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On August 26, 2026, UEB, in collaboration with the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), organized the first International Conference on Economics of Development and Sustainable Transformation (EDAST 2026) under the theme “Economic Development and Sustainable Transformation.”
Through two plenary sessions, five keynote presentations and one roundtable discussion, the conference connected international experience with Vietnam’s pressing development challenges, ranging from food systems transformation and natural resource governance to growth model innovation and overcoming the middle-income trap.
An International Forum Addressing Development Challenges in a Changing Global Context
EDAST 2026 was hosted by UEB with academic collaboration from the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT. The conference brought together scientists and experts from the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Wageningen University & Research (the Netherlands), Pusan National University (South Korea) and the University of Cabuyao (the Philippines), alongside representatives of ministries, government agencies, international organizations, research institutions, universities and the business community.
Selected research papers from the conference are expected to be published in Climate Change and the Transformation of Vietnam’s Development Model – Proceedings of EDAST 2026, to be published by Springer and indexed in Scopus. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen An Thinh and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Dinh Tien of UEB will serve as co-editors of the publication.
The participation of scientists, experts and policymakers from diverse fields created a multidimensional platform for discussion. Issues that may appear to belong to separate domains – economic growth, natural resource governance, food systems transformation, climate change, innovation and social equity – were examined in relation to one another in the search for a more comprehensive approach to sustainable development.
Rapid Growth Must Go Hand in Hand with Quality and Sustainability
Delivering the opening remarks, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hoang Khac Lich, Vice Rector of UEB, noted that traditional concepts of development are being reconsidered amid the impacts of climate change, depletion of natural resources and biodiversity, the energy transition, population ageing, the rapid development of technology and artificial intelligence, and changes in global trade and value chains.
According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hoang Khac Lich, the question facing developing economies is no longer simply “How can we grow faster?”, but more importantly, “How can we achieve better and more sustainable growth?”
Such growth, he emphasized, must be driven by labour productivity, innovation and high-quality human resources; make efficient use of natural resources; strengthen resilience to climate change; and, above all, ensure that the benefits of development are broadly shared so that no one is left behind.
For Vietnam, this challenge is particularly significant as the country aims to become a developed, high-income nation by 2045 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Achieving these goals will require Vietnam not only to maintain economic growth but also to undertake fundamental transformations in its growth model, economic structure, technology, human resources, natural resource governance and institutional quality.
From the perspective of a research-oriented university, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hoang Khac Lich affirmed that economic research should not merely explain development challenges. It should also contribute solutions, provide scientific evidence and create platforms for policy dialogue that support national development.
The UEB Vice Rector expressed his expectation that EDAST 2026 would help identify new drivers of Vietnam’s economic growth, highlight institutional, resource and implementation bottlenecks, and create opportunities for cooperation between UEB and universities, research institutes, international organizations, government agencies and the business community in research, education, policy consultation and knowledge transfer.
Against this backdrop, the conference featured two plenary sessions with five keynote presentations examining sustainable development from both global perspectives and issues of particular relevance to Vietnam.
Plenary Session 1: Connecting the Challenges of Global Transformation
The first plenary session, themed “Economic Development and Sustainable Transformation: Global Trends,” was moderated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Dinh Tien of UEB and Prof. Shuo-Yan Chou, Distinguished Professor and Director of the Internet of Things Innovation Center, Department of Industrial Management, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology.
The three presentations in the first session addressed food systems transformation, natural resource governance and collaborative capacity in achieving sustainable development goals.
Opening the session, Dr. Mark M. Lundy, representing the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT in Cali, Colombia, delivered a keynote presentation entitled “Connecting Food Systems Transformation, Climate Action and Biodiversity Conservation for Food and Nutrition Security and a Sustainable Future: A Global Initiative.”
His presentation examined food systems transformation in direct connection with climate action and biodiversity conservation. According to Dr. Lundy, these issues are closely interconnected, yet in practice they are often addressed through separate strategies and implementation pathways. Integrating objectives, resources and mechanisms for action is therefore essential to ensuring food security, improving nutrition and strengthening climate resilience.
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Drawing on practical experience, Dr. Lundy highlighted three elements that must be connected simultaneously: policy, implementation capacity and financial resources. Even a sound policy can deliver meaningful change only when supported by data, human resources, effective coordination mechanisms and sufficient resources for implementation.
The next keynote presentation was delivered by Prof. Roberto F. Rañola, Jr., President of the University of Cabuyao, the Philippines, on “Natural Resource Economics in Ensuring Sustainable Development: Global Trends.”
The presentation examined the role of natural resources in economic growth and long-term development quality. Water, land, forests, minerals and other forms of natural capital can serve as a genuine foundation for development only when they are transparently governed, efficiently utilized and supported by an appropriate institutional framework.
From a natural resource economics perspective, the presentation demonstrated that growth cannot be assessed solely in terms of short-term output. Environmental losses, resource depletion and ecosystem restoration costs must also be taken into account when development policies are designed and evaluated.
The third keynote presentation was delivered by Ms. Krista Kruft, Senior Advisor for Strategic Multilateral Partnerships at Wageningen University & Research, the Netherlands, on “Governing Sustainable Transformation: Advancing Collaboration and Building Capacity to Turn Ambition into Action.”
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Ms. Kruft emphasized that sustainable transformation is not merely a technical challenge. Turning goals into tangible results requires capacity building, effective coordination and sustained collaboration among government agencies, researchers, businesses, civil society organizations and communities.
Challenges such as food systems transformation, climate change and biodiversity loss do not exist independently and therefore cannot be addressed through isolated solutions. To achieve meaningful change, affected stakeholders need to participate throughout the process, from consultation and policy design to implementation and evaluation.
The three presentations converged on a common conclusion: sustainable development requires a systems approach. Natural resources, food systems, climate and biodiversity must be considered as interconnected elements rather than treated as separate policy areas.
Plenary Session 2: Lessons for Escaping the Middle-Income Trap and Development Models for Vietnam
Building on the global issues discussed in the first session, the second plenary session, themed “Contemporary Perspectives and Models of Sustainable Development,” focused on South Korea’s development experience and the potential application of new approaches in Vietnam.
