Sharing Experience

The Transformative Power of Collaboration, Team Work and Active Listening

Participants from across the globe with diverse professional backgrounds converged at the Naumann Academy of Politics seminar on ‘The Big Wave – Innovation Policy in the Age of AI & Beyond,’ held at Bangsaen, Thailand from September 27 to October 3, 2026. The group comprised participants representing eighteen different countries spanning five continents, leading to coalescing and sharing of novel perspectives through a set of meticulously chosen group exercises. The seminar was designed to equip the group with practical policy frameworks, narratives for communicating our vision of AI innovation, and connect us with an international network of peers articulating their vision on technology and public policy.

Thoughtfully moderated by Rainer Heufers and Arpita Nepal, the workshop was an insightful blend of imagination and creativity aiding us in our attempts to craft effective AI policies for our respective jurisdictions. The structure also included expert interventions to aid participants’ understanding of regulatory aspects, safety discussions, and the significant role of government interventions in progress and preparations to address the rapid growth of AI.

Innovative approaches right from the get-go

The seminar, almost true to its title, showcased innovation right from the beginning. Choosing a novel approach and unique style for facilitating introductions, it flipped the usual format involving narrating our respective career trajectories to the room. Instead, participants were suggested to use an AI chatbot to produce a profile of a fellow participant and cross-checking the accuracy of the AI-generated content - leading to, in some cases, unexpected responses!

As the field of AI is getting leveraged in transformative ways, setting unprecedented standards as to growth and innovation across diverse domains, this seminar offered pathways to craft measured approaches to AI policy rooted in each country’s local realities. With expertly crafted exercises ranging from case studies, interactive discussions to debates, participants were divided into different groups to deliberate on their country’s fitness and readiness to keep pace with the rapid scale of AI adoption.

The seminar also compelled us to reflect deeply on the degree of relevance accorded to country-specific and continent-specific challenges and combine it with our vision for the future, prior to building a roadmap for endorsement of AI policies. The groups focused on the strengths of a nation and the hidden unexplored avenues of power which could prove instrumental in driving progress and innovation.

The beauty of diversity and collaboration

The diversity of the participants was instrumental in shaping our understanding of the different critical factors mandating consideration before designing an AI policy. The seminar also played a pivotal part in offering us a platform to contribute ideas while working in groups, striving to reach consensus and encouraging us to find a middle ground at complex junctures. We were encouraged to refine our manner of presentation to ensure it reaches a wider set of audience and to create maximum impact in the process of delivery of ideas. This helped us realise that in the process of dissemination, the form of presentation holds utmost significance.

What was also interesting to observe was how the seminar offered an opportunity for a cross-cultural collaboration with people from varied backgrounds. It became surprisingly easy to engage in this setting, cementing the unique reach of human connection to connect on shared themes (professional and personal) across borders. Participants shared not just their aspirations for AI policymaking, but also opened windows into their heritage during the course of the workshop. A special shout-out to the FNF organisers in Thailand who ensured a seamless experience in the entire conduct of the seminar allowing us to make the most out of it.

Final word

It is easy to treat work seminars as a stoic, information-gathering exercise and serving opportunities for networking and building professional connections alone. However, it is truly heartwarming and remarkable when the conversations transform into a platform facilitating an exchange of culture, knowledge and lasting connections.