Showing 1 - 10 of 18
A paradigm shift for animal tests
Oped, Peter Singer & Sankalpa Ghose, Published on 17/10/2025
» Even in an era of intense political polarisation, there are still moments when a bipartisan consensus can emerge around important ethical issues. One such moment is happening now. Last April, the United States Food and Drug Administration released its "Roadmap to Reducing Animal Testing in Preclinical Safety Studies". The FDA said that it was taking "a groundbreaking step" that would advance public health and limit wasteful expenditure by replacing animal testing with "more effective, human-relevant methods".
Authoritarians' brave new cities
Oped, Robert Muggah & Carlo Ratti, Published on 23/09/2025
» Few policy ideas are as radical -- or as misleadingly packaged -- as "freedom cities". Championed by Silicon Valley's techno-libertarian elite and recently embraced by right-wing politicians like Donald Trump, the idea is to create digitally powered, master-planned enclaves of deregulated innovation.
Future-shaping on shifting sands
Oped, Surakiart Sathirathai, Published on 22/05/2025
» Today, as the world stands at yet another inflection point, I believe it is more important than ever to reflect not only on the history of our cooperation -- but also on how we can shape its future, together.
What's happened to the Asian Century?
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 14/02/2025
» Until recently, the "Asian Century" seemed a compelling narrative but now it is not what it used to be. It was supposed to herald a shift in global economic power from the West to the East, driven by China's rapid rise, India's economic dynamism, and the broader development of Asia. But a quarter of the way into the 21st century, the promise of Asian dominance appears less certain. The enduring technological and economic might of the United States, coupled with its geopolitical backlash against China, has lowered expectations. While Asia remains formidable, the trajectory of global power is open and fluid, with potential dominance shifting not necessarily to any nation or region but perhaps to a non-state entity.
Democracies can win tech race
Oped, Ylli Bajraktari & André Loesekrug-Pietri, Published on 04/04/2024
» The world is on the precipice of a technological cold war. As authoritarian regimes develop new digital tools that endanger open societies and threaten democratic values, the West must decide whether to compete or concede. Today, the battle for freedom is being fought in Ukraine; but the frontline could one day be in Taiwan, a global technology hub, producing the world's most advanced microchips, and a flourishing democracy less than 160 kilometres off the coast of China, which seems bent on annexing the island.
Reshaping Japan research funding
Oped, Takatoshi Ito, Published on 08/11/2023
» Rightly concerned about a decline in Japanese universities' research capabilities, the Japanese government has created a ¥10 trillion (2.4 trillion baht) fund to address the problem. While cash accounts for around 11% of the new University Fund of Japan (UFJ), the remaining 89% takes the form of a 20-year "loan" from the government, which borrowed the money from the market at a very low interest rate.
Human success in the AI age
Oped, Jamie Metzl, Published on 21/09/2023
» Everywhere we look nowadays, we find warnings that artificial-intelligence algorithms are coming for our jobs. While Goldman Sachs estimates that two-thirds of all current jobs in the United States and Europe could be "exposed to some degree of AI automation" in the coming years, a report from Pew Research Center puts the figure at closer to one-fifth -- with a special emphasis on jobs requiring a college education.
Sources of East Asia's industrial capabilities
Oped, Keun Lee, Published on 29/04/2023
» As the US works to limit China's access to advanced technologies like semiconductors, it cannot ignore its own dependence on small Asian economies like South Korea and Taiwan for many of those same technologies. The question the US and its allies must ask, then, is how reliable these economies are as producers.
America is fuelling Chinese techno-nationalism
Oped, Keyu Jin, Published on 12/03/2022
» Although the American-born skier Eileen Gu became a darling of the Chinese public during the Winter Olympics in Beijing, China trained many of its sports champions at home, through its juguo (whole nation) sports regime. And now China is applying the juguo approach -- deploying massive resources to achieve a strategic objective or build national prestige -- to attaining world-class technological prowess.
Too dam costly
Oped, Postbag, Published on 02/10/2021
» Re: "Dams fail but still vital", (BP, Sept 26).