PERAN PENTING ASIA AFRICA SMART CITY SUMMIT (AASCS) 2015 TERHADAP PERKEMBANGAN PARADIPLOMASI KOTA BANDUNG

Abstract

Bandung has implemented the concept of Smart City to face the problems in the city. However, the city government does not have enough funds and technology for the implementation of the concept. Therefore, Ridwan Kamil, the city mayor of Bandung, has regularly conducted paradiplomacy activities for promoting the concept of Bandung Smart City, such as 'Lighthouse' program as Asia Africa Smart City Summit (AASCS). The Asia Africa Smart City Summit (AASCS) attended by 26 mayors throughout Asia and Africa, and delegates from 39 countries. In this study, the author will assess the benefits and role AASCS in Bandung paradiplomacy activities by using paradiplomacy theory, which has been popularized by Ivo Duchachek (1990). Afterward, the authors will also compared AASCS similar program in Amsterdam and Bogota. This study indicates that international conferences such as AASCS were able to significantly increase the popularity of a city, and also open up opportunities for further cooperation.