Hanoi Symposium: Development of Mekong region in the Asian dynamic context

22/02/2017 12:08

On 17th February 2017, the symposium “Development of Mekong region in the Asian dynamic context” was held at the Headquarter of Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences. The conference was co-organized by VNU University of Economics and Business (UEB), Waseda University, Institute of World Economics and Politics of Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (IWEP-VASS) and Vietnam Asia Pacific Economic Center (VAPEC) with participation of over 100 participants, researchers and scholars from local authorities, domestic and international universities and institutions.

Present at the symposium were Prof. Tran Van Tho from Waseda University; Assoc.Prof.Dr. Chu Duc Dung - Director of IWEP; Assoc.Prof.Dr. Vo Dai Luoc - Director of VAPEC; Assoc.Prof.Dr. Nguyen Hong Son - Rector of the UEB, Dr. Nguyen Anh Thu - Vice Rector. The symposium also attracted attendances of scholars and researchers from universities, organizations, corporations and institutions of Japan, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.

Assoc.Prof.Dr. Nguyen Hong Son delivers welcome address at the symposium

Prof. Tran Van Tho gives the opening speech

Delivering welcome address at the symposium, Assoc.Prof.Dr. Nguyen Hong Son emphasized that the symposium provided a forum for domestic and international scholars to discuss and exchange about development of Mekong region in the context of countries integrating into Asean and Asean integrating into the world as well as proposed resolutions for Vietnam to successfully integrate into Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). He also expressed his gratitude to leaders of Waseda University; Vietnam National University, Hanoi; Institute of World Economics and Politics and Vietnam Asia Pacific Economic Center for supporting necessary resources for the symposium.

On his opening speech, Prof. Tran Van Tho stressed the importance of researches on GMS and introduced to participants about key contents of the symposium.

Assoc.Prof.Dr. Võ Đại Lược, Prof. Tran Van Tho and Assoc.Prof.Dr. Nguyen Hong Son chair the first and second sessions of the symposium

The symposium was divided into 3 working session. The first session focused on FDI, Industrialization and Development of Countries in the Mekong Region. The second session discussed: Hard and Soft-infrastructure in the Mekong Region. The final session was about Economic Interaction in the Mekong Region.

Dr. Ryo Ikebe presents the research on changes in trade and investment relations between Vietnam and Mekong countries

Many extensive researches on economies of GMS countries were presented during the symposium. Notably, research of Dr. Ryo Ikebe on “changes in trade and investment relations between Vietnam and Mekong countries: Vietnam’s expanding FDI to neighboring countries”. The research indicated that CLM are among the top ten investment destinations of Vietnamese enterprises. On his research of “the labor flow from CLM to Thailand and its impact on CLM’s economies”, Dr. Kunichika Matsumoto showed that 5-20% of CLM’s population move to foreign countries as unskilled workers and the percentage is increasing.

At the symposium, on behalf of VNU University of Economics and Business, Dr. Nguyen Anh Thu presented the research on “Economic Relations between Vietnam and Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar: Trade and Investment Dynamic changes in the GMS cooperation”. The research highlighted the dynamic changes in trade and investment between Vietnam and CLM as well as grasped implications for Vietnam.

Dr. Nguyen Anh Thu on her discussion of Economic Relations between Vietnam and Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar

Discussion at the symposium received many comments and contributions from commentators and participants. Many other issues were also discussed, mentioning motivations for connecting CLMV or role of Japan in training human resources for GMS.

The symposium was a good chance for scholars, researchers and experts to discuss and exchange ideas, thereby, contributing to development of Vietnam in the region. This is also an opportunity to enhance the image of the VNU and the UEB in the process of building the UEB to become one of the destinations of world knowledge.

Participants at the symposium take a photo together

Thanh Tu