Sol Magaz, Partner, Life Sciences and Healthcare in EY, joins Kopi Time to discuss her area of expertise. We begin by discussing  how the sector reacted and adjusted to the pandemic, both in the West and here in Asia. Sol explains the disruptions and innovations through the use of advanced data analytics and practices that allowed for vaccines and therapeutics to be developed in record time. We focus on the digital legacy of this crisis, whether it is through tele-diagnostics or tele-therapeutics, or through synthetic trials. We then talk about other mega trends in the industry and the role of Asian countries in the global innovation space. We touch upon the leap-frog aspect of digital transformation in healthcare, where people in rural areas can get access to healthcare through their smartphones, care that was previously only provided when and if hospitals were built nearby. We end by discussing the soaring cost of healthcare and ways to address them from public and private angles. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Manik Bhandari, CEO and Founder of Vulcan AI, an Artificial Intelligence company that focuses on building safety and productivity solutions, joins Kopi Time. He begins by providing an overview of the tech start-up scene in Singapore, describing how the public sector, through various initiatives, nudges entrepreneurs to develop profitable solutions that are good for the society. Manik’s firm’s focus is on deploying the power of big data and artificial intelligence in agriculture, transportation, workplace safety, elder care, etc. These are areas with room for innovation, but also entail deep ethical considerations on the line between profit and good. He offers his insights on the local talent pool, the best way to enhance tech skills, and the way entrepreneurs should use Singapore’s ecosystem as a launching pad for expanding in the region or globally. Manik points out that tech does not only mean coding and engineering, with numerous high value added jobs that require a much wider range of soft and hard skills. It’s a call to action to tech immersion, but with an ethical lens. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vandana Hari, Founder & CEO of Vanda Insights, a Singapore-based provider of global oil markets macro-analysis, returns to Kopi Time to shed light on the extraordinary volatility in the energy markets. She covers it all, from the current supply/demand dynamic to Russia’s role in the energy markets, from alternative source of supply to the various logistical and geopolitical constraints at play, the near term outlook, which is grim, and the legacy of this crisis. Critical insights. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jonah Blank, senior visiting research fellow with the National University of Singapore, and formerly South and Southeast Asia Policy Director for Joe Biden in the US Senate, joins Kopi Time for a deep dive on contemporary geopolitics. We devote the first half of the podcast on Ukraine, spanning Putin’s motivation, risk of regional spillover, impact of sanctions, and possible end-game scenarios. Jonah makes astute observations on the complexities and historical context at play, while acknowledging the exceptional uncertainty that lies ahead. We then move on to Russia-China matters, including the intersection of strategic interests and cooperation on payments and energy/commodity trade. Jonah then offers a somewhat inside-the-beltway perspective on competition/rivalry between China and the US. We conclude by North and South East Asia’s dilemmas in this context.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Razeen Sally, Associate Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, joins Kopi Time to discuss trends in regional and global trade. We begin with the latest on RCEP and CP-TPP, with emphasis on the key gainers, the gaps in the agreements, role of China and the US, and the potential impact on the region. Prof Sally points out that CP-TPP is a true 21st century deal, covering critical topics such as data, intellectual property, and services, but its outlook is hazy with the US political environment not being conducive to trade deals. In contrast, RCEP may have less teeth, but it is more likely to be implemented. We then move on to the geopolitical and internal considerations for the US and China on matters of free trade and open markets. We discuss new mercantilism, Singapore’s role as a global city in the years of geopolitical struggle ahead, and the various associated scenarios. Plenty of food for thought. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark Sobel, US chairman at OMFIF, discusses US economy and Fed policy, Biden administration's trade stance, German and Chinese growth models, and IMF's focus. Insightful analysis on global macro and international finance.

This episode takes its cue from a couple of riveting conversations I’ve had with Saurabh Jain, founder of Connexio, a provider of human capital services to organisations across Asia, focusing on the startup ecosystem. From each of those conversations, I have come away from the feeling that something really interesting is going on in one particular area of Saurabh’s focus - India. The country’s scale, entrepreneurial tradition and problem solving culture, and the current global juncture of where markets and geopolitics stand, make the start-up proposition in India a compelling one. We talk about the supply, demand, idiosyncrasy, and depth of skill in india's tech start-up talent pool, and the disruption brought in by the pandemic. We go over the key sectors going through disruption, ranging from education to health to agriculture to commerce. We also talk about the risks in the horizon, especially as the era of cheap money comes to an end. Saurabh’s two key risk factors for any company are hubris and inadequate internal control. Words to live by.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We called our 2021 outlook A Bifurcated World, and the year lived up to that thesis. The global recovery has been extraordinarily uneven, from vaccine distribution to the impact of the sharp rally in asset markets, both of which have favoured the wealthy, not to mention fiscal and monetary support, which again have been the most supportive in nations with the most wherewithal.  A globally coordinated approach to distribute medical equipment and vaccines on the one hand, financial support on the other hand, would have hastened the duration of the pandemic and softened its blow to livelihoods, but that didn’t happen, unfortunately and predictably. Our 2022 outlook is titled Testing the Guardrails. The bifurcated world, after delays and missteps, has built of some guardrails. Vaccine production is up and distribution is becoming more even. Economies are opening up with vaccinated travel lanes. Strong demand for manufactured goods and commodities is helping the emerging economies that export them. Funds and facilities for short-term challenges like debt repayment and buying medical equipment, and for long-term challenges like transition to renewable fuels, are becoming increasingly available. Against this context, what are the key risks? What are the sliver linings? Listen to our year-ending commentary as we discuss inflation, Fed, global debt, pandemic, and emerging markets. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Danny Quah. Li Ka Shing Professor in Economics and Dean at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, joins Kopi Time. A scholar whose focus ranges from inequality to income mobility, international systems of trade and finance to world order among superpowers, Prof Quah underscores the importance of building greater resilience to pandemic, climate change, and technology waves. He also cares about social cohesion, without which even wealthy societies can stumble. Prof Quah combines the need for resilience and social cohesion in the metaphor of trampoline, a system that can take inevitable shocks and knocks but can bounce back readily.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We welcome Martin Mühleisen, who until last year ran the International Monetary Fund’s Strategy, Policy, and Review Department. In a frank and wide ranging discussion, Martin assesses the global policy response to the pandemic, its seismic scale, impact, and potential costs. He considers our two generational challenges, inequality and climate change, and mulls over the political and macro cyclical dimensions of fighting these two trends. Martin is wary of multilateral over-reach, especially in the context of the IMF. He is also worried about likely sovereign debt restructurings ahead among some developing economies, and the issue of involving China, which has become a large creditor to these nations in recent years. Martin remains optimistic that the medium term outlook can benefit from more dispersion of technology, along with measures to assist the population through the disruptive aspects of technology and climate transition.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.