MI HOSTS HYBRID REGIONAL EXPERT TALK ON PROMOTING RESILIENT CREATIVE ECONOMY THROUGH CROSS-SECTORAL AND REGIONAL COLLABORATION AS PART OF ISAN CREATIVE FESTIVAL 2023

Sustainable Energy and Environment

As part of the Isan Creative Festival 2023, Mekong Institute (MI) organized the Hybrid Regional Expert Talk on Promoting Resilient Creative Economy through Cross-sectoral and Regional Collaboration on April 3, 2023. The aim of the event was to exchange best practices and experiences to build resilience, anticipate future threats, and prepare for change and transition with recession-proof skills. Throughout the event, MI received support from the Creative Economy Agency (CEA), who hosted the Isan Creative Festival 2023. 

In his welcome remarks, Mr. Suriyan Vichitlekarn, Executive Director of MI, pointed out the purpose of the event and expressed hope that the GMS countries would use this as a forum to work together, share knowledge, and address common issues.

Mr. Chutayaves Sinthuphan, Director of the Khon Kaen Office of the CEA, highlighted the theme of this year’s Isan Creative Festival, “Regional Enlightsation,”, explaining that it means growing together as one single unit. He emphasized that the festival is not only about Isan as a region, but also about neighboring countries and the GMS countries. This year’s event was the first to achieve successful international collaboration.

The half-day talk was held at Ad Lib Hotel Khon Kaen and online via Zoom, and brought together 35 online and 20 onsite representatives and experts from creative industries, governments, international development organizations, and non-governmental organizations. During the panel discussions, the participants had the opportunity to learn from the panelists. They gained insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by various creative industries and explored how cross-sectoral and regional collaboration can help overcome these challenges and create new opportunities.

The panel discussion comprised four sessions, with each panelist focusing on different aspects and contexts, and discussing the challenges and opportunities faced by various creative industries in the current economic climate. They also talked about how collaboration through multi-sectoral and cross-countries partnerships could help overcome these challenges and create new opportunities. The four key topics covered Creative District to Creative City, Cultural Diplomacy and People-to-People links, Gastronomy Network and Food Tourism, and Creative Industry 4.0 and Regional Platform. Following the fruitful discussions, Mr. Suriyan, as a moderator, encouraged all participants to initiate a program that fosters exchange across the Mekong countries to add value to their current work and explore more co-creation of opportunities.

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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.