Short- and Medium-term Research Projects Participated
Regional Consultant (Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia & Laos, Jan - Dec 2011)
Research project on Social, Economic and Environment Impact on Livelihood in the Mekong Region under the Sustainable Mekong Research Network (Sumernet), coordinated by the Khon Kaen University, Thailand.
Project Leader (Myanmar, Jan - Jul 2011)
Research project on livelihood, economic and social network in the rural dry zone areas conducted in cooperation with the World Bank.
Consultant/Project Leader (Myanmar, Oct - Dec 2010)
Action Research “The Quantitative Assessment on the Financial Feasibility of Rural Agricultural Credit Projects and Paddy Farmers”.
Consultant/Project Leader (Myanmar, Feb - May 2010)
Action research on Myanmar rice value-chain and rural credit with the focus on analysis of rural labor markets, assessment of hidden transaction costs and export competitiveness including the independent lesson learning review of pilot projects in rice production and rural credit.
Guest Researcher (Sweden, Oct - Dec 2009)
Research and dialogue with European researchers and academic professors under the Grant provided by the Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education (STINT).
Researcher (Myanmar, Mar 2009 - Feb 2010)
Research project that studied informal movements of trades and persons in Myanmar, especially with its neighboring GMS countries, i.e. China and Thailand: and their costs and benefits. It is a research project conducted in cooperation with the Research Institute on Contemporary South East Asia of France.
Project Leader for Myanmar (Myanmar, Jul 2007 - Feb 2010)
Research project that studied economic relations, particularly on crossborder trade – formal and informal – among GMS nations and their economic impacts and implications not only in the region but also in the larger geographical area – East Asia. This study was conducted under the Mekong Research Center, Institute of Asian Studies, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, under the sponsorship of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation.
Project Leader for Myanmar (Myanmar, Mar - Dec 2008)
Research project that studied economic, social and environmental impact of migration in Myanmar. It is a project initiated and sponsored by the Sustainable Mekong Research Network (Sumernet) of the Stockholm Environmental Institute (SEI Project No. 6591 Sumernet-Research 1007/8, Regional Migration: a feasible option for livelihood diversification for the regional poor?), funded by Swedish International Development Agency.
Resource Person (Thailand, Mar 2008)
Conference research paper “Myanmar and Her Resources” was prepared and presented as a resource person at the International Workshop on “Government Policies and Transnational Environmental Issues in Southeast Asia: Identification of Gaps, Research Needs and Opportunities”, at Mae Fah Luang University (MFU), Chiang Rai, Thailand, jointly organized by MFU and the University of Tokyo.
Resource Person (China, Mar 2008)
Conference research paper “Myanmar’s Informal Economic Relations with China and Thailand in the Greater Mekong Sub-region” was prepared and presented as a resource person at the International Workshop on GMS Economic Corridors: Cooperation and Development, held in Kunming, China.
Resource Person (Thailand, Apr 2008)
Conference research paper “Myanmar’s Cross-border Trade with her Neighboring GMS Countries” was prepared and presented at “Regional Policy Dialogue on Trade Facilitation Policy Gap Analysis on Cross Border Transport Agreement (CBTA) in the GMS” at the Mekong Institute, Khon Kaen, Thailand.
Consultant/Researcher (China, Feb - Mar 2008)
Research paper “Myanmar and GMS Cooperation in the New Context” prepared for the joint-research project “ASEAN-China Cooperation in the New Context” sponsored by the ASEAN-China Cooperation Fund, Center for ASEAN and China Studies (CACS).
Resource Person (Thailand, Aug - Nov 2007)
Research paper “Informal Channels of Migration in Myanmar: Causes and Impacts” was prepared and presented at the Follow-up Regional Policy Dialogue on “Transborder Migration Policy Implementation and Monitoring: Its Effectiveness and Current Policy Gaps in the Greater Mekong Sub-region”, held at the Mekong Institute, Thailand.
Consultant (Myanmar, May - Jul 2007)
Research paper “Investment Climate in Myanmar” was prepared for the project under the ASEAN-Japan Center in cooperation with Japanese consultant Isao Takatori.
Deputy Team Leader (Myanmar, Jun 2006 - May 2007)
Research project “Development of GMS Tourism and special reference to Myanmar” in cooperation with Rector Myat Thein under the Research Grant provided by the Mekong Institute, Thailand. The Team Leader was Professor Myat Thein, former Rector of the Yangon University of Economics.
Project Consultant/Research (Vietnam, Sep 2006)
Policy paper “Investment opportunity with the equitization of the Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank)” was prepared.
Project Consultant/Researcher (Cambodia, Aug 2006)
Research paper “Existing and future electricity infrastructure and supply around Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Cambodia” was prepared which involved extensive surveys on officials of relevant ministries, SEZ investors and foreign investors in Cambodia during the project period.
Project Consultant/Researcher (Cambodia, Jul - Aug 2006)
Policy paper “Action plan for attracting Japanese garment manufacturers to Cambodia” was prepared focusing on possible future international external factors and impacts on the garment sector of Cambodia.
Project Consultant/Researcher (Japan and Cambodia, Apr - May 2006)
Policy paper “Identifying macroeconomic and industry-related factors affecting FDIs in different economic sectors in Cambodia” was prepared, which involved extensive quantitative analyses with cross-sectional econometric models.
Resource Person (Thailand, Feb 2006)
Policy research paper “The Time to turn Irregular into Regular Migration” was prepared and presented as a resource person at the Regional Policy Formulation Meeting on Migration in GMS, held at the Mekong Institute, Khon Kaen, Thailand.
Project Consultant/Researcher (Cambodia, Dec 2005 - Feb 2006)
Policy paper “Competitiveness of Cambodian Garment Sector” was prepared which involved extensive interview surveys on garment industries in Cambodia.
Project Consultant/Researcher (Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia, Jun - Sep 2005)
Policy paper “Formulation of strategies to induce FDIs to Cambodia’s Sihanoukville area”, which involved extensive surveys in Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia on perceptions of foreign investors.
Project Consultant/Researcher (Vietnam, Apr - Jun 2005)
Policy paper “Equitization of state-owned enterprises and business strategies mainly in the telecommunication sector of Vietnam” was prepared.
Project Consultant/Researcher (Thailand, Mar - Apr 2005)
Policy paper “Future policy direction and legal framework of Thailand’s telecommunication sector” was prepared.
Project Consultant/Researcher (Cambodia and Vietnam, Feb - Mar 2005)
Policy paper “Econometric relationship between the exports and FDIs in Cambodia and Vietnam” was prepared, which was a part of the paper “Export Promotion and Development of FDI/ Recent Developments of the Facilitation of Trade-related Procedures”.
Project Consultant/Researcher (Vietnam, Jan 2005)
Policy paper “Financial model and feasibility study for the investment in the telecommunication sector of Vietnam” was prepared.
Project Consultant/Researcher (Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam, Jun 2004 - Jan 2005)
Policy paper “Export controls in Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam” was prepared which involved extensive interviews with officials from the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Health, and other relevant public and private agencies in these countries.
Project Consultant/Researcher (Vietnam, Apr 2004)
Policy paper “Development of SMEs policies and SMEs finance in Vietnam” was prepared, which was a part of a larger project “Special Assistance for Project Formation (SAPROF)” related to SMEs Finance Project (SMEFP) Phase II for the development of SME finance and policies.
Project Consultant/Researcher (Vietnam, Apr 2004)
Policy paper “Development of Credit Guarantee Fund in Vietnam” was prepared in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance, Vietnam.
Project Consultant/Researcher (Vietnam, Feb -Nov 2003)
Policy paper “Development of supporting industries in Vietnam” was prepared, which was a part of the research project “Vietnam-Japan Joint Initiative to Improve Business Environment with a view to Strengthen Vietnam’s Competitiveness”.
Project Consultant/Researcher (Bangladesh, Feb - Nov 2003)
Policy paper “Possible scenarios of textiles and garment sector in the postMFA era after 2005 in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan” was prepared, which involved extensive quantitative analyses with cross-sectional multiple regression models.
National Consultant to UNDP (Myanmar, Mar - Jun 2003)
Engaged in the UNDP’s Case Study “Macroeconomics of Poverty Reduction” in Myanmar in cooperation with Terry McKinley, Policy Advisor of Macroeconomics and Poverty Socio-economic Development Group, Bureau for Development Policy, UNDP, New York. The Case Study focused on financial liberalization and its links to industrial development and poverty reduction.
Project Consultant/Researcher (Myanmar, Jan - Nov 2002)
The following policy papers were prepared:
- “Master plan for the development of footwear industry in Myanmar”
- “Financial services sector development in Myanmar”
- “Development of SMEs/SMIs in Myanmar”
- “Master plan for SME financing in Myanmar”
- “Development of supporting industries in Myanmar’s major economic sectors”
- “Machine industries in Myanmar”