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Tag: Regional Cooperation and Integration
Asian Development Review: Volume 42, Number 1
People’s Republic of China Poverty Reduction and Regional Cooperation Fund: Annual Report 2023
Harmonization of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures for Greater Mekong Subregion Countries
4th CAREC Institute Annual Research Conference
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is proud to support the 4th Annual Research Conference of the CAREC Institute (CI), themed “Rethinking Development Strategies: Green, Innovative, and Inclusive Development for the CAREC Region.” This conference, co-organized by the College of Social Sciences and the China & Central Asia Studies Center at KIMEP University, along with the ADB-PRC Regional Knowledge Sharing Initiative (RKSI), will take place on August 29-30, 2024, in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The ADB’s involvement underscores its commitment to fostering sustainable and inclusive development in the CAREC region.
The primary objective of the conference is to connect research and policymaking, fostering regional development by systematically documenting policy-oriented research and creating narratives specific to the CAREC region. The event will showcase research findings, discuss their policy implications, and culminate in the publication of selected research in CI’s Annual Book and relevant journals.
By addressing regional developmental challenges, proposing innovative policy recommendations, and enhancing regional research cooperation, the conference aims to improve policy relevance and impact across the CAREC region. Comprehensive materials, including session details, speaker biographies, and presentation summaries, will be provided to all participants.
We look forward to your participation in this important event.
Agenda
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 9.15–10.00 | Registration/CI Video to be screened |
| 10.00–11.00 | OPENING SESSION Opening Remarks Kabir Jurazoda, Director, CAREC Institute (CI) Damian Riviez, Vice President of Academic Affairs, KIMEP University Kadir Basboga, Senior Regional Integration& Trade Promotion Economist, Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Keynote address Johannes F. Linn, Nonresident Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution Group Photo |
| 11.00–11.30 | Coffee break |
| 11.30–13.00 | Parallel Session I: Energy/Renewable Energy/Sustainable Energy Hall #1, 2nd floor Moderator Vladislav Zavadskiy, Senior Energy Expert, CI Speakers:
Discussant: Ramil Shakirov, Head of the Training Center, Schneider Electric |
| Parallel Session II: Green Initiatives/Climate and Environment Moderator Asif Razzaq, Senior Research Specialist, CI Speakers:
Discussant: Shu (Grace) Tian, Senior Economist, Economic Research and Development Impact Department, ADB |
|
| Parallel Session III: Trade/Connectivity/CorridorsTrade/Connectivity/Corridors Moderator Ghulam Samad, Chief of Research Division, CI Speakers:
Discussant: Xiaotong Zhang, Academic Director at China and Central Asia Studies Center (CCASC) |
|
| 13.00–14.00 | Lunch |
| 14:00–15.30 | Parallel Session IV: Inequality and Inclusivity Moderator Ilhom Abdulloev, Chief of Capacity Building Division, CI Speakers:
Discussant: Alma Kudebayeva, KIMEP University |
| Parallel Session V: ADB-PRC RKSI Evidence from the CAREC Corridor Performance Measurement and Monitoring Database Moderator Akiko Terada-Hagiwara, Principal Country Specialist, East Asia Department, ADB Speakers:
Discussant: Max Ee, CPMM consultant |
|
| Parallel Session VI: Innovation/innovative solutions Moderator Hans Holzhacker, Chief Economist, CI Speakers:
Discussant: Nurgali Rakhmanov, President “Digital Society” NGO, S/GPP Policy Expert |
|
| 15.30–16.00 | Coffee break |
| 16.00–17.30 | Panel Session: Rethinking Development Strategies: Green, Innovative, and Inclusive Development for the CAREC region
|
| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 10.00–10.10 | Special Session Introduction of the CAREC Institute Knowledge Products
|
| 10.10–10.30 | CI’s Book Launch “PROSPECTS FOR INCLUSIVE GREEN GROWTH AND SUSTAINABILITY IN THE CAREC REGION”
|
| 10.30–11.00 | CI and UNESCAP Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation Report Launch
|
Joint CAREC-PRC and Second ASEAN-PRC Digital Economy Workshop: Empowering Digital Future
The global economy is rapidly changing, driven by emerging technologies that promote resource efficiency, inclusivity, and environmental sustainability. Digital technologies play a crucial role in this transformation, offering solutions to challenges like poverty, healthcare, job creation, and environmental protection. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digital tools, demonstrating their potential to connect people and businesses even in crises.
The CAREC region, however, faces significant challenges in harnessing the benefits of the digital economy due to inadequate digital infrastructure and unclear regulations. To address these issues, the CAREC Secretariat, supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and partnering with the CAREC Institute and UNESCAP, developed the CAREC Digital Strategy 2030. This strategy serves as a roadmap for accelerating digital transformation and unlocking the region’s potential.
The CAREC Institute, with support from ADB and other organizations, has conducted research and engaged policymakers in dialogues on digitalization. Recognizing the importance of digital economy, the People’s Republic of China has made significant strides, with its digital economy value reaching 6.5 trillion US dollars by 2021.
To further promote digital economy in the CAREC region, the CAREC Institute will collaborate with ADB, the CAREC Secretariat, and Chinese government entities to launch a capacity building program aimed at enhancing digital economy cooperation and promoting digital connectivity. This initiative aligns with the CAREC Digital Strategy’s vision and mission, seeking to equip member countries with the necessary tools and knowledge to realize the full potential of the digital economy for inclusive economic growth, social well-being, and enhanced regional competitiveness.
Agenda
| Morning | Opening Ceremony
Moderator: Gong Sen, Director, Center for International Studies on Development and Governance (CiSDG), Zhejiang University |
| CAREC Digital Strategy 2030 (Online) Dorothea Lazaro, Senior Regional Cooperation Specialist, ADB Central and West Asia Department CAREC Digital Economy Development: challenges and policy recommendations Rovshan Mahmudov, Senior Capacity Building Specialist, CAREC Institute |
|
| Afternoon | Practice and Pathway in China’s Development of Digital Economy Yuezhou Cai, Director and Researcher of the Digital Economy Research Office, Institute of Quantitative & Technical Economics at Chinese Academy of Social Sciences |
| Night | Ice-breaking:
|
| Morning | On-site: Zhejiang’s Information and Communication Infrastructure Construction China Mobile (Zhejiang) Innovation Research Institute China’s Information and Communication Infrastructure Construction: History and Experience Jun Lei, Senior Project Expert and Senior Engineer of the Smart Home Operations Centre and Integrated Communication Systems Department of China Mobile Ltd |
| Afternoon | The Application of Metaverse Technology in the Digital Economy Era Xuguang Zhang, President of the Zhejiang Association for Science, Technology and Innovation, Distinguished Researcher of the Intelligent Education Research Centre at Zhejiang University |
| Night | The New Generation of Artificial Intelligence: from AlphaGo to ChatGPT Fei Wu, Director and Qiu Shi Distinguished Professor of Institute of Artificial Intelligence at Zhejiang University |
| Morning | On-site: Evolution towards Intelligent Education Transformation Xianghu Future School and Hailiang Limited Co., Ltd. |
| Afternoon | On-site: Metaverse Technology, Digital Collectibles and Global Distribution of Digital Content Zhejiang Zoland Animation Co., Ltd. |
| Night | Practices, Experiences and Challenges in the Development of Digital Economy in Asian, CAREC and ASEAN Economies Yoonee Jeong, Senior Digital Tech Specialist (Digital Infra & Economy), Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department (CCSD), ADB |
| Morning | On-site: Cloud Computing: Current Landscape and Future Directions – From Emulation to Innovation Alibaba Cloud Computing Co., Ltd. – Hangzhou Branch |
| Afternoon | Intelligent Transformation of Manufacturing Industry Wenge Liu, Dean and Professor of the School of International Economics and Politics at Liaoning University |
| Morning | On-site: 3D+AI Tools for Propelling the Global Fashion Industry’s Digital and Innovative Evolution Zhejiang Linctex Digital Technology Ltd.（Style3D） |
| Afternoon | Exemplary Cases of Intelligent System Design Yongchuan Tang, Deputy Director of China Digital Creative Technology Equipment Innovation Industrial Alliance, Professor of the School of Computer Science and Technology at Zhejiang University |
| Night | Networking: Global Digital Economic Cooperation, Digital Economic Development Opportunities and Digital Technology Solutions (Arranged by the World Digital Economy Forum (WDEF), Hangzhou Digital Ecological Building and representative enterprises in the area of digital technology solutions) |
| Daytime | Digital Economy-focused Industry Tour to Shaoxing: Enterprise Digital Transformation, Rural Livestream E-commerce and Traditional Culture Zhejiang Toman Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd——Lunch——China Pearls and Jewelry International City——The China Shaoxing Wine Museum——Dinner (Arranged by Shaoxing Council of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), Shaoxing Chamber of International Commerce and representative enterprises in Shaoxing) |
| Off | |
| Morning | Digitalization of Government Services for a Better Business Environment in China: A Case Study on the Reform Experience of Zhejiang Province Wenting Wei, Private Sector Specialist, World Bank in China The Construction Process of Digitalization of Government Services in Zhejiang Yongsheng Shen, General Manager of Zhejiang Daily Digital Technology (Zhejiang) Co.,Ltd., General Manager of Hangzhou City Brain Co.,Ltd. |
| Afternoon | On-site: Zhejiang’s Practice in Building a Digital Government: Hangzhou City Brain Zhejiang’s Practice in Intelligent Industrial Transformation: Zhejiang Top Cloud-agri Technology Co., Ltd |
| Morning | Sustainable Social Innovation and Governance of Digital Divide Lijie Fang, Professor of the School of Social Research at the Renmin University of China |
| Afternoon | Constructing Rules for an Opened Global Digital Economy System Xianhai Huang, Changjiang Distinguished Professor and Vice President of Zhejiang University |
| Night | Networking: Integration and Cooperation of Asian Civilisations in the Digital Age (Arranged by Zhejiang University International Business School (ZIBS) and the International Campus of Zhejiang University) |
| Morning | Financial Innovation in the Context of Digitalization – Micro Connect: The Wall Street for SMEs Zhong Wu, Secretary-General of the Finance Center for South-South Cooperation, Senior Advisor of Micro Connect and Chairman of Hong Kong Oriental Patron Financial Group |
| Afternoon | Networking: Global Trade of Cultural Goods and Services in the Digital Era (Arranged by the 20th China International Cartoon & Animation Festival (CICAF), Zhejiang Digital Culture International Cooperation Zone and representative enterprises in the area of international cultural goods and services) |
| Night | On-site: Digital Industry Investment and Live Streaming Economy |
| Morning | On-site: Zhejiang’s Footprint in E-commerce: A Dive into the Corporate Ecosystem and Development Experiences 1688.com and Taobao of Alibaba Group |
| Afternoon | Digital Transformation, Global FinTech Trends & Opportunities for Emerging Markets Shenglin Ben, Dean and Professor of the International Business School, Director of the Fintech Research Institute at Zhejiang University |
| Night | Networking: (Arranged by Zhejiang University International Business School (ZIBS), the International Campus of Zhejiang University and representative enterprises in Jiaxing) |
| Morning | Experiences and Practices in the Development of Digital Economy in CAREC and ASEAN Economies, Insights from the Workshop and Suggestions Group Reports by the Workshop Participants |
| Afternoon | Concluding Session and Commencement of the Workshop Sen Gong, Director and Professor of the Centre for International Studies on Development and Governance at Zhejiang and Zhejiang University (CiSDG) |
| Night | Closing Ceremony
|
| Daytime | Digital Economy-focused Industry Tour to Yiwu
|
| Off | |
East Asia Forum 2024
This year’s East Asia Forum (EAF) will explore ways the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and ADB can foster partnerships in addressing regional challenges related to climate change with a special interest in promoting global and regional public goods in ADB’s developing member countries (DMCs).
The Forum has four sessions. The first explores strategic ways the PRC and ADB can further evolve their partnership in tackling regional challenges including climate change. The second and third focus on two critical parts of climate as public goods and explore best practices for promoting them. Specifically, Session 2 focuses on nature conservation and ecosystem protection, and how instruments like nature-debt swaps can be a viable financing instrument to help DMCs meet their commitments to conserve 30% of terrestrial and marine areas by 2030. Session 3 centers on addressing climate mitigation through accelerating the energy transition from fossil fuel powered energy to clean energy, drawing on international practices related to energy policy, investments, and transition financing. The fourth session discusses how artificial intelligence can support addressing regional challenges. Specifically, it looks at emerging best practices in strategy, policy, and regulation to enhance the potential benefits of AI while mitigating its potential costs.
Each session will comprise a keynote speaker setting the context and regional challenges and followed by an interactive panel discussion comprising of distinguished experts.
In addition to the four sessions, ADB will also launch its publication “Echoes of Success: Case Studies in the Replication of Asian Development Bank Projects in the People’s Republic of China“. The report presents five ADB-financed projects in the PRC that have been replicated within and outside the PRC.
Venue: Grand Ballroom 2, Kerry Hotel, 1 Guang Hua Road, Beijing.
Browse the program and biographies here.
Download the presentations here.
Agenda
| 09.00-18.00 | Field Visit to Project Site Tianjin Dongli Biomass Energy and Comprehensive Waste Treatment Subproject, Dongli District, Tianjin Municipality |
ADB and UNDRR Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR 2030) City-to-City Learning Forum on Developing Urban Disaster Resilience
Cities and urban communities around Asia and the Pacific are facing an era of unprecedented uncertainty, with climate-induced disasters becoming more frequent, intense, and unpredictable. Over the past three decades, extreme weather events have accounted for 90% of all disasters, posing significant threats to urban areas through intensified storms, coastal flooding, deadly heatwaves, water shortages, and prolonged droughts. At the same time, local authorities face other systems-wide crises, in terms of water, food, and energy security. The Political Declaration of the midterm review of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in May 2023 reiterates the extreme challenges to hand and conveys a deep concern that the pace of implementation is not sufficient or equal. The gaps at the local and urban level are particularly large.
In response to these challenges, municipalities across Asia Pacific are scaling up their ambitions and actions on disaster resilience to protect their citizens and local infrastructure assets and systems. The Political Declaration of the midterm review of the Sendai Framework calls for scaled up support and action at the local level, urging countries to:
- Support and enable all local authorities to have disaster risk reduction strategies and local platforms for disaster risk reduction, or similar mechanisms, in place;
- Ensure the provision of financial assistance, technical support, and capacity development to strengthen local multi-hazard risk governance and local government leadership on disaster risk reduction;
- Promote local ownership through community-based disaster risk management approaches and whole-of-society engagement; and
- Promote exchanges and peer learning between cities through increased participation in the Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) initiative.
Agenda
| Time | Program |
|---|---|
| 08:00 – 09:00 | Registration |
| 09:00 – 09:10 | Opening Remarks Norio Saito, Senior Director, Water and Urban Development Sector Office, Asian Development Bank (ADB) Sanjaya Bhatia, Head of Office Incheon, United Nation Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) (Online speaker) |
| 09:10 – 10:40 | Theme 1: Showcasing Urban Solutions – SDGs in Action at the Municipality Level Moderator: Mr Andy McElroy, Global Coordinator MCR2030, UNDRR Speakers: Ms Deborah C. Dacanay, Head of Quezon City Persons with Disability Affairs Office, Philippines – Quezon City Community Inclusive Disaster Preparedness Interventions (SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities) Ms Susana Sousa Gonçalves, Director of Civil Protection Matosinhos, Portugal – Putting Communities at the Heart of Resilience Action (SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities) Ms Sung Ah An, Public Officer, Incheon Metropolitan City, Republic of Korea – How Incheon Effectively Manages Increasing Heatwave Risk (SDG 13 Climate Action) Q&A session |
| 10:40 – 10:55 | Coffee Break |
| 10:55 – 12:25 | Theme 2: Financing Urban Disaster Resilience Moderator: Mr Jinqiang Chen, Urban Development Specialist (Climate Change), Water and Urban Development Sector Office, ADB Speakers: Ms Liza Ramos, Research and Planning Division Head, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Makati City, Philippines – How is Makati Developing Innovative Financing Options for Resilience (Online speaker) Ms Jazlyn Lee, Engagement Lead for Southeast Asia & South Asia, Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy and the Gap Fund Partnership – Empowering Cities to Transform Climate Ideas into Action through the City Climate Finance Gap Fund Mr Thomas Kessler, Principal Finance Specialist (Disaster Insurance), ADB – Building Climate and Disaster Resilient Cities – Risk Management, Financing and Insurance Q&A session |
| 12:25 – 12:30 | Group Photo |
| 12:30 – 14:00 | Networking lunch |
| 14:00 – 15:30 | Theme 3: Learning from MCR2030 Resilience Hubs Moderator: Mr Alessandro Attolico, Executive Director of the Territorial Planning and Civil Protection Office at the Province of Potenza, Italy Speakers: Dr Kathy Oldham OBE, Chief Resilience Officer, Greater Manchester, the UK – How Greater Manchester Works with Nature as Part of Flood Risk Management (Online speaker) Mr Jieyong Luo, Resilient City Officer for the City of Zhuji, PRC – Building a Resilient River City – Zhuji’s Practice in Governing and Transforming Puyang River to Enhance Flood Resistance Mr Stefan Wagner, Head of the Department of International Affairs and Global Sustainability, City of Bonn, Germany – Connecting the Green Agenda from National to Local Level (Online speaker) Q&A session |
| 15:30 – 16:00 | Coffee break |
| 16:00 – 18:00 | Theme 4: Learning from Asian Development Bank Moderator: Ms Jingmin Huang, Director, Water and Urban Development Sector Office, ADB Speakers: Mr Khen Sopheak, Deputy Director of Inter-Sectoral Division of Kep Provincial Hall, Cambodia – City-to-City Partnership on Resilient City Development Ms Yingxia Xie, Former Vice President, Professor, China Academy of Urban Planning and Design – Urban Resilience Evaluation Method and Index System Ms Arpita Mozumder, Assistant Engineer, Planning Unit, Local Government Engineering Department, Bangladesh – Coastal Towns Climate Resilience Project in Bangladesh Mr Ming Hu, Senior Engineer, Director of Movement Control Office, Fuzhou Urban Water System Joint Drainage and Coordination Centre – One Center Manages the Entire City, Digitization Ensures Safety: Innovative Practices of the Fuzhou Water System’s Coordinated Management Mechanism Q&A session |
| 18:00 – 20:30 | Networking dinner |
| Time | Program |
|---|---|
| 09:00 – 10:30 | Theme 5: Strengthening National-Local Coordination Moderator: Ms Susana Sousa Gonçalves, Director of Civil Protection Matosinhos, Portugal Speakers: Mr Alessandro Attolico, Executive Director of the Territorial Planning and Civil Protection Office at the Province of Potenza, Italy – Long Term Strategy for Effective Risk Governance Mr Aslan Kandygulov, Director of the Center, Urban Environmental Sustainability Center, Astana, Kazakhstan – Resilience Action Plan for a 21st Century City Mr Ali Ahmed, Deputy Mayor, Kulhudhuffushi City Council, Maldives – Strengthening Local Capacity with MCR2030: A City’s Sustainable Approach to Building Resilience Q&A session |
| 10:30 – 10:45 | Coffee break |
| 10:45 – 12:15 | Theme 6: Identifying solutions to major urban disaster resilience challenges Moderator: Ms Deborah C. Dacanay, Head Persons with Disability Affairs Office, Philippines Speakers: Mr Hee Jong Kim, Director Ulsan Research Institute, Republic of Korea – Forging Multisector City Partnerships for Resilience Mr Thayukorn Prabamroong, Director of Climate Change, Mitigation, Adaptation Research Unit, Mahasarakham University, Thailand – How the Thai Network for Disaster Resilience of 17 Universities Supports Local Governments to Reduce Disaster Risk Ms Sofia Karma, Dr Chemical Engineer, Academic Staff National Technical University of Athens, Greece, Director of the European Center for Forest Fires, EUR-OPA Major Hazards Agreement/Council of Europe – Recommendations for Managing Urban Heatwaves and for Inclusivity in Disaster Preparedness and Response Q&A session |
| 12:15 – 13:30 | Networking lunch |
| 13:30 – 15:00 | Orientation: Disaster Resilience Scorecard Assessments for Cities Introduction: Orientation on two new self-assessment tools to understand capacities and gaps in terms of climate resilience and early warning systems. Group work: Participants will split into two groups and try out one of the tools. Plenary feedback: Participants will share feedback on their discussions and potential deeper dive follow-ups with individual cities will be discussed. |
| 15:00 – 15:15 | Coffee break |
| 15:15 – 17:15 | Final Session: Moving Forward on Urban Resilience in Asia Moderators: Mr Andy McElroy, Global Coordinator MCR2030, UNDRR Mr Jinqiang Chen, Urban Development Specialist (Climate Change), Water and Urban Development Sector Office, ADB Mr Xijie Lu, Urban Development Specialist, Water and Urban Development Sector Office, ADB -This moderated session will be a focused group discussion to identify priority areas for collaboration & collective commitment to ensure follow-up action on urban disaster resilience. -How can MCR2030 Resilience Hubs, Asian Development Bank, and cities work better together to strengthen urban disaster resilience – what plans/commitments can be made? -What kind of support is required to deliver on these plans/commitments? |
| 17:15 – 17:20 | Closing Remarks: Ms Jingmin Huang, Director, Water and Urban Development Sector Office, ADB |
| 18:00 – 20:30 | Networking dinner |
| Time | Program |
|---|---|
| 09:00 – 12:30 | Site visit to Guangxi Polytechnic of Construction – The Introduction of Guangxi Polytechnic of Construction, current status and the achievements of the Resilient Cities Development Research Center, Urban Renewal Research Center (Habitat Building Research Center) – Campus visit – Lunch at school cafeteria |
| 12:30 – 14:00 | Back to hotel |
| 14:00 – 17:50 | Site visit to Guangxi Institute of Safety and Technology – Visit the emergency service station in Xingdong Community, Nanning – Visit Guangxi Institute of Safety and Technology |
| 17:50 – 20:30 | Networking dinner |
