| APrIGF 2026 Session Proposal Submission Form | |||||||||||||
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| Part 1 - Lead Organizer | |||||||||||||
| Contact Person | |||||||||||||
| Prof. Russell Deka Takehiko Harada | |||||||||||||
| Organization / Affiliation (Please state "Individual" if appropriate) * | |||||||||||||
| PICISOC / University of Papua New Guinea | |||||||||||||
| Designation | |||||||||||||
| Board Chair / Associate Professor, UPNG-CEIT, Director ICT | |||||||||||||
| Gender | |||||||||||||
| Male | |||||||||||||
| Economy of Residence | |||||||||||||
| Papua New Guinea | |||||||||||||
| Stakeholder Group | |||||||||||||
| Academia | |||||||||||||
| Part 2 - Session Proposal | |||||||||||||
| Session Title | |||||||||||||
| Building the Next Generation of Pacific Cybersecurity Professionals: Partnerships, Skills and Regional Resilience | |||||||||||||
| Thematic Track of Your Session | |||||||||||||
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| Session Format | |||||||||||||
| Panel Discussion (60 minutes) | |||||||||||||
| Where do you plan to organize your session? | |||||||||||||
| Hybrid (with onsite moderator and speakers both online and offline, with online moderator for questions and comments from remote participants) | |||||||||||||
| Specific Issues for Discussion | |||||||||||||
| Pacific Island Countries face a growing demand for cybersecurity professionals as governments, businesses, universities and communities increasingly rely on digital technologies. However, many countries continue to experience significant challenges including limited training opportunities, shortages of qualified cybersecurity practitioners, limited industry pathways, and difficulties retaining skilled professionals. This session will explore practical approaches to developing the next generation of Pacific cybersecurity professionals through partnerships among universities, governments, technical communities, civil society and the private sector. The discussion will examine successful regional initiatives, cybersecurity education models, workforce development programs, certification pathways, youth engagement strategies, and opportunities for greater regional collaboration. Particular attention will be given to how small island developing states can strengthen digital resilience while building sustainable local capacity. The session will also consider emerging challenges arising from artificial intelligence, cloud computing, digital identity systems and critical infrastructure protection across the Pacific region. |
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| Describe the Relevance of Your Session to APrIGF | |||||||||||||
| The session directly supports APrIGF’s objectives of promoting a secure, inclusive and resilient Internet ecosystem across the Asia-Pacific region. Cybersecurity workforce development is a critical Internet governance issue for Pacific Island Countries, where shortages of skilled professionals can affect digital trust, national resilience, economic development and online safety. By bringing together representatives from academia, government, industry and the technical community, the session will promote multistakeholder collaboration and knowledge sharing. The discussion will provide Pacific perspectives that are often underrepresented in regional forums while identifying practical actions that can strengthen cybersecurity readiness across small island developing states. Outcomes from the session are expected to contribute to future regional cooperation, capacity-building initiatives and policy discussions on cybersecurity and digital resilience. |
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| Methodology / Agenda (Please add rows by clicking "+" on the right) | |||||||||||||
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| Moderators & Speakers Info (Please complete where possible) - (Required) | |||||||||||||
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| Please explain the rationale for choosing each of the above contributors to the session. | |||||||||||||
| The proposed contributors represent a balanced multistakeholder approach involving academia, civil society, the technical community, the private sector and youth representatives from across the Pacific region. The moderator and speakers have practical experience in cybersecurity education, workforce development, digital transformation, Internet governance and regional capacity-building initiatives. Their combined expertise will provide participants with diverse perspectives on the challenges and opportunities associated with building cybersecurity capacity in Pacific Island Countries while ensuring meaningful discussion of practical and scalable solutions. |
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| If you need assistance to find a suitable speaker to contribute to your session, or an onsite facilitator for your online-only session, please specify your request with details of what you are looking for. | |||||||||||||
| n/a | |||||||||||||
| Has AI been used to develop this proposal? | |||||||||||||
| Yes | |||||||||||||
| How: | |||||||||||||
| Brush up submission contents | |||||||||||||
| Please declare if you have any potential conflict of interest with the Program Committee 2026. | |||||||||||||
| No | |||||||||||||
| Are you or other session contributors planning to apply for the APrIGF Fellowship Program 2026? | |||||||||||||
| Yes | |||||||||||||
| Upon evaluation by the Program Committee, your session proposal may only be selected under the condition that you will accept the suggestion of merging with another proposal with similar topics. Please state your preference below: | |||||||||||||
| Yes, I am willing to work with another session proposer on a suggested merger. | |||||||||||||
| Number of Attendees (Please fill in numbers) | |||||||||||||
| Gender Balance in Moderators/Speakers (Please fill in numbers) | |||||||||||||
| Consent | |||||||||||||
 I agree that my data can be submitted to forms.for.asia and processed by APrIGF organizers for the program selection of APrIGF 2026. |
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