International Development Spring 2016

The seminar series commemorates 30th Anniversary of ADB-PRC partnership, and is a part of the International Postgraduate Program of Asia-Pacific Finance and Development Institute. This semester-long seminar series will address important topics concerning international development, drawing on ADB’s experience with developing member countries in Asia, primarily in the PRC.  The PRC’s extraordinary progress over the past thirty years and ADB’s evolving partnership with the PRC offers important experiences and lessons for other developing countries. The seminar series will emphasize challenges, approaches, and case studies based on development projects, featuring guest lecturers from the management team of the East Asia Department (EARD), ADB. Topics include: 
 
  • Role of Multilateral Development Banks (MDB) in a Developing Country’s Growth Process
  • Transport: Connecting People, Places, and Markets in the PRC
  • Leveraging Knowledge and Innovation in ADB’s Energy Sector Work in the PRC 
  • Small and Medium Enterprise
  • Water Crisis in Asia-Pacific and the Role of ADB
  • Holding MDBs Accountable: from Inspection Function to Accountability Mechanism
  • Green Urban Development
  • Urban River and Wetland Rehabilitation and Pollution Control

At the end of the course students are expected to have gained familiarity with: (i) the institutional arrangement concerning international development and cooperation; (ii) the approaches and processes that development assistance is delivered by multi-lateral development banks; (iii) current thinking and best practices in key sectors that ADB is engaged in, especially current and future cooperation priorities with the PRC.  The course also provides a forum for interaction with ADB senior development practitioners. 

Course Outline
Date & TimeCourse
5 April 2016
14:00-16:00
Role of Multilateral Development Bank (MDB)s in a Developing Country’s Growth Process
Ayumi Konishi, Director General, East Asia Department (EARD), ADB

ADB has been a development partner with the PRC for the last 30 years, helping the country to achieve the largest reduction of poverty in the world and the rapid transformation to the upper middle income status. This opening lecture will discuss how ADB assistance’s to the PRC has evolved over the years, and the recent change in emphasis now that the PRC is an upper middle income country. In particular, the lecture will review the role the PRC is expecting ADB to play and
how ADB is planning to respond to these expectations.
27 April 2016
13:30-15:30
Transport: Connecting People, Places, and Markets in the PRC
Robert Guild, Director, Transport and Communications Division, EARD

The PRC has experienced major growth and expansion in the past 30 years. Transport investments have been among the main drivers of this growth, including ADB support of over US$20 billion (in constant 2016 prices) to the sector since 1989. This session will introduce the economic and social rationale for investment in transport infrastructure; survey the development of ADB's support over the past 30 years; and present case studies of projects in the road, rail, and water transport subsectors. The session will include an interactive discussion of future priorities for ADB support, including urban transport, regional cooperation and integration, and climate change.
6 May 2016
13:30-15:30
Leveraging Knowledge and Innovation in ADB's Energy Sector work in the PRC
Ashok Bhargava, Director, Energy Division, EARD

The lecture will elaborate on how ADB- PRC partnership in energy sector has evolved over the past 3 decades from accelerated capacity addition to bridge the demand supply gap in early days to forward looking low-carbon energy sector transformation with larger role of energy efficiency and renewable energy. There will be examples of projects and knowledge work that have helped reforms, demonstrate new technologies and introduce market-based mechanisms.
16 May 2016
9:30-11:30
Small and Medium Enterprises
Ying Qian, Director, Public Management, Financial Sector, and Regional Cooperation Division, EARD

The lecture and discussion will cover a broad spectrum of small and medium sized enterprise (SME) development issues, ranging from definition of SMEs, whether “finance” really the key problem for SME development, impediments to SME development, and how government and public sector can help through business development services and facilitating easy entry/exit after recognizing that not all SMEs survive and grow. A large portion of the lecture will still be on SMEs' access to finance, and will examine issues related to challenges in access to finance, alternative sources, and new financing techniques. Lastly the lecture will present some case studies and discuss with students latest development on changing the global SME scene.
20 May 2016
13:30-15:30
Water Crisis in Asia-Pacific and the Role of ADB
Qingfeng Zhang, Director, Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Division, EARD

The lecture will present the first quantitative and comprehensive view of water security in the countries of Asia and the Pacific. The lecture will also discuss the role of ADB in addressing Asia’s water security, and examine the issues and challenges ahead in meeting water demand in Asia. The lecture will share the speaker's thoughts on knowledge solutions for addressing water crisis in Asia.
26 May 2016
9:30-11:30
Holding MDBs Accountable: from Inspection Function to Accountability Mechanism
Hamid Sharif, Country Director, PRC Resident Mission, EARD

The lecture will provide an overview of evolution of the accountability of MDBs with particular focus on ADB. It will discuss the underlying rationale, principles and procedures.
6 June 2016
13:30-15:30
Green Urban Development
Amy Leung, Deputy Director General, EARD

As the world calls for more sustainable living and several countries begin to prioritize greener development, ADB responds with green solutions to achieve more livable cities. The lecture will discuss what it means for a city to be green and livable; how ADB helps countries make their green city visions a reality, including a step-by-step discussion on how to develop a Green City Action Plan; and how partnerships are a powerful tool in achieving green city goals.
23 June 2016
13:30-15:30
Urban River and Wetland Rehabilitation and Pollution Control
Sangay Penjor, Director, Urban and Social Sectors Division, EARD

The presentation will discuss key issues, challenges, private sector involvement, institutional reforms, and lessons learnt on two ADB projects, the Songhua River Pollution Control, and the Nanjing River Environmental Improvement Projects; and on water conservation including water demand management, and wastewater recycling for two ongoing projects.

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