25 January 2024: Regional Forum on “Sustaining Rural Revitalisation: Innovation and Collaboration” was held on 24 January 2024 at the AIT Convention Centre in Thailand. Hosted by the Academic Program Development Planning Management and Innovation (DPMI) of the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), this forum was conducted in collaboration with The University of Hong Kong, Tsinghua University, and National Chengchi University. The event was a part of the Rural Sustainability Programme – APAC Initiative for Regional Impact (AIRI), initiated by the Centre for Civil Society and Governance at The University of Hong Kong and funded by the Hong Kong Bank Foundation. It aimed to provide a platform for academics and practitioners to exchange ideas on how innovation and collaboration could bolster the resilience of rural communities. Distinguished keynote speakers from the Asia-Pacific region, representing academia, nonprofits, social enterprises, and food conglomerates, shared their insights on the topic.
The forum attracted AIRI fellows, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers from across the Asia-Pacific region.
Professor Kazuo Yamamoto, AIT President extended a warm welcome to all participants, emphasizing the crucial role of rural revitalization as a strategic policy measure. He underscored the significance of fostering innovation and collaboration to enhance the resilience and robustness of rural communities in navigating external shocks and disturbances. Opening remarks were also delivered by Professor Abdul Salam, Dean of the School of Environment, Resources and Development, and Professor Wai-Fung Lam, Director of the Centre for Civil Society and Governance at The University of Hong Kong.
The forum featured four keynote presentations by eminent policymakers, researchers, business leaders, and practitioners in the field of rural development and revitalization from the Asia-Pacific Region. Among the presenters were Dr. Sarasin Viraphol, Executive Vice President of Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group and Adjunct Professor at The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Chairperson of the Vetting Subcommittee of the HKSAR Government’s Countryside Conservation Funding Scheme, Mr. Yuan Jiakai, Founder of Shanghai Ethno Philanthropy Fund in mainland China, and Mr. Bill Lin Kun-Cheng, Founder of Guppy Inclusive Ltd. and Chairman of Guppy Technology Co., Ltd in Taiwan.
Two discussion panels were held on “Collaboration and Governance,” moderated by Professor Wai-Fung Lam, Director of the Centre for Civil Society and Governance at The University of Hong Kong, and “Social and Business Model Innovation,” moderated by Associate Professor Thi Phuoc Lai Nguyen, Program Chair of DPMI, AIT.
In addition, Prof. Ching-Ping Tang, Vice President for International Cooperation and Director of the University Outreach Office, Chengchi University, Prof. Yahua Wang, Associate Dean of the School of Public Policy and Management, and Executive President of China Institute of Rural Studies of Tsinghua University, Dr. Boomsom Namsomboon, Chairperson and Founder of the Forward Foundation and Secretary-General of the Foundation for Labour and Employment in Thailand, and Ms. Ravadee Prasertcharoensuk, Director of the Sustainable Development Foundation in Thailand, also participated as discussants in the discussion panels.
Additionally, the forum included side-event activities such as field trips to rural and peri-urban areas of Thailand on 22 and 23 January. These trips aimed to showcase the socio-cultural heritage and environmental sustainability of rural Thailand, featuring visits to various sites including the Self–Sufficient Economy Agricultural Model, Organic Farm, Homestay, Weaving centers, Thai Berng Museum, Wet Land at Pasak Cholasid Dam, Abandoned Monkey City in Lopburi Province, Saraburi Province, and the Ancient Architecture Conservation and Cultural Tourism Activity in Hua Takhe Lat Krabang Subdistrict, Lat Krabang District, Bangkok.
For further information about Thailand AIRI and the aforementioned events, please contact Associate Professor Dr. Thi Phuoc Lai Nguyen, DPMI Program Chair, and PI of Thailand AIRI, via email: [email protected].
