MI FOSTERS DEEPER REGIONAL COOPERATION AND INTEGRATION THROUGH COMMUNICATIONS TRAINING

Innovation and Technological Connectivity

Mekong Institute (MI), with funding support from the People’s Government of Yunnan Province, the People’s Republic of China (P.R. China), rolled out the Communication Skill Capacity Building for Regional Cooperation and Integration in Lancang-Mekong Region training at the MI Residential Training Center in Khon Kaen, Thailand from October 14 to 24, 2019.  

Over 31 government officials from Cambodia, P. R. China, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as representatives from state-owned enterprises in Yunnan Province and Khon Kaen, the MI Young Scholar Program and MI office attended the course to strengthen their writing, speaking and listening proficiencies.

“Communications is the engine for effective development,” Mr. Sudam Pawar, MI’s Director of Innovation and Technological Connectivity Department, said during the opening session. He underscored the critical role of communications in strengthening multilateral partnerships in the Lancang-Mekong region.

Mr. Pawar encouraged participants to actively engage in the four-course module, which included a discussion from Dr. Jean-Pierre A. Verbiest, MI’s Policy Advisor, on the political and socioeconomic significance of regional cooperation. Dr. Matthew Robert Ferguson, Mahidol University’s Program Director of English Studies, Humanities and Language Division, also provided theoretical and practical sessions in public speaking and technical writing under the prism of cross-cultural communications.

This was the fourth MI communications training since 2018. The tailored curriculum improved the participants’ skills and helped widened their networks for deeper integration among member countries, as espoused by the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation and the Greater Mekong Subregional Economic Cooperation Program.  

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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.