In 2019, two students Tsheltrim Dorji and Tashi Choden from the Royal Institute of Management represented Bhutan in the International Computer Driving License (ICDL) Asia’s digital challenge, which was held in Malaysia.
Competing with seven other Asian Countries, Tsherltrim Dorji won the second place in the business and finance category while the latter was awarded the trophy for participation in the design and engineering category.
In 2018, a student from Sherubtse College, Dorji Gyeltshen, came third at the ICDL Digital Challenge held in Bangkok. The hopes this year are high too, as eight students have reached the grand finale.
The students are from the College of Natural Resources, Lobesa, Lungtenzampa Middle Secondary School, Royal Thimphu College, Tshangkha Central School, Ugyen Academy Higher Secondary School, Yadi Central School and Yurung Central School. They represented Bhutan in the ICDL Digital Challenge 2023 Grand Final Round from August 21-25 2023. The competition is conducted virtually with students from 12 other countries in the Business, Design and Emerging Technologies Track.
The grand finalists have emerged from a total of 70 students who participated from 14 institutions in Bhutan. The preliminary round was held on June 8 and July 3 out of which 29 participants comprising of top two students in each track were selected from participating schools to represent their schools in the national round.
The National round was held on July 25. Winners of the Grand Finale will be announced on ICDL Asia Digital Literacy Day 2023 on the 7th of September.
The Business Track contestants competed via live remote online testing managed by ICDL Asia during the Grand Final round on August 25, 2023. The theme and details of the Grand Final design project and Emerging Technologies project were given to contestants in advance to complete and submit to ICDL Asia by August 21.
Digital Challenge is an annual event organized by ICDL Asia based in Singapore. Bhutanese students have bagged prizes in the past. This time all the tests were held virtually in order to allow more rural students to participate.
Other schools who participated are Rangjung Central School, Chaskhar Central School, Mongar Higher Secondary School, Norbugang Central School, Tsirangtoe Central School, Nganglam Middle Secondary School and Nangkhor Central School.
According to ICDL Asia, Digital Challenge 2023 is geared towards practical digital skills required for various professional works in the marketplace today and for the future. With an emphasis on the digital economy around the world, the competition will expose contestants to emerging technologies, design, and the use of office application tools.
The Challenge was organised virtually by Bodhi Media and Communications Institute. According to the organisers the participating schools and students showed a lot of enthusiasm and eagerness to learn and compete despite their financial and technical challenges. RICBL and a few individuals supported most of the students who could not afford the entry fee for the competition.
The ICDL Asia Digital Challenge is an annual student competition targeted at secondary and tertiary school students in Asia who are eager to compete and demonstrate how digital skills may be applied in today’s rapidly evolving digital economy.
Last year, over 1000 students from 11 Asia-Pacific territories participated in the challenge. After witnessing the success of the virtual competitions in 2021 and 2022, the ICDL Asia Digital Challenge 2023 grand final was organized virtually by making it accessible to more students across the Asia-Pacific region to participate.
ICDL Asia Digital Challenge 2023 is geared towards practical digital skills required for various professional fields in the marketplace today and for the future. Given the increasing importance of the digital economy around the world, the competition will expose contestants to emerging technologies, design, and the use of office application tools.
ICDL has developed a suite of programmes that meet the demands of today’s digital world. Whether one is working through the ICDL Workforce modules to reach the digital skills standard required for the workplace or looking to develop more advanced skills for occupational effectiveness, ICDL has a vast range of modules to choose from, so that one can build the ideal digital skill set for one’s needs.
Programs like ICDL Workforce covers a range of productivity skills which are central to the world of work, grouped in three module categories, namely; Essentials Skills, Office Applications and Good Practice.
Another is ICDL Professional, which is designed to meet the needs of modern professionals in a range of sectors and develops an advanced level of skills for those with technology reliant roles, from the use of business applications to the fundamentals of advanced technologies
ICDL Insights comprises of short, introductory modules, designed for those who are not IT professionals, to develop a conceptual understanding of trending and emerging technology.
ICDL Digital Citizen is specially developed to cater for those with no experience whatsoever of computers and the Internet. This programme develops essential skills and helps to remove the fear of using a computer.
ICDL Digital Student and ICDL Smart Digital are designed to meet the needs of school students, to develop skills around the appropriate and creative use of technology as well as essential skills and more focused skills.
Sherab Dorji from Thimphu
