International Scientific Conference “International Cooperation for Rural Development in Vietnam: Connecting Policy and Practice”

Attending the workshop were Dr. Dao Duc Huan - Director of the Center for Rural Development, Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development; Mr. Tran Van Mon, Head of Rural Development Department, Department of Cooperative Economics and Rural Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; Mr. Pham Van Thanh & Pham Van Ngoc, officers of the Comprehensive and Equitable Growth Program, UNDP; Mr. Meirav Eilon Shahar, Embassy of Israel in Vietnam; Dr. Edward Lahiff, Lecturer of International Development - University College Cork, Ireland; Prof. Dr. Pham Quang Minh (Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities); and lecturers, trainees and students of the Faculty of International Studies.

Over 30 years of renovation, Vietnam's rural agriculture has achieved remarkable results. Rural areas have undergone significant changes, the material and spiritual life of the people has been increasingly improved; economic and social infrastructure has been strengthened; hunger eradication and poverty reduction have achieved great results; the political system in rural areas has been consolidated... Along with that are quite comprehensive achievements in agricultural development: rapid and stable growth over a long period of time. Vietnam has become a leading agricultural exporter in the world, participating in deep and wide integration into the international market. The rural development policy towards building a “new countryside” was initiated in 2008 through Resolution No. 26-NQ/TW dated August 5, 2008 on agriculture, farmers, and rural areas of the 10th Central Executive Committee. However, in addition to remarkable achievements, rural development in Vietnam still faces many limitations and new difficulties. The policies that were effective in agricultural development in the previous century are no longer suitable in the context of an economy increasingly integrating into the international market. Many growth indicators are decreasing. Resources for expanding production such as arable land and other resources have been used to the limit, at the same time, there have been many negative signs about the environment and climate change due to overexploitation of resources and excessive use of chemical inputs.

Therefore, the workshop “International cooperation for rural development in Vietnam: Linking policy and practice” was organized to review achievements, identify challenges and find solutions to promote rural development in Vietnam. The workshop also created opportunities for domestic and foreign scientists to meet, exchange content and experiences, and present new research results on rural development in Vietnam and around the world. The workshop evaluated the cooperation between the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and University College Cork, Ireland to move towards establishing the Development Studies Department at the Faculty of International Studies of the University.

The workshop took place with 4 sessions:

Session 1: “Policy on new rural development: Opportunities and challenges” with presentations: “Building new rural areas in Vietnam: Current situation and solutions”, “Rural development: International experience and current trends”, “Rural development in Israel”, “Adjusting the capital management model to effectively eliminate hunger, reduce poverty and build new rural areas”, “Developing human resources to promote rural tourism associated with hunger eradication and poverty reduction: Research on Cao Phong tourist destination, Hoa Binh”.

Session 2: “The role of organizations in new rural development” with presentations: “The role of the State, people and communities and socio-political organizations in new rural development”, “The role of non-governmental organizations in new rural development in Vietnam”, “JICA cooperation in the field of rural development in Vietnam”, “Connecting from rural areas to enterprises: Research on the dairy industry in Northern Vietnam”, “Farmers' Association with vocational training to create jobs for farmers in the period of international integration”.

Session 3: “Socio-economic issues in new rural development” with presentations: “Agricultural development and food security: Issues from the experience of developing countries”, “UNDP Vietnam with poverty reduction and rural development”, “25 years of experience implementing ActionAid's support program in Vietnam”, “The role of women in ensuring security and order in the context of new rural development”, “From customary law to policy application in the management and protection of natural resources of some ethnic minorities in the Northwest and Central Highlands of Vietnam”.

Session 4: “Sustainable rural development in the context of climate change” with presentations: “Sustainable development adapting to climate change”, “Policy assessment on restructuring the agricultural sector and developing new rural areas in response to climate change in Vietnam”, “Pre-disaster recovery planning: Increasing opportunities for sustainable development in rural areas”.