Group Photo

Li Junkai delivered a keynote report

KITECH Exchange

Li Junkai, Secretary-General of the Zhongguancun Global High-level Think Tank Alliance (ZGCTA), and Ren Rong, Director of the ZGCTA Secretariat Office were invited as representatives of the Chinese economy to participate in the second working group meeting, seminar and related activities of the Policy Partnership on Women and the Economy (PPWE) at the Third Senior Officials’ Meeting and Related Meetings (SOM3) of APEC from August 9 to 13, 2025, in Incheon, South Korea. This visit marked an important step for ZGCTA to deepen its involvement in APEC regional cooperation on gender equality and sci-tech innovation with an aim to share China’s experience and voice on international platforms, strengthen exchanges and collaboration with Asia-Pacific economies and contribute expertise from the perspective of think tanks to enhancing the engagement of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and AI in the APEC region.

This APEC PPWE-related event focused on the core theme of women’s economic empowerment, featuring key topics such as gender equality in STEM and AI, building a safe workplace, and improving digital literacy, which attracted government representatives, experts from international organizations and business representatives from more than 20 APEC economies, including China, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, India, the Philippines, Indonesia, New Zealand and Brunei. As the person who delivers an APEC PPSTI project, Women in STEM: Study and Exchange on Rewards, Incentives and Policies to Promote Innovation Development in the APEC Region, and who is in charge of an APEC PPWE project, Embracing the Changing Future: Enhancement of Digital Literacy and Skills for APEC Women, Li Junkai delivered a keynote report at the Panel on gender equality in STEM and AI. Based on policy research from 21 APEC economies and 2,629 valid questionnaires from 8 economies, this report systematically analyzes women’s current participation in STEM and AI in the APEC region, and delves into three major obstacles: uneven access to advanced digital tools and training, gender bias in the workplace and corporate culture, and a lack of dedicated supportive policies. Li shared China’s practices and experience in incorporating women’s participation in STEM into long-term policy planning and in conducting digital literacy training for women in rural and underdeveloped areas. She also proposed a Five-pillar Road-map consisting of enhanced policy support, a cross-economy knowledge sharing platform, women’s strengthened voice in decision-making, further investment in career development paths, and comprehensive safeguards, which serves as a solution for regionally-coordinated advancement of gender equality, resonating widely with representatives from various economies. During the event, Ren Rong presented a poster on Embracing the Changing Future: Enhancement of Digital Literacy and Skills for APEC Women.

Apart from the APEC PPWE meeting agenda, the delegation also visited the Seoul office of the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH) for discussions on joint R&D, sci-tech exchanges and joint training of female sci-tech talent. KITECH is South Korea’s only national research institution focused on technology commercialization for SMEs with its Qingdao representative office being a member of ZGCTA.

This visit constitutes another important international exchange within the APEC framework for ZGCTA, following its participation in the Third Senior Officials’ Meeting in Peru in August 2024. Through diverse channels such as report sharing, poster presentation and institutional networking, ZGCTA not only shares China’s policy achievements and practical experience in enhancing women’s engagement in sci-tech innovation with Asia-Pacific economies, but also deepens its ties with the APEC Secretariat, governments and research institutions of various economies, further enhancing its voice and influence in the regional arena in support of gender equality and sci-tech innovation.

ZGCTA will continue building up its support to the application and implementation of APEC PPWE projects, leveraging its expertise as an alliance of think tanks to strengthen inclusive involvement and development of women in STEM and AI in the Asia-Pacific region and contribute further to building an equal and prosperous regional innovation ecosystem.

(Text/Photo by ZGCTA Secretariat Office)