Hanoi is actively preparing for smart urban development. Besides policies and technical infrastructure, human resources are extremely important and should be well prepared in advance, according to experts.
Thang Long highway, Hanoi city. Photo: Cong Hung
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Every smart city must have two basic elements which are smart infrastructure system and highly-qualified human resources.
Human resources play a very important role in building, operating and managing a smart city, said Martin C. Yates, chief technology officer, Digital Cities & Homeland Security at Dell EMC.
For example, in Singapore, for smart urban operation, about 10,000 public servants are trained and equipped with information technology, especially in the field of public administration.
In the present period, Hanoi is making effort to build up a part of the overall architecture of a smart city. One of the biggest problems, however, is the shortage of knowledgeable and well-qualified human resources that are capable of operating and managing technical infrastructure, according to experts.
They voiced that tackling the problem of human resources for smart city is not just about educating civil servants who can use smart devices.
Dinh Quoc Thai, a specialist in urban management, shared his view that there should be a strategic approach to the human resources.
First of all, there must be clear orientation for urban development, comprehensive planning of all aspects of life such as smart transportation, smart health, and smart education.
Since then, there are plans to select both quantity and quality of personnel for intensive training. Human resources must be prepared in parallel with technical infrastructure. Particularly, cadres, civil servants and officials must be the first to be trained, and they have good knowledge about information technology, Thai said.
They are both direct providers and have the role of transferring essential skills, so that the city’s people can use smart public services, he stressed.
Samia Melhem, who chairs the World Bank’s Department of Digital Development Community of Practice, said that no smart city in the world has been developed based only on technology, human resources are a very important foundation.
In addition to the preparation of operational human resources, smart urban governance, the city’s authority needs to interact with its people right from the first steps. The interaction process will increase the knowledge and build trust of the people in a smart city.
On the other hand, the city’s authority will also receive opinions and suggestions of its people to adjust policies and high technologies in a suitable way.
Martin C. Yates also notes that mobile devices are very popular nowadays, but mostly serve the people’s minimum demands. When shaping the technical foundation for a smart city, mobile devices will play an important role in linking and using smart services of the people.
Experts also emphasized the people’s role and creativity. Besides the cadres, civil servants and employees are educated to study, operate and manage smart cities, the city’s authority also need practical policies to encourage constructive ideas and transfer skills and technologies formed in non-state areas.
Co-chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce (EuroCham) in Vietnam Denis Brunetti said that the smart city’s IT infrastructure needs to be fully utilized to promote and realize its own creative potentials, aiming at sustainable development.
