31 March, 2014 --- The“Seminar on Rural Development and Poverty Reduction for Youth from the SA Government’s DRDLR Rural Development Programs” hosted by IPRCC and the World Bank, was convened at the Beijing Fraternal Cooperation International Hotel. The opening ceremony was chaired by IPRCC Assistant Director General Mr. Wang Shu and addressed by Mr. Liu Shuwen, Deputy Director of the International Cooperation and Social Mobilization Department of LGOP. Mr. Van Staden Anton Francois from the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform of South Africa (DRDLR) delivered a speech on behalf of the participants.

Themed on “Rural Development and Poverty Reduction”, the 15-day seminar consists of two parts: expert lecture and field trip. Relevant experts and scholars from China will introduce such topics as the overview of China’s social and economic development, China’s rural development policies and experience, China’s rural poverty reduction policies and practices, development policies and practices of China’s small- and medium-sized enterprises, operation of China’s rural market system, China’s rural sci-tech policies and practices, China’s rural financial policies and practices, as well as the model and experience of China’s village-based mutual funds. The participants will also go to Jiangsu Province and Sichuan Province for field researches.

48 representatives from the SA Government’s DRDLR attended the event.