Publications

Written by Mekong Institute

This research examines the CBTA implentation and its impacts on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) development at Moc Bai border and Ba Vet border.

The surveyed enterprises consist of 5 major business sectors including services, trading, manufacturiing, agriculture and constructin. The survey results showed that most of the SMEs used personal saving to run their businesses. Our results also show most of the interviewed respondent have never cross the Moc Bai border. The respondents reported that the time to cross the Moc Bai and Bavet borders is time consuming and they have to pay some additional fee for crossing te border. This includes services charge, expensive visa/custom fee and inconsistent custom rules and restrictive custom policy at the cross border check point.

The results show that the road, transportaton, electricity, water, telecommunication, waste systems do not impact to the revenue of SMEs. In contrast, only drainage is correlated with changes in SMEs revenues.

Most of the interviewed respondents have never heard about the CBTA and are not aware of the CBTA implementation.

Written by Mekong Institute

The Greater Mekong Sub-region -Virtual University (GMS-VU) project was launched in 2001 by the Asia-Pacific Programme for Educational Innovation for Development (APEID) of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Bangkok, with the assistance of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Regional Institute Thammathirat Open University (STOU). The aim of the GMS-VU Project is to promote Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) tourism education via distance learning.

To pursue the aim, APEID held four-regional tourism  Workshops:

-Expert Meeting for Formulation of Pilot Project for GMS Tourism Programme at a Distance and On-ine for GMS in January 2002 at Yunnan University (YNU), Kunming, PR China

-Task Force Workshop on Tourism Programme at a Distance and On-line for GMS in May 2002 at STOU, Bangkok, Thailand

-Workshop on GMS-VU Project on Tourism: Open Educational

-Resources in March 2006 at STOU

-Technical and Vocational Education Workshop on Tourism by Distance Mode in March 2007 at STOU.

A set of Open Education Resources (OER) was developed as a result of these workshops by theparticipating universities of National University (YNRTVU), Savan Institute of Management (SIM) and Hanoi Open University (HOU).

In order to introduce the OER to lecturers teaching tourism in Universities in the GMS, the MI hosted the "Capacity Building Workshop on Tourism using OER" on 17-21 March 2008, with the assistance of UNESCO Bangkok. Twenty-four tourism institutions, and Ministry of Hotels and Tourism attended the workshop. The authors of the various modules participated in the workshop as resource persons.

The workshop presentations covered five elective courses, as well as an overview on the core course, which deals with basic concepts on tourism. In addition, a team of delegates from Myanmar shared an overview of their domestic tourism-focused Human Resource Development (HRD) initiatives and shared how aspects of sustainability and /or spirit of Mekong are incorporated into the respective curriculum and courses. An evaluation of the feedback from individual questionnaires and classroom participation revealed that the participants found the workshop content useful and almost all were completely satisfied with the program.

The recommendations to be formulated by MI, in cooperation with the UNESCO Bangkok, emphasize four major areas:
a) Developing a "GMS Tourism" module
b) Strengthening collaboration among institutes and universities focused on teaching  tourism through open education
c) Widening the use of GMS tourism resources
d) Promoting GMS as a single destination through open resources.
 

Written by Mekong Institute

Cover and Introduction

Review Paper : Challenges and Opportunities of the Implementation of Cross Border Transport Agreement in the Greater Mekong Sub-region.

Challenges and Opportunities of the Implementation of Cross Border Transport Agreement in the Greater Mekong Sub-region.Foreign Direct Investment in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region: Opportunities,Trends and Challenges.

Regional Integration and Migration in the Greater Mekong Subregion: A Review.

An Assessment of the Kunming Sunshine Homeland HIV/AIDS Project.Access to Rural Credit in Vietnam: A Case Study of Tan Linh Commune, Ba Vi District, Ha Tay Province.Does a Unilateral Policy Change Promote Trade The Case of African Growth and Opportunity Act .

Youth Work and Employment: An Assessment of the National Data of Vietnam.
About Mekong Institute.

Written by Mekong Institute

The Mekong Institute (MI) organized a Working Session with the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) National Coordinating Agencies (CAs) on 4-5 March 2008 at MI's residential training center n Khon kaen, Thailand.

The Sessions's objective was to improve coordination and cooperation among the Institute and the CAs for the delivery of MI's Human Resource Development (HRD) programs and to disuss the mplementation arrangements and marketing strategy for MI activities.

MI had expectations of a greater role for the CAs, including connecting MI wth national agencies, acting as a focal point for MI activities and mobilizing resources from national governments and donors.

The CAs also had expectations, including to clarify their role and responsibilities and to initiate a CA's network. The CAs raised a number of issues they believed needed addressing, including ensuring adequate communications with MI, establishing clear Terms of Reference and receiving timely MI course information.

The CA's National Work Plans were discussed. These documents will provide a structure for active participation by the CAs in MI's work and programs. They will comprise a mutually agreed course preparation process, candidate selection process, participant information pack and timetable for course announcements and evaluation. MI expects te CAs to devise their National Work Plans in line with the MI program process.

The CA's national Work Plans were discussed. These documents will provide a structure for active participation by the CAs in MI's work and programs. They will comprise a mutually agreed course preparation process, candate selecton process, participant information pack and timetables for course announcements and evaluation. MI expects the CAs to devise their National Work Plans in line with the Mi program process.

There were a number of outcomes from the Session. All staff agreed to establish closer relationaships through improved coordination mechanisms. MI agreed that for the CAs to takea more active rold in its work, it would ned to provide timey and frequent informaton. The CAs agreed to help mobilize resources to support MI's continued sustainablility.

The CAs decided to meet annually, with the event rotated among the GMS countires, to further cooperation and coordnation.

On the subject of provincial participation, the CAs agreed to focus on providing more opportunities to rural people by extending courses and MI agreed to focus on the practical, rather than policy, level and participant experience.

Written by Mekong Institute

With financial support from Thailand International Deveopment Cooperation Agency (TICA) and South East Asia Regonal Cooperaton in Human Development (SEARCH), the Mekong Institute (MI) and its partner agencies, Instiute for Dispute Resolution (KKU), and King Prajadhipok's on 24-28 September 2008 in MI. This workshop servd as a forum to exchange knowledge and ideas about peace in conflict resolution and management as well as to promote the ideas of public particpaton, public hearings, mediaton, and unanimty-building processes.

The five-day workshop sought to assess and draw lessons from indivudual country experiences in conflict prevention/management and peace building geared at developing policy recommendations towards durable peace and sustainable development for the region. It sought to identify the key issues related to pre-conflict, conflict, and post-conflict situations and deal with them within an integrated, holistic and analytical policy framework. The general objective of this activity is to enhance public paricipaton and reconciliation, promote sustainable peace and democracy, and develop skill on consensus building and negotiaton among the GMS countries and beyond.

The five-day workshop sought to assess and draw lessons from individual country experienes in conflict prevention/management and peace building geared at developing policy recommendaton towards durable peace and sustainable development for the region. It sought to identify the key issues related to pre-conflict, conflict, and post-conflict situations and deal with them within an integrated, holistic and analytical policy framework. The general objective of this activity is to enhance public participation and reconciliation, promote sustainable peace and democracy, and develop skill on consensus building and negotiation among the GMS countries and beyond.

The workshop started with a 2-day exposure trip to the Thai Parliament and study tour in Bangkok and was followed by a 3-day forum at Mekong Institute, Khon Kaen. During the forum, several learning methods were employed which include short participatory lectures, discussons, cases studies, practice exercises, site visit, and games. An evaluation of the five-day activity revealed that the participants found the worksip useful and majority was completely satisfied with the program.

The recommendations to be formulated by MI, in cooperation with KPI and IDR-KKU emphasize three major areas:

      -Reorganizing a regional forum on "Public Particpation and   Reconciliation" in 2009

      -Strengthening collaboration among institues and universities foucused on conflict management and negotiation

      -Specifying clear tasks and responsibilities among partner agencies

Seventeen participants from six ASEAN countries (Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar, and Thailand) attended the workshop. The delegates come from Ministry of National Assembly, Houses of Representatives, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, and the office of the National Aseembly.

Written by Mekong Institute

Overview of Course modules:

Module1: Setting the COntext and Exploring Group Limits

This module is essential for enabling free and open participaton at the start of the training program. This session helps trainers to prepare the groundwork,break the ice and give the overview of the training workshop, the topics and training methods to be used. This module has 5 sessons: getting to know each other, setting the context (contents and methodology), exploring expectations, developing group norms, introducing participatory training course monitoring evaluaton and benchmark facilitaton. The benchmark facilitation skill of each participant was recorded on video during the introductions so that later the participants can review their own performance and assess their pre-workship facilitation and presentation skills.

Module2: Participatory Approach in Training Program management

The concept of partcipaton in training course management is introduced in this module through learning games and guided planary discussons. Buzz groups wre formed for partcipants to brainstorm the "What Why Who How When of the concpet of partcipation in training program management. Each small group presentaed theri outputs throught "mini -guided tour". Participatory training is designed to be learner-centered rather than trainer-centered. At the end of the module participants were able to differentate traditional training methods from particpatory training methods.

Module3: Modular Training Cycle and Integrated Curriculum

This module illustrates the modular training approach (Learn to do, do to learn, and share to learn) and concepts of learning and integrated curriculum. Through guided plenary discussion using meta cards the Laws of Learning were discussed, namely law of readiness, exercise, effect and intensity.

Module4: Introduction to Planning a Training Course

Participantsare guided on planning participarotry training course programs. To introduce the concept of a training cycletwo cases for developing and planning a training coursewere anayzed by participants.For each case,the participants formed three sub-groups each to deliberate on planning the pre-training, during training and post training actvites that constitute the training cycle. Outputs per subgroup were presented in plenary. An example of how MI plans and prepares its training couses was presented. Participants learnnew concepts, methods and tools and go through real practical experience in applyng these principles and methods in MI training sessons. Participaroy learning goes along with te iterative implementation of the training cycle.  Participants learn new concepts, methods and tools and go through real practical experience in applying these principles and methods in MI training sessions. Participatory learning goes along with the iterative implementation of the training cycle. Participants are given n active role in the design, redesign and decision-making in all stages of te training cycle.

Module5: Roles of a Facilitator and Required Competencies

This module focuses focuses on facilitation fundamentals and the amin roles of a facilitator: content neutral, process-guide and integrator of results. Guide questions about the likes, fears and meta cards and elaborated in a guided plenary discussion. This module included an analysis of personality types and a self-assessment of apotential facilitator. As a synthesis, the required core competencies of a facilitator which includes technical, methodological, socal and personal competence was presented in plenary.

Module 6: Facilitation methods and Tools

Ths module demonstrates the use of different interactive facilitation methods and supporting tools in delivering MI learning packages. The participants go through learning experience designing different kinds of intervention, using creative process, and utilizing appropriate floor exercise, the participants reviewed and listed the faclitation methods and tools which have been used  so far during this training course. They also listed the facilitation methods and additional facilitation methods and tools they were interested to learn about. Exchange experiences and knowledge about each method and tool was encouraged among participants. The methods and tools were compared and differentiated by the participants.

Module7: Practicing Facilitation Skills

This module gives practical tips on the art of facilitation and making oral presentation. Participants' facilitaton skills were challenged through analysis of case scenarios. Each participant provided comments on how he or she would improve his/her presentation and facilitation skills in the future and through the remaining time of he training.

Module8: Strengthening Team Work

Participatory training courses are best implemented through a team of facilitators. The learning game, "elephant ride challenged the participants' creativity and team dynamics in order to overcome the task given to them. One participants contributed the idea of "rewarding" as an additional stage of team building. Further reflectons on strengthening team work were encouraged through photo anaysis and group discussion.

Moudule 9: Field Work Facilitation

This module focuses on practiciing how to plan and conduct a fieldwork and share their experiences and knowledge gained from the field work. Participants went through the process of planning before a field work vsit by identifying the objectives and expected outputs from the field work. They dreafed a list of guide questons to ask as well as the facilitaion methods they will use during the feld work. THe sites vsited matched the particular interest of the participants. THe Metology group visited the Norteastern arification Center, Bureau ofWeights and Measures while they group of te InWEnt alumni vsitied a village women's group that produced traditional mats woven from a locally grown plant. This women's group also produced and packaged herbs used for tradigional medicine and now fashinably used in spas. As a post among partcipants through an informaton market. A guided discussion to synthesize and reflect experiences gained from the feld work served as basis for improving field work facilitation skills.

Module 10: Integrating Skills and Way forward

This module foucses on the integraton of dfferent facilitation skills, knowledge and attitutes gained from the training and how these can be applied to their real work situation when they go back home. Whether as a country group, as organization group or individually, the participants first assessed the important lessons they learned from this training. As a next step, they assessed the training and capacity building needs of their organizaton. An action plan was then dreafted to determine how these needs can be addressed by applying the participatory methods and facilitation skils, planning and implementing skills they learned from te course. The final evaluation of the training was done using visualized training course evaluation. Resultes were jointly analyzed and reflected on by the participants, training facilitators and the organizers.