200 experts from 20 countries discussed e-learning for civil servants

200 experts from 20 countries discussed e-learning for civil servants (astanacivilservicehub.org)

Today, a global online conference "Human Resource Development through E-Learning: Experience of the Countries" was held, which was organized by the Astana Civil Service Hub in cooperation with the Ministry of Personnel Management of the Republic of Korea, the Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Civil Service Affairs and the HR Association of Kazakhstan. 

The conference was attended by 200 experts, civil servants and scientists from 20 countries of Europe, Asia and America.

In his welcoming speech, the Minister of Personnel Management of the Republic of Korea, Kim Woo-Ho, noted that training plays a crucial role in increasing the competitiveness of civil servants around the world. In the Republic of Korea, in line with the trends of the transition to the information-oriented society, the active introduction of e-learning began in the 2000s. Since 2017, all training programs have been integrated into the Government e-learning platform. Since 2020, advanced artificial intelligence technologies have been used and an open smart platform is being developed with the aim of developing a new generation of human resources. He outlined the relevance of "a self-paced e-learning system anywhere, anytime, three hundred and sixty days a year." 

In her welcoming remarks, Anar Zhailganova, the Chairperson of the Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Civil Service Affairs, emphasized that Kazakhstan's civil service has proven its effectiveness and ability to adapt to electronic formats of working and training processes, promptly coping with the challenges of the pandemic crisis. Speaking about e-learning, the Agency Chairperson said that "the online training format allowed to expand the geographical coverage of the seminars," noting the role of the UN Development Program and the Hub in organizing training for developing digital skills of civil servants.

In his speech, Alikhan Baimenov, the Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Astana Civil Service Hub, said that the new reality linked to the pandemic has significantly increased the importance, as well as intensified the use of modern technologies. “Civil servants from all over the world are mastering the novel methods of work, we can say that a“ ZOOM ”generation of civil servants is being formed. These changes represent new challenges and at the same time new opportunities for HR management. In these conditions, the importance of e-learning training is increasing." In this regard, he thanked the partners of the Hub and the governments of several countries for their openness and willingness to share their knowledge and experience with other countries.

During the conference, representatives of authorized bodies for civil service affairs and experts from the Republic of Korea, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Estonia shared their experience in creating and developing e-learning platforms in their countries, and talked about innovations in this direction. Speakers noted that special attention is paid to the content, versatility of forms, methods and duration of training. Recently, "micro-learning" has been developing, that is, video lessons lasting 10-15 minutes. At the same time, the safety and stability of e-learning is at the forefront. 

The experience of these countries raised considerable interest among the conference participants due to the fact that, in the context of Covid-19, the importance of e-learning in increasing the potential of civil service has significantly increased around the world. 

All speakers also highlighted the role of the Astana Civil Service Hub in promoting best practices, sharing experiences among participating countries, partners and the expert community. 

The Astana Civil Service Hub continues to work actively in supporting the efforts of the state authorities of the participating countries aimed at increasing the potential of civil servants and finding tools to improve the efficiency of their activities in the current realities.

Recording of the event's live streaming is available on the Facebook page of the ACSH.