To this date, more than 10,000 alumni have attended Mekong Institute's learning programs.
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Before I came here, I expected that I would learn about the success of microfinance in Thailand because in Malaysia when you go to store you will see 50% of the products are made in Thailand. I wanted to know how Thailand did that since it was not easy to reach that achievement. Besides that, you have more than 10 countries to be trained together, to share experiences with different attitudes, different backgrounds. I learned a lot and gained more knowledge from the resource persons. The training certainly met my expectations.
In the field visit, I learned a lot about how people survive the microfinance and how people in rural areas living under poverty and paying the loan on time. It was good to hear from them and to know how they pay back their loan. I will definitely share the knowledge to my other business counselors in Malaysia. The field visit was the best part for me as well as the facilities. I also like the organizer because they were very creative and cooperative.
I really appreciated the effort of TICA, the Colombo Plan, and certainly Mekong Institute for bringing 11 countries together to share our experiences on what we are doing for SMEs in our country. We were really impressed about Thailand’s strategy for poverty reduction, especially the village fund, the community base in microfinance institution and the role of banks, particularly the Bank for Agriculture in promoting the SMEs in the country. We will take these experiences from here and replicate in country to promote SMEs over there.
Since I work in the Ministry of Planning at the policy making level .This training will help me in formulation of SME-friendly policy and program of central microfinance sector, partially in the rural areas and also the SMEs sector to boost economic development in my country.
I was very happy to join the training because it was very important for me to get knowledge on the cross- border transport agreement. I also learnt more on CBTA (Cross-Border Trade Agreement) and trade facilitation. I also made many friends from GMS countries, and we could exchange and collaborate with each other in the near future.
I think the training exceeded my expectations because there were more experts that came to explain the meaning of CBTA (Cross-Border Trade Agreement), and we also learned more in detail about the ASEAN agreement. As you may know, Myanmar was left behind and we don’t have much information. This time I received a lot of knowledge which is very useful.
I am really happy to be here again. I get more friends and connections and I learned many things from each country. It was very good that we can meet all sectors for exchanging information.
The training course was very useful for Cambodian participants since I can learn the theories and the practical experiences from different resource persons.
The things I learned for the course guided me to do the planning for Cambodia development in the future. For example, there is more demand in Thailand for young skilled labor which I think many countries also need. Cambodia may take advantage of this opportunity because we have a lot of young labor too but we lack skilled labor. Since we know the challenges, I think we can improve and solve the problem and make the challenges to be the opportunity.
Moreover, the learning environment was good for participants and we have a chance to know about Thailand since we traveled to many provinces and learned for about the cultures too.
I would say that the course went beyond my expectation. Both contents from the course and from the participants gave me more knowledge on the core of the logistics and portray the actual pictures of what’s exactly going on in the lower GMS region. I had learned that what I’ve heard before might not be the same nowadays.
What I think is most useful for my job and myself is to learn about the Green logistics because it is a hot issue right now. When I was taught about this lesson, it alerted me to inform my company that we need to pay attention to this issue as well if we want to keep our company up to date. Since the examples were given in the class, this makes it easier for me to understand and to implement it at my work place.
I would like to thank Mekong Institute and its sponsors who made this course happen. I do believe that all of my classmates would feel the same way too.
As a result of completing the training course, I have strengthened my knowledge in “Project Design and Planning in the Context of GMS Cooperation and Integration” and I can apply the lesson learned to my field of work.
The regional course on Project Design and Planning in the Context of GMS Cooperation and Integration organized by the Mekong Institute is the most interesting training program that I have ever taken part in. Through numerous practical and interesting training methods, the course provided me not only various knowledge of project management but also great opportunities to improve many soft skills such as presentation, team work and so on.
Moreover, it was really a great chance for me to increase my working network and to learn experiences of other countries in both project activities and culture related issues. Besides, as it was also my first time I had been in Thailand, I really enjoyed warmth and friendliness of MI staff in particular and many other Thai people in general. Overall, it is undeniable that this course is the ideal training program that everybody may desire to participate in.
Mekong Institute has provided us with capacity building programs for the citizens of GMS region in a very effective way. The lessons and lectures have been very informational and the knowledge taught can be used practically in our everyday live as professionals. The most valuable thing that I have gained through attending one of the short courses that Mekong have offered is the networks and the people that we meet during the short course. This social network with the rest of the participants from all six countries will last very long and will be very helpful in life
“I think that the intership program in Thailand organized by MI is the useful experience for me to get a job at a multi-national company in Dong Nai Province. I feel very lucky. When I practiced in Thailand. I feel very happy. Beside learning professional skill, I also learned how to solve the problem by the union, time management and some other soft skill.It’s exiting memories for me.This intership also help me make friends with GMS friends aim at to boost the union among GMS country.”
On the youth camp 2013 made me have the new knowledge, have more experience and have a good friendship from my friends in GMS country we learn each other culture, share the knowledge and practice the lesson together I want to say thank you for “Mekong Institute” to give the opportunity for me, that training is very important for me because it make me to improve myself and get more experience like the lao proverb “learn and do make you get successful”
Based on the concept and philosophy of IWRM, my mindset and the way of my thinking have been shaped to be dynamic and systematic thoughtby applying interdisciplinary and holistic approach. During the discussion, my idea, comments and concerns are always inclusive of interdisciplinary holistic and practical thought that is why I am able to convince my team as well as senior staff and international consultants. Also, this kind of thought, I don’t just apply at my working place, but I have applied it to my daily life and my life has been shaped nicely to realize my dream. This kind of thought helps to avoid any adverse effects, it is practical and it can solve the complex issue successfully for a long-term perspective.
All these knowledge, skills, teamwork, time management, good morality and mindset are very precious things that have shaped my professional career and life to be more active, professional and responsible; and it contributes to make better changes and toward sustainability and harmonious human-nature societies.
As I was knowledgeable from the training course in MI, I am proud of myself to be able to challenge among the professionals from different departments in Cambodia. With this experience, I am very confident to work and use to apply with my current organization for any official purposes. Also, I have used this experience to contribute to improve the quality of working performance, and with my present position, I was considered as a potential individual and grouped into the management team of my organization. And I feel proud of my work and life, and I am ambitious to update myself to be more professional on Project Management.
The experience and lesson learnt from MI is strongly contributed to bring me to be confident, optimistic and brilliant for the time being and in the future time. The extreme positive impacts have been recorded as of my outstanding assignment on a pilot project of “Integrated Rural Development for Households Project” resulted.