The
Khlongs and Subaks workshop is a 5-day workshop to be held
April 21-25, 2025, in Bangkok devoted to exploring the intersection of two thriving technological frontiers:
open distributed AI and
blockchain protocols. Our goal is to seed a region-wide "full-stack" conversation and persistent scene around these two macro technology trends, at the
technical,
cultural, and
public-policy levels. We hope to draw on the unique historic strengths of the region to identify and develop an approach to this emerging space of opportunities that is
both uniquely Southeast Asian and globally relevant. Participants will ideally bring some existing relevant expertise and background in the themes, and take away a strong and grounded sense of regional technology opportunities and futures, as well as a network of relationships.
The registration deadline is March 15, but if you're interested in participating please fill out this form as soon as possible, since the space is strictly limited to 30 spots. In case of oversubscription, we will prioritize regional participants with the most relevant backgrounds.
The name is meant to evoke both the technological themes and the regional cultural approach to them. "Khlong" is a Thai term for canals essential to irrigation and community connectivity, while "Subak"—a Malay (and Balinese) word describing a traditional cooperative irrigation system. We believe the historic governance patterns, culture, and technologies associated with rice farming can serve as both a motif and a rich source of inspiration for exploring these emerging technological frontiers.
The five-day workshop will comprise three tracks: Public policy, culture, and technological exploration,
including a hackathon track on a challenge problem. Participants will ideally be able to participate for all five days.
The workshop is co-organized by
CMKL University,
Summer of Protocols (SoP) program (funded by the Ethereum Foundation), Seapunk Studios, and Global Chinese Community (GCC). It is is free to attend and limited regional travel support is available for participants who might need it. This is the second annual workshop in this series, and follows the
2024 Datus and Nusas workshop held in Singapore. The Khlong-Subak workshop will aim to continue the long-term mission of the SoP program to foster a thriving technological scene around protocols in the region.
