James Crabtree leads the growing research team of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Singapore, focused on the Asia-Pacific. Prior to joining the IISS, James was a Singapore-based author and journalist, and an Associate Professor of Practice at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. His best-selling 2018 book, The Billionaire Raj: A Journey Through India’s New Gilded Age was shortlisted for the FT / McKinsey book of the year. In this episode, James talks about the effects of increasing tensions between China and other great powers on Southeast Asia. We also talk about whether this is still 'the Asian Century' we expected it to be. And James shares which country particularly surprises him.After listening to this episode, grab the opportunity to hear James Crabtree speak live, in-person, at the STATE OF ASIA conference on November 10, 2022, in Zurich, Switzerland. There, he will be joined by many others of our trusted experts.For more details, the full speaker line-up, and information on how to get tickets, visit our website.Stay up-to-date on all activities of Asia Society Switzerland. Subscribe to our newsletter. State of Asia is a podcast series from Asia Society Switzerland. New episodes are published every other Monday.Host: Nico Luchsinger, Executive Director, Asia Society SwitzerlandProducer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

Leni Robredo was the 14th Vice President of the Philippines, serving from 2016 to 2022. During her term, she reinvented the Office of the Vice President from a purely ceremonial one into an advocacy centered office, instituting poverty alleviation programs all over the country. This May, she lost in the presidential elections to Ferdinand 'Bong Bong' Marcos, Jr., who spoke at Asia Society on Sep. 23, 2022. Robredo then set up Angat Buhay, a non governmental organization which focuses on education, health, community engagement, disaster response and rehabilitation. Angat Buhay aims to become the biggest network of volunteers in the entire country.In this episode, Robredo talks about how a targeted disinformation campaign tripped up her run for President of the Philippines this spring, what can be done to combat fake news, and about the ambitious goals she sees ahead for ASEAN.After listening to this episode, grab the opportunity to hear Leni Robredo speak live, in-person, at the STATE OF ASIA conference on November 10, 2022, in Zurich, Switzerland. There, she will be joined by many others of our trusted experts.For more details, the full speaker line-up, and information on how to get tickets, visit our website.Stay up-to-date on all activities of Asia Society Switzerland. Subscribe to our newsletter. State of Asia is a podcast series from Asia Society Switzerland. New episodes are published every other Monday.Host: Nico Luchsinger, Executive Director, Asia Society SwitzerlandProducer: Remko Tanis, Programs and Editorial Manager, Asia Society Switzerland

C. Raja Mohan is one if India's foremost foreign policy thinkers and a Senior Fellow with the Asia Society Policy Institute in New Delhi, India. He has published widely on India's foreign and security policies and Asian geopolitics.He also is a columnist for Foreign Policy and a contributing editor on international affairs at the Indian Express.In this episode, he talks about the challenges to find balance among multiple great powers in Asia, about why the effect of India's foreign policy seems to lag behind expectations, and on why criticism from Western countries on the state of India's democracy is misplaced.After listening to this episode, grab the opportunity to hear Raja speak live, as he delivers the STATE OF ASIA address in Zurich, Switzerland, on November 9, 2022. Raja will also speak  at the STATE OF ASIA conference on November 10, 2022, in Zurich, Switzerland. There, he will be joined by many others of our trusted experts.For more details, the full speaker line-up, and information on how to get tickets, visit our website.State of Asia is a podcast series from Asia Society Switzerland. New episodes are published every other Monday.Host: Nico Luchsinger, Executive Director, Asia Society SwitzerlandProducer: Remko Tanis, Program and Editorial Manager, Asia Society SwitzerlandStay up-to-date on all activities of Asia Society Switzerland. Subscribe to our newsletter. 

Tomohiko Taniguchi was Special Advisor to Japan's longest-serving Prime Minister, the late Shinzo Abe.He was the primary writer on Abe's foreign policy speeches, having joined the ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2005 after a 20-year career in journalism at Nikkei Business.He is currently a professor at Keio University specializing in international political economy and Japanese diplomacy.In this conversation, he talks about his worries for security in Asia; who he thinks is the biggest threat to the future of Japan, and why hope remains such an important commodity if we want to turn things around.After listening to this episode, grab the opportunity to hear Tomohiko Taniguchi speak live, in person, at the STATE OF ASIA conference on November 10, 2022, in Zurich, Switzerland. He will be joined by many others of our trusted experts.For more details, the full speaker line-up, and information on how to get tickets, visit our website.State of Asia is a podcast series from Asia Society Switzerland. New episodes are published every other Monday.Host: Nico Luchsinger, Executive Director, Asia Society SwitzerlandProducer: Remko Tanis, Program and Editorial Manager, Asia Society SwitzerlandStay up-to-date on all activities of Asia Society Switzerland. Subscribe to our newsletter. 

State of Asia is the podcast from Asia Society Switzerland.Engaging conversations with leading minds on current and future developments in Asia, that affect us all.This season, our guests include: Leni Robredo, until recently Vice President of the Philippines; C Raja Mohan, one of India's foremost foreign policy thinkers; and John Zhu, Chief Economist Asia at Swiss Re in Hong Kong.In our first episode, premiering Monday, we speak with Tomohiko Taniguchi, former Special Advisor to Japan's longest-serving Prime Minster, the late Shinzo Abe.All of them have appeared alongside many others, in-person, at our State of Asia conference on November 9 and 10, 2022, in Zurich, Switzerland.New episodes of the State of Asia podcast appear every other Monday.Host: Nico Luchsinger, Executive Director, Asia Society SwitzerlandProducer: Remko Tanis, Program and Editorial Manager, Asia Society SwitzerlandStay up-to-date on all activities of Asia Society Switzerland. Subscribe to our newsletter. 

Legislative Council member Iswandy Ahmad and agricultural entrepreneur Dr. Vanessa Teo talk about their homeland Brunei – the independent Islamic sultanate on the island of Borneo. Brunei boasts a well-educated population, excellent infrastructure, and a stable government. It is a member of the Commonwealth and of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Since the discovery of petroleum resources in the 1920s, Brunei’s economy has largely been dependent on gas and oil revenues, making it one of the highest per capita income countries in Asia. The government has recognized the need to diversify the country’s economy, a topic which our speakers are also concerned about.3:35 Background information on Brunei6:08 Iswandy and Vanessa’s views on Brunei, and where it stands today 9:43 The monarchy and its visions 19:36 The agricultural sector which is highly technology-driven31:17 Iswandy and Vanessa’s recommendations on places to visit and food to try in BruneiYour host: Denise Staubli, Program Manager, Asia Society Switzerland Moderator: Simona Grano, Senior Lecturer and Director of the Taiwan Studies Project at the University of Zurich (UZH) Speakers: The Honourable Iswandy Ahmad, Member of the Legislative Council of Brunei as Person who has Achieved Distinction Dr. Vanessa Teo, Founder of Agrome, an agriculture technology platform Production: Denise StaubliShow NotesProgresif RadioChop Jing Chew (in Bandar Seri Begawan), a restaurant developed in 1946 which serves tea and toast, and is a melting pot of the younger and older populationHiking trails e.g. in the Ulu Temburong National Park to watch the sunsetNasi Katok: white rice, chicken and sauceAsia Society Switzerland webcast A Closer Look at Brunei with The Honourable Iswandy Ahmad and Dr. Vanessa Teo, June 3, 2021

Supreme Court lawyer Sara Hossain and academic Dr. Faraha Nawaz talk about their homeland Bangladesh – one of the world’s most crowded countries. Bangladesh has been going through remarkable developments since the 1990s. Millions have been pulled out of poverty, the garment industry has flourished, and before the pandemic, economic growth exceeded 7% for four years in a row, outpacing not just Pakistan and India, but even China. This development is, however, contrasted with a complicated political and human rights situation and an erosion of democratic institutions, as our speakers point out.3:03 Background information on Bangladesh5:38 Sara and Faraha’s views on Bangladesh, and where it stands today 11:10 The incredible development the country has undergone since the 1990s15:02 About women in Bangladesh and some national politics, which also have been shaped mainly by women in recent years29:38 Sara and Faraha’s recommendations on places to visit and food to try in BangladeshYour host: Denise Staubli, Program Manager, Asia Society Switzerland Moderator: Nico Luchsinger, Executive Director, Asia Society Switzerland Speakers: Sara Hossain, Barrister at the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, Partner at the law firm of Dr. Kamal Hossain and Associates, pro bono Honorary Executive Director of the Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services TrustDr. Faraha Nawaz, Associate Professor at the University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh Production: Denise StaubliShow NotesNational Fish Hilsa Roadside snacks, such as SingaraCox's Bazar – the longest sea beach in the worldSaint Martin IslandHilly areas in the Rangamati and Bandarban districtsBangladesh’s many and large rivers amongst the biggest in the world, such as the Brahmaputra Leading newspapers in English, such as the Daily Prothom aloThe Colonel Who Would Not Repent, by Salil Tripathi about the Bangladeshi warBooks written by Shaheen Akhtar, who has won numerous awards for her fiction about Bangladesh's history and women's experienceMicrofinance and Women’s Empowerment in Bangladesh by Dr. Faraha Nawaz, 2019Confronting Constitutional Curtailments: Attempts to Rebuild Independence of the Judiciary in Bangladesh by Sara Hossain, in Paul Brass (ed) Handbook of Politics in South Asia, Routledge, 2010Rohingya Refugee Women and Girls: Remedies and Responses to Sexual and Gender based Violence in Bangladesh by Sara Hossain and Sajeda Amin, in Imtiaz Ahmed (ed) The Rohingya Refugee Crisis: Towards Sustainable Solutions, Dhaka, 2019  Asia Society Switzerland webcast A Closer Look at Bangladesh with Dr. Faraha Nawaz and Sara Hossain, June 17, 2021

Human rights lawyer Dilfuza Kurolova and political scientist Dr. Farkhod Tolipov talk about their homeland Uzbekistan – the land locked and most populous country of Central Asia. After two decades of economic and political isolation under the former President Islom Karimov, there are hopes that the current president will bring the much needed change to the former Soviet country. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev is more reform-orientated, more democratic and more liberal than his predecessor, and there has been a shift towards a more liberal life, though only a very slight one, and there is much to do to create a democratic system in Uzbekistan, as our speakers point out.4:12 Background information on Uzbekistan6:30 Dilfuza and Dr. Tolipov’s views on Uzbekistan, and where it stands today 21:20 The cotton industry26:57 Uzbekistan’s involvement in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and reactions from Russia34:47 Dilfuza and Dr. Tolipov’s recommendations for places to visit and food to tryYour host: Denise Staubli, Program Manager, Asia Society Switzerland Moderator: Simona Grano, Senior Lecturer and Director of the Taiwan Studies Project at the University of Zurich (UZH) Speakers: Dilfuza Kurolova, human rights lawyer and founding-curator of the Global Shapers Tashkent HubDr. Farkhod Tolipov, Director of the non-governmental Research Institution “Bilim Karvoni” (“Caravan of Knowledge”) Production: Denise StaubliShow NotesGreen dumplings –in season in Spring/SummerWatermelons –  very big and tasty in the SummerPlov – National dish of UzbekistanKhiva – Ancient city in Xorazm Region, UzbekistanThe capital city Tashkent with its big bazaars and the famous Tashkent metro (featuring very beautiful tunnels and stations). Most stunning station: “Cosmos” stationNew Silk Roads by Peter FrankopanPublications by Dr. Farkhod TolipovAsia Society Switzerland webcast A Closer Look at Uzbekistan with Dilfuza Kurolova and Dr. Farkhod Tolipov, May 20, 2021

Human rights lawyer Bhavani Fonseka and human rights advocate Ambika Satkunanathan talk about their homeland Sri Lanka – the island nation just off the southeastern coast of India. Sri Lanka boasts a large, well-educated population, great economic potential, a history of democracy, and popular tourist attractions. At the same time, the country has been marred by political violence since its independence in 1948, and the current government’s stand on human rights and governance has come under the close watch of the United Nations yet again.3:48 Background information on Sri Lanka6:00 Bhavani and Ambika’s views on Sri Lanka, and its big brother India10:30 The post-war situation in Sri Lanka16:41 Sri Lanka’s government and its domestic and foreign politics28:21 Bhavani and Ambika’s recommendations for places to visit and food to tryYour host: Denise Staubli, Program Manager, Asia Society Switzerland Moderator: Nico Luchsinger, Executive Director Asia Society Switzerland Speakers: Bhavani Fonseka, Senior Researcher and Attorney at Law with the Centre for Policy Alternatives Ambika Satkunanathan, Open Society Fellow and former Commissioner of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka Production: Denise StaubliShow NotesWatalappam – dessert made by Muslim community in Sri LankaHoppers – a staple of Sri Lankan cuisine that can come in many formsSri Lanka’s Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour. A Critique of Promises Made and Present Trends, 2021, Report by Center for Policy AlternativesEmblematic Cases Expose the Long Road to Justice in Sri Lanka, February 2021, by Bhavani FonsekaThe long wait for justice, August 2020, by Bhavani FonsekaSurviving War and Victimhood: Women and Tamil Nationalism, March 2021, The Wire, by Ambika SatkunanathanFading Sri Lankan Hopes for Justice Rest on U.N. Rights Council, 24 February 2021, New York Times, by Ambika SatkunanathanIs Sri Lanka's government failing to heal the nation?, February 2021, DW News, Interview with Ambika SatkunanathanDie srilankische Diasporain der Schweiz, 2007, by Joëlle Moret, Denise Efionayi, Fabienne Stants; Bundesamt für Migration BFMAsia Society Switzerland webcast A Closer Look at Sri Lanka with Bhavani Fonseka and Ambika Satkunanathan, May 6, 2021 

Journalist and Musician Kunga Tenzin Dorji, known as Supe, talks about his homeland Bhutan – the landlocked country located in the Eastern Himalayas. Until the 1960s, the kingdom of Bhutan was isolated from the rest of the world. When Bhutan started to open up, it did not modernize blindly, as Supe points out. The tiny nation wedged between India and China was able to preserve its national identity, which remains visible in the country’s cultural heritage, and in its political and socio-economic systems.Your host: Denise Staubli, Program Manager, Asia Society SwitzerlandModerator: Simona Grano, Senior Lecturer and Director of the Taiwan Studies Project at the University of Zurich (UZH)Speaker: Kunga Tenzin Dorji (Supe), freelance journalist and musicianProduction: Denise StaubliShow NotesPhobjikha Valley – a spectacular wide valley in Bhutan at an elevation of 3’000 meters, where you also find the very endangered black-necked cranesEma Datshi – the national dish of Bhutan Anthony Bourdains’ series Parts Unknown on Bhutan, who gives a good assessment of BhutanThe History of Bhutan, by Karma PhuntshoSo Close to Heaven: The Vanishing Buddhist Kingdoms of the Himalayas, by Barbara Crossette, for a better understanding of geopolitics of BhutanThe Circle of Karma, by Kunzang Choden, fiction and quite revealing about Bhutan’s society and cultureAsia Society Switzerland webcast A Closer Look at Bhutan with Kunga Tenzin Dorji and Dr. Simona Grano, July 1, 2021