Mr. Voravud Tomon, the Director of Human Resource Development Bureau of Thailand International Development Cooperation Agency (TICA) visited Mekong Institute on Monday 16 March 2009 to officially open the Annual International Training Course on Income Generation and Poverty Reduction for Development. It is a four-week training course offered by the Mekong Institute. 

Twenty six participants are senior and mid-level public officials and leaders of civil society groups, from 13 developing countries in Africa and West/ South/ Southeast Asia. The course seeks to advance the participants professional expertise in analyzing various facets of poverty, devising and implementing people-centered poverty reduction strategies, and monitoring and evaluating poverty reduction interventions. 

The course also provides a venue for professionals and practitioners to share experiences and best practices on interventions, which creates lasting impacts and progress in disadvantaged peoples quality of life.