Five professionals from Cambodia, P.R. China, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam join MI this month as part of the Mekong Institute Young Scholars (MIYS) Program. Supported by the People’s Republic of China, the MIYS Program offers professionals from the Greater Mekong Sub-region a structured learning opportunity and hands-on experience on regional development and cooperation work by serving as project staff at MI.  

Mr. Seng Touch is from Cambodia and a PhD candidate at the Department of Urban and Regional Planning of the Faculty of Architecture, Khon Kaen University.

Mr. ZHAO Chunyang from P.R. China is program officer at the Yunnan Education Department of Kunming University where he is in-charge of the recruitment of overseas students from Southeast Asia especially from the Lancang-Mekong countries.

Mr. Viengsavanh Keokounnavong is an information technology professional at the Archives section of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lao PDR.

Mrs. Mya Thuzar Swe is staff officer at the Foreign Economic Relations Department (FERD), Ministry of Planning and Finance in Myanmar, providing coordination support to the International Organizations section of FERD.

Ms. Hoang Thi Minh Ha is a researcher at the National Centre for Socio-economic Information and Forecast, a line agency of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Vietnam. She is primarily involved in the analysis and assessment of macro-economic policies and their implementation.

After a one-week introductory training on basic facilitation skills and regional cooperation concepts, the MI Young Scholars will be assigned to the five departments of MI where they will work as program officer for the next six months.