Our Focus Areas

June 16, 2021

China’s Ministry Of Ecology And Environment Responds To Concerns Over Damaged Fuel Rods At Taishan Nuclear Plant

Against a backdrop of electricity shortages in China’s most important provincial economy, a report of a possible radiological leak from China’s Taishan nuclear reactor is raising questions about safety and transparency of information.

April 24, 2021

China’s Central Bank, Known As The ‘Central Mother,’ Calls For Relaxing Restrictions On Family Size

Chinese policy makers are increasingly worried that the country’s rise could be stymied by the same demographic factors that bedevil Japan, which has become the poster child for an aging society.

April 21, 2021

How young Hongkongers can serve their country and find meaning in their lives

Opportunities to participate in global governance and diplomacy will broaden young people’s horizons and deepen their understanding of China and the world.

April 15, 2021

SK Innovation Is In The Driver’s Seat After EV Battery Settlement With LG Chem

The EV battery industry is growing quickly, and it’s about to get a powerful new player in the form of South Korea’s SK Innovation.

June 23, 2021

The Neglected Effects of Gender-based Violence towards Jakarta’s Urban Walkability

Ashley Faith Santoso, from the Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia, proposes a technological solution to improve walkability in Jakarta by decreasing gender-based violence. Only 8% of Jakarta is walkable, a situation that the Jakarta Walkable 2022 vision aims to remedy. But in a country where three out of five women have experienced sexual harassment

June 23, 2021

Private Money for the Public Good – Unlocking Private Equity for Asia’s Sustainable Finance

Chloris Jiaqi Kang, from the National University of Singapore, writes that addressing key challenges facing sustainable financing in private equity can help channel more private money for the public good in Asia. Given their unique combination of risk capital and operational expertise, private equity funds are well positioned to use equity to create the best

June 23, 2021

KomU as a Strategy to Improve Family Communications

Hanun Thalia, a student at Universitas Indonesia, writes about a novel technology-based approach for improving communication among family members, an approach that she argues can contribute to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. KomU, an app, helps families learn to use the “I statement” and “sandwich feedback” methods of communication, two psychology-based approaches

June 23, 2021

Asian Central Bank Mandates: What about Equality?

Henry Michael Mayhew, of University College London, argues that Asian central banks should incorporate equality considerations into their mandates. The rise of unconventional monetary policy has had outsized distributive effects, and with a growing body of research showing that inequality impacts economic stability, targeting a more balanced distribution of wealth can be seen as a

June 23, 2021

The Three Pillar Multi-Stakeholder Approach to Responsible Financing: Addressing Asia’s Challenges in the “Decade of Action”

Krati Gupta, from the Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law in India, makes the case for a greater role for Asia in global initiatives aimed at addressing responsible finance. The pandemic has brought the importance of environment, social, and governance (ESG) considerations to the fore, yet ESG investing in Asia trails behind other regions. The

June 23, 2021

Indigenous Cities: Reframing Modernity and Our Cities

Matthew Flores, from the Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines, makes the case for greater indigenous representation in urban design. The essay critiques the homogeneity of urban settings in the Philippines and around the world, the result of ideas of modernity and development that are rooted in colonial norms. If indigenous people are given