Showing 1 - 10 of 49
Philippines' crucial Asean test
Oped, Simon Hutagalung, Published on 21/01/2026
» The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) has its own administration. Member states take turns leading the organisation through an annual chairmanship, a system designed to give all members equal opportunities to shape regional priorities.
It's the economic history, stupid
Oped, Iker Saitua, Published on 14/01/2026
» Every year, I walk into a first-year lecture hall in Bilbao at the University of the Basque Country (EHU) and watch shoulders slump. The title of the course I'm teaching -- "Economic History" -- draws a similarly dejected reaction from my students: "Meh." "Boooring." "What's this even for?" Some call it "the history class", as if it belonged to another century.
Indonesia and Nepal's 2025 wake-up call
Oped, Simon Hutagalung, Published on 12/09/2025
» Two nations with different characteristics -- Indonesia and Nepal -- experienced identical severe storms when 2025 arrived. The people of Jakarta took to the streets to express their discontent about elite advantages, economic difficulties and government secrecy. The Nepalese government issued a ban on 26 social media platforms, which triggered youth protests that evolved into violent civil unrest throughout Kathmandu.
Jakarta's crisis is Asean's problem
Oped, Simon Hutagalung, Published on 08/09/2025
» The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) has relied on the domestic stability of its member states to achieve regional unity, and Indonesia, as the largest and most populous nation in the bloc, has served as the primary stabilising force.
What's to blame for inequality?
Oped, Keun Lee, Published on 01/09/2025
» Over a decade ago, Nobel laureates Daron Acemoglu and James A Robinson, together with their co-author Thierry Verdier, contrasted America's "cutthroat" brand of capitalism with Western Europe's "cuddly" version. The qualities that make cutthroat capitalism more conducive to innovation, they argued, also lead to higher levels of inequality, while cuddly reward structures tend to lead to lower growth and higher welfare. Today, inequality is soaring, notably in the United States. Do policies aimed at boosting innovation risk making a bad situation worse?
Where is US economic policy taking us this time?
Oped, Mohamed A. El-Erian, Published on 29/05/2025
» Although this year is not even half over, it is already likely to feature in history books as one of extreme policy-induced volatility -- not only in financial markets but also in terms of economic narratives and international relations. But where it will lead remains to be seen. Are we witnessing the fragmenting of the US domestic and international order, or just a bumpy ride towards a beneficial rewiring of both?
Time to dump Trump's flawed negotiation playbook
Oped, Michele Gelfand, Published on 04/04/2025
» The best negotiators are never the loudest people in the room. They are the ones who can discern interests, create trust, and build lasting relationships.
Remembering a journo like no other
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 04/04/2025
» Gwen Robinson was a quintessential journalist who probed for the best scoop and pried for the juiciest gossip, an old-style old hand the likes of which we are unlikely to see again. In the new contentious era of geopolitical conflict and geoeconomic tension underpinned by American economic nationalism, Robinson's journalist craft over more than four decades explaining and linking Asia and the West will be sorely missed.
Will we waste the AI opportunity?
Oped, Daron Acemoglu, Published on 25/02/2025
» I was fortunate to participate in the recent AI Action Summit in Paris, where many discussions emphasised the need to steer AI in a more socially beneficial direction.
The Trump shock is the Democrat Party's fault
Oped, Daron Acemoglu, Published on 19/11/2024
» The outcome of the US presidential election was more of a Democratic loss than a triumph for Donald Trump. The Democrats lost not because US President Joe Biden stayed in the race too long and not because Kamala Harris is unqualified but because they have been losing workers and failed to win them back.