Politics

News

11 Jun 2025
Moved by how Hiroshima’s memorials transformed unspeakable loss into a global call for peace, a Hiroshima University historian turns his gaze to Southeast Asia—unpacking what stories their war monuments enshrine, what they leave out, and what that means for peace and justice, as the world marks the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing this year.
11 Jun 2025
Ateneo de Manila University researchers warn that young Filipinos graduating with a degree in nursing or medicine face an uphill battle for stable employment, fair pay, and meaningful roles in the local public health system.
Prof Richard M. Walker wins the prestigious 2025 H. George Frederickson Award.
19 May 2025
Prof Richard M. Walker, Head and Chair Professor of the Department of Government and International Affairs and Director of Lingnan University Institute for Advanced Study (LUIAS), has received the prestigious 2025 H. George Frederickson Award for Career Contributions to Public Management Research from the Public Management Research Association (PMRA) in recognition of his valuable contributions to intellectual development in the field. The award is presented annually to only one scholar worldwide, and Prof Walker will receive the honour officially at the Public Management Research Conference (PMRC) in Seoul, South Korea, in late June.
Inner page of the Exhortations to Promote Good Deeds by Empress Renxiao of the Great Ming, juan 1.
08 May 2025
The Chamber of Young Snow Art Exhibition Hall at Lingnan University in Hong Kong presents “Print and Preservation: Special Exhibition on the Exhortations to Promote Good Deeds by Empress Renxiao of the Great Ming”. This is the first public display of the rare 1405 imperial edition from the third year of the Yongle reign compiled by Empress Renxiao of the Ming dynasty. A detailed examination of the historical context and content of this work highlights how the Ming imperial court published ethical and moral texts to assert its legitimacy and stability. Visitors will receive a free copy of the picture book “Dai Ming: Keeper of Time and Legacy” created by artist Lam Kin-choi at certain events held as part of the special exhibition. For more details, please stay tuned to our social media channels. The exhibition runs from now until 2 December 2025.
Hatsukaichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture
25 Apr 2025
Effective per capita municipal expenditures correlated with population changes
Lingnan University’s ten subjects ranked in QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025, reflecting international recognition of the excellence of Lingnan’s education.
14 Mar 2025
Lingnan University in Hong Kong is gaining ongoing recognition in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025, with more subjects being ranked, reinforcing its growing academic presence on the global stage. This year, the University has twice as many subjects recognised, increasing from five to ten, with new disciplines—Communication and Media Studies, Sociology, Modern Languages, Education and Training, and Business and Management Studies—being included. While some of the University's latest advancements have yet to be reflected in this round of rankings, these achievements reaffirm Lingnan's dedication to advancing teaching and research. With a strong commitment to integrating digital-age knowledge and innovation, the University continues to prepare for new heights in the future.
A new economic model suggests that it may be important for societies to achieve nation-building before democracy.
10 Mar 2025
Analysis of historical evolution of bureaucracy suggests that quality nation-building holds more importance
04 Mar 2025
For International Women's Day, we have prepared a list of women experts who have agreed to share their expertise with journalists. Their expertise include AI, astronomy, medicine and public health, sustainability, women’s rights, and more.
19 Dec 2024
Seed grants have been awarded to six applicants with high quality and well-outlined proposals to organize workshops promoting science advice at an institutional or national level in their respective countries in 2025.
23 May 2024
Harpswell’s sixth ASEAN Women’s Leadership Summit will kick-off in Penang on June 1, 2024.
08 May 2024
Four delegates attending the International Network for Governmental Science Advice (INGSA) meeting in Kigali, Rwanda (1-2 May) share their work to ensure trusted science advice is integrated into decision-making and government policy.
Counsellor Wang Jian, Director-General of the International Department of the Commissioner’s Office of China’s Foreign Ministry in the HKSAR, delivers a lecture titled "Current International Situation and China’s Diplomacy", drawing over 100 students and faculty members to participate.
09 Apr 2024
The delegation from the Commissioner’s Office of China’s Foreign Ministry in the HKSAR visited Lingnan University yesterday (8 April). Counsellor Wang Jian, Director-General of the International Department, delivered a lecture titled "Current International Situation and China’s Diplomacy". Attended by over 100 students and faculty members, the lecture provided a comprehensive analysis of the unprecedented global changes of our time and discussed the four key aspects of China's diplomacy, including its core objectives, basic principles, significant focal points, and cooperative platforms.
shipyard
26 Feb 2024
Researchers explore the benefits of export diversification in oil-rich Brunei, breaking free from the development economics "resource curse".
women with straw hat
29 Jan 2024
Three young fellows supported by IDRC’s Knowledge for Democracy Myanmar are tackling crucial issues in women’s rights, economic empowerment, and climate change through their research and advocacy endeavours.
Ukraine war
09 Nov 2023
A new study suggests that self-deception is the key to understanding irrational actions of national leaders in war, as exemplified by Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
JHSSR Vol. 5 (1) Jul. 2023
14 Aug 2023
Greetings from JHSSR, Horizon is proud to announce the highly acclaimed publication of the latest issue of 2023, Vol. 5, Issue 1 (Jul. 2023). The issue is now live at the Journal’s webpage. You may explore our range of contributions within this Issue. Explore this issue, click the links below.
Public visitors to the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre at the exhibition
08 Mar 2023
IDRC’s Knowledge for Democracy Myanmar (K4DM) initiative launched its second phase in Bangkok with a Knowledge Marketplace that brought together partners and stakeholders concerned about research and higher education in Myanmar.
08 Mar 2023
Women in Myanmar are playing an important role in peace efforts in the country as they advocate for both women’s rights and cooperation across parties.
24 Nov 2022
Four years of online training, fellowships and support for research on digital rights gets underway as the second phase of the Knowledge for Democracy Myanmar (K4DM) initiative launches in Bangkok on November 25, 2022.
The U.S.-China Conflict in International Politics
11 Nov 2022
Research proposes “hybrid balancing,” a novel framework for studying the complex power dynamics between China, the U.S., and its allies bordering the Pacific Ocean.
Scientists from Hiroshima University created 12 policy scenarios with the business-as-usual scenario to investigate the pathway toward the decarbonization of the transport sector.
15 Sep 2022
Researchers develop a new integrated framework that factors in the many variables relevant to accurate carbon emissions modeling in the transportation sector, allowing for policymakers to choose the best path to achieve carbon neutrality.
01 Jul 2022
An international forum hosted by the Global Strategy Institute (GSI) at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) will examine two of the most difficult issues to fight in human history, inequality and injustice. World-renowned experts will provide new insights on how to understand the major forces behind increasing inequalities and social injustice and explore solutions to these intractable problems that are still affecting our world to this day. The 7th of its kind, KAIST GSI’s international forum will be held online on July 6th, 2022 from 9:00 until 10:30 am Korea Standard Time (KST) and livestreamed on KAIST’s YouTube Channel. The theme of the forum is “The Science of Inequality and Injustice.”
Social Sciences and Coivd-19: The Southeast Asia Response - Report Cover
26 Feb 2022
Policy-makers should engage more closely with social scientists to understand the socio-economic, cultural and political contexts behind the behaviours we need to change in response to global crises.
02 Feb 2022
Despite enhanced trade partnerships in South Asia, intra-regional trade is far from reaching its theoretical potential. Similar production patterns and competitive sectors can be the causes. However, bilateral discussions to further lower trade costs continue. The ongoing Bangladesh-Sri Lanka discussions on a preferential trade agreement (PTA) will benefit from knowing the potential gains from reducing bilateral trade costs. In addition, knowledge of products with a higher potential for export gains will help optimise the economic benefits from a trade deal.
31 Jan 2022
Sovereign debt restructuring can be pre-emptive or post-default. A default is inherently costly as it can result in a sustained loss of access to capital markets. That leaves pre-emptive restructuring when a country deems itself unable to service outstanding debt.
Graphical abstract of the paper
27 Jan 2022
Despite ongoing antagonism between the peoples of China, Japan and South Korea, support for regional cooperation on issues such as climate, pandemics and pollution exists if such cooperation mechanisms are mutually managed rather than dominated by any one nation.
04 Jan 2022
Hong Kong is one of the most prosperous places in the world, but it has a rapidly aging society with a very high rate of poverty among older people. Addressing this has become a priority for policy makers to improve the well-being of older people, while sustainably managing the burden on public finances.
Asia research News - Editor's Choice
09 Dec 2021
Micro-plastics cross blood brain barrier, Stomach cancer atlas, Omicron variant isolated, 120-year-old reaction turned on its head and Reporting through the coup, all in the December Editor's Choice. Plus our latest podcast: Decentralization and Democracy in Myanmar.
08 Dec 2021
At the Honorary Doctorate Conferment Ceremony today (9 December), Lingnan University (LU) in Hong Kong conferred honorary doctoral degrees upon four distinguished individuals in recognition of outstanding achievements in their respective professions and valuable contributions to the well-being of society. They were Mr Norman Chan Tak-lam(陳德霖), a prominent financial leader who received a Doctor of Business Administration, honoris causa; Ms Sylvia Chang Ai-chia (張艾嘉), an esteemed film director who received a Doctor of Humanities, honoris causa; Prof Deane E. Neubauer, a prolific political science scholar who received a Doctor of Social Sciences, honoris causa (in absentia); and Prof Zhong Nanshan(鍾南山), a world-renowned respiratory disease expert who received a Doctor of Science, honoris causa (in absentia).
04 Mar 2021
We are pleased to invite you to participate in the international conference ALTERSEA in its digital format. Through cross-disciplinary approaches, the contributors will dialogue on social movements and social activism, as well as less visible initiatives, marginal or infra-political forms of protest and resistance and what we could consider as social systems of political regulation.

Events

27 May 2024
The 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4), co-chaired by New Zealand and the Maldives, will take place from 27 to 30 May 2024 in Antigua and Barbuda under the theme “Charting the Course Towards Resilient Prosperity”.
29 Feb 2024
Calling interested media studies practitioners, educators, researchers and enthusiasts! In line with the upcoming Southeast Asian Media Studies Conference (SEAMSC 2024), we are thrilled to announce that we are calling for paper submissions related to the conference’s theme: “Interrogations of Media, Sustainability, Development and Power in ASEAN”.
17 Apr 2023
To achieve Net Zero, the governments of the UK and Singapore are targeting ambitious carbon reduction goals, and electromobility has emerged as a key strategy. Now, Newcastle University (UK) and ERI@N (Singapore) are jointly hosting an international event, known as the Electromobility symposium, in Singapore to debate and discuss experiences in implementing land transport electrification in Singapore and the UK, evaluate policy landscapes, and identify successes and obstacles to inform future strategies.
10 Jan 2023
ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute’s flagship conference will be held in hybrid format on 10 January 2023. After 2 years of virtual conference format, we are excited to welcome participants back to a physical event at The Shangri-La Singapore for the Regional Outlook Forum (ROF) 2023.
09 Sep 2022
Join us for the book launch of “Winning by Process: The State and Neutralization of Ethnic Minorities in Myanmar” (Cornell University Press, 2022) co-authored by Jacques Bertrand, Alexandre Pelletier, and Ardeth Maung Thawnghmung. Winning by Process asks why the peace process stalled in the decade from 2011 to 2021 despite a liberalizing regime, a national ceasefire agreement, and a multilateral peace dialogue between the state and ethnic minorities.
06 Jan 2022
The Regional Outlook Forum (ROF), ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute’s flagship event held at the beginning of each year, will be held online on the 6th and 7th of January 2022.
28 Dec 2021
The book “Belittled Citizens: The Cultural Politics of Childhood on Bangkok’s Margins” will be launched on 28 December at 5:00 pm. The author Giuseppe Bolotta will present his book exploring the intersection between Thai politics, urban poverty, religion, and global humanitarianism from the perspective of “slum children” in Bangkok. The writer Pim Wangtechawat will also join the discussion to comment on this book, based on a book review she wrote for Mekong Review. At the launch, there will be limited copies of the book available for sale and Giuseppe will be glad to sign them if desired.
10 Dec 2021
To commemorate the International Human Rights Day on 10 December 2021 at 5pm, SEA Junction will hold the screening of Padauk: Myanmar Spring, a documentary that takes the viewer on to the streets of Myanmar during the heady days following the February 2021 military coup.
23 Nov 2021
The photo exhibition, organized by SEA Junction in collaboration with the Women’s League of Burma, the Myanmar Project and Asia Justice and Rights, documents women’s actions out on the streets of Burma since the coup d’état.
08 Dec 2021
On 8 December 2021 at 3 pm (Bangkok Time), SEA Junction in collaboration with Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR) will hold the 16th #WhatsHappeninginMyanmar Bi-Weekly Updates. The update series was started soon after the coup coup d'état in Myanmar with the aim to contribute to a greater understanding of the evolving situation there for informed action in support of the democratic movement in the country and beyond.
23 Oct 2021
To launch the research study, “From the Rice Paddy to the Industrial Park: Working Conditions and Forced Labour in Myanmar’s Rapidly Shifting Labour Market,” SEA-Junction and Rapid Asia will organize a panel discussion on 23 October 2021 at 5.00-6.30 pm.
13 Oct 2021
Join us for the 12th #WhatsHappeninginMyanmar Bi-Weekly Updates on 13 October 2021 at 7.00-8.00 pm (Bangkok Time) via Zoom (Link: http://bit.ly/Zoom-SEAJunction) and Facebook Live on our page @SEA-Junction.
29 Sep 2021
Join us for the 11th #WhatsHappeninginMyanmar Bi-Weekly Updates on 29 September 2021 at 7.00-8.00 pm (Bangkok Time) via Zoom (Link: http://bit.ly/Zoom-SEAJunction) and Facebook Live on our page @SEA-Junction.
16 Sep 2021
SEA Junction in partnership with AJAR will hold the 9th #WhatsHappeninginMyanmar Bi-Weekly Updates by Khin Ohmar on 16 September 2021 at 7.00-8.00 pm (Bangkok Time).
03 Sep 2021
SEA Junction in partnership with AJAR will hold the 9th #WhatsHappeninginMyanmar Bi-Weekly Updates by Khin Ohmar on 3 September 2021 at 9.00-10.00 am (Bangkok Time).
20 Aug 2021
SEA Junction in collaboration with AJAR will hold the 8th #WhatsHappeninginMyanmar Bi-Weekly Updates by Khin Ohmar on 20 August 2021 at 9.30-10.30 am (Bangkok Time) via Zoom and Facebook Live.
18 Aug 2021
The online event will take place online on Wednesday, 18 August 2021 at 11:00 UTC+02.
03 Aug 2021
SEA Junction in collaboration with AJAR will hold the 7th #WhatsHappeninginMyanmar Bi-Weekly Updates by Khin Ohmar on 3 August 2021 at 8.00-9.00 pm (Bangkok Time) via Zoom and Facebook Live.
07 Jul 2021
The 1st ALTERSEA conference aims to bring together researchers from around the world to reflect on the main issues studied by the Observatory in Southeast Asia: social movements and social activism, as well as less visible initiatives, marginal or infra-political forms of protest and resistance, and what we might consider social systems of political regulation.
25 Mar 2021
The Irrawaddy and SEA Junction have joined together to provide bi-weekly updates on the latest developments in Myanmar.
18 Feb 2021
Alter Sea, in collaboration with SEA Junction, Fiskom Uksw and Centre Asie du Sud-Est, is pleased to invite you to attend the webinar titled “Alternative Solutions in Facing Covid-19 Across Southeast Asia”. The event will take place on February 18 at 3 pm.
21 Oct 2021
Call for Papers for 2021 conference: People, Power, Politics, Pandemics and Other Perils in Southeast Asia. The event will take place on 21-24 October 2021 at University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, Canada. Deadline: Thursday 8 April 2021. Submit from the link below.

Researchers

Jeconiah Dreisbach is a Filipino interdisciplinary social scientist specializing in the sociolinguistics of migration, family language policy, language contact, and Philippine Studies.
International Development Research Centre (IDRC)
Mosaddika Mounin is a dedicated researcher in education policy, refugee education, and AI in education. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics with minors in Finance and Development Studies and a Master's in Education from the Asian University for Women (AUW). Mosaddika is actively engaged in the education sector, serving as a primary school mentor and a high school teacher. Her work aims to bridge the gap between policy and practice, ensuring quality education for marginalised communities.
stephenpoon
A dynamic force in social creative catalyst, navigates the global landscape with a unique perspective, work across disciplines in sustainability, creativity, human factors, entrepreneurship and innovation.
Nehaluddin Ahmad (born in 1952) is a public figure and prominent academician from India who served as a law professor at the Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Faculty of Law, Sultan Sharif Ali Islamic University (UNISSA) in Brunei Darussalam
Zheimie H. Zamri is a Bruneian Senior Research Assistant and Tutor, pursuing a Ph.D. in Law at UNISSA, with research interests in human rights and legal social issues.
Roman Fainshmidt is a researcher and lecturer specialized in Political Economy of Southeast Asia, Russian ties with Asian states as well as North Korean Studies. He has been actively involved in the academic field since 2016. He has authored over 40 scholarly articles, which have been published in both Russian and international academic journals and conference proceedings. He has held positions at prestigious institutions such as the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA - Moscow, Russia), Moscow School of Social and Economic Sciences (MSSES - Moscow, Russia), and President University (PresUniv - Bekasi, Indonesia). More than 200 of his expert insights and commentaries have been featured in prominent media outlets, including the Russian Gazette, Forbes, RBC-TV, RTVI US, Kommersant, RT, China Radio International, Zindaa (Mongolia), etc. He is a permanent contributor to RBC-TV (Russia), RTVI US, TV BRICS, MIR-24 (CIS).
I'm currently an adjunct professor at the Asian Institute of Management in Manila. I crafted a course called Art-Science Thinking based on my dissertation on Culture as Transformative Innovation: Filipino Care in the Practice of Family Medicine. Since 2017, my consultancy & studio has been collaborating with the Dept. of Science & Technology in the Philippines.
Centre for Economic and Social Development (CESD)
Ph.D. candidate at the Faculty of Economics, Chaing Mai University with prior experience in public policy and research, especially in Myanmar's economic development.
Aye Lei Tun from Mandalay holds a master’s degree in development Practice from the University of Queensland and Gender, Human Rights, and Conflict Studies from the International Institute of Social Studies in The Hague. She enrolled in the Ph.D. program in Political Science at McMaster University, Canada, in 2021. She has a background in journalism with local newspapers and media and communications (for UNODC, UNDP, and Oxfam). She works as a Research Consultant for Gender and Media related studies. Aye Lei is a published author - under the pen names Myat Shu, Thawda Thit, and Thawda Aye Lei. Her research interests are the issues related to Gender and Sexuality, Gender and Politics, Media, and Cultural studies.
Southeast Asia Media Studies Association
LE THU MACH holds a PhD in Journalism (Monash University, Australia). She is a lecturer at the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, Vietnam. Her research interests include journalism, social media, public sphere, media research ethics, advertising, and public relations. Since 2022, she has been serving as the External Relations Director on the Executive Board of the Southeast Asian Media Studies Association (SEAMSA).
Southeast Asia Media Studies Association
Ina is a PhD student in Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. She is now working on the impact of government control over creativity in Indonesia. Previously, she worked as a lecturer in Universitas Atma Jaya Yogyakarta, Indonesia, for more than six years. Since 2022, she becomes the Membership Director of the South East Asia Media Studies Association (SEAMSA). She is interested to research and collaborate with other academics who focus on development communication, youth studies, and digital media. If you are interested in her works, please contact her through email ([email protected])
Southeast Asia Media Studies Association
Erwin James A. dela Cruz (he/they) or Alonzo, is a graduate student and researcher in Philippine Studies with a sub-specialization in Development Studies at the University of the Philippines Diliman and also serves as the Secretary General of the Southeast Asian Media Studies Association (SEAMSA). Their research interests are political economy of media, media industry studies, Boys’ Love studies, and development studies. They intend to engage with Asian media industries and their production of LGBTQ+ media.
I am Md. Sahidul Islam, a Graduate Student at the University of Memphis in the Department of Political Science and also working as a Teaching Assistant in the Department. Before joining the University of Memphis, I worked for Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) as a Deputy Programme Manager-Research and Policy. I graduated from Jahangirnagar University. My current research interests are Democratization, Role of Political Parties, Election, Civil-Military relation, public policy issues particularly related to corruption and governance.
Lingnan University (LU)
Prof Huang Genghua
Prof Huang Genghua is a Research Assistant Professor at the Institute of Policy Studies of Lingnan University.
Advancing Life and Regenerating Motherland (ALARM)
A researcher/program director at ALARM - for land & environmental justice and climate & environmental integration in development planning of Myanmar & a graduate of YAU (Myanmar), AIT (Thailand) & ANU (Australia).
Gender Equality Network (GEN)
May Sabe Phyu
May Sabe Phyu is Director of the Gender Equality Network and a recipient of International Women of Courage Award as well as the Global Trailblazer Award for her role in advancing the Women, Peace and Security agenda in Myanmar.
Ismene
Ismene Gizelis is professor at the Department of Government in the University of Essex. Her main research interests are in conflict dynamics, peacekeeping, gender equality and post-conflict reconstruction, and communicable diseases. For the most up to date details, please see my personal webpage: http://tigizelis.com.
Universiti Malaysia Sabah
Dr. Connie Cassy Ompok is an early childhood education expert and a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Psychology and Education, Universiti Malaysia Sabah. She Started her career in Early Childhood Education as a preschool teacher (2004-2007), a lecturer in early childhood education at the Malaysian Institute of Teacher Education (2008-2016) before serving as a Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Education at UMS (2016 until now).
International Development Research Centre (IDRC)
Picture of Navsharan Singh
I have researched and published extensively on informal sector workers, especially women workers and I understand the their precarity of work and lives. I have also been working on the vulnerability of Internally Displaced People and those affected by mass sectarian violence. COVID-19 impacts these groups very significantly and in very specific ways.
I am the Head of Advocacy, Research, and Communications at AWARE, the Association of Women for Action and Research. Before joining AWARE, I worked on women's rights and child rights in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the United States. At AWARE, I deal with workplace sexual harassment cases, sexual harassment, public communications and more.
Masako Tanaka is a practitioner, activist and academic focusing on gender and migration issues in Japan. She is a professor at the Department of Global Studies at Sophia University, Japan.
International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM)
Ramzi is an Assistant Professor at International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM).
Enlightened Myanmar Research Foundation (EMReF)
Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Enlightened Myanmar Research Foundation (EMReF)
Centre for Economic and Social Development (CESD)
Zaw Oo
Zaw Oo is Executive Director of the Centre for Economic and Social Development, an independent think-tank dedicated to inclusive development in Myanmar. Previously, he was the Presidential Economic Advisor from 2012-2016, serving as a principal advisor on finance, industry, commerce and labour issues.
Myanmar Institute for Peace and Security (MIPS)
Min Zaw Oo
Dr. Min Zaw Oo is an expert on the peace process in Myanmar. He set up the first joint-ceasefire mechanism and is adviser to the Peace Commission in Myanmar. Previously, Min was involved in election-strengthening activities in Afghanistan and the Genocide Early Warning Project.
Universiti Malaysia Sabah
Sanen Marshall is a US Fulbright Scholar (2017) and a UK Chevening Scholar who teaches at the Centre for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language Learning, Universiti Malaysia Sabah.

Giants in history

Meghnad Saha (6 October 1893 – 16 February 1956) was an Indian astrophysicist best known for formulating the Saha ionization equation which describes the chemical and physical properties of stars.
Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie (25 June 1936 – 11 September 2019) was an Indonesian engineer who was President of Indonesia from 1998 to 1999.
U Hla Myint (1920 – 2017) was a celebrated economist from Myanmar. Considered a prodigy, he was admitted to Rangoon University to study economics when he was just 14 years old. He went on to earn a Ph.D. at the London School of Economics (LSE).