Showing 1 - 9 of 9
Is AI a curse or a blessing for education?
Oped, Matthew Robert Ferguson, Published on 17/08/2024
» My collegiate rowing coach at the University of Western Ontario was an eccentric West German named Dr Volker Nolte, a stocky and imposing figure who was only funny when he didn't mean to be. He was a biomechanics wizard, obsessing over the countervailing forces of the rower and shell, currents and winds, blades and water. In the early 80s, as part of his doctoral research, he designed a sliding rigger that moved along the hull of the boat on slides in tandem with the rower, which, when compared to a fixed rigger, effectively doubled the force and propulsion of every stroke. It made second-tier rowers competitive with the best in the world.
Levy on China's cleantech hurts green transition
Oped, Jeffrey Frankel, Published on 27/06/2024
» With historic heat waves sweeping across the United States and other parts of the Northern Hemisphere, June is expected to be the 13th consecutive month of record-breaking global temperatures. The primary cause, of course, is the enormous amount of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere. Despite the threat posed by rising atmospheric concentrations of GHGs, emissions continue to increase at a faster pace than previously anticipated.
Japan's dilemmas need bold answers
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 03/11/2023
» Among the big countries vying for power and influence in the fluid and contentious geostrategic arena, Japan faces the most daunting challenges. Most of the recognised major powers in Asia, from China and India to Indonesia and South Korea, are rising and aspiring for bigger roles and grander objectives, while Japan's place in the global pecking order has been in decline. The last time Japan had to confront such an existential threat to its place in the world may have been in the 1860s when the Western powers shook up and threatened to take over the isolated and inward-looking martial society.
Free trade in green goods needed
Oped, Albert Park & Jong Woo Kang, Published on 02/08/2023
» International trade has boosted economic growth in many countries, especially those without abundant natural resources or fixed capital. In addition to creating opportunities for cross-border specialisation, trade has made it possible to import cheap consumer goods, intermediate inputs for manufacturing, and capital equipment. This is especially true in Asia and the Pacific, which accounted for 35% of global trade in 2020, up from 25% a decade earlier.
India overcomes leadership limitations
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 07/03/2023
» If anything, the outcome of the G20 foreign ministerial meeting was a good barometer of the true nature of India's potential as a global power. On its own turf, it still was not able to garner support from all the G20 members to agree on the joint ministerial statement last week. The host was very disappointed, given its recent success at the Bali summit last November. The harsh reality serves as a reminder of the prevailing geopolitical rivalry, which is getting worse by the day. Just a few months ago, India was hailed as a hero for playing a very important role in assisting the G20 host, Indonesia, to broker the G20 leaders' statement -- once described as an impossible task. Since then, New Delhi has been very proud of its political clout.
Cambodia and Laos in the regional mix
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 30/09/2022
» As geopolitical tensions from Russian aggression in Ukraine and the ongoing United States-China rivalry intensify, Southeast Asia will be hard-pressed to maintain peace and security. Despite their relatively small size, Cambodia and Laos are two countries whose political trajectories will shape regional outcomes. While Cambodia has consolidated domestic political power with dynamic economic expansion, Laos is looking like a regional laggard facing a deep debt crisis. As Cambodia moves forward, Laos is at risk of being left behind.
Coups are all the rage again in beleaguered Africa
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 09/02/2022
» Military coups are back in fashion in Africa. There have been over 200 attempted coups in the continent since 1960, about half of them successful, but in the past two decades they had dropped to only two a year. Last year saw six, however, and there have been two already this year. The latest in Guinea-Bissau.
China-US rivalry on Mekong mainland
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 27/11/2020
» Unlike other key foreign policy areas where President-elect Joe Biden will likely change the course left behind by outgoing President Donald Trump, the Mekong River region in mainland Southeast Asia represents a low-hanging fruit where continuity from Washington carries consensus. As China has dominated the Mekong space by operating a string of upstream dams and controlling downstream river resources, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam as adversely affected riparian countries have looked for ways and means to mitigate and counterbalance Beijing's aggressive freshwater offensive. All the incoming Biden administration has to do is to keep its eye on the Mekong and work with like-minded partners to keep mainland Southeast Asian countries from becoming Beijing's uncontested front yard.
Asean shows you can have your cake and eat it too
Oped, David Camroux, Published on 08/10/2020
» In justifying his Brexit posture, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, explained that, when it comes to the EU "cake", he was "pro having it and pro eating it". Cakeism also forms the approach of the 10 Asean countries to their own regional arrangement.