Seven professionals from the public sector and the academe in the region join MI this month as Mekong Institute Young Scholars (MIYS).  

Supported by the Government of the People’s Republic of China, the MIYS Program offers a six-month structured learning experience to junior and mid-level professionals from the Greater Mekong Subregion and an opportunity to engage in MI’s capacity development activities.

Dr. Shuyan Kou is a researcher at Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Kunming, P.R. China. Joining her is Chinese MIYS Mr. Hongji Ouyang, lecturer at the Yunnan Vocational College of Transportation, also in Kunming.

MIYS from Lao PDR are Ms. Phonephilom Douangmalalay and Mr. Vithavath Inthivong, both desk officers at the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Ms. Theint Theint Thu is a staff officer at the Union Assembly of Myanmar. Fellow MIYS working are Ms. Aye Aye Aung, deputy staff officer at the Research and Training Department, and Ms. Ei Htet Htet Zaw, upper division clerk, both also working at the Union Assembly.

In May last year, MI welcomed the first batch of MIYS from Cambodia, P.R. China, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam. The scholars attend a one-week course on basic facilitation skills and regional cooperation concepts before joining the MI departments.