Anniversary // Stories of Change from Asia - A Retrospective of the Asia Centre's Achievements and Seminar on Current and Future Work

The event will feature some of the Centre's close partners and collaborators, including Thailand's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, researchers from Chulalongkorn University and other institutions in the Mekong Region, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), the Australian government, and others. Established in January 2004, SEI Asia has a multinational staff with strong connections across the region. Its work cuts across SEI's four research themes, but focused on two key areas:

• Climate change and resilient development in Southeast Asia: the governance of disaster risk and adaptation at multiple scales.
• Sustainable land, water, energy and food anagement (i.e. nexus planning), looking at cross-­scale impacts of policy decisions on the resilience of livelihoods and the reduction of persistent poverty.

"The Asia Centre embodies SEI's strong commitment to bridging science and policy to support sustainable development," says Johan L. Kuylenstierna, SEI's director. "Policy engagement works best when you focus on solutions that address the real concerns of policy-makers, build long-term relationships, and ensure a continuous dialogue over time. This approach to science and policy is at the core of SEI Asia's operations. We are proud of the competent and innovative team we have built, with experts from across Southeast Asia and around the world, working in close collaboration with more than 150 other research colleagues across SEI."

Agenda

9:00-­9:05

Introduction to the event

Dr. Eric Kemp-­Benedict, Asia Centre Director 9:05-­10:05

Welcoming and opening speeches

-­ Wijarn Simachaya, Deputy-­Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Thailand -­ Kua Wongboonsin, Deputy Director for Administrative Affairs, Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration, Chulalongkorn University -­ Mathew Chadwick, Snr. Advisor for Sustainability Strategy and Systems at Anglo-­Gold Ashanti -­ Johan Kuylenstierna, SEI Executive Director - Moderator: Dr. Eric Kemp-­Benedict 10:05-­10:30 Group photo/coffee break 10:30-­11:15

Panel 1: Development Cooperation in the Mekong Region

-­ Sustainable Mekong Research Network (SUMERNET) -­ Reflections on Swedish International Development Cooperation (Sida) funded projects -­ Reflections on Australian Govt. Dept. of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) funded projects -­ Q&A Speakers: -­ Chayanis Krittasudthacheewa, Asia Centre Deputy Director -­ Anne-­Charlotte Malm, Counsellor, Head of Development Cooperation -­ Regional Asia and Myanmar, Embassy of Sweden, Thailand -­ John Dore, Senior Regional Water Resources Specialist, Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade - Moderator: Ms. Ha Nguyen, SEI 11:15-­12:30

Panel 2: Bridging Science and Policy in the Mekong Region

-­ Wijarn Simachaya, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Thailand -­ Win Htut Aung, Executive Director of Asia Development Research Institute (ADRI) -­ Rainer Asse, Director, Lower Mekong Public Policy Initiative (LMPPI) -­ Hans Guttman, CEO, Mekong River Commission (MRC) -­ Surichai Wun'gaeo, Director, Center for Peace and Conflict Studies, Chulalongkorn University -­ Kanokwan Manorom, Co-­Chair, Mekong Program on Water Governance (M-­POWER) -­ Chu Thai Hoanh, Chair of Steering Committee for Sustainable Mekong Research -­ Moderator: Louis Lebel, SEI Associate 12:30-­13:30 Lunch 13:30-­14:45

Panel 3: Integrating Disaster Risk Reduction with Equitable, Sustainable and Resilient Development

-­ Aslam Perwaiz, Head of the Department of Disaster Risk Management System, Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) -­ Carl Middleton, Chulalongkorn University -­ Bach Tan Sinh, National Institute for Science and Technology Policy and Strategic Studies (NISTPASS) -­ SEI Researchers: Frank Thomalla, Bernadette Resurrección, Chusit Apirumanekul - Moderator: Dr. Guoyi Han, SEI 14:45-­15:05 Coffee break 15:05-­16:20

Panel 4: Water, Energy, and Food

-­ Yanyong Inmoung, Khon Kaen University -­ Win Maung, Chairperson, Myanmar Environment Institute (MEI), Myanmar -­ SEI researchers: Oliver Johnson, Patrick Bueker, Wathanyu Amatayakul - Moderator: Charles Rodgers, SEI 16:20-­16:50

Looking forward: SEI strategy and reflections on SEI in Asia

Johan Kuylenstierna 16:50-­17:00

Closing remarks

Dr. Eric Kemp-­Benedict