“Pathway and Policies of Successful Rural Transformation in Asian Developing Countries”International Conference Successfully Held at Peking University

Release date：2023/12/13　　Source： CCAP

On December 6, 2023, the international conference "Pathway and Policies of Successful Rural Transformation in Asian Developing Countries" was successfully held at Peking University. Pathway and Policies of Successful Rural Transformation in Asian Developing Countries" was successfully held at Peking University. The conference was hosted by the CCAP, School of Advanced Agriculture, Peking University, and co-organized by  New Rural Development Institute, Peking University and the Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University. Experts and scholars from China, Australia, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Pakistan, as well as representatives from relevant universities and research institutions attended the conference to discuss the paths and policies for the successful transformation of rural economies in Asian developing countries. The conference covered the development paths and key determinants of rural transformation in major developing countries in Asia, and included country reports and panel discussions, as well as discussions on food security, trade in agricultural products, sustainable rural development and rural gender equality.

Professor Wang Jinxia, Director of CCAP Peking University, presided over the opening ceremony, while Professor Huang Jikun, Honorary Director of CCAP Peking University and President of the  for New Rural Development Institute (NRDI), Professor Chen Chunlai of the Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University (ANU), and Professor Wendy Umberger, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), delivered speeches at the opening ceremony, respectively.

The conference keynote report I was Rural Transformation and Development in the Asia-Pacific Region, which was chaired by Prof. Tahlim Sudaryanto of the Indonesian Center for Agricultural Socio-Economic and Policy Research (ICASEPS). Prof. Huang Jikun, Director of  New Rural Development Institute Peking University, delivered a keynote speech on rural transformation in developing Asia, discussing the paths and policies of rural transformation in developing Asia, and focusing on the key initiating factors for successful rural transformation. Prof. Fan Shenggen, School of Global Food Economics and Policy, China Agricultural University, delivered a keynote speech on agri-food systems and rural transformation, emphasizing the importance of transforming agri-food systems for the goals of ensuring healthy diets, producing enough food within the planet's resource constraints, and empowering farmers with dignified livelihoods. The keynote presentation on Rural Transformation, Global Value Chains and the Rise of the Service Economy by Prof. Hein Roelfsema, Utrecht University, the Netherlands, discussed the linkages between agricultural labor productivity and the rise of the service economy as well as the participation in global value chains, and analyzed the drivers of productivity in the service sector and their impact on (global) value chain formation. Professor Christopher Findlay of the Australian National University delivered a keynote speech on foreign direct investment, non-farm employment and rural labour income, discussing the impact of foreign direct investment on non-farm employment and labour income in rural China.

The second keynote presentation of the conference was Rural Transformation in Different Areas, chaired by Prof. Abedullah Anjum of the Institute of Development Economics Research (IDER), Pakistan. Post-doctoral fellow Wang Dong from the Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University, gave a keynote presentation on the differences in the paths of rural transformation in China, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Pakistan, emphasizing the importance of implementing appropriate development policies in different areas. Prof. Fay Rola-Rubzen of the University of Western Australia gave a presentation on gender and rural transformation, exploring the relationship between gender equality and rural economic transformation and how rural transformation can contribute to women's empowerment. Mr. Ketut Karyasa, Director General of Planning, Ministry of Agriculture of Indonesia, shared the experience of rural transformation in Indonesia, highlighting the important role of agriculture in Indonesia in supporting economic growth, food supply, income enhancement and job creation.

The first roundtable session in the afternoon was moderated by Prof. Jinxia Wang, Director of CCAP Peking University. Prof. Mohammad Jahangir Alam, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Prof. Tariq Ali, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Prof. Baodong Cheng, Beijing Forestry University, Prof. Lingling Hou, Peking University, Prof. SyaMSUL Hidayat Pasaribu, Bogor Agricultural University, Indonesia, and Dr. Guanglin Wang, Regional Director of Aciar China, shared their views and engaged in discussions on the inclusive and sustainable aspects of rural transformation.

The second sub-forum of the roundtable was moderated by Prof. Sheng Yu of CCAP Peking University. Prof. Ismat Ara Begum of Bangladesh Agricultural University, Prof. Bai Junfei of China Agricultural University, Prof. Erwidodo of National Research and Innovation Agency of Indonesia, Prof. Peng Chao of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, Technical Advisor of the National Food Security Research Department of Islamabad, Pakistan, Prof. Akmal Mr. Siddiq and Prof. Yang Jun from the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) discussed the issues of food security, income growth and poverty reduction in rural areas, and responded to and discussed the questions raised by the participants.

The conference had a positive impact in sharing past experiences of rural economic transformation in developing countries in Asia and in conducting research on pathways and policies for future rural economic transformation.