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Navigating Turbulence: Lessons Learned from COVID-19 Response in the South-East Asia Region and the Way Forward

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Introduction On 13 January 2020, the South-East Asia Region was thrust into an era of unprecedented turbulence with the confirmation of its first case of what was subsequently named COVID-19 in Thailand. Until the WHO revoked COVID-19’s health emergency status in May 2023, it had resulted in 61,275,290 infected patients and 808,604 deaths (ArcGIS, n.d.) … Navigating Turbulence: Lessons Learned from COVID-19 Response in the South-East Asia Region and the Way Forward

Budi G. Sadikin

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During its ASEAN Chairmanship in 2023, Indonesia advanced the One Health Initiative as a key deliverable. Health Minister Budi G. Sadikin offers invaluable insights into Indonesia’s efforts to champion the One Health approach, highlighting its strategic significance and far-reaching implications for regional and global health governance. ASEAN Member States have committed to establishing the One … Budi G. Sadikin

Bounfeng Phoummalaysith, PhD

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As the Chair of ASEAN in 2024 and the ASEAN Health Ministers Meeting (AHMM), Lao PDR has set a significant agenda under the theme “Health: Transforming ASEAN Health Development Resilience in a New Context.” In this interview, Minister Bounfeng Phoummalaysith outlines the key priorities to enhance health resilience across the region. With ASEAN continuing its … Bounfeng Phoummalaysith, PhD

Cover Story for the Issue 37

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Karina Tungari is a freelance illustrator who was born and raised in Jakarta. She studied communication design in Jakarta and illustration at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences with a focus on graphic narrative. Her interest in people and their complexity as social beings is part of her graphic essay. You can find her artwork … Cover Story for the Issue 37

What’s in a Name? Unraveling Naming Conventions in Southeast Asia

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First-time visitors to Southeast Asia often find themselves mystified by local names. They ask: Are one-word names considered given names or surnames? Which part denotes the surname in multi-word names (the current record is 12 words)? Why do spouses, and even parents and children, have different names? This article explores some of the common naming … What’s in a Name? Unraveling Naming Conventions in Southeast Asia

ASEAN-ROK Youth Metaverse Idea Contest: Reimagining Cultural Preservation

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In May 2023, the Business Insider published an article titled “RIP Metaverse: An Obituary for the Latest Fad to Join the Tech Graveyard,” signalling the gloomy future of the industry. The metaverse was on everyone’s lips just two years before, bolstered by promising claims. Back in 2021, it was almost a daily feature on various … ASEAN-ROK Youth Metaverse Idea Contest: Reimagining Cultural Preservation

Strengthening ASEAN-India Ties: A Vision for Future Collaboration

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Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, recently delivered a lecture at Nalanda University in India, focusing on “The Future of ASEAN” amidst the evolving strategic landscape. Dr. Kao highlighted ASEAN’s enduring relevance and resilience, emphasising ASEAN Centrality and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) as guiding principles for regional engagement.

The ASEAN Economic Community Digest: Developing Sustainable Tourism in a Post COVID-19 ASEAN

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The tourism sector is a significant contributor to the ASEAN Economy. Before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the travel and tourism industry generated approximately 12 per cent of ASEAN’s combined GDP and provided jobs to 42 million ASEAN people (ADB, 2022). Nonetheless, international tourist arrivals plummeted by more than 80 per cent, and tourism revenue … The ASEAN Economic Community Digest: Developing Sustainable Tourism in a Post COVID-19 ASEAN