Joining the Presidents’ Forum of Forestry Universities and Institutes in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) for the second time, the Mekong Institute (MI) called for stronger collaboration and joint actions to advance sustainable forest management (SFM) in the region. The forum took place from October 28 to 30, 2025, in Pu’er City, Yunnan Province, China, as part of the Second Pu’er Forum on Asia-Pacific Forests.
In a keynote, MI Executive Director Mr. Suriyan Vichitlekarn stressed that coordinated efforts on forestry, natural resources, and biodiversity can deliver better results for GMS countries. He proposed the creation of an expert committee to jointly develop project proposals for submission to the Lancang–Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Special Fund—a China-backed financial mechanism supporting development projects in Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam.
“Forestry and biodiversity are often treated as sectoral concerns, when in fact they are whole-of-society issues,” said Mr. Suriyan. “Their contributions to development are frequently undervalued and taken for granted. Strengthening sustainable forest management and biodiversity conservation must remain our foundation, but realizing this vision requires working together across sectors and countries, including through joint proposals to mechanisms such as the LMC Special Fund.”
MI also proposed the establishment of a knowledge management and innovation system for forestry cooperation and transboundary issues across the Lancang–Mekong region. “Our network could serve as a regional research, technical, and knowledge mechanism supporting subregional cooperation, policy recommendations, and multi-stakeholder initiatives,” Mr. Suriyan explained, adding that progress and achievements could also be reported to future fora.
The Presidents’ Forum is a regional platform that contributes to SFM by enhancing cooperation in forestry higher education and talent development. As a sub-forum of the Second Pu’er Forum on Asia-Pacific Forests, it brought together representatives from universities, research institutes, and regional organizations to explore how education, science, and innovation can advance sustainable forestry in the Mekong region. The inaugural meeting of the Presidents’ Forum was held in Kunming, China, in 2023, where MI was also a key resource speaker.
Currently, MI is one of the 16 members of the Presidents’ Forum. During the forum’s third annual Steering Committee meeting, MI reiterated its interest in becoming part of the Steering Committee, highlighting its expertise in regional cooperation and integration, research, policy dialogue, capacity development, and its convening power that can help strengthen collaboration among members. The Steering Committee is chaired by Southwest Forestry University (SWFU) in China and is composed of one university each from GMS countries, plus the Asia-Pacific Network for Sustainable Forest Management and Rehabilitation (APFNet). SWFU also currently hosts the Forum’s liaison office, which coordinates daily operational work and activity organization.
On October 31, 2025, a day after the Presidents’ Forum and related fora, MI explored possibilities for greater collaboration with SWFU, building on an existing memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed in July 2024 at the Mekong Forum 2024 in Khon Kaen, Thailand. MI, represented by Mr. Suriyan and Ms. Jian Wang, Program Manager of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Department, held a bilateral meeting with SWFU officials, including President Prof. Li Jun, Vice President Prof. Dr. Ding Renzhan, International Cooperation Department Director Ms. Qin Yunfan, and Deputy Director Mr. Wang Haitao. Among potential areas of collaboration in the next two years could be for SWFU, in its capacity as chair and secretariat of the Presidents’ Forum, to attend the GMS Working Group on Environment (WGE) to engage in GMS policy dialogue as well as in the implementation of environmental sustainability and climate change programs.
