ADVANCING PARTNERSHIPS THROUGH THE 6th NACT COUNTRY COORDINATORS MEETING AND ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Representatives of NACT Country Coordinators with co-chairs Prof. Gao Fei (seated 5^th from left), Vice President of China Foreign Affairs University–NACT China, and Ms. Lakhana Dockiao (seated 4^th from left), Director of the Bureau of International Cooperation Strategy of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, Thailand.

Researchers from the Center for International Relations and Strategic Studies (CIRSS) of the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) attended the 6^th Network of ASEAN-China Think Tanks (NACT) Country Coordinators Meeting and the NACT Annual Conference which were held on 13-14 June 2019 at the Sukosol Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand.

The conference featured four sessions around the theme, “Enhancing Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Development.” These encompass regional initiatives on infrastructure connectivity, disaster risk reduction and management, environmental protection, and sustainable urbanization.

Ms. Jeremie Credo, Senior Foreign Affairs Research Specialist, facilitated the discussions of the panel on “Urbanization and Inclusive City Design,” while Mr. Jovito Jose P. Katigbak, Foreign Affairs Research Specialist II, was the moderator for the panel discussion on “Sustainable Economic Development.”

The discussions provided an in-depth analysis of the existing mechanisms at the national and regional levels, challenges encountered, and the possible ways forward concerning cooperation on issues of mutual interest.

NACT Thailand and NACT China co-organized the event, which was attended by representatives of various think tanks from ASEAN Member States and China. Vietnam is slated to be the host of the NACT in 2020, concurrent with its ASEAN Chairmanship.