Tel: 84-710-3831260; Fax: 84-710-3831270; E-mail: sep@ctu.edu.vn

I. Introduction

The Department of Socio-Economics and Policy Studies is one of two Departments of the Mekong Delta Development Research Institute (MDI), including 6 lecturers and 3 researchers. The lecturers and researchers are senior experts with diversified disciplines in relation to agriculture and rural development, socio-economics, and policy analysis, including 3 Assoc. Prof., 3 PhDs, 2 PhD candidates and 1 Msc. Besides management and education functions, the Department has engaged in related research, consultant and training activities, which have partly contributed to socio-economic development of the Mekong Delta.

II. Education and research activities

1. Education

The Department has undertaken socio-economic units for students at Bachelor, Master and PhD degrees in Rural Development and other specializations of Can Tho University and other universities in the region. Major undertaken units include:

1) Statistics and applied economics: Applied statistics for agriculture and rural development; Scientific Research Methods; Agricultural Economics and rural development; Environmental and resource economics; Cost-Benefits Analysis; Value chain analysis of agricultural product; Agricultural Marketing; Management of agricultural enterprises; farm management;…

2) Social and policy development: Principal for rural development; Sociology for rural development; Livelihood analysis; Institutional and organizational analysis; Rural and agricultural policy; Rural society planning and governance; Vulnerability and adaptive capacity assessment;…

With senior experts in relation to socio-economics and policy studies, the Department has undertaken supervision for various Bachelor, Master and Doctorial theses for both Vietnamese and foreign students. Supervised aspects includes agricultural economics and rural development, environmental and resource economics, market and value chains, sociology, vulnerability and adaptive capacity assessment, policy analysis,...

2.   Research

2.1 Research in applied economics

Major research focuses:

* Environmental and resource economics;

* Human resource and labour economics;

* Rural and farming economic cooperation;

* Value chains of major agricultural products;

* Rural market and risk management in agribusiness;

* Small and medium enterprise development;…

2.2 Research in social aspect and policy

Major research focuses:

* Sustainable livelihoods and natural resource management;

* Poverty and equity issues;

* Vulnerability and adaptive capacity assessment to natural and socio-economic changes;

* Migration and resettlement;

* Development for agriculture, farmers and rural areas and regional linkages;

* New rural commune construction models;

* Institution and policy for agriculture and rural development;

* Urban and risk governance;…

III. Personnel organization

Head of Department: Doctor Vo Van Tuan

Personnel organization of the Department of Socio-Economics and Policy Studies

 IV. Consultancy

The Department has collaborated with international organizations (e.g. WB, IFC, IRRI, CARE international, GIZ, CIDA, IFAD, ODI, CSIRO, OXFAM, AusAID, USAID, Yanmar, UNDP, J-Power and other NGOs) and domestic organizations to conduct consultancy in socio-economics and policy analysis. We have long experience and high skills in conducting training courses in several fields of agriculture, rural development, cooperative economics, etc.,..,  

Major consultant aspects:

* Planning for new rural commune construction and socio-economic development of districts, provinces and regions;

* Planning for careers and human resource development;

* Planning, monitoring and assessment of development programs and projects;

* Analysis and improvements of major agricultural product value chain;

* Construction and management of small and medium enterprises and cooperatives;

* Livelihood analysis, vulnerability and adaptive capacity assessment to changes;

* Human capacity improvement, construction and assessment of “One Commune One Product” models (OCOP);…

Training topics:

* Agricultural value chain analysis and upgrading;

* Farm cooperative capacity building for standardized production and linkages for consumption;

* Human capacity building for construction and assessment of “One Commune One Product”

* Planning, monitoring and assessment of development programs and projects;

* Livelihood analysis and vulnerability assessment to changes;

* Costs and Benefits Analysis (CBA);

* Socio-economic statistical analysis.

V. Recent research and consultancy of the Department

* The rice value chain in the Mekong Delta, Viet nam, investigated 6 provinces (An Giang, Dong Thap, Can Tho, Hau Giang, Kien Giang, Soc Trang; funded by GIZ (2021).

* Investigation on Fertilizers in Crop cultivation and oriented organic agricultural productions in The Mekong Delta; funded by Yanmar Agricultural Research Institute (2021).

* Assessment of rice husk capability for thermo electric development in the Mekong Delta (J-Power-Japan) (2020).

* Consultancy in impact assessment by droughts, salinity intrusion, Covid-19, and adaptive strategies of vulnerable groups in the Mekong Delta (Ca Mau, Bac Lieu, Ben Tre), funded by UNDP and coordinated by MVNC (2020).

* Investigation on coffee, cashew, and pepper production systems in Vietnam; funded by Yanmar Agricultural Research Institute, Japan (2019-2020).

* Solutions for matching between supply and demand of major agricultural products in the Mekong Delta: Building and implementing linkage model of rice value chain (Project code: KHCN-TNB/14-19; Funded by Ministry of Science and Technology, Vietnam) (2017-2020).

* Baseline assessment of project market oriented smallholder value chains in An Giang, Dong Thap, Can Tho and Bac Lieu; funded by GIZ (2018).

* Linkages for sustainable development of the Plain of Reeds in the Mekong Delta, funded by three provinces of Dong Thap, Tien Giang and Long An (2017).

* Development of rice and shrimp farming system in coastal area of the Mekong Delta: Policy and Institution issues (Cuu Long 2, Lower Mekong Public Policy Initiative – LMPPI, funded by USDA, Harvard Kennedy School, Fulbright) (2015-2017).

* “Baseline Livelihood Assessment” (WP 4.1), “Adaptive Capacity Assessment” (WP 4.2) and “Policy and Institutional Arrangement Analysis” (WP 4.3) of of the Climate Change affecting Land Use in the Mekong Delta: Adaptation of Rice-based Cropping Systems (CLUES) in An Giang, Can Tho, Hau Giang and Bac Lieu, funded by ACIAR and coordinated by IRRI (2012-2015). 

* Study in changes of agriculture, rural areas, livelihoods and agricultural mechanization in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam; funded by Yanmar Agricultural Research Institute (2013-2015).

* “A baseline survey on “1 must - 5 reductions” in rice production in the Mekong Delta. Agricultural competition project (ACP), collaboration between MARD and WB. (2013)

* Existing situations and solutions for rural professional training program in the Mekong Delta, funded by MARD, and provinces of the Mekong Delta (2012-2014).

* Value chains of main agricultural products (e.g. Pangasius, shrimp, rice, King mandarin, mango, coconut) in the Mekong Delta, funded by international organizations (WB, ODI, GIZ,…), MARD and provinces.

* Water management based on gender, ethnic minority groups and mass media in climate change knowledge for ethnic minority students. Collaboration with M-Power, CCCO and ACCCRN (2013).

* Impact and vulnerability assessment of embankments, resettlement, and floods in the Mekong Delta, WISDOM project, coordinated by ZEF and UNU-EHS (Germany) (2008-2012).

* Consultancy in “Tam Nong (agriculture-famers-rural area) and regional linkage”, agriculture restructuring”, and “agricultural product value chain improvement” in the Mekong Delta, funded by MOST, Mekong provinces and international organizations.