The seminars welcomed a large number of guests and participants. Amongst others, notable guests are Prof. Dr. Nguyen Xuan Thang, member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, President of Ho Chi Minh National Political Academy, former President of VASS; Prof. Dr. Kikeo Kaikhamphitoun, Secretary of the Central Committee of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Propaganda and Training, President of Lao National Science Council; Assoc. Prof. Thongsalit Mangnomek, member of the Central Committee of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, President of Lao National Political Academy; representatives of Embassy of Vietnam, Embassy of Cambodia, Embassy of South Korea in Laos; researchers from SEI, UNEP, UNCDF, Lao Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Lao National University and a range of Lao institutes.
The seminars participants from VASS include Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quang Thuan, President of VASS; Prof. Dr. Pham Van Duc, Vice President of VASS, cum Director of Graduate Academy of Social Sciences; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dang Nguyen Anh, Vice President of VASS, cum Director of Institute of Sociology; managers and researchers representing member departments and institutes of VASS.
The seminars delegates from RAC are Academician Khlot Thyda, President of RAC; managers and researchers from member institutes of RAC.
The delegation from LASS consists of Prof. Dr. Soukkongseng Saingaleuth, member of the Central Committee of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, President of LASS; Dr. Amphayvanh Khamsengsivilay, Vice President of LASS; managers and researchers from member institutes of LASS.
The delegation from South Korean includes Prof. Cae One Kim, former Chairman of National Research Council for Economics, Humanities and Social Sciences; Dr. Kwang Kook Park, President of KEI and other researchers from KEI, National University Seoul and several Korean institutes.
At the opening ceremony, a number of welcome speeches to the seminars were delivered to the audience by the notable guests and participants, including Dr. Kwang Kook, President of KEI; Prof. Dr. Kikeo Kaikhamphitoun, Secretary of the Central Committee of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Propaganda and Training, President of Lao National Science Council; Prof. Dr. Soukkongseng Saingaleuth, member of the Central Committee of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, President of LASS; Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quang Thuan, President of VASS; Academician Khlot Thyda, President of RAC; Prof. Cae One Kim, former Chairman of National Research Council for Economics, Humanities and Social Sciences.
In his welcome speech to the seminars, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quang Thuan, President of VASS stressed that sustainable development was always considered as a thorough and consistent goal in the national strategy of development of the Vietnamese Government, who has been vigorous in participating in international conferences regarding SDGs implementation and committed to successfully implement SDGs by 2030. Vietnam is one of the countries which have been active in implementing Agenda 21 and the National Strategy of Sustainable Development 2011-2020. Vietnam was also appreciated for being one of the countries achieving successes in implementation of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and hence, creating major changes in poverty reduction and improvement of people’s living standards. Developing smart agriculture coupled with enhancing the role of women in order to attain the goal on gender equality constitutes an important part of SDGs. Smart agriculture is a proper step towards SDGs achievement under the influence of climate change and the fourth wave of science and technology. In the context of considerable challenges with regard to ensuring food security, security of water supply and environmental protection, promoting sustainable agriculture and green growth, smart agriculture must take the pivotal role in future for the development of South East Asia in general and of Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia in particular. In addition, gender mainstreaming in developing agriculture flowed from the goals of comprehensive development of human beings in which human beings are placed at the very centre of SDGs 2030 and set as a target thereof. Limitations and imperfections in connecting gender equality to sustainable development as well as development of smart agriculture revealed a host of gaps which are subject to research and understanding. It follows that it is necessary to make appropriate policies and create a better social environment for the purpose of enabling women to play their roles fully and effectively. These are important issues which need to be examined and shared between researchers beyond these seminars so that they could reach regional forums.
Following the opening ceremony of the seminars, the main papers were presented at 4 sessions. They include:
Session 1: Implementation of Agenda 2030 and SDGs in Mekong Sub-Region.
Session 2: Case study by country on agricultural region.
Session 3: Smart agriculture and efforts in international cooperation.
Session 4: Smart agriculture and gender mainstreaming.
A wealth of opinions were circulated through the seminars, from discussions to debates or exchanges of different ideas in order to shed light on and reach a consistent understanding of the definition of smart agriculture. In doing so, it contributes to offering a number of specific solutions to implementations of activities and projects in relation to Agenda 2030 as well as national SDGs of countries in Mekong Sub-Region. In particular, emphasis should be put on developing smart agriculture given responses to climate change and restricted capacities of applying technologies and mobilizing capital in these countries. Gender mainstreaming should be targeted to in developing smart agriculture and implementing SDGs.
In his closing speech to the seminars, Prof. Dr. Soukkongseng Saingaleuth, President of LASS maintained that the international seminars aimed at joint capacity building for KEI-SEI-LASS-RAC-VASS finished successfully. He asserted that although the length of time for discussion was limited, the seminars participants showed strong sense of responsibility by exchanging ideas and recommending solutions to development of smart agriculture and gender mainstreaming in smart agriculture as well as to implementation of SDGs. He insisted that the success of these seminars opened opportunities and prospects of co-operation between 5 academic institutions in undertaking joint projects on smart agriculture. His gratitude went to leadership personnel and researchers of 5 institutions who had significant contributions to this success.
At the closing ceremony, having given notifications about plans for the 2017 seminars, Academician Khlot Thyda, President of RAC appreciated LASS for its thorough preparation as the host of the seminars. She also treasured the quality of papers and discussions in the seminars and confirmed that co-organizing the seminars by 5 institutions would help to enhance capacities of researchers as well as improve development of 3 academies in particular and of countries in Mekong Sub-Region in general. Mrs. President of RAC solemnly declared the theme of the 2017 seminars organized in Cambodia would be on food security, nutrition and water resources management in Mekong Sub-Region.
Assoc. Dr. Vu Hung Cuong
