Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has explored lessons from China’s experience in rural revitalisation, poverty reduction and community development during discussions with the organising committee of the 2026 Global South Academic Forum in Shanghai.
The discussions, held on the sidelines of the forum, were led by Prof. Lu Xinyu, Chair of the Global South Academic Forum, who highlighted interventions that have helped transform previously deprived communities in China.
According to the Vice President, the initiatives discussed included local governance reforms, efforts to revitalise fisheries and aquaculture, community sporting initiatives and modern infrastructure designed to expand economic opportunities.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang said she was particularly interested in how the interventions were developed to reflect the circumstances of individual communities and supported by research and deliberate government action.
“I was particularly interested in how these interventions were shaped by the realities of individual communities, drew on research, and were strengthened through deliberate government action,” she said.
The Vice President noted that the Chinese experience offered lessons on how development initiatives could be tailored to local conditions rather than applying identical solutions to different communities.
She emphasised that communities possess resources, knowledge and opportunities that can be harnessed to improve livelihoods and support economic transformation.
“They show that development does not always require identical solutions, but that every community has resources, knowledge, and opportunities it can harness,” she stated.
Her comments highlight the importance of understanding local circumstances when designing development policies, particularly in rural communities where targeted interventions can help expand economic opportunities.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang also highlighted the importance of government action and research in developing interventions that respond to the specific needs of communities.
She expressed appreciation to Prof. Lu for sharing China’s development experiences and underscored the importance of leadership that remains connected to the people it serves.
“I thank Prof. Lu for sharing these experiences. I also appreciate the emphasis on leadership that remains connected to communities and ensures that public interventions respond directly to their needs,” she said.
The Vice President’s remarks emphasise the need for development policies to be informed by evidence and shaped by the circumstances of the communities they are intended to serve.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang further stressed the importance of cooperation among countries in the Global South, saying countries could learn from one another while adapting successful approaches to their own conditions.
“The value of South-South cooperation lies in learning from one another’s experiences, adapting successful approaches to our own circumstances, and developing solutions that improve the lives of our people,” she said.
Her engagement with the forum’s organising committee forms part of discussions on governance, development and modernisation, with a focus on sharing experiences that could inform development approaches across countries of the Global South.
