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 conventions in Southeast Asia shaped by a blend of history, culture, and external influences. The list is by no means exhaustive since ethnolinguistic groups within countries often have their unique practices.
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 media outlets, showcasing its benefits for medical students, its potential for government and private sector applications, and more. However, the buzz around the metaverse abruptly ceased.
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 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 dropped by 75 per cent during the pandemic (Lin, 2022). After the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the end of the pandemic in May 2023, the number of international tourists going to ASEAN has steadily increased. The region saw a 153.09 per cent year-on-year increase in international arrivals based on the preliminary figures of 2023 (ASEAN, 2024). According to the UN Tourism (formerly the United Nations World Tourism Organization or UNWTO), the Asia-Pacific region has witnessed a noteworthy recovery, reaching 65 per cent of its pre-pandemic tourism levels following the reopening of numerous markets and destinations (UN WTO, 2024). This recovery indicates the potential within the ASEAN region to cater to the changing demands of post-pandemic travellers.
by Gopi Krishnan (C&G Analytica), Sonia Kumari (Universiti Malaya), VGR Chandran Govindaraju (Universiti Malaya), and J.S. Keshminder (Universiti Teknologi MARA)
Climate change is an existential threat that poses catastrophic environmental impacts and exacerbates poverty, health issues, and social inequalities. A product of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Research and Development Platform on Climate Change, this policy brief offers critical insights and recommendations on the climate financing ecosystem in the ASEAN region.
As the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community maps its vision to respond to trends and challenges in the next twenty years, The ASEAN continues the conversation on people’s concerns and hopes for the future. The team aimed to involve various perspectives in this endeavour, reaching out extensively to gather insights. We received responses from our readers, social media followers, youth delegates in various ASEAN-related events, and members of youth organisations.
The collected responses give us a glimpse of ASEAN people’s aspirations for the region.
The ASEAN Socio-cultural Community (ASCC) Blueprint 2025 is a comprehensive roadmap towards realising an ASEAN Community that engages and benefits the peoples and is inclusive, sustainable, resilient, and dynamic by 2025. It is guiding policy frameworks and institutions for ASEAN Member States, and enhancing and strengthening their commitments and activities to achieve their targets across the ASCC sectors.
The 31st ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Council Meeting was convened on 24 March 2024 in Luang Prabang, the Lao PDR. It was attended by ministers and representatives from 10 ASEAN Member States, including Timor-Leste as Observer and the Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn. The meeting deliberated on the Lao PDR ASCC chairmanship priorities in 2024 and strategic directions for the ASCC, especially in light of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.
Forty-year-old Nguyễn Trần Thủy Tiên’s lifelong dream was to become a teacher. Shortly after completing her master’s degree in Sign Language Education at Gallaudet University, United States, through the World Deaf Leadership Scholarship in 2016, she landed her dream job. Yet, upon returning to Viet Nam, she was confronted with the persistent barriers facing the Deaf community, leading her to pivot from her original dream.
Imagine going to your grandma’s home for a good meal and a warm hug. This appeal made Uma Oma (Grandmother’s House) Cafe the talk of the town when it first opened in September 2023 in Jakarta. Social media posts about the cafe went viral. Within six months, framed articles about the business and its employees adorned the cafe’s walls.