As part of the 2026 International Conference on Rural Transformation in China, South Asia and Southeast Asia (CRT-CSSEA), held from October 28 to November 1, 2026 in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, China, four lecturers from the Faculty of Economics and Management, Vietnam National University of Agriculture (VNUA), presented their research on rural transformation in Vietnam.
Delegates take a photo at the conference.
The conference with the theme “Transforming Rural Areas in the Global South towards Urban-Rural Integration: Practices in China, South Asia and Southeast Asia” was organised by the Institute of International Development and Global Agriculture at China Agricultural University, China. The conference focused on key issues, including urban–rural linkages, inclusive governance, migration and social transformation in rural areas, livelihoods, and sustainable development.
On the afternoon of October 30, 2026, four faculty members from the Faculty of Economics and Management, VNUA, participated in the thematic session entitled “New Rural Transformation in the Global South: Evidence from Vietnam”. The session was moderated by Professor Zhang Chuanhong of China Agricultural University. The presentations included: (i) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Mau Dung with the presentation on “The OCOP Program as a Rural Transformation Strategy: Evidence from Vietnam”; (ii) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Luu Van Duy with the presentation on “From Rural Modernisation to Rural Transformation: The Theoretical Development of Vietnam’s New Rural Development Program”; (iii) Dr. Le Thi Thanh Loan with the presentation on “Technology, the State and the New Rural Landscape: Rethinking Agricultural Transformation in Vietnam”; and (iv) Dr. Tran Nguyen Thanh with the presentation on “Agricultural Standardisation amid Diversifying Rural Economies: State Support, Collective Action and Market Linkages among Medicinal Plant-Growing Households in Vietnam”.
The four presentations examined rural transformation in Vietnam from complementary perspectives, including the role of the OCOP Program; changes in the conceptual understanding and orientations of the New Rural Development Program; the relationship between technology, the State and agricultural transformation; and the institutional, collaborative and market conditions associated with the adoption of quality standards in medicinal plant production. According to the program, the thematic session also featured comments from Professor Semiarto Aji Purwanto, University of Indonesia, and Professor Mohammad Jahangir Alam, Bangladesh Agricultural University, followed by an exchange of views and open discussion.
In addition to the academic sessions, the conference program also included field visits to rural communities, including Hebian Village, providing an opportunity to connect theoretical discussions with local rural development practices. Participation in the forum offered lecturers from the Faculty of Economics and Management, VNUA, an opportunity to share their research on agriculture and rural development in Vietnam, while strengthening professional exchanges and academic connections with researchers across the region.
SOME PHOTOS FROM THE CONFERENCE
Lecturers from the Faculty of Economics and Management, VNUA, deliver their presentation at the conference.
Conference participants in a group photo.
Conference delegates take part in a field visit to learn about rural development in Hebian Village, Yunnan Province, China.