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MEKONG FORUM 2018 TO HIGHLIGHT INNOVATION, COOPERATION AS DRIVERS OF REGIONAL GROWTH

Innovation and cooperation strategies are the central themes in this year’s Mekong Forum happening on August 3, 2018 at Avani Khon Kaen Hotel & Convention Centre, Khon Kaen.

Gathering opinion leaders and key development actors in the region and beyond, this year’s Forum expounds on the theme: Turnarounds and Takeoffs: Speeding Up Competitiveness and Connectivity in the GMS.

“In this year’s forum, we will strive to answer how innovation can be harnessed, what kind of strategic policy and incentives we can use to promote innovation, and how development cooperation can improve the connectivity of the people in the region,” said Dr. Watcharas Leelawath, MI Executive Director.

This year’s event is the sixth since MI started hosting the one-day gathering in 2011. “The Mekong Forum is a milestone event both for MI and the development actors in the GMS. It is an occasion for networking, linkaging, and knowledge sharing of ideas and solutions that can help realize the development goals and aspirations of the people in the GMS,” Dr. Leelawath added.

Mekong Forum 2018 offers three sessions that will explore the following: challenges in the growth momentum of the GMS; scaling up competitiveness through innovation; and harnessing development cooperation mechanisms to promote strengthened regional connectivity.

Dr. Narongchai Akrasanee, former Minister of Energy and Minister of Commerce of Thailand is this year’s keynote speaker, while Mr. Kensuke Tanaka, head of the Asia Desk of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), is delivering a special address. Joining them as session speakers are experts from the government, academe, business and development cooperation agencies working in and outside the GMS.

Mekong Forum 2018 is organized in partnership with the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Open Development Initiative (ODI), and with the support of Thai Smile and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

Visit http://www.mekongforum.com for more details and follow event updates on Facebook at @mekongforum and on Twitter at @MekongInstitute. 

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Mrs. Guohua Liu

Director, Sustainable Energy & Environment (SEE) Department

Mrs. Liu Guohua is the Director of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Department at the Mekong Institute. Prior to this role, she worked in the Department of International Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, where she played a key role in shaping and implementing China’s cooperation strategies with UN development agencies. During this time, Mrs. Liu was actively involved in advancing initiatives related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a focus on climate change and green development. Additionally, she contributed to the evaluation of projects funded by various Chinese initiatives, such as the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund, etc.

In addition to her work in the Department of International Economic Affairs, Mrs. Liu has an extensive diplomatic background. She spent 7 years in the Department of African Affairs, followed by a 4-year tenure at the Chinese Embassy in Lao PDR, where she gained deep expertise in both Southeast Asian and African affairs. These diverse experiences have played a crucial role in shaping her approach to sustainable development and international collaboration, particularly in building regional partnerships and tackling global challenges like climate change.

She holds a Master’s degree in Economics, with a specialization in Finance, from the Central University of Finance and Economics, and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, specializing in International Economics and Trade, from the Shanghai University of International Business and Economics.