Politics

News

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.
22 Sep 2020
To encourage and support cross-faculty, inter-university and international collaboration in the study of economic and social development, policy and governance, Lingnan University (LU) has recently established the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS). Riding on its current research strengths, along with regional and global collaborative links, IPS enjoys the dual advantages of local relevance and global resonance through incorporating various LU’s existing policy research centres and linking inter-university research platforms. In addition to the cutting-edge research and knowledge transfer activities, IPS aims to enhance LU’s high-quality professional training in policy, development and governance studies.
21 Sep 2020
Looking for experts who can comment on natural disasters when they occur, or disaster planning and research? We have compiled a list of experts from across Asia prepared to speak with journalists on a wide range of disaster types and issues.
12 Jun 2020
In our Asia Research News Podcast, we delve into Doing Research in Myanmar: a systematic study of how social science research is produced, distributed and used in the country.
27 Mar 2020
A Communique from the InterAcademy Partnership urges countries to collaborate, use and share science-based information, and help the developing world.
Shan women
14 Jan 2020
Social scientists in Myanmar seeking to understand the factors that influence women’s participation in politics and the economy are finding that, before they can study, first they must inform.
22 Nov 2019
Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie (25 June 1936 – 11 September 2019) was an Indonesian engineer who was President of Indonesia from 1998 to 1999.
11 Jul 2019
The Global Development Network invites researchers from developing and transition countries to submit research proposals under the theme 'Doing research in developing countries: the role of non-academic actors, new communication platforms and leadership in social sciences' for the Japanese Award for Outstanding Research on Development by 26 July.
Fiq 1
06 Mar 2019
With a lack of financial budget, poor support system and an erosion of professional autonomy amongst Health Care Professionals (HCP)s in developing countries, urgent calls for provision of more university-based education programs with timely policies to speed up progress are needed across Asia’s entrenched medical system governance.
Image Name
13 Feb 2019
Researchers on the ground in Myanmar are investigating how women can get more involved in policymaking to ensure their voices are heard and needs are met as the nation embraces democracy.
26 Nov 2018
Survey shows think tanks in Myanmar need to improve research quality and outreach to ensure officials have easy access to accurate information for making national policy.
14 Nov 2018
Media are invited to attend a roundtable discussion on Nov. 19 about how Myanmar’s think tanks can better support policymakers, hosted by the International Development Research Centre and local partners.

Events

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

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 PhD 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 is currently working 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 interest areas are the issues related to Gender and Sexualities; Gender and Politics; Media; and Cultural studies.
Doctoral Student 博士生, Faculty of East Asian Studies, Ruhr-Universität Bochum 波鴻魯爾大學東亞學系 (Germany)
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
Mary Anne Mallari specializes in film and literary criticism.
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).
Picture of Sunimalee Madurawala
Sunimalee’s research interests include health economics, gender and population studies. She holds a BA (Economic Special) degree with a first class and a Masters in Economics (MEcon) degree from the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.
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).