Mekong Institute

21/08/2026

Every organization is shaped by strong leadership that guides its course, supports its growth, and helps ensure its longevity. For the Mekong Institute (MI), this role was entrusted to the MI Council, constituted to provide governance and strategic oversight for the newly established institution.

Nearly four months after MI’s formal establishment, the inaugural MI Council Meeting was held on December 20, 1996, chaired by Dr. Amnuay Viravan, then Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Thailand.

Learn more about MI’s history and journey through the MI Legacy Wall:https://mekonginstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/FINAL-Legacy-Wall-MI-Gala-30th.pdf

21/08/2026

Addressing Sand Scarcity: MKCF and Viet Nam to Prototype Sustainable Viaducts in the Mekong Delta 🛣️🌾

The Mekong-Republic of Korea Cooperation Fund (MKCF) has launched the RapidVia4Mekong project to tackle sand scarcity, coastal erosion, and growing transport needs in the Mekong Delta. Implemented by Viet Nam’s University of Transport and Communications (UTC), the initiative will develop engineered elevated viaducts to replace traditional sand-heavy embankments in highway construction.

Running through June 2028, the project combines technical research, structural 3D prototyping, and field evaluations using alternative materials to support key trade corridors in Viet Nam and Cambodia. Welcoming the launch, Mr. Madhurjya Kumar Dutta, Director of MKCF at MI, emphasized that the initiative should serve as a model for regional cooperation, knowledge exchange, and sustainable infrastructure across all Mekong countries.

🔗Read the full story: https://bit.ly/4gIBYqL

20/08/2026

Following its establishment in 1996, MI launched early flagship programs responding to the development needs of a changing Mekong region. Among these were the A1, B1, and B2 executive courses on “Economies in Transition,” as well as English Language Training (ELT), which served government and private sector professionals in Lao PDR, Viet Nam, Cambodia, and Yunnan, China through outreach courses from 1996 to 1997.

In 1996, MI also supported Lao PDR’s preparations for ASEAN membership through a UNDP course.

Throughout these early years, MI embraced a learning approach built around "learning to do," "doing to learn," and "sharing to learn"—an approach that connected classroom learning with practical experience and knowledge-sharing across the region.

Learn more about MI’s history and journey through the MI Legacy Wall:https://mekonginstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/FINAL-Legacy-Wall-MI-Gala-30th.pdf

20/08/2026

Strengthening Regional Healthcare: MI Explores Partnerships in Nursing & Capacity Development 🏥🩺

MI met with delegates from College of Nursing, Inje University, Republic of Korea (ROK); Faculty of Nursing, Khon Kaen University, Thailand; and Faculty of Nursing Sciences, University of Health Sciences (UHS), Lao PDR to explore strategic healthcare collaboration in nursing education, capacity building, and knowledge exchange.

The discussion highlighted key regional initiatives, including Inje University’s LUPIC project to enhance nursing competencies in Lao PDR and MI’s Mekong Children’s Heart Care (MCHC) Project. Partners reaffirmed their commitment to trilateral cooperation across Lao PDR, ROK, and Thailand to exchange technical expertise, strengthen healthcare systems, and improve health outcomes across the Mekong region.

🔗Read the full story: https://bit.ly/4ip243g

20/08/2026

From Interconnection to Intelligence: Shaping the Future of Regional Energy Cooperation 🌏⚡

MI joined energy leaders, policymakers, and industry partners at the 2026 CSG Energy Development Forum in Guangzhou to explore emerging priorities in energy transition, digitalization, and regional cooperation.

Delivering a keynote address, MI Executive Director Mr. Suriyan Vichitlekarn emphasized that the next phase of energy transition across the Greater Mekong Subregion requires moving beyond physical grid connections to deeper system integration:

“The first decade was largely about enabling electricity to flow across borders. The second decade must be about enabling ideas, investments, innovation, and markets to flow across borders.”

Building on the forum, MI and China Southern Power Grid (CSG) held strategic discussions to deepen cooperation. Serving as a knowledge aggregator and regional bridge, MI will continue to facilitate dialogue and partnerships to build a connected, intelligent, resilient, and inclusive regional energy future.

🔗 Read the full story: https://bit.ly/4qnYrg1

20/08/2026

We’re honored to see Mekong Forum 2026 recognized by the ASEAN Prize!

As the 2021 ASEAN Prize Recipient, MI remains committed to advancing regional cooperation, partnership, and shared progress across the Greater Mekong Subregion and ASEAN.

Thank you to the ASEAN Prize team for highlighting our continued journey. 🙏

Do you know?

The Mekong Institute (MI), ASEAN Prize Recipient 2021, has recently convened its annual flagship Mekong Forum 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand. Under the theme "People, Partnership, and Progress: Powering GMS Development through Nexus Solutions," the forum brought together experts and stakeholders from across the Greater Mekong Subregion to exchange knowledge and strengthen regional cooperation.

Held alongside MI's 30th Anniversary, the forum explored practical and cross-sector approaches to addressing interconnected development challenges through collaboration, innovation, and partnership.

The forum highlighted MI's roles and enduring commitment to advancing sustainable and inclusive regional development, reflecting the spirit of the ASEAN Prize in fostering cooperation and shared progress across the ASEAN Community.

19/08/2026

The idea for the Mekong Institute (MI) began taking shape as early as 1994, before MI was formally established through a 1996 Memorandum of Understanding between Thailand and New Zealand. Even as the institution was taking shape, the foundations for a home for regional learning were already being laid.

In 1995, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of the Kingdom of Thailand laid the foundation stone for the MI Residential Training Center. Two years later, Her Royal Highness returned to Khon Kaen to officially open the facility.

Her Royal Highness’s support represented Thailand’s commitment to education, knowledge exchange, and regional cooperation — values that continue to shape MI’s work across the GMS.

Learn more about MI’s history and journey through the MI Legacy Wall:https://mekonginstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/FINAL-Legacy-Wall-MI-Gala-30th.pdf

18/08/2026

One envisioned a regional learning institution. The other championed New Zealand’s support to help turn that vision into reality.

The partnership and friendship between Dr. Vanchai Vatanasapt, former President of Khon Kaen University and MI’s founding Executive Director, and the late Rt. Hon. James B. Bolger, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, helped lay the foundation for what would become the Mekong Institute (MI).

Their shared vision and the partnership it sparked have contributed to decades of impactful service to the GMS.

Learn more about MI’s history and journey through the MI Legacy Wall:https://mekonginstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/FINAL-Legacy-Wall-MI-Gala-30th.pdf

18/08/2026

A vision on paper. A regional institution in the making.

Three decades ago, Khon Kaen University (KKU), the Government of Thailand, and the Government of New Zealand collaborated on an idea: to create a regional training institution that would bring together Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam for learning, exchange, and cooperation.

That idea first took shape as the Institute for Economic Development and Cooperation for the Greater Mekong Sub-Region (IEDC-GMS), supporting economies in transition and the region’s emerging development priorities through capacity building.

Long before the facilities took shape, the vision was put to paper. This early sketch captured the original idea for the residential training center within the KKU campus, which would eventually become part of the Mekong Institute (MI) we know today.

Learn more about MI’s history and journey through the MI Legacy Wall:https://mekonginstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/FINAL-Legacy-Wall-MI-Gala-30th.pdf

18/08/2026

🌊 The River Keeps Flowing: A Farewell Message from the Executive Director

After six years and two terms as Executive Director of MI, Mr. Suriyan Vichitlekarn reflects on a journey shaped by resilience, partnerships, trust and a shared commitment to the Greater Mekong Subregion.

From navigating the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic to strengthening MI’s role as a trusted platform for regional cooperation, knowledge and collaboration, his tenure has been a journey of institutional growth and transformation.

As he prepares to pass the stewardship of MI to the next chapter, he leaves three words as a compass for the future: People. Partnership. Progress.

His message is ultimately not about an ending, but about continuity — the river keeps flowing, the institution keeps evolving, and the work continues.

💙 Read Mr. Suriyan’s full farewell message and reflections on his six-year journey with MI: https://shorturl.at/se3c8