Join the LSE Saw Swee Hock Southeast Asia Centre’s annual Southeast Asia Forum in 2025, which brings together leading specialists worldwide to discuss the implications of global trends and ongoing geoeconomic contestation for Southeast Asian economies, polities, and societies. Featured speakers include Evelyn Goh (Australian National University), Henry Wai-chung Yeung (The Chinese University of Hong Kong), Selina Ho (National University of Singapore), and Alvin Camba (Association of Universities, Inc.).

Join the Saw Swee Hock Southeast Asia Centre at LSE for a talk by Dr. Tamsin Barber, Senior Lecturer in Sociology and Chair of the Migration and Refugees Network at Oxford Brookes University. This talk explores the social, economic, and development issues shaping the specific labour migration to the UK from North-Central Vietnam.

Join the Saw Swee Hock Southeast Asia Centre at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) for a talk by Caixia Mao, PhD candidate in Urban Planning at Columbia University and NYSEAN member. This presentation will explore the politics of China and Japan funding the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR) project in Indonesia.

Join ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute for a talk by Dr. John Lee, senior fellow at Hudson Institute, for a talk on Trump’s policies and their far-reaching global consequences. He will explore their impact on the US Indo-Pacific strategy and security alliances in Asia, the potential for strategic realignments among Asian nations, and how countries can navigate the uncertainties and challenges in the turbulent years ahead.

Join the Southeast Asia Program and the Department of Anthropology at Cornell University for a talk by Joshua Mitchell, PhD Candidate in Sociocultural Anthropology, who will discuss how addiction, rehabilitation, and war perpetuate endless cycles of conflict among Myanmar’s forever soldiers and their disillusionment with revolution.

Join the Indonesia Project at the Australian National University for a talk by Wayan Jarrah Sastrawan, historian of Southeast Asia and Lecturer at ANU, who will discuss the ancient Javanese economy, focusing on the benefice (sīma) system and its role in supporting monumental architecture and religious institutions, while addressing broader questions about fiscal structures, land use, and trade over eight centuries.

Join the Indonesia Studies Program at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute for a panel featuring Elyssa Ludher, Visiting Fellow and food security researcher and urban planner; Marihot Nasution, State Budget Analyst in the Secretariat General of Indonesia’s House of Representatives (DPR), and Adriana Viola Miranda, MD, Program Director of 1000 Days Fund. These experts will discuss President Prabowo Subianto’s plan to feed Indonesia’s schoolchildren and pregnant mothers, including issues such as the meals’ nutritional value, governance, and fiscal and social sustainability.

Join the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) for a panel exploring how ASEAN policymakers and businesses should respond to competing geopolitical forces, the long-term implications for trade and supply chains, and the policy tools needed to safeguard economic interests while maintaining key partnerships. This discussion features Dr. Rebecca Sta Maria, former Executive Director of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Secretariat; Brendan Kelly, Fellow on Chinese Economy and Technology at ASPI’s Center for China Analysis; Maria Monica Wihardja, Visiting Fellow and Co-coordinator of the Media, Technology and Society Programme at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute; and additional experts from ASEAN countries. Shay Wester, ASPI’s Director of Asian Economic Affairs and co-author of the report, will moderate the discussion.

Join the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at UH-Manoa for a discussion on sustainable, community-centric tourism in Southeast Asia. Dr. Huong T. Bui, Professor at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, will discuss governance and tourism development in Vietnam. Boboi Costas, Founder of Grassroots Travel and Former Tourism Officer of Cebu Provincial Government, will discuss lessons from a community-based ecotourism project in Cebu, Philippines.

Join the ASEAN Studies Center at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute for an e-Launch and discussion on The State of Southeast Asia: 2025 Survey Report. Michael Jonathan Green, Liu Lin, Peter Varghese, and Yenny Zannuba Wahid will discuss some of the report’s significant findings on the prevailing attitudes of Southeast Asians on regional political, economic, and social issues. Sharon Seah, Senior Fellow and Coordinator of the ASEAN Studies Centre, will present the key findings of the survey report, and Choi Shing Kwok, Director and CEO of the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, will moderate the discussion.

Join the Indonesia Project at Australian National University for a talk by Hilman Palaon, Research Fellow at the Lowy Institute’s Indo-Pacific Development Centre, and Robert Walker, economist and Research Associate at the Lowy Institute.  They will discuss Indonesia’s recent industrial policy successes in downstreaming critical minerals and EV manufacturing, while also addressing the environmental and social challenges, and exploring strategies for broader economic development and sustainability.

Join the Singapore APEC Study Centre at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute for a seminar by Eduardo Pedrosa, Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat; Dr. Kaewkamol (Karen) Pitakdumrongkit, Interim Secretary General of the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council’s (PECC) International Secretariat; and Stephen Olson, Visiting Senior Fellow at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. This panel will examine APEC 2025 conference priorities and the PECC State of the Region Report 2024 - 2025 while addressing challenges such as supply chain disruptions, AI’s impact, geopolitical tensions, climate change, and the implications of Trump’s tariff policies on APEC economies.

Join the Sigur Center for Asian Studies at George Washington University for a talk by Dr. Quingfei Yin, Assistant Professor of International History at the London School of Economics, who will discuss how China and Vietnam collaborate and compete along their shared border.

Join the Southeast Asia Program at Cornell University for a talk by Dr. Kristian Saguin, Associate Professor of Geography at the University of the Philippines Diliman, who will discuss urbanization and resource flows in Metro Manila.

Join the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute for a webinar featuring Matthew P. Goodman, distinguished fellow and director of the Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies at CFR; Dr. Inu Manak, CFR Fellow for Trade Policy; Stephen Olson, Visiting Senior Fellow for the Regional Economic Studies Programme at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute; Deborah Elms, Head of Trade Policy at the Hinrich Foundation in Singapore; Henry Gao, Professor of Law at the Singapore Management University; and Dr. Jayant Menon, Senior Fellow at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. This panel will analyze current US trade policy and economic engagement in Southeast Asia.

Join SUNY/CUNY SEAC and the Southeast Asia Program at Stanford University for a webinar featuring Scot Marciel, Alice Ba, Kyaw Htet Aung, and Su Mon Thazin Aung. Moderated by Meredith Weiss, this panel discussion will discuss the context behind USAID and US foreign aid in Myanmar along with the nature and implications of the abrupt change in US policy.

Join the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) for a panel discussion featuring Iman Pambagyo, former Chief Trade Negotiator for Indonesia; Jayant Menon, Senior Fellow at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute; Yasuyuki Todo, Professor of Economics at Waseda University; Wendy Cutler, ASPI Vice President. These experts from the Indo-Pacific and the U.S. will explore the impact of U.S. friendshoring policy, discussing its challenges, lessons learned, and how it can be enhanced to strengthen supply chains and boost economic prosperity.

Join the Vietnam Studies Programme at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute for a webinar featuring Vu Minh Khuong, Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Jaya Ratnam, Singapore’s Ambassador to Vietnam; and Tran Phuoc Anh, Vietnam’s Ambassador to Singapore. This panel will explore the evolution of Vietnam-Singapore relations, analyze the opportunities and challenges of their upcoming Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP), and discuss strategies to strengthen and deepen bilateral ties for a more substantive and impactful future.

Join the Southeast Asia Program at Cornell University for a talk by Pita Limjaroenrat, former leader of Thailand’s dissolved Move Forward Party, who will discuss Thailand’s political and economic landscape, social inequality, and democratic movements. The discussion will also explore Thailand’s evolving relationships with ASEAN, BRICS, and major global powers, as well as broader regional and global democratic challenges.

Join the Council on Southeast Asia Studies at Yale University for a talk by Pita Limjaroenrat, former leader of Thailand’s dissolved Move Forward Party, who will discuss Thailand’s political and economic landscape, social inequality, and democratic movements. The discussion will also explore Thailand’s evolving relationships with ASEAN, BRICS, and major global powers, as well as broader regional and global democratic challenges.

Join the Regional Economics Programme at ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute for a talk by Archanun Kohpaiboon, Professor in the Faculty of Economics at Thammasat University, who will discuss the impact of the rise of electric vehicles on Thailand’s automotive industry. This lecture explores how the industry and government are responding to the shift from internal combustion engine vehicles to electronic vehicles, as well as potential gaps in current policies.

Join the Indonesia Studies Programme at ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute for a talk by Maxwell Lane, Visiting Senior Fellow, who will examine the stagnation and challenges in Indonesia under the Prabowo government, focusing on the persistent under-industrialization of the economy, the dominance of New Order-era political and cultural structures, and the struggles of civil society and emerging political alternatives to drive meaningful reform.

Join the Indonesia Project at the Australian National University for a talk by Lili Yan Ing and Krisna Gupta, who will discuss the economics of Indonesia joining BRICS, an intergovernmental organization formed by Brazil, Russia, India, and China.

Join the Philippine Studies Programme at ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute for a webinar featuring Cielo Magno, Associate Professor at the University of the Philippines’ School of Economics; Zy-za Nadine Suzara, independent public budget analyst; and Jan Carlo Punongbayan, ISEAS Visiting Fellow and Assistant Professor at the University of the Philippines School of Economics. This panel will explore issues surrounding the crafting of the recent national budgets of the Philippine government.

Join the Myanmar Studies Programme at ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute for a panel on what 2025 may hold for Myanmar in terms of governance and control, prospects and challenges for the economy, continuing humanitarian challenges, the State Administration Council regime’s election plans, and the various capabilities, preparedness and responses of Myanmar’s resistance actors.

Join the Council on Southeast Asia Studies at Yale University for a talk by Paul K. Gellert, Visiting Research Scholar at CUNY Graduate Center and Professor of Sociology at the University of Tennessee, who will discuss the ecologically unequal exchange of palm oil and dairy products in Indonesia and New Zealand.

Join the Vietnam Studies Programme at ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute for a webinar by Tuan Ho, Senior Lecturer in Accounting and Finance at the University of Bristol Business School, and Long Tran, Head of Research at BIDV Securities (BSC), one of Vietnam’s oldest and most prominent securities firms. This webinar will analyze Vietnam’s economic performance in 2024 and assess its potential for 2025.

In a book talk hosted by NYSEAN and sponsored by NYU Wagner, editors Nhu Truong and Tuong Vu will discuss the economic and political dynamics and challenges of Vietnam laid out in their new book.