence

Mr. Govind Jaiswal

Speech speed

157 words per minute

Speech length

AI’s impact on jobs and the need for inclusive, responsible deployment

Topics

The digital economy | Enabling environment for digital development

Arthur Rapp

Speech speed

151 words per minute

Speech length

782 words

Speech time

309 seconds

AI is statistical tools, not true intelligence

Explanation

Rapp stresses that AI should be presented as statistical prediction tools, not as autonomous intelligence, to manage public expectations and fears.

Evidence

“AI is not intelligence at least not at the moment this is statistical tools that are predicting predicting an outcome you know but we need to listen to these fears” [4].

Major discussion point

Responsible AI, bias, and data sovereignty

Topics

Artificial intelligence | Human rights and the ethical dimensions of the information society

Need to educate people about AI to alleviate fear

Explanation

He calls for listening to public concerns and providing education about what AI actually is, framing it as a disruptive yet opportunity‑rich technology.

Evidence

“we need to listen to the people we need to educate people to tell them what AI actually is” [4].

Major discussion point

AI’s impact on jobs and the need for inclusive, responsible deployment

Topics

Capacity development | Artificial intelligence

Dr. Augustus Azariah

Speech speed

127 words per minute

Speech length

Education and skill development for AI

Topics

Artificial intelligence | Enabling environment for digital development

Mr. Jan Noether

Speech speed

123 words per minute

Speech length

595 words

Speech time

289 seconds

Bringing people together for AI cooperation

Explanation

Jan stresses the importance of collective effort and partnership to harness AI benefits across sectors.

Evidence

“And we need to bring people together.” [15].

Major discussion point

Collaboration models: Living Labs and AI Academia‑Industry‑Innovation Partnerships

Topics

Enabling environment for digital development | Capacity development

Potential for German‑Indian dual master’s programme

Explanation

He indicates interest in joint academic programmes that blend German and Indian expertise to produce AI‑ready graduates.

Evidence

“Mr. Jan, can you please tell us where you see the strongest potential for cooperation in AI?” [42].

Major discussion point

International cooperation to bridge power gaps and ensure inclusive AI

Topics

Artificial intelligence | Capacity development

Dr. Kusumita Arora

Speech speed

101 words per minute

Speech length

Education and skill development for AI

Topics

Capacity development | Artificial intelligence

Moderator

Speech speed

110 words per minute

Speech length

626 words

Speech time

340 seconds

Higher education’s pivotal role in AI skill development

Explanation

The moderator highlights the central role of higher education institutions in advancing AI knowledge and workforce readiness.

Evidence

“He plays a very pivotal role in advancing higher education and skills development here in India.” [13].

Major discussion point

Education and skill development for AI

Topics

Capacity development | Social and economic development

Video Narrator

Speech speed

119 words per minute

Speech length

280 words

Speech time

141 seconds

AI Academia‑Industry Innovation Partnership overview

Explanation

The narrator describes the GIZ‑BMZ initiative that unites German and Asian universities, businesses and governments to close the AI skills gap.

Evidence

“This is where German Development Cooperation, implemented by GIZ, brings together German and Asian universities, businesses, and governments in a new AI Academia Industry Innovation Partnership.” [31]. “Faculty strengthen curricula through direct engagement with industry And institutions build long‑term, meaningful partnerships…” [35].

Major discussion point

Collaboration models: Living Labs and AI Academia‑Industry‑Innovation Partnerships

Topics

Artificial intelligence | Capacity development | Enabling environment for digital development

Agreements

Agreement points

Industry-academia collaboration must go beyond traditional models to include practical, hands-on experience

Speakers

– Dr. Bärbel Kofler
– Mr. Govind Jaiswal
– Dr. Augustus Azariah
– Mr. Jan Noether

Arguments

Living Labs at universities bring together students and small-medium enterprises to create practical AI solutions and bridge the access gap

Academic-industry partnerships should involve industry in curriculum design, entrance processes, assessment, and practical training

Industry must go beyond guest lectures to provide competitive training, faculty certification, and reach tier-2 and tier-3 cities where significant talent exists

Dual education programs combining Indian and German components represent the future of international collaboration

Summary

All speakers agree that traditional industry-academia partnerships are insufficient and that deeper, more practical collaboration models are needed, including living labs, dual education programs, and comprehensive industry involvement in educational processes

Topics

Artificial intelligence | Capacity development | The enabling environment for digital development

AI will create new job opportunities but requires addressing skills gaps and workforce transformation

Speakers

– Dr. Bärbel Kofler
– Mr. Govind Jaiswal
– Dr. Augustus Azariah

Arguments

AI will create 1.3 million new jobs according to studies, but there’s a shortage of skilled workforce with nearly 1 million job opportunities unfilled

Technology creates disruption but historically improves quality of life for marginalized people, with new jobs emerging as old ones disappear

There is confusion among both lateral hires and fresh graduates about AI skills, with many using AI-generated CVs but lacking real AI capabilities

Summary

Speakers agree that while AI will create employment opportunities, there is a critical need to address the skills gap and ensure proper workforce preparation for AI-enabled jobs

Topics

Artificial intelligence | The digital economy | Capacity development

International cooperation is essential for bridging AI access gaps and ensuring inclusive development

Speakers

– Dr. Bärbel Kofler
– Mr. Govind Jaiswal
– Mr. Jan Noether
– Moderator

Arguments

International cooperation must overcome power gaps in AI access between different regions and company sizes, ensuring inclusive technology deployment

German-Indian collaboration can complement each other’s strengths, with different pattern sets based on societal structures and industry maturity

Combining German SME experience with Indian talent, creativity, and speed can create unbeatable project teams across borders

Cooperation among governments, industry, academia, and development partners is essential to address AI challenges and shape an innovative, inclusive, and human-centered future of work

Summary

All speakers emphasize that international partnerships are crucial for overcoming disparities in AI access and creating mutually beneficial collaborations that leverage different countries’ strengths

Topics

Artificial intelligence | The enabling environment for digital development | Closing all digital divides

Small and medium enterprises face unique challenges in AI adoption and require special support

Speakers

– Dr. Bärbel Kofler
– Mr. Jan Noether
– Video Narrator

Arguments

Small and medium enterprises face greater challenges accessing AI compared to large companies, creating business sector inequalities

98.5% of German businesses are SMEs, similar to India, making their AI integration crucial for economic competitiveness

The main challenge for companies is no longer access to technology but access to people with AI skills, especially for German SMEs expanding into Asian markets

Summary

Speakers agree that SMEs, which form the backbone of both German and Indian economies, face particular challenges in AI adoption and need targeted support to access both technology and skilled talent

Topics

Artificial intelligence | The digital economy | Closing all digital divides

Artificial intelligence | Capacity development | Social and economic development

Artificial intelligence | Capacity development | The enabling environment for digital development

Overall assessment

Summary

The discussion reveals strong consensus across all speakers on key areas: the need for deeper industry-academia collaboration through practical models like living labs, the importance of international partnerships to bridge AI access gaps, the critical role of addressing skills shortages while creating new employment opportunities, and the special attention required for SME integration into the AI ecosystem

Consensus level

High level of consensus with remarkable alignment between government, industry, and academic perspectives. This strong agreement suggests a mature understanding of AI challenges and opportunities, creating a solid foundation for implementing the proposed AI Academia Industry Innovation Partnership. The consensus spans both strategic vision and practical implementation approaches, indicating readiness for concrete collaborative action

Differences

Different viewpoints

Approach to addressing AI job displacement fears

Speakers

– Dr. Bärbel Kofler
– Mr. Govind Jaiswal

Arguments

People are afraid of job losses due to AI, but these concerns must be taken seriously as there are valid reasons for them

Technology creates disruption but historically improves quality of life for marginalized people, with new jobs emerging as old ones disappear

Summary

Dr. Kofler emphasizes taking people’s fears about job losses seriously and acknowledging valid reasons behind them, while Mr. Jaiswal takes a more optimistic historical perspective, arguing that technology disruption ultimately leads to better opportunities and improved quality of life

Topics

Artificial intelligence | The digital economy | Social and economic development

Unexpected differences

Overall assessment

Summary

The discussion shows remarkable consensus among speakers on key issues including the importance of industry-academia collaboration, the need for international cooperation, the potential of AI to create jobs while requiring skills development, and the critical role of SMEs in AI adoption

Disagreement level

Very low level of disagreement with only minor differences in approach and emphasis rather than fundamental conflicts. The main difference lies in how to address AI-related job displacement fears, with some speakers taking a more cautious approach while others are more optimistic about historical precedents. This high level of consensus suggests strong alignment among stakeholders but may also indicate a need for more diverse perspectives to identify potential blind spots or alternative approaches

Partial agreements

All speakers agree on the need for practical, hands-on AI education and industry-academia collaboration, but propose different mechanisms: Dr. Kofler focuses on Living Labs connecting students with SMEs, Dr. Azariah emphasizes faculty training and certification programs, while Mr. Noether proposes international sandboxes for cross-border talent collaboration

Speakers

– Dr. Bärbel Kofler
– Dr. Augustus Azariah
– Mr. Jan Noether

Arguments

Living Labs at universities bring together students and small-medium enterprises to create practical AI solutions and bridge the access gap

Faculty need training in AI tools like Copilot, with industry partnerships providing certification and endowment funds for innovation

Sandboxes for experimentation should be created where talents from multiple countries can develop solutions for entire SME industry sectors

Topics

Artificial intelligence | Capacity development | The enabling environment for digital development

Both speakers recognize the risks of AI dependency and the need for more equitable access, but Dr. Kofler focuses on bridging global power gaps and ensuring inclusive deployment, while Arthur Rapp specifically warns about dependence on non-European platforms as a threat to academic freedom

Speakers

– Dr. Bärbel Kofler
– Arthur Rapp

Arguments

International cooperation must overcome power gaps in AI access between different regions and company sizes, ensuring inclusive technology deployment

There’s a significant risk of dependence on non-European AI platforms, threatening research and teaching freedom

Topics

Artificial intelligence | Human rights and the ethical dimensions of the information society | The enabling environment for digital development

Artificial intelligence | Capacity development | Social and economic development

Takeaways

Key takeaways

AI will create significant job opportunities (1.3 million new jobs according to studies) but requires massive reskilling efforts to address the nearly 1 million unfilled positions due to skills gaps

International cooperation between Germany and India should focus on bridging power gaps in AI access, particularly for SMEs and developing regions, through concrete initiatives like Living Labs rather than just conferences

Industry-academia collaboration must evolve beyond traditional guest lectures to include faculty certification, curriculum co-design, mandatory internships, and direct involvement in assessment and practical training

AI education needs to start at elementary levels and extend through vocational training, with particular focus on tier-2 and tier-3 cities where significant untapped talent exists

Living Labs represent an effective model for bringing together universities, students, and SMEs to work on real-world AI challenges while providing practical skills and innovation opportunities

AI applications in healthcare, agriculture, water management, and energy sustainability offer the strongest potential for productivity gains and economic growth

Technology historically creates disruption but ultimately improves quality of life for marginalized populations, though the transition period requires careful management and support

Resolutions and action items

Launch of the AI Academia Industry Innovation Partnership in Asia project by BMZ through GIZ, involving India, Germany, and Vietnam

Establishment of AI Living Labs at universities, including the specific example at Tata University in Mumbai in partnership with University of Leipzig

Commitment to faculty certification programs, with over 1,000 faculty already certified in Copilot during a recent hackathon in Mangaluru

Development of dual education programs combining Indian and German components, with specific agreement signed with dual university of Baden-Württemberg

Implementation of structured changes in Indian education system including 50% skill courses in humanities and mandatory internships following National Education Policy 2020

Creation of endowment funds for faculty innovation and patent filing

Establishment of five new educational cities near industrial corridors as announced in recent budget

Follow-up commitment made by moderator to address industry requests for continued collaboration

Unresolved issues

How to effectively address people’s fears about job displacement while managing the rapid pace of AI transformation

Specific mechanisms for ensuring data protection and avoiding dependence on non-European/non-domestic AI platforms

Concrete strategies for reaching and training faculty at scale, particularly in tier-2 and tier-3 institutions

Detailed framework for how SMEs can overcome their cautious approach to AI investment and see clear ROI

Methods for ensuring AI systems are less biased and more inclusive of diverse languages and populations

Specific timelines and metrics for measuring success of the Living Labs and partnership initiatives

How to balance the speed of technological change with the time needed for comprehensive workforce retraining

Suggested compromises

Gradual integration approach where AI education starts with basic productivity tools like Copilot before advancing to more complex applications

Hybrid learning models combining online and in-person training to reach broader audiences while maintaining quality

Risk-sharing mechanisms between government, industry, and academia for AI innovation projects to address SME concerns about investment

Phased implementation of AI curricula allowing institutions to adapt at different speeds while maintaining standards

This comment provides crucial insight into the practical challenges of SME AI adoption, highlighting the gap between technological possibility and business reality. It emphasizes the need for demonstrable ROI in AI initiatives.

Impact

This comment grounded the discussion in practical business realities and influenced the conversation toward concrete value propositions for AI adoption. It helped shape the focus on living labs and sandbox environments as low-risk testing grounds for SMEs.

Overall assessment

Explanation

She mentioned World Bank/WTO studies showing 1.3 million jobs created but 1 million positions unfilled due to lack of skilled workers, requiring research on targeted skill development programs

Disclaimer: This is not an official session record. DiploAI generates these resources from audiovisual recordings, and they are presented as-is, including potential errors. Due to logistical challenges, such as discrepancies in audio/video or transcripts, names may be misspelled. We strive for accuracy to the best of our ability.