Get ready to network, as nation hosts World Economic Forum

Viet Nam will host the World Economic Forum (WEF) in HCM City on June 6-7. Viet Nam News spoke to Sushant Palakurthi Rao, head of the WEF in Asia, about the event.

Why did the WEF choose Viet Nam to organise the event?

For the first time in its 19-year history, the WEF on East Asia will be held outside rich and developed countries like Japan, South Korea, Singapore, in the fast-growing country of Viet Nam.

It is because of 65 per cent of the country’s population is under 35 and it is a market of 83 million people.

Furthermore, Viet Nam has paid special attention to the WEF through the participation of State leaders since 1989 and recently Primer Minister Nguyen Tan Dung took part twice in the Davos meeting.

In recent years Viet Nam has attracted international attention by making significant progress in economic growth and hunger eradication and poverty reduction, and made a stronger contribution to the world economy and policy by joining into the World Trade Organisation, Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum, and this year the country acts as the chair of ASEAN.

The second reason is that many countries in the world are looking at the continuous economic development of East Asia. And Viet Nam, with its remarkable economic results during the global financial crisis, should be a destination for participants to witness the region’s growth.

Therefore, Viet Nam is considered a good place to organise this event.

What are the main contents of the event?

Besides key economic topics, the forum will also talk about other hot issues, including hunger eradication and poverty reduction, climate change, and environmental protection.

The results of such discussions will play a very important role in dealing with all problems.

It will provide a chance for international business leaders to understand about the investment and business environment and exchange experiences, especially for Vietnamese agriculture.

Like the WEF in Davos, this event will gather government leaders, leading enterprises, top academics, scientists, and the international media. It will be an opportunity for Viet Nam to integrate into the WEF network.

It is not just a one-off event but a part of the partnership between the WEF and Viet Nam. I hope the relationship will get closer and effectively contribute to the discussion.

How will participating companies and organisations benefit?

The biggest benefit for companies participating in the event is access to the knowledge network of the WEF. We will bring so many decision makers from government, business, academia, and society all over the world. It is possible to have very comprehensive discussions on any global issue – for example, how to speed economic progress or how to tackle climate change – with the expertise of many leaders from different fields being available. — VNS

Tags: World Economic Forum 2010