Conclusion of the International Conference on Digital Transformation and its Implications for Sustainable Development

 The Faculty of Economics at Damascus University concluded today the work of the International Conference on Digital Transformation and its Implications for Sustainable Development, which lasted for three days on the university amphitheater with a wide participation of researchers and specialists from Arab and foreign countries and a number of ministries, government agencies and public and private institutions in Syria.

At the end of the conference, several recommendations were adopted at the macro level and higher education.

At the macro level, the conference recommended strengthening digital capabilities by strengthening the infrastructure for digital transformation, supporting innovative methods of digital education, developing the appropriate legislative environment that legislates and regulates the process of digital transformation, and working to bridge the digital gap in Syria by providing qualified software and human cadres. The conference also stressed the need to apply digital financial inclusion, inviting all the parties concerned to work to implement it as soon as possible and focus on cybersecurity risks.

The participants also called for laying the foundations that ensure the prosperity of smart cities by supporting the basic pillars and promoting social acceptance of them, networking between all ministries to work on the implementation of the digital transformation strategy in Syria. They also called for the integration between all parties to work on the implementation of digital transformation plans in Syria, in addition to supporting the proper development and adoption of artificial intelligence where possible by providing an appropriate and stimulating regulatory environment to support artificial intelligence applications at all levels.

The participants recommended encouraging and facilitating the effective participation of investors and local companies in the digital industry and in developing the information technology sector and digital infrastructure capabilities, enhancing the support of small and micro enterprises and enabling them to benefit from digital transformation and financial inclusion.

Within the framework of higher education, the recommendations included the need to add modules on digital transformation in the curricula of all applied and theoretical faculties in private and public universities and all technical institutes in the country, digitizing teaching, examinations and procedural processes in all public and private universities and technical institutes.

At the end of the conference, the organizers honored the top three researchers who won the digital transformation research competition.