The International Conference on Social Entrepreneurship and Poverty Reduction Cooperation of Ethnic Minority Areas of LMC Countries opened Nov. 21 at South-Central University for Nationalities (SCUN) in Wuhan.
The conference, which was held both online and in-person, brought together experts, government officials and business leaders working in social entrepreneurship and poverty reduction cooperation from the six Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) countries.
As an important component of the Social Entrepreneurship and Poverty Reduction Cooperation Project of Ethnic Minority Areas of LMC Countries, the conference was held to implement the Vientiane Declaration of the Third Mekong-Lancang Cooperation (MLC) Leaders' Meeting and promoted social entrepreneurship and regional poverty reduction across the ethnic minority areas of the LMC countries.
Li Jinlin, president of SCUN, said in his speech that SCUN continuously expands dialogues and cooperation with countries and regions along the Belt and Road. Likewise, the university has been promoting social entrepreneurship and poverty reduction cooperation projects in the ethnic minority areas of the LMC countries .
During the conference, experts and scholars from universities throughout China, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia shared their experiences and practices in advancing LMC initiatives. More than 30 experts and scholars delivered speeches and made suggestions on LMC, social entrepreneurship and poverty reduction.
Another important part of the cooperation project, the International Social Entrepreneurship Competition for the Six Lancang-Mekong Countries' Ethnic Minority Areas, held its finals on Nov. 20 at SCUN.
The event took place both online and on-site. Among the 27 participating teams, 18 were multinational teams composed of young people representing the six LMC countries.
The competition focused on social issues in the six LMC countries, covering fields such as sewage treatment, agricultural development, language education and rural governance. After the competition, a total of four first prizes, six second prizes, 10 third prizes and seven winning prizes were awarded.