On November 6, 2024, leading global thinker Adam Tooze delivered Asia Society Switzerland's third annual State of Asia Address in front of a full house in the prestigious aula of the University of Zurich, our partner for this event.

Adam holds the Shelby Cullom Davis chair of History at Columbia University in New York City. In 2019, Foreign Policy Magazine named him one of the top Global Thinkers of the decade.

Chartbook, his newsletter on economics, geopolitics and history, has over 120,000 subscribers. He is a columnist for Foreign Policy, where he also hosts a weekly economics podcast, Ones & Tooze.

The full text of Adam's 2024 State of Asia Address 'Asia in the Age of Polycrisis' is available on our website. A video of the address is here.

STATE OF ASIA brings you engaging conversations with leading minds on the issues that shape Asia and affect us all.

Stay up-to-date on all events and activities at Asia Society Switzerland: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.

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STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland. 
Season 7, episode 6 - Published: November 12, 2024
Host/Editor: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

China and India seem to be en route to a better, or less bad, relationship for the first time in years. Germany published its first 'Focus on India' policy paper, immediately followed by a visit of Chancellor Scholz to New Delhi.
The new EU Commission has specifically named India as an important part of its strategies.
Russia, just like India a founding member of BRICS and host of that forum's 2024 summit, has its own pressing reasons to maintain the historical ties with India.
And then there's the Quad, in which India cooperates ever closer with fellow democracies the United States, Australia, and Japan.

What is India making of this momentum? Will it stick to its policy of non-alignment, or is, despite all the approaches from all sides, nonetheless a tilt to the West visible?

On this episode, we discuss all this with Garima Mohan, Senior Fellow in the Indo-Pacific program at the German Marshall Fund, where she leads the work on India and heads the India Trilateral Forum. Her research focuses on Europe-India ties, EU foreign policy in Asia, and security in the Indo-Pacific.

Garima is one of the speakers at our flagship STATE OF ASIA conference on November 7 in Zurich. Have a look at the full line-up and find information on how to get tickets on our website.

The evening before, on November 6, renowned historian and global thinker Adam Tooze delivers our State of Asia Address in Zurich. This is a public event, though registration to attend is crucial. More info here.

STATE OF ASIA brings you engaging conversations with leading minds on the issues that shape Asia and affect us all.

Stay up-to-date on all events and activities at Asia Society Switzerland: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.

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STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland. 
Season 7, episode 5 - Published: October 29, 2024
Host: Serena Jung, Program and Communications Director, Asia Society Switzerland
Editor/producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

As tensions simmer in its immediate environment, Japan is on high alert. In the midst of China's "sustained aggressiveness," Japan is revising its defense and security policies.
But how does this align with its pacifist constitution, and is there still room for engagement with China? Hear from Yuki Tatsumi, Senior Fellow, Co-Director of the East Asia Program, and Director of the Japan Program at the Stimson Center in Washington, DC.
Yuki sheds light on Japan's historical approach to China, the current state of their bilateral relations, and the delicate balance between deterrence and engagement.
We also discuss the implications of Japan's changing security policies on its relationship with other regional players, including South Korea and India and we explore the sentiment of the Japanese public towards these shifts.

Want more insights on Japan’s foreign policy? Watch Gideon Rachman, chief foreign affairs commentator at the Financial Times in conversation with Jesper Koll at Asia Society Japan in this video.

STATE OF ASIA brings you engaging conversations with leading minds on the issues that shape Asia and affect us all.
Stay up-to-date on all events and activities at Asia Society Switzerland: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.

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STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland. 
Season 6, episode 5 - Published: May 28, 2024
Host/Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

China’s leader Xi Jinping raised his country’s relationship with EU and NATO member Hungary to a level that puts Hungary almost as close to Beijing’s chest as Russia and North Korea are.

Western Europe long regarded  the ’new’ EU member states in the East as Trojan horses. But views on, and relations with, China have grown very diverse in Central and Eastern Europe. Especially in the Baltics, the Czech Republic and, increasingly, Poland, China is looked at with suspicion, given its support of Russia’s war in Ukraine and Beijing's failed attempt over the past decade to reel them in through the now defunct 17+1 grouping.

A week after Xi’s visit to Hungary, Serbia, and France, and ahead of June’s European Parliament elections, we speak with Alicja Bachulska, policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations on how the experiences Central and Eastern European countries have dealing with China can contribute to a stronger European China policy.

Alicja co-authored The Missing Pieces? How CEE Can Contribute To A Stronger European Approach To China, a research paper published in April 2024. The full report is available on the website of CHOICE, China Observers in Central and Eastern Europe.

Also in April, the Asia Society Policy Institute published a report on the experience Lithuania had dealing with economic coercion coming from China. That’s available here.

STATE OF ASIA brings you engaging conversations with leading minds on the issues that shape Asia and affect us all.
Stay up-to-date on all events and activities at Asia Society Switzerland: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.

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STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland. 
Season 6, episode 4 - Published: May 14, 2024
Host/Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

Indira Ranamagar is Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nepal since January 2023. She started her career as a primary science and maths teacher in village schools in the southeast of Nepal, and became a social worker in prisons in 1990. For well over 30 years now, she has been a prolific human rights and social worker. In 2000, she founded the NGO Prisoner’s Assistance Nepal, which looks after prisoners' welfare and works to give children whose parents are imprisoned an education and a roof over their heads.

In 2022, she was elected to Nepal’s House of Representatives on behalf of a brand-new political party, taking her social work from the streets to parliament.

In 2007, Indira was named an Asia 21 Young Leader by the global network of Asia Society, while in 2009 her NGO PA Nepal received the Asia Society Asia 21 Public Service Award. In 2017, she was the first Nepali to feature on the BBC’s list of the 100 most influential women in the world.

For more on Nepal, watch this episode of our popular series A Closer Look: a quick but deep dive into the Himalayan nation with Nepalese investor Suman Joshi, recorded in March, 2023.

STATE OF ASIA brings you engaging conversations with leading minds on the issues that shape Asia and affect us all.
Stay up-to-date on all events and activities at Asia Society Switzerland: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.

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STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland. 
Season 6, episode 3 - Published: April 29, 2024
Host/Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

Nalin Mehta is a political scientist and journalist in Delhi, India, and author of The New BJP, a work you can only call THE  book on the BJP, the largest political party in the world.
Under the leadership of India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP has solidified its position as the uncontested center of power in the world's most populous country.

As India heads to the polls over a 6-week period beginning April 19, we talk with Nalin about how the BJP built and expanded its power base, and what Modi, who is all but certain to once again win the elections, could set as priorities upon starting his second decade as Prime Minister.

STATE OF ASIA brings you engaging conversations with leading minds on the issues that shape Asia and affect us all.
Stay up-to-date on all events and activities at Asia Society Switzerland: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.

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STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland. 
Season 6, episode 2 - Published: April 16, 2024
Host: Nico Luchsinger, Executive Director, Asia Society Switzerland
Editor/Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

There is little to dispute about Asia's rise as a key feature of our time. Already the world's most populous region, Asian countries have steadily gained in economic and political influence on the world stage in recent decades. While in the past this development has been driven heavily by China, the next few years will see countries like India, Indonesia, and Vietnam expand their international clout.

As the balance of power shifts east, will the world order inevitably change? Asia is far from a monolithic actor, and for all the talk about an "Asian Century", there is arguably no coherent vision from Asia on how the global community should operate. And many countries, especially China, have benefitted from the current system, and might seek to adjust rather than replace it.

In this bonus episode of STATE OF ASIA, listen to four experts taking sides over the motion "Asia’s Rise Will Lead to a New World Order", as they did in an Oxford Debate in front of a live audience in Zurich on April 8, 2024.

Presenting clear-cut, time-constrained, well-thought-out arguments are:

• John Delury, a historian and a professor at Yonsei University in Seoul.
• Abigaël Vasselier, director for Policy and European Affairs and head of the Foreign Relations team at MERICS in Berlin.
• Julia Ganter, Programme Director International Affairs at the German foundation Körber-Stiftung and head of the Körber Emerging Middle Powers Initiative, based in Berlin.
• John Lee, director of consultancy East West Futures and a researcher at the Leiden Asia Centre.

Watch the entire debate on the Asia Society YouTube channel, and learn more about the speakers on our website.

Our Oxford Debate series offers insights into complex issues, presented in short and clear arguments. Find all editions here.

Stay up-to-date on all our activities: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.

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STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland. 
Season 6, bonus episode 3 - Published: April 9,  2024
Host and Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

Johan Nylander is an award-winning author and freelance China and Asia correspondent. His work is published by CNN, Forbes, Sweden’s leading business daily Dagens Industri, and many other international media outlets.

His most recent book is The Wolf Economy Awakens – Mongolia’s Fight for Democracy, and a Green and Digital Future (Hong Kong University Press, 2023). It's full of original reporting and great conversations with Mongolians, from angry elderly people in the street and the lead singer of internationally successful Mongolian band The HU to the country's Prime Minister.

In this episode, we talk about how Mongolia is gearing up to be Asia's next economic miracle. And it's not just because of mining: the country has a vibrant tech start-up scene and is making strides in the energy transition.
All the while, this vibrant democracy of 3.3 million people, wedged between authoritarian giants China and Russia, manages to stay friendly with almost any country it interacts with.

Check out the music from The HU here, and watch here how Mongolia's largest restaurant, at the Oyu Tolgoy mine in the Gobi desert, feeds over 6,000 miners every day.
More on the upcoming Oxford Debate LIVE on the motion 'Asia's rise will lead to a new world order', taking place on April 8, 2024, in Zurich, is on our website.

STATE OF ASIA brings you engaging conversations with leading minds on the issues that shape Asia and affect us all.
Stay up-to-date on all events and activities at Asia Society Switzerland: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.

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STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland. 
Season 6, episode 1 - Published: March 26, 2024
Host/Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

STATE OF ASIA, the podcast from Asia Society Switzerland, is back with engaging conversations with leading minds on the issues that shape Asia and affect us all.

The new season premieres Tuesday, March 26, with a conversation with Hong Kong-based journalist and author Johan Nylander, whose latest book is a deep dive on one of Asia's largest but, for now, most unknown nations: Mongolia. New episodes follow every other Tuesday.

Plus: look out for special episodes bringing you insights from some of the many events organized by Asia Society Switzerland.
Stay up-to-date on all our activities: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.

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STATE OF ASIA is a podcast series from Asia Society Switzerland. 
Season 6 trailer - Published: March 19, 2024

Editor/Producer:
Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

A Closer Look is our popular series taking quick but deep dives into countries and issues that matter, with webcasts, podcasts, and in-person events.

This episode is part of A Closer Look: Indonesia After Jokowi, looking at what's next for the Southeast Asian giant now that the hugely popular President Joko Widodo is preparing to hand over to former general Prabowo Subianto, the winner of the February 14 elections.

Talking about Jokowi's legacy from a ground-level perspective are Nimas Mega Purnamasari, who runs the Bali campus of the national United in Diversity organization; and Yoes Kenawas, a research fellow at Atma Jaya Catholic University who is an expert on political dynasties in Indonesia, and a strong believer in the role of comedy in building a mature democracy.

More on A Closer Look: Indonesia After Jokowi, including the webcast is here.
Check out the trailer for hit drama series Cigarette Girl, and the music of Nadif Basalamah. And more of Indonesian stand-up comedian Pandji Pragiwaksono is here.

Stay up-to-date on all our activities: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.

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STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland. 
Season 6,  Bonus episode 2 - Published: February 20, 2024
Host and Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

For decades, Taiwan has existed in a fragile balance, neither truly independent nor unified with mainland China. While this status quo has proven surprisingly enduring, China's continued economic and military rise and its government’s increasing nationalistic rhetoric have raised fears of a conflict around the island – accidental or intentional.

What's the best approach to prevent further or more intense aggressive actions from China against Taiwan? Build up strong military deterrence, or go the way of diplomatic engagement?

In this bonus episode of STATE OF ASIA, listen to four experts debate this complicated issue.

The debaters, who presented clear-cut, time-constrained arguments in an Oxford Debate we hosted on January 23, 2024, are:

• Simona Grano, TOY Senior Fellow on Taiwan at Asia Society’s Center for China Analysis, and Associate Professor and Director of the Taiwan Studies Project at the University of Zurich, Switzerland
• James Lee, Professor at the Institute of European and American Studies at Academia Sinica, the national academy of  Taiwan
• Amanda Hsiao, Senior Analyst for China at the International Crisis Group
• Yu-Hua Chen, Assistant Professor in the Global Studies Program at Akita International University (AIU) in Japan

Watch the entire debate here, and learn more about the speakers on our website.

Our Oxford Debate series offers insights into complex issues, presented in short and clear arguments. Find all the debates here.

Stay up-to-date on all our activities: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.

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STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland. 
Season 6, bonus episode 1 - Published: January 25,  2024
Host and Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

Two terrific knowers of China talk about the prospects for the struggling Chinese economy and the question that's on the mind of foreign companies in the country: stay, or go?

Listen to Keyu Jin, well-connected professor at the London School of Economics and author of 2023's The New China Playbook; and Jörg Wuttke, President Emeritus of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China. They spoke on stage at the STATE OF ASIA conference, Asia Society Switzerland's flagship event, held on November 23, 2023, in Zurich.

The conversation was moderated by Martina Fuchs. Watch the full video here. All videos and written key takeaways from the entire 2023 STATE OF ASIA conference are available on our site.

Stay up-to-date on all our activities: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.

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STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland. 
Season 5, bonus episode 3 - Published: January 4, 2024
Host and Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

’The Weirdo’ is a podcast for people who live up to its name. It’s a very popular weekly Chinese-language show, where younger generation Chinese living both inside China and elsewhere come together to talk about topics ranging from international relations to personal relationships, from current events to the big issues of our time.
It’s, as the hosts say it, about ‘human survival in a complex and ever-changing world’.

On this episode, we speak with Qing Wang, one of the hosts of ’The Weirdo’, about not fitting in, the courage to say no, how Europe’s image has changed among people in China – and not for the better.

Qing Wang is one of the speakers at our flagship STATE OF ASIA conference on November 7 in Zurich. Have a look at the full line-up and find information on how to get tickets on our website.

STATE OF ASIA brings you engaging conversations with leading minds on the issues that shape Asia and affect us all.

Stay up-to-date on all events and activities at Asia Society Switzerland: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.

—
STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland. 
Season 7, episode 4 - Published: October 15, 2024
Host, editor/producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

On November 21, 2023, Singaporean diplomatic legend Bilahari Kausikan delivered Asia Society Switzerland's second annual State of Asia Address in front of a full house in the prestigious Aula of the University of Zurich.
He set himself up to answer the question: Will this – can this – be the ‘Asian century’, in a highly original speech filled with fundamental insights in the big issues facing Asia and the world.

Bilahari is former Ambassador and Permanent Secretary of Singapore. He has spent his entire career in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During his 37 years in the Ministry, he served in a variety of appointments at home and abroad, including as Ambassador to the Russian Federation and to the UN in New York. Among others, he is a Member of the Advisory Council of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). He studied at Raffles Institution, the University of Singapore and Columbia University in New York.

The full text of his speech is available as a download on our website. A video of Bilahari delivering the State of Asia Address is here.

STATE OF ASIA brings you engaging conversations with leading minds on the issues that shape Asia and affect us all.


Stay up-to-date on all events and activities at Asia Society Switzerland: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member. We'll be back with a new season of the podcast in early 2024.

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STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland. 
Season 5, episode 6 - Published: November 23, 2023
Host/Editor: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

Fuchsia Dunlop is a master cook, celebrated food writer, and accredited chef of Chinese cuisines. She was the first Westerner to train as a chef at the Sichuan Institute of Higher Cuisine and has spent much of the last two decades exploring China and its food. She is the author of several award-winning books, and a contributor to the Financial Times, the New Yorker, and other publications

Her latest book is Invitation to a Banquet – The Story of Chinese Food, a fascinating 400-page read on the history and culture of Chinese cuisie, of which The New York Times wrote: 'This book will not only entertain and instruct you — it might make you go mad with longing.’

In this episode, Fuchsia talks about the joyfulness and adventurous approach many Chinese have towards food, about the 'most terrible misunderstanding' surrounding Chinese food in the West, and about how Chinese cuisine holds the secret to eating less meat, without feeling you're missing out.

Last year, Fuchsia talked about the flavors of Sichuan at an Asia Society Switzerland event in Zurich. Watch the video here.

STATE OF ASIA brings you engaging conversations with leading minds on the issues that shape Asia and affect us all.

Join us for the State of Asia Address, delivered by Singaporean diplomatic veteran Bilahari Kausikan on Nov 21 in Zurich. More info here.
Stay up-to-date on all events and activities at Asia Society Switzerland: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.

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STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland. 
Season 5, episode 5 - Published: November 14, 2023
Host: Nico Luchsinger, Executive Director, Asia Society Switzerland
Editor/Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

India is having an eventful year. It led the G20, worked to welcome more members into the BRICS, and it landed on the moon. Despite persisting domestic issues, from economic inequality to shrinking civil liberties, India is thriving in its foreign relations – which may help Prime Minister Modi, as he gears up for elections due next spring.

 India has an ambitious goal: to become the world's third largest economy and to emerge as a geopolitical superpower. Will it be able to deliver on that growth and ambition?

In this bonus episode of STATE OF ASIA, listen to four experts debate whether India will become a global superpower in the next decade, or see itself crippled by the many obstacles it still faces. The debaters, who presented clear-cut, time-constrained, well-thought-out arguments in an Oxford Debate we hosted on November 2, 2023, are:

• Frédéric Grare, senior policy fellow with the Asia Program at the European Council on Foreign Relations.
• Yamini Aiyar, President and Chief Executive at the independent Center for Policy Research in New Delhi.
• Garima Mohan, who heads the India Trilateral Forum at the German Marshall Fund.
• Rathin Roy, managing director of independent global think tank ODI.

Watch the entire debate here, and learn more about the speakers, on our website.

Our Oxford Debate series offers insights into complex issues, presented in short and clear arguments. Find all the debates here.

Stay up-to-date on all our activities: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.

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STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland. 
Season 5, bonus episode 2 - Published: November 7, 2023
Host and Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

C. Raja Mohan is a Senior Fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute in Delhi, India who has published widely on India’s foreign and security policies, Asian geopolitics, and the global governance of advanced technologies.

Last November, he delivered our annual State of Asia Address, which he kicked off by saying he wouldn't have minded talking about Europe, as he was 'deeply fascinated and troubled' by what he saw happening there. So, for this episode, we dialed up Raja in Delhi to ask him about his views on the State of Europe.

He explains why he's troubled by Europe's inability to take charge and measure up to the many challenges playing out within and at its borders. He implores Europe to stop ignoring what's happening in the rest of the world, to recognize the dangers of its decline, and to rethink its strategies. "The party is over. Come back to the real world."

Raja's 2022 State of Asia Address is available in an earlier episode of this podcast here, and on YouTube.
This year's State of Asia Address will be delivered by Singaporean diplomatic veteran Bilahari Kausikan in Zurich, Switzerland, on November 21, 2023. Information on how to get tickets is  on our website.

STATE OF ASIA brings you engaging conversations with leading minds on the issues that shape Asia and affect us all.

Stay up-to-date on all events and activities at Asia Society Switzerland: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.

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STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland. 
Season 5, episode 4 - Published: October 31, 2023
Host and Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland
Associate Producer: Manuela Coldesina, Operations Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

Simona Grano is an associate professor at the University of Zurich and a Senior Fellow at Asia Society's Center for China Analysis, where she focuses on Taiwan and its upcoming presidential election.

In this episode she gives us a lay of the land ahead of Taiwan's January 2024 presidential election. Instead of the usual 2, this time 4 candidates are on the ballot. How will this split the vote? And how will China react if, for the first time ever, the pro-independence DPP manages to  win the presidency for a third time in a row?

Simona  will speak at the STATE OF ASIA conference in Zurich on November 22, 2023. Find information on how to get tickets on our website.

STATE OF ASIA brings you engaging conversations with leading minds on the issues that shape Asia and affect us all.

Stay up-to-date on all events and activities at Asia Society Switzerland: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.

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STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland. 
Season 5, episode 3 - Published: October 17, 2023
Host: Nico Luchsinger, Executive Director, Asia Society Switzerland
Editor and Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

Things are heating up in Solomon Islands. The South Pacific island nation of 700,000 people is gearing up to host its greatest event ever: the 2023 Pacific Games. China has built and financed most of the venues for the games, while Australia paid for dormitories for the 5,000 athletes from 24 countries, and Japan is improving the roads. All this, as the U.S.  reopened its embassy after 30 years, to counter growing Chinese influence in the region.

In this bonus episode, hear from two Solomon Islanders on what it's like to be wooed by multiple powers. Dorothy Wickham is a veteran journalist from the Solomons. Jay Bartlett is a leading local entrepreneur, who served as chairman of the country's Chamber of Commerce, and sits on the board of the central bank.

In February 2023 they spoke with Simona Grano, associate professor at the University of Zurich and frequent contributor to programs at Asia Society Switzerland, as part of our online series A Closer Look. This is an outtake of that conversation.

Watch the full conversation on our website.

STATE OF ASIA brings you engaging conversations with leading minds on the issues that shape Asia and affect us all.
Stay up-to-date on all events and activities at Asia Society Switzerland: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.

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STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland. 
Season 5, bonus episode 1 - Published: October 10, 2023
Host and Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

Alexander Gabuev is the Director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, based in Berlin.

In this episode, he talks about having to leave Moscow and how he now gauges what's happening in Russia from abroad. He explains how Russia is out of options and increasingly seems to become a vassal state of China, and he talks about how alienation between China and Russia on one side, and the West on the other, is here to stay – and what that means.

Alexander  will speak at the STATE OF ASIA conference in Zurich on November 22, 2023. Find information on how to get tickets on our website.

STATE OF ASIA brings you engaging conversations with leading minds on the issues that shape Asia and affect us all.

Stay up-to-date on all events and activities at Asia Society Switzerland: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.

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STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland. 
Season 5, episode 2 - Published: October 3, 2023
Host: Serena Jung,Program and Communications Director, Asia Society Switzerland
Editor and Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

Bilahari Kausikan is an iconic veteran of diplomacy, with a career of 37 years under his belt at Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He served as Ambassador to Russia, to the UN in New York, and as the Ministry's Permanent Secretary.

In this episode, he explains why he's not unhopeful about the state of the world, the fundamental dilemma facing China, and how, as a small country, you can still have agency on the global stage.

Bilahari will deliver the annual STATE OF ASIA Address in Zurich, Switzerland, on November 21, 2023. He'll also speak at the STATE OF ASIA conference the following day. Find information on how to get tickets on our website.

STATE OF ASIA brings you engaging conversations with leading minds on the issues that shape Asia and affect us all.

Stay up-to-date on all events and activities at Asia Society Switzerland: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.

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STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland. 
Season 5, episode 1 - Published: September 19, 2023
Host and Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

State of Asia, the podcast from Asia Society Switzerland, is back with a new season of engaging conversations with leading minds on the issues that shape Asia and affect us all.

The season premieres Tuesday, Sep 19, with a conversation with Bilahari Kausikan, former Ambassador and Permanent Secretary at Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. New episodes follow every other Tuesday.

Bilahari, as well as other guests featured this season, will be in Zurich, Switzerland, to speak at our flagship STATE OF ASIA conference on November 21 and 22, 2023. More info here.

Over the coming months, special episodes of State of Asia will also bring you insights from some of the many events organised by Asia Society Switzerland.
Stay up-to-date on all our activities: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.

State of Asia is a podcast series from Asia Society Switzerland. 
Season 5 trailer - Published: September 12, 2023

Hosts:
Nico Luchsinger, Executive Director, Asia Society Switzerland
Serena Jung, Program and Communications Director, Asia Society Switzerland
Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

Editor/Producer:
Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

Asia Inside Out, a podcast from our friends at the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI), just relaunched. The first episode, which we're sharing here, features Rahm Emanuel, U.S. Ambassador to Japan, in conversation with Rorry Daniels, Managing Director at ASPI.
Subscribe to Asia Inside Out in your favourite podcast app, or listen here.

Get in the right starting position to fill the second half of the year with great Asia content and events. Register now to attend our annual flagship STATE OF ASIA conference, taking place November 22, 2023, in Zurich, Switzerland. More information here.

Before that, dive into what needs to be done both in Asia and Europe to speed up the energy transition. Join the inaugural Asia Sustainability Dialogue, on August 31, 2023, in Zurich and online. Registration is free and open to anyone, here.

Much more is coming up. Stay up-to-date on all our activities: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.

STATE OF ASIA brings you engaging conversations with leading minds on the issues that shape Asia and affect us all. Regular episodes returning this fall.
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STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland. 
Season 4, episode 6.5 (bonus episode) - Published: July 18, 2023
Host and Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

On October 20, 2024, Indonesia will inaugurate Prabowo Subianto as its new President. Ever since his election win back in February, world leaders have been courting Prabowo, meeting with him even before he has taken office. Prabowo seems to love presidenting around the world much more than current President Joko Widodo did during his ten years in office.

If all goes well, says Dewi Fortuna Anwar, our guest on this episode, Indonesia under Prabowo could claim a much more active role on the world stage to deal with global issues like climate change and energy security. But Prabowo is also known to be temperamental and at times unpredictable, finding particular joy in sneering at Europe.

Dewi Fortuna Anwar is one of the speakers at our flagship STATE OF ASIA conference on November 7 in Zurich. Have a look at the full line-up and find information on how to get tickets on our website.

STATE OF ASIA brings you engaging conversations with leading minds on the issues that shape Asia and affect us all.

Stay up-to-date on all events and activities at Asia Society Switzerland: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.

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STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland. 
Season 7, episode 3 - Published: October 1, 2024
Host, editor/producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

Evan Feigenbaum, Vice President at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, has a career spanning the highest levels of government, academia, think tanks, and the private sector, covering Central, South, and East Asia. It makes him uniquely qualified to discuss the State of Asia writ large on this final episode of the season.

He talks about how China and the US act as 'security narcissists', creating a danger for the whole region, and how other Asian countries are nervously trying to navigate this predicament.
Plus: hear why Even calls India a 'dissatisfied power' and why it's a problem that Europe is not being serious about Asia beyond China.

STATE OF ASIA brings you engaging conversations with leading minds on the issues that shape Asia and affect us all. We'll be back this fall with a new season. Until then, look out for bonus episodes in this feed, featuring content from other Asia Society podcasts and some of the many events we organise at Asia Society Switzerland.

Stay up-to-date on all our activities: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.

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STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland. 
Season 4, episode 6 - Published: July 4, 2023
Host: Nico Luchsinger, Executive Director, Asia Society Switzerland
Editor/Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

In this bonus episode of STATE OF ASIA, listen to four experts debate whether Europe should side with the U.S. on China, or carve out its own path in the relationship with Beijing.
They participated in an Oxford Debate in front of a live audience in Zurich on June 26, 2023, organised by Asia Society Switzerland. Presenting clear-cut, time-constrained, well-thought-out arguments are:

• Noah Barkin, Senior Advisor in Rhodium Group's China practice, based in Berlin, Germany.
• Philippe Le Corre, Senior Fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute's Center for China Analysis, based in Paris, France.
• Simona Grano, Senior Lecturer in Chinese Studies and Director of the Taiwan Studies Project at the University of Zurich, Switzerland.
• Marina Rudyak, Assistant Professor at the Institute of Chinese Studies at the University of Heidelberg, Germany.

Watch the entire debate here, and learn more about the speakers, on our website.

Our Oxford Debate series offers insights into complex issues, presented in short and clear arguments. Find all the debates here.

Stay up-to-date on all our activities: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.

STATE OF ASIA brings you engaging conversations with leading minds on the issues that shape Asia and affect us all.
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STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland. 
Season 4, episode 5.5 (bonus episode) - Published: June 27, 2023
Host and Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

Amrita Narlikar is President of the German Institute for Global and Area Studies and Professor of International Relations at the University of Hamburg. She is currently also serving as a co-chair of the T20's Task Force 3, which forms a part of the G20 process under India's Presidency.

In this episode, she talks about why the West should engage and cooperate with India a lot more than it's doing now, about the new character of globalised trade, and the unique perspective India brings to its current G20 presidency.

STATE OF ASIA brings you engaging conversations with leading minds on the issues that shape Asia and affect us all. New episodes are released every other Tuesday.

Stay up-to-date on all our activities: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.

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STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland. 
Season 4, episode 5 - Published: June 20, 2023
Host: Serena Jung, Program and Communications Director, Asia Society Switzerland
Editor/Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

Brian Hioe 丘琦欣 is a Taipei-based editor and writer. He is one of the founding editors of New Bloom Magazine, an online magazine covering activism and youth politics in Taiwan and Asia Pacific. He is a non-resident fellow at the University of Nottingham’s Taiwan Studies Programme, as well as a freelance journalist and translator. He also writes regularly for The Diplomat on Taiwan.

He tweets on all things Taiwan, sometimes by the minute,  @brianhioe.

In this episode, Brian talks about how people in Taiwan experience the rise and fall, but mostly rise, in cross Strait tensions – which have been a given on the island for decades now. And he looks ahead at the upcoming presidential election. While the world sees Taiwan mainly as a powder keg in the midst of China / U.S. strife, many voters also look at domestic issues like lackluster economic growth.

STATE OF ASIA brings you engaging conversations with leading minds on the issues that shape Asia and affect us all. New episodes are released every other Tuesday.

Stay up-to-date on all our activities: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.

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STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland. 
Season 4, episode 4 - Published: June 6, 2023
Host and Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

Huong Le Thu is a non-resident fellow with the Southeast Asia program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. She's a prolific writer and influential voice on Southeast Asia and its role in the region.

In this episode, she talks about Southeast Asia's positioning in the great power competition between China and the U.S., and what opportunities can arise from it for both the region as a whole and for countries like Vietnam individually.

The essay  'How to Survive a Great-Power Competition' she wrote for the latest issue of Foreign Affairs, which is referred to in the podcast, can be found here.

STATE OF ASIA brings you engaging conversations with leading minds on the issues that shape Asia and affect us all. New episodes are released every other Tuesday.

Stay up-to-date on all our activities: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.

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STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland. 
Season 4, episode 3 - Published: May 23, 2023
Host: Serena Jung, Program and Communications Director, Asia Society Switzerland
Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

In this bonus episode of STATE OF ASIA, listen to four experts debate whether Japan's recently announced military build-up is a threat to regional stability, in an Oxford Debate organised on May 9, 2023, by Asia Society Switzerland.

Presenting clear-cut, time-constrained arguments are:

• John Delury, professor of Chinese Studies at Yonsei University in Seoul
• Lionel Fetton, assistant professor of International Relations at Webster University in Geneva
• Yuka Koshino, research fellow for Security and Technology Policy at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London
• Ken Moriyasu, diplomatic correspondent at Nikkei Asia in Tokyo

Watch the entire debate on the website of Asia Society. See previous Oxford Debates here.

Stay up-to-date on all our activities: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.

STATE OF ASIA brings you engaging conversations with leading minds on the issues that shape Asia and affect us all. New episodes are released every other Tuesday.
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STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland. 
Season 4, episode 2.5 (bonus episode) - Published: May 16, 2023
Host and Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

Marina Rudyak is a sinologist at the University of Heidelberg in Germany, working on the intersections of China Studies and International Development. Her research focuses on China as a global development actor, the implications of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and China in Central Asia and Africa. She also frequently comments on China's relationships with Russia and Europe.

In this episode, she talks about the difference between the Chinese and the western definition of successful development aid, about how and why China sees itself as the voice of the Global South, and much more.

Join us for the first live Oxford Debate on June 26 in Zurich, where Marina will be debating with three other stellar experts, Noah Barkin, Simona Grano, and Philippe Le Corre, on whether or not Europe should side with the U.S. in its China policies. More information on our website.

STATE OF ASIA brings you engaging conversations with leading minds on the issues that shape Asia and affect us all. New episodes are released every other Tuesday.

Stay up-to-date on all our activities: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.

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STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland. 
Season 4, episode 2 - Published: May 9, 2023
Host: Nico Luchsinger, Executive Director, Asia Society Switzerland
Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

Sherry Rehman is Pakistan's Federal Minister for Climate Change. She was just named one of 2023's 100 most influential people in the world by TIME magazine. At the most recent U.N. climate talks, in November 2022, she led a delegation of 77 developing nations plus China.

She sits down with Asia Society Switzerland to talk about the apocalyptic effect climate change is already having on her country. She explains what she means by 'climate colonialism', and how she remains hopeful the world will realise that real action needs to be taken now.

State of Asia brings you engaging conversations with leading minds on the issues that shape Asia and affect us all. New episodes are released every other Tuesday.

Stay up-to-date on all our activities: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.

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State of Asia is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland. 
Season 4, episode 1 - Published: April 25, 2023
Host and Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

State of Asia, the podcast from Asia Society Switzerland, is back with a new season of engaging conversations with leading minds on the issues that shape Asia and affect us all.

The season premieres this Tuesday with a conversation with Sherry Rehman, Pakistan's Federal Minister for Climate Change. New episodes follow every other Tuesday.

Over the coming months, special episodes of State of Asia will also bring you insights from some of the many events organised by Asia Society Switzerland.

Stay up-to-date on all our activities: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.

State of Asia is a podcast series from Asia Society Switzerland. 
Season 4 trailer - Published: April 18, 2023
Host: Nico Luchsinger, Executive Director, Asia Society Switzerland
Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

A bonus episode, fully dedicated to India, before we kick-off an all new season of the State of Asia podcast.

Nico Luchsinger, Executive Director of Asia Society Switzerland, recently spent nine days in India to take the pulse of the subcontinent that is certainly having its moment. He spoke with a wide range of experts in New Delhi on India's development, domestic and foreign politics, economy, and pioneering digital infrastructure. And he went to the movies.
Nico talks about his experiences with Aurelia Rauch, Creative Director at Bergos AG and host of Bergos Now, the bank's weekly podcast.

The conversation was recorded in March 2023 and published in its original form as an episode of Bergos Now. Thanks to Bergos, a Corporate Member of Asia Society Switzerland, for letting us share it with you here.
For more of Bergos Now, subscribe here.

The State of Asia podcast returns with an all new season on April 25, 2023. Subscribe to this feed to catch all episodes.

Stay up-to-date on the many diverse activities of Asia Society Switzerland. Subscribe to our newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.

State of Asia is a podcast series from Asia Society Switzerland. 
Episode 9 - Published: March 23, 2022
Host: Nico Luchsinger, Executive Director, Asia Society Switzerland
Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

Over the past year, U.S.-China relations have seen slight improvement, in part driven by the U.S. desire for stability leading up to the Presidential election. Regardless of whether Kamala Harris or Donald Trump wins the election, the new President will have to make a crucial decision: maintain this fragile period of stability, or press forward with more competitive measures to push back against China's rise. The decision will hinge on a policy debate that balances the need to deter Chinese aggression with the importance of reassuring China about U.S. long-term intentions, particularly regarding sensitive issues like Taiwan.

Should the new U.S. administration double down on tougher deterrence, including military hard power and denying China access to advanced technology? Or should it instead seek reassurance, aiming to collaborate with China on global issues such as climate change?

Listen to an Oxford Debate co-organized by Asia Society Policy Institute and Asia Society Switzerland and held on September 17, 2024, on the motion “The next U.S. administration must reassure China, not just deter it”.

Presenting clear-cut, time-constrained, well-thought-out arguments are:

• Yun Sun, Director of the China Program at the Stimson Center
• Rorry Daniels, Managing Director, Asia Society Policy Institute
• James Crabtree, TOY Senior Fellow at Asia Society Switzerland and at the Asia Society Policy Institute
• Jason Hsu, former Taiwanese Legislator and Mason Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School

Learn more about the speakers on the event's website and watch the video of the entire debate here.

Our Oxford Debate series offers insights into complex issues, presented in short and clear arguments. Find all the debates here.

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STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland. 
Season 7, Bonus Episode 1 - Published: September 18, 2024
Host, editor/producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

A nice extra in the State of Asia feed: an episode of Bergos Now, the podcast from Bergos Private Bank, hosted by Aurelia Rauch. In this episode, Aurelia speaks with Nico Luchsinger, Executive Director of Asia Society Switzerland, on the State of Asia.

Together they ask themselves: Is this the Asian Century? And where is Asia, really?
The episode was recorded in October 2022. Thanks to Bergos, a corporate partner of Asia Society Switzerland, for letting us share the episode with you here.

Listen to more of Bergos Now, and subscribe, here.

Stay up-to-date on all activities of Asia Society Switzerland. Subscribe to our newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.

State of Asia is a podcast series from Asia Society Switzerland.  The new season starts  at the end of April 2023 – be sure to subscribe to this feed to catch it.

Episode 8 - Published: December 27, 2022
Host: Nico Luchsinger, Executive Director, Asia Society Switzerland
Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

In this bonus episode of State of Asia, listen to four stellar experts debating whether China has reached the peak of its global power, in a recent Oxford Debate organised by Asia Society Switzerland.

Presenting clear-cut, time-constrained, well-thought-out arguments are:

• Simona Grano, Senior Lecturer and Director of the Taiwan Studies Project at the University of Zurich
• Bates Gill, Executive Director of the Center for China Analysis at the Asia Society Policy Institute
• Dan Rosen, Co-Founder of Rhodium Group, where he leads the research on China
• Rorry Daniels, Managing Director at the Asia Society Policy Institute and Senior Fellow at its Center for China Analysis

Watch the entire debate on Asia Society's YouTube channel. See previous Oxford Debates on the website of Asia Society Switzerland.

Stay up-to-date on all activities of Asia Society Switzerland. Subscribe to our newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.

State of Asia is a podcast series from Asia Society Switzerland.  The new season starts  early in 2023 – be sure to subscribe to this feed to catch it.

Episode 7 - Published: December 7, 2022
Host and Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

In this episode, listen to the inaugural State of Asia Address, given by C. Raja Mohan, one of India's foremost foreign policy thinkers and a Senior Fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute in New Delhi.

Raja talks about new pessimism surrounding the rise of Asia with the return of great power rivalry. He pleads for much deeper connections between Asia and Europe to build security, stability, and prosperity in the face of current and coming crises.

Raja spoke on the eve of the STATE OF ASIA conference in Zurich, Switzerland. Check out previous episodes to hear more from him and others who spoke at the conference on November 10, 2022.

Videos of the conference will be published on Asia Society's YouTube channel soon.

Stay up-to-date on all activities of Asia Society Switzerland. Subscribe to our newsletter. 

State of Asia is a podcast series from Asia Society Switzerland. New episodes coming soon.

Host: Nico Luchsinger, Executive Director, Asia Society Switzerland
Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

Agatha Kratz heads Rhodium Group’s China corporate advisory team, as well as its research on European Union-China relations and China’s economic statecraft. She contributes to Rhodium's work on China’s global investment, industrial policy and technology aspirations. Agatha is also a non-resident Adjunct Fellow of the Reconnecting Asia Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies under the Simon Chair in Political Economy.

In this episode, Agatha talks about why the reasons for China's economic slowdown go much deeper than zero-COVID lockdowns. She explains how she still manages to get new information on China, with travel to the country being virtually impossible for over 2.5 years now. And she gets into what's off about the German chancellor's visit to Beijing.

After listening to this episode, grab the opportunity to hear Agatha Kratz speak live, in-person, at the STATE OF ASIA conference on November 10, 2022, in Zurich, Switzerland. There, she will be joined by many others of our trusted experts.
For more details, the full speaker line-up, and information on how to get tickets, visit our website.

Stay up-to-date on all activities of Asia Society Switzerland. Subscribe to our newsletter. 

State of Asia is a podcast series from Asia Society Switzerland. New episodes are published every other Monday.

Host: Nico Luchsinger, Executive Director, Asia Society Switzerland
Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

James Crabtree leads the growing research team of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Singapore, focused on the Asia-Pacific. Prior to joining the IISS, James was a Singapore-based author and journalist, and an Associate Professor of Practice at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. His best-selling 2018 book, The Billionaire Raj: A Journey Through India’s New Gilded Age was shortlisted for the FT / McKinsey book of the year.

In this episode, James talks about the effects of increasing tensions between China and other great powers on Southeast Asia. We also talk about whether this is still 'the Asian Century' we expected it to be. And James shares which country particularly surprises him.

After listening to this episode, grab the opportunity to hear James Crabtree speak live, in-person, at the STATE OF ASIA conference on November 10, 2022, in Zurich, Switzerland. There, he will be joined by many others of our trusted experts.
For more details, the full speaker line-up, and information on how to get tickets, visit our website.

Stay up-to-date on all activities of Asia Society Switzerland. Subscribe to our newsletter. 

State of Asia is a podcast series from Asia Society Switzerland. New episodes are published every other Monday.

Host: Nico Luchsinger, Executive Director, Asia Society Switzerland
Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

Leni Robredo was the 14th Vice President of the Philippines, serving from 2016 to 2022. During her term, she reinvented the Office of the Vice President from a purely ceremonial one into an advocacy centered office, instituting poverty alleviation programs all over the country.
This May, she lost in the presidential elections to Ferdinand 'Bong Bong' Marcos, Jr., who spoke at Asia Society on Sep. 23, 2022. Robredo then set up Angat Buhay, a non governmental organization which focuses on education, health, community engagement, disaster response and rehabilitation. Angat Buhay aims to become the biggest network of volunteers in the entire country.

In this episode, Robredo talks about how a targeted disinformation campaign tripped up her run for President of the Philippines this spring, what can be done to combat fake news, and about the ambitious goals she sees ahead for ASEAN.

After listening to this episode, grab the opportunity to hear Leni Robredo speak live, in-person, at the STATE OF ASIA conference on November 10, 2022, in Zurich, Switzerland. There, she will be joined by many others of our trusted experts.
For more details, the full speaker line-up, and information on how to get tickets, visit our website.

Stay up-to-date on all activities of Asia Society Switzerland. Subscribe to our newsletter. 

State of Asia is a podcast series from Asia Society Switzerland. New episodes are published every other Monday.

Host: Nico Luchsinger, Executive Director, Asia Society Switzerland
Producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

C. Raja Mohan is one if India's foremost foreign policy thinkers and a Senior Fellow with the Asia Society Policy Institute in New Delhi, India. He has published widely on India's foreign and security policies and Asian geopolitics.
He also is a columnist for Foreign Policy and a contributing editor on international affairs at the Indian Express.

In this episode, he talks about the challenges to find balance among multiple great powers in Asia, about why the effect of India's foreign policy seems to lag behind expectations, and on why criticism from Western countries on the state of India's democracy is misplaced.

After listening to this episode, grab the opportunity to hear Raja speak live, as he delivers the STATE OF ASIA address in Zurich, Switzerland, on November 9, 2022.

Raja will also speak  at the STATE OF ASIA conference on November 10, 2022, in Zurich, Switzerland. There, he will be joined by many others of our trusted experts.
For more details, the full speaker line-up, and information on how to get tickets, visit our website.

State of Asia is a podcast series from Asia Society Switzerland. New episodes are published every other Monday.

Host: Nico Luchsinger, Executive Director, Asia Society Switzerland
Producer: Remko Tanis, Program and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

Stay up-to-date on all activities of Asia Society Switzerland. Subscribe to our newsletter. 

Tomohiko Taniguchi was Special Advisor to Japan's longest-serving Prime Minister, the late Shinzo Abe.
He was the primary writer on Abe's foreign policy speeches, having joined the ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2005 after a 20-year career in journalism at Nikkei Business.
He is currently a professor at Keio University specializing in international political economy and Japanese diplomacy.

In this conversation, he talks about his worries for security in Asia; who he thinks is the biggest threat to the future of Japan, and why hope remains such an important commodity if we want to turn things around.

After listening to this episode, grab the opportunity to hear Tomohiko Taniguchi speak live, in person, at the STATE OF ASIA conference on November 10, 2022, in Zurich, Switzerland. He will be joined by many others of our trusted experts.

For more details, the full speaker line-up, and information on how to get tickets, visit our website.

State of Asia is a podcast series from Asia Society Switzerland. New episodes are published every other Monday.

Host: Nico Luchsinger, Executive Director, Asia Society Switzerland
Producer: Remko Tanis, Program and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

Stay up-to-date on all activities of Asia Society Switzerland. Subscribe to our newsletter. 

State of Asia is the podcast from Asia Society Switzerland.

Engaging conversations with leading minds on current and future developments in Asia, that affect us all.

This season, our guests include: Leni Robredo, until recently Vice President of the Philippines; C Raja Mohan, one of India's foremost foreign policy thinkers; and John Zhu, Chief Economist Asia at Swiss Re in Hong Kong.
In our first episode, premiering Monday, we speak with Tomohiko Taniguchi, former Special Advisor to Japan's longest-serving Prime Minster, the late Shinzo Abe.

All of them have appeared alongside many others, in-person, at our State of Asia conference on November 9 and 10, 2022, in Zurich, Switzerland.

New episodes of the State of Asia podcast appear every other Monday.
Host: Nico Luchsinger, Executive Director, Asia Society Switzerland
Producer: Remko Tanis, Program and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

Stay up-to-date on all activities of Asia Society Switzerland. Subscribe to our newsletter. 

Legislative Council member Iswandy Ahmad and agricultural entrepreneur Dr. Vanessa Teo talk about their homeland Brunei – the independent Islamic sultanate on the island of Borneo. Brunei boasts a well-educated population, excellent infrastructure, and a stable government. It is a member of the Commonwealth and of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Since the discovery of petroleum resources in the 1920s, Brunei’s economy has largely been dependent on gas and oil revenues, making it one of the highest per capita income countries in Asia. The government has recognized the need to diversify the country’s economy, a topic which our speakers are also concerned about.

3:35 Background information on Brunei

6:08 Iswandy and Vanessa’s views on Brunei, and where it stands today 

9:43 The monarchy and its visions 

19:36 The agricultural sector which is highly technology-driven

31:17 Iswandy and Vanessa’s recommendations on places to visit and food to try in Brunei

Your host: Denise Staubli, Program Manager, Asia Society Switzerland
Moderator: Simona Grano, Senior Lecturer and Director of the Taiwan Studies Project at the University of Zurich (UZH)
Speakers:
The Honourable Iswandy Ahmad, Member of the Legislative Council of Brunei as Person who has Achieved Distinction
Dr. Vanessa Teo, Founder of Agrome, an agriculture technology platform
Production: Denise Staubli

Show Notes

Progresif Radio

Chop Jing Chew (in Bandar Seri Begawan), a restaurant developed in 1946 which serves tea and toast, and is a melting pot of the younger and older population

Hiking trails e.g. in the Ulu Temburong National Park to watch the sunset

Nasi Katok: white rice, chicken and sauce

Asia Society Switzerland webcast A Closer Look at Brunei with The Honourable Iswandy Ahmad and Dr. Vanessa Teo, June 3, 2021

With the U.S. heading to the polls in November, Asia, like the rest of the world, will be following the election outcome closely. While all U.S. elections are consequential for the world, this one seems especially so, with the two candidates charting divergent paths for U..S policy on issues such as global security, trade and climate change.

Hear from Asia Society’s global network of experts from Melbourne, Delhi, Hong Kong and Tokyo to explore how Asian countries perceive the U.S. role in Asia and what bearing the election will have on the region’s security and prosperity.

Recorded on September 11, 2024, at an event organized by the Asia Society Centers in Australia, India, Hong Kong, and Japan. Watch the full video here.

STATE OF ASIA brings you engaging conversations with leading minds on the issues that shape Asia and affect us all.

Stay up-to-date on all events and activities at Asia Society Switzerland: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.

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STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland. 
Season 7, episode 2 - Published: September 17, 2024
Host, editor/producer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

Supreme Court lawyer Sara Hossain and academic Dr. Faraha Nawaz talk about their homeland Bangladesh – one of the world’s most crowded countries. Bangladesh has been going through remarkable developments since the 1990s. Millions have been pulled out of poverty, the garment industry has flourished, and before the pandemic, economic growth exceeded 7% for four years in a row, outpacing not just Pakistan and India, but even China. This development is, however, contrasted with a complicated political and human rights situation and an erosion of democratic institutions, as our speakers point out.

3:03 Background information on Bangladesh

5:38 Sara and Faraha’s views on Bangladesh, and where it stands today 

11:10 The incredible development the country has undergone since the 1990s

15:02 About women in Bangladesh and some national politics, which also have been shaped mainly by women in recent years

29:38 Sara and Faraha’s recommendations on places to visit and food to try in Bangladesh

Your host: Denise Staubli, Program Manager, Asia Society Switzerland
Moderator: Nico Luchsinger, Executive Director, Asia Society Switzerland
Speakers:
Sara Hossain, Barrister at the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, Partner at the law firm of Dr. Kamal Hossain and Associates, pro bono Honorary Executive Director of the Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust
Dr. Faraha Nawaz, Associate Professor at the University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh
Production: Denise Staubli

Show Notes

National Fish Hilsa 

Roadside snacks, such as Singara

Cox's Bazar – the longest sea beach in the world

Saint Martin Island

Hilly areas in the Rangamati and Bandarban districts

Bangladesh’s many and large rivers amongst the biggest in the world, such as the Brahmaputra 

Leading newspapers in English, such as the Daily Prothom alo

The Colonel Who Would Not Repent, by Salil Tripathi about the Bangladeshi war

Books written by Shaheen Akhtar, who has won numerous awards for her fiction about Bangladesh's history and women's experience

Microfinance and Women’s Empowerment in Bangladesh by Dr. Faraha Nawaz, 2019

Confronting Constitutional Curtailments: Attempts to Rebuild Independence of the Judiciary in Bangladesh by Sara Hossain, in Paul Brass (ed) Handbook of Politics in South Asia, Routledge, 2010

Rohingya Refugee Women and Girls: Remedies and Responses to Sexual and Gender based Violence in Bangladesh by Sara Hossain and Sajeda Amin, in Imtiaz Ahmed (ed) The Rohingya Refugee Crisis: Towards Sustainable Solutions, Dhaka, 2019  

Asia Society Switzerland webcast A Closer Look at Bangladesh with Dr. Faraha Nawaz and Sara Hossain, June 17, 2021

Human rights lawyer Dilfuza Kurolova and political scientist Dr. Farkhod Tolipov talk about their homeland Uzbekistan – the land locked and most populous country of Central Asia. After two decades of economic and political isolation under the former President Islom Karimov, there are hopes that the current president will bring the much needed change to the former Soviet country. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev is more reform-orientated, more democratic and more liberal than his predecessor, and there has been a shift towards a more liberal life, though only a very slight one, and there is much to do to create a democratic system in Uzbekistan, as our speakers point out.

4:12 Background information on Uzbekistan

6:30 Dilfuza and Dr. Tolipov’s views on Uzbekistan, and where it stands today 

21:20 The cotton industry

26:57 Uzbekistan’s involvement in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and reactions from Russia

34:47 Dilfuza and Dr. Tolipov’s recommendations for places to visit and food to try

Your host: Denise Staubli, Program Manager, Asia Society Switzerland
Moderator: Simona Grano, Senior Lecturer and Director of the Taiwan Studies Project at the University of Zurich (UZH)
Speakers:
Dilfuza Kurolova, human rights lawyer and founding-curator of the Global Shapers Tashkent Hub
Dr. Farkhod Tolipov, Director of the non-governmental Research Institution “Bilim Karvoni” (“Caravan of Knowledge”)
Production: Denise Staubli

Show Notes

Green dumplings –in season in Spring/Summer

Watermelons –  very big and tasty in the Summer

Plov – National dish of Uzbekistan

Khiva – Ancient city in Xorazm Region, Uzbekistan

The capital city Tashkent with its big bazaars and the famous Tashkent metro (featuring very beautiful tunnels and stations). Most stunning station: “Cosmos” station

New Silk Roads by Peter Frankopan

Publications by Dr. Farkhod Tolipov

Asia Society Switzerland webcast A Closer Look at Uzbekistan with Dilfuza Kurolova and Dr. Farkhod Tolipov, May 20, 2021

Human rights lawyer Bhavani Fonseka and human rights advocate Ambika Satkunanathan talk about their homeland Sri Lanka – the island nation just off the southeastern coast of India. Sri Lanka boasts a large, well-educated population, great economic potential, a history of democracy, and popular tourist attractions. At the same time, the country has been marred by political violence since its independence in 1948, and the current government’s stand on human rights and governance has come under the close watch of the United Nations yet again.

3:48 Background information on Sri Lanka

6:00 Bhavani and Ambika’s views on Sri Lanka, and its big brother India

10:30 The post-war situation in Sri Lanka

16:41 Sri Lanka’s government and its domestic and foreign politics

28:21 Bhavani and Ambika’s recommendations for places to visit and food to try

Your host: Denise Staubli, Program Manager, Asia Society Switzerland
Moderator: Nico Luchsinger, Executive Director Asia Society Switzerland
Speakers:
Bhavani Fonseka, Senior Researcher and Attorney at Law with the Centre for Policy Alternatives
Ambika Satkunanathan, Open Society Fellow and former Commissioner of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka
Production: Denise Staubli

Show Notes

Watalappam – dessert made by Muslim community in Sri Lanka

Hoppers – a staple of Sri Lankan cuisine that can come in many forms

Sri Lanka’s Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour. A Critique of Promises Made and Present Trends, 2021, Report by Center for Policy Alternatives

Emblematic Cases Expose the Long Road to Justice in Sri Lanka, February 2021, by Bhavani Fonseka

The long wait for justice, August 2020, by Bhavani Fonseka

Surviving War and Victimhood: Women and Tamil Nationalism, March 2021, The Wire, by Ambika Satkunanathan

Fading Sri Lankan Hopes for Justice Rest on U.N. Rights Council, 24 February 2021, New York Times, by Ambika Satkunanathan

Is Sri Lanka's government failing to heal the nation?, February 2021, DW News, Interview with Ambika Satkunanathan

Die srilankische Diasporain der Schweiz, 2007, by Joëlle Moret, Denise Efionayi, Fabienne Stants; Bundesamt für Migration BFM

Asia Society Switzerland webcast A Closer Look at Sri Lanka with Bhavani Fonseka and Ambika Satkunanathan, May 6, 2021 

Journalist and Musician Kunga Tenzin Dorji, known as Supe, talks about his homeland Bhutan – the landlocked country located in the Eastern Himalayas. Until the 1960s, the kingdom of Bhutan was isolated from the rest of the world. When Bhutan started to open up, it did not modernize blindly, as Supe points out. The tiny nation wedged between India and China was able to preserve its national identity, which remains visible in the country’s cultural heritage, and in its political and socio-economic systems.

Your host: Denise Staubli, Program Manager, Asia Society Switzerland
Moderator: Simona Grano, Senior Lecturer and Director of the Taiwan Studies Project at the University of Zurich (UZH)
Speaker: Kunga Tenzin Dorji (Supe), freelance journalist and musician
Production: Denise Staubli

Show Notes

• Phobjikha Valley – a spectacular wide valley in Bhutan at an elevation of 3’000 meters, where you also find the very endangered black-necked cranes
• Ema Datshi – the national dish of Bhutan 
• Anthony Bourdains’ series Parts Unknown on Bhutan, who gives a good assessment of Bhutan
• The History of Bhutan, by Karma Phuntsho
• So Close to Heaven: The Vanishing Buddhist Kingdoms of the Himalayas, by Barbara Crossette, for a better understanding of geopolitics of Bhutan
• The Circle of Karma, by Kunzang Choden, fiction and quite revealing about Bhutan’s society and culture
• Asia Society Switzerland webcast A Closer Look at Bhutan with Kunga Tenzin Dorji and Dr. Simona Grano, July 1, 2021