#62- How Southeast Asia Can Thrive In Our New Multipolar World- Gita Wirjawan

Thank you for checking out The Front Row Podcast and my interview with Gita Wirjawan. This podcast was recorded in front of a live audience at SCAPE Singapore. I would like to thank National Youth Council, the Singapore Global Network, *SCAPE and the Endgame team for helping us put this event together. Gita Wirjawan is an Indonesian entrepreneur, investment banker, and philanthropist. He is the Founder and Chairman of Ancora Group, a business group with investments spanning private equity, natural resources, real estate, and sports.Before founding Ancora in 2008, Gita held senior roles in global finance — including Vice President at Citibank Indonesia, Vice President at Goldman Sachs Singapore, and President Director at JP Morgan Indonesia.Mr Wirjawan also served as the Indonesian’s Minister of Trade from October 2011 to January 2014. During this time, he also led the ninth World Trade Organisation Ministerial Conference held in Bali, December 2013. Where he chaired 159 WTO member countries in consenting to a set of policies to ease international trade barriers.Today, he is the host of Endgame with Gita Wirjawan, a podcast by the School of Government and Public Policy (SGPP) Indonesia, co-produced with Visinema Pictures. Through Endgame, Gita explores ideas and conversations with visionary leaders, uncovering the stories shaping Indonesia and Southeast Asia's bright future.TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Trailer & Intro01:35 Why Indonesia Championed RCEP Over TPP08:18 - RCEP's Progress and Current Assessment10:53 - The Chicken-and-Egg Problem: Education and Development14:35 - Teachers as the Key to Regional Transformation15:25 - Southeast Asia's Value Proposition to American Investors19:09 - Why US Re-industrialisation Won't Work20:36 - China's Role: Technological Capital for Southeast Asia26:06 - The Nuclear Reactor Thought Experiment31:50 - Singapore-Indonesia Complementarity37:43 - ASEAN Research Council Proposal40:39 - Q&A: Translating Education to Impact41:24 - Q&A: De-dollarisation and G-142:07 - Q&A: Danantara Fund and Prabowo Administration42:18- Pak Gita's Answers 55:34 - Q&A: Language as Growth Impediment56:00 - Q&A: Learning from US-China Dynamics58:00 - Q&A: Addressing Corruption Through Education1:03:29 - Brain Drain as Brain Circulation1:06:52 - ASEAN's Historical Multipolarity1:10:56 - Final Advice1:13:15 - Closing RemarksThis is the 62nd episode Of The Front Row Podcast