International Conference on Regional Cooperation for Sustainable Economic Development

The International Conference on Regional Cooperation for Sustainable Economic Development 2022 (RCSED 2022) was held on 21 April 2022 via Zoom. It was organised by UTAR Belt and Road Strategic Research Centre (BRSRC).

Bearing the theme Regional Cooperation for Sustainable Economic Development, the virtual international conference brought together leading researchers to exchange and share their experiences as well as their research outcomes on the aspect of regional cooperation for sustainable economic development. It also provided an interdisciplinary platform for researchers to discuss the concern in the fields of regional cooperation.

The international conference featured a keynote presentation, industry forum as well as parallel sessions. Among the sub-themes discussed at the conference include Economic & Finance, Digitalisation & Climate Change, Bilateral and Multilateral Cooperation, and Business.

The RCSED 2022 commenced with an opening speech by UTAR President Ir Prof Dr Ewe Hong Tat and a welcome remark by RCSED 2022 Organising Chairperson Low Choon Wei.

Prof Ewe believes this conference will benefit all the participants

Prof Ewe said, “The conference themed ‘Regional Cooperation for Sustainable Economic Development’, is also in line with the Belt and Road Strategic Research Centre’s effort to promote the sharing of the latest research results with the larger and global research communities. I believe this conference will benefit each of us as we expand our horizons in the field of research while creating a stronger network for future collaboration. Through this conference, I hope like-minded individuals from across the country can discuss, build networks, share ideas, create new ideas, and motivate each other to pursue more research that would enhance the pool of knowledge and benefit society.”

Low hopes that this conference would benefit the participants

Low extended his appreciation to all distinguished guests and participants. He said, “Despite these challenging times, I am pleased that we are able to organise a virtual international conference that allows us to reach a wider audience and engage with various speakers. I hope this conference will benefit the participants as we work closely on our future collaboration.”

A keynote presentation by Prof Zhan

The keynote presentation session saw Prof Zhan Yubo from Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences (SASS), the People’s Republic of China presenting his keynote titled Regionalised Industrial Restructuring in the Post -globalisation Era: Where Are We and Where Shall We Go?.

Clockwise, from top left: Prof Cheng, Dr Yeah, Raja Badrulnizam, Chin and Koong

The conference also featured a forum relating to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). The discussion topic at the forum was RCEP: Opportunities and Challenges for Malaysia. It saw industry speakers, namely Raja Badrulnizam bin Raja Kamalzaman from Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) presenting on Capitalising on Export Opportunities under Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP); Prof Dr Yeah Kim Leng from Sunway University presenting on RCEP’s Potential and Promise and Its Impact on Malaysia Economy; Mr Koong Lin Loong from Reanda LLKG International (Chartered Accountants) presenting on What does RCEP Mean For Malaysia Business, and Secretary-General Chin Chee Seong from SME Association of Malaysia National presenting on Influence of RCEP to Malaysia SMEs. The forum was moderated by Belt and Road Strategic Research Centre Chairperson Prof Dr Cheng Ming Yu.

The RCEP marks a major step forward for economic integration in the Asia-Pacific region. One of the most striking features of the RCEP is that it brings together countries at every different stage of economic development, from developed to developing. The speakers shared their thought on the opportunities and challenges of RCEP in Malaysia. With the information sharing, the forum provided a better understanding of the roles played by RCEP in integrating the products and services market of member countries across the region.

Group photo of speakers and participants