The programme is part of Alibaba Group’s commitment to Thailand under the scope of four memorandums of understanding signed in April between the China-based giant and various units of the Thai government to drive development in e-commerce, digital logistics, tourism, and the entrepreneurial talent pool.

Under the programme, Alibaba Business School together with IPD and ITPD will host a broad spectrum of online and offline training sessions that serve the needs of different target audiences. 

In addition to e-commerce and entrepreneurship topics for start-ups, retailers, exporters and agricultural industry practitioners, the programme will also present government officials with an opportunity to discover how technology can help create a better and smarter society, while college students can sign up for courses that delve into the core skills required for success in the digital-economy era.

“SMEs [small and medium-sized enterprises] in Thailand are currently facing both opportunities and threats from technological disruption, and success depends on their ability to adapt,” Deputy Industry Minister Somchai Harnhirun said on Tuesday. 

“By empowering entrepreneurs with a greater understanding of the digital business landscape, we can drive growth not only for the SMEs themselves, but also the nation’s economy as a whole. Alibaba’s commitment to share its experience and expertise in these areas will give Thai SMEs a newfound capability to compete on a global level, and this training programme is another important step forward in our mission to drive Thailand’s economic value to new heights,” he said.

James Xu, deputy chief representative of Thailand, Alibaba Group, added: “We are delighted with the opportunity to continue our mission to equip stakeholders in Thailand with a deeper, more thorough understanding of the e-commerce landscape and its impact on how business is done today. 

“From opening up opportunities to enter the China market to helping the younger generation become future-ready, we are confident that our joint training initiatives with the IPD and ITPD will be conducive to the development of Thailand’s digital economy under the Thailand 4.0 policy.”

The kick-off of the training programme was marked by a special lecture session on May 18 offered by Alibaba Business School and delivered by Yang Wenya, certified lecturer at Alibaba’s Taobao University, to around 500 members of the Thai SME community. 

It formed part of the “SME Transform” event at Challenger Hall 2, IMPACT Muang Thong Thani, jointly hosted by the IPD – part of the Industry Ministry – the Office of SME Promotion, and the SME Development Bank.

The ITPD is part of the Commerce Ministry.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/Economy/30346031