Showing 1 - 10 of 31
Lesson from India to avoid the middle-income trap
Oped, Arvind Panagariya, Published on 18/03/2026
» Among Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's most ambitious goals is to transform his country into a developed economy by Aug 15, 2047 -- the centenary of Indian independence. Given India's growth record over the past two decades, the speed and scale of its infrastructure development in recent years, and the Modi government's willingness to enact large-scale economic reforms, India is likely to become one of the few developing countries to avoid the middle-income trap.
Killing the goose that lays the Olympic gold medal
Oped, Nancy Qian, Published on 24/02/2026
» The Olympic Games have always been about more than sports, with the medal count serving as a measure of national vitality. The 2026 Winter Games in Milan and Cortina are no different. The Americans, like everyone else, want confirmation of their preeminence. So important is that outcome that even US Vice President JD Vance briefly acknowledged the value of non-white immigration to the United States when he complained that Eileen Gu, the US-born medal-winning skier for China, should be competing under the American flag.
Trump hurting global trade in ideas
Oped, Sally Tyler, Published on 04/08/2025
» Much attention has been focused on Thailand's scramble to achieve a bilateral trade agreement with the United States to avoid a 36% tariff on all exported goods. Yet a different restrictive trade policy has received comparatively less scrutiny -- the Trump administration's clampdown on American universities, including a possible ban on the enrolment of international students.
Resetting development finance
Oped, Carlos Cuerpo and Joseph E Stiglitz, Published on 03/07/2025
» At the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development this week in Seville, delegates are calling for urgent action to fix a system that has stopped working. Prior to the third such gathering a decade ago, in Ethiopia, we had witnessed unprecedented advances towards reducing poverty, increasing school enrolment, and providing clean water worldwide. Today, however, progress is not only slowing but potentially stagnating -- or, worse, reversing.
Trump is not entirely wrong about China
News, Yi Fuxian, Published on 31/05/2025
» President Donald Trump's embrace of tariffs has been met with criticism, and for sound reasons. But Mr Trump's diagnosis of the global trading system -- and, specifically, its impact on US manufacturing -- may not be entirely wrong. The problem, instead, is the treatment: rather than using a chainsaw, which would probably kill the patient, he should reach for a scalpel.
Why China's marriage crisis really matters
Oped, Yi Fuxian, Published on 04/04/2025
» New marriages in China reportedly plummeted by one-fifth last year, implying that the official number of births will likely fall from 9.54 million in 2024 to 7.3- 7.8 million in 2025. Thus, while China represents 17.2% of the global population, it will account for less than 6% of births -- comparable to Nigeria.
Time to champion free education
Oped, Bede Sheppard, Published on 15/11/2024
» Thailand's election on Oct 9 to the United Nations Human Rights Council positions the government to support children's rights to education around the world, while showcasing the country's own accomplishments.
Time to integrate Myanmar's displaced
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 26/03/2024
» In the bustling border town of Mae Sot, Julia smiled when I asked her about her new job. "I am very happy with my position," said the young woman who recently completed her Bachelor's degree in Communication Arts from Bangkok University.
Global cash-transfer fund could end acute poverty
Oped, Cina Lawson & Rory Stewart, Published on 07/03/2024
» For decades, the international community has grappled with the challenge of ending extreme poverty, which is the leading Sustainable Development Goal for 2030. Despite some progress, we remain far off track, with an estimated 700 million people still struggling to survive on less than US$2.15 (71 baht) per day. Unlike in previous decades, however, we now have a solution that can be scaled up rapidly to accelerate the end of extreme poverty: direct cash transfers to the poorest households.
Leaping ahead
Published on 14/08/2023
» Re: "Vietnam's Vuong poised to briefly triple fortune", (Business, Aug 9) and "A culture of educational research", (Opinion, Aug 8).