From October 9 to November 3, 2025, the "2025 Indonesia Ministry of Communications and Digital Affairs — Digital Leadership Academy (DLA)" was successfully held online. The event was jointly organized by the Ministry of Communications and Digital Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia and the School of Public Policy and Management at Tsinghua University (Tsinghua SPPM), and co-organized by the Institute for Sustainable Development Goals at Tsinghua University (Tsinghua SDG Institute) and the Executive Education Center of the School of Public Policy and Management at Tsinghua University.
The training was divided into two sessions spanning a total of 10 days, with a total of 100 participants—50 in each session. The participants were director-level officials from West Sulawesi Province and North Sulawesi Province, Indonesia, respectively.
During the opening ceremony, Meutya Viada Hafid, Minister of Communications and Digital Affairs, attended via video and delivered the opening address. She remarked that digital transformation has become an irreversible development trend, requiring leaders at all levels to actively adapt and achieve effective management through scientific approaches. The training aims to enhance the digital literacy and cognitive levels of strategic leaders—particularly those in charge of provincial, municipal, and district units—enabling them to better address the various challenges encountered during the digital transformation process and ensuring that future policies and plans maximize benefits for the public. Finally, she expressed her heartfelt gratitude to all participating organizations, including Tsinghua University, for their strong support of this Digital Leadership Academy program.
Video Message from Meutya Viada Hafid, Minister of Ministry of Communications and Digital Affairs of Indonesia
Themed “Digital Application and Governance,” the training covered a wide range of topics including the digital economy and innovation, digital government development, data security and governance, digitalization of emergency management, and smart tourism. It comprehensively presented China’s policy practices and governance experiences during the digital transformation process. Additionally, by combining rich Chinese practical experience with lectures and interactive exchanges, the training helped Indonesian participants gain a deep understanding of the practical applications of digital technology in enhancing public services, assisting rural revitalization, and participating in the global economy. This provided valuable references for Indonesia in promoting digital transformation and sustainable development.
The experts who delivered lectures for this training included: Shen Weixing, Professor and former Dean of the School of Law at Tsinghua University, and Standing Director of the Civil Law Research Association of the China Law Society; Zhang Hui, Professor and Director, Research Institute of Modern Tourism, Beijing Jiaotong University, Deputy Director of Experts Committee of World Tourism Cities Federation; Zhang Nan, Professor at the School of Public Policy and Management at Tsinghua University and Deputy Director of the Institute of Government Management and Innovation; Gao Yuning, Associate Professor and Associate Dean of the School of Public Policy and Management at Tsinghua University, and Director of the Institute of International Development and Global Governance; Zhong Wei, Associate Professor and Associate Dean of the School of Public Policy and Management at Tsinghua University; Lu Xiaoli, Associate Professor at the School of Public Policy and Management at Tsinghua University and Associate Director of Center for Crisis Management Research; Xu Huazhe, Assistant Professor at the Institute for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences at Tsinghua University; and Cai Xiongshan, Vice President of Kuaishou Technology and Dean of the Kuaishou Research Institute.
(From left to right, top to bottom) The instructors are: Shen Weixing, Zhang Hui, Zhang Nan, Gao Yuning, Zhong Wei, Lu Xiaoli, Xu Huazhe, and Cai Xiongshan
Group Photo of Participants from Both Sessions of the Training
West Sulawesi Province in Indonesia is renowned for its coffee cultivation and abundant mineral resources, while preserving diverse ethnic cultures and traditional ecological wisdom. North Sulawesi Province, relying on a vibrant port economy, marine fishery, and the potential for eco-tourism development, has become a vital gateway for Indonesia’s eastern foreign trade and regional cooperation. However, in the process of advancing digital application innovation and the digital transformation of public services, both regions still face challenges such as weak infrastructure, a shortage of digital talent, and a digital divide between urban and rural areas. Nevertheless, backed by abundant natural resource advantages and an increasingly open pattern of regional development, they possess a solid foundation for promoting inclusive digital development. Therefore, this training closely addressed the actual needs and challenges faced by these two regions in their digital transformation. Specifically, course modules covering topics such as empowering rural revitalization through digital technology and driving the rural economy via livestreaming e-commerce were designed. This not only provided transferable practical experience for the governments of both regions in promoting regional digital economy transformation but also offered important insights and references for addressing key issues in the future, such as digital infrastructure, digital talent cultivation, and policy coordination.
Since 2019, the Institute for Sustainable Development Goals at Tsinghua University (Tsinghua SDG Institute) has actively participated in the international talent cultivation work of the School of Public Policy and Management at Tsinghua University. It has successively promoted high-level training cooperation between the School and the governments of Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, and other countries, achieving fruitful results. notably, since 2021, driven by the active efforts of the Tsinghua SDG Institute, the School of Public Policy and Management at Tsinghua University and the Ministry of Communications and Digital Affairs of Indonesia have jointly held six sessions of the “Digital Leadership Academy,” training over 400 high-level Indonesian government leaders in total. This has injected lasting intellectual momentum into the strategic advancement and practical implementation of the Indonesian government’s digital transformation.
The continuation of this Digital Leadership Academy not only reflects the continuous deepening of the long-term partnership between the two sides but also further consolidates the project’s status as an important bond for their in-depth cooperation in the fields of digital technology and talent cultivation.
