The Asia Foundation’s Go Digital ASEAN and Google.org Celebrate Digital Learning in Singapore

May 23, 2023 — The Keyword, a blog produced by Google.org, highlights Go Digital ASEAN and its partnership with Hatch in coverage of the “Grow with Go for SMEs” event celebrating digital learning programs in Singapore. The Go Digital ASEAN initiative broadens participation in the digital economy and reaches marginalized communities with the most to gain from digital literacy by offering in-person and virtual training. Learn more about our partnership with Google.org and Go Digital ASEAN.

To ensure more equitable access to skilling opportunities, our philanthropic arm Google.org is continuing its support to The Asia Foundation with a 4 million dollar grant to extend their Go Digital ASEAN program into its next phase. This program will help teach SME owners across ASEAN how to use digital tools for their businesses. As part of the program, the Asia Foundation’s local implementing partner in Singapore, Hatch, will train 1,500 businesses— 70% of which are owned by women or underrepresented communities. Training includes digital marketing, responsible and sustainable business practices and more.

India and U.S. promote Triangular Development Partnership in Health with Republic of Fiji

May 16, 2023 — The U.S. Embassy in India highlights The Asia Foundation in coverage of the delegation visit from the Republic of Fiji on May 1-5, 2023.

The visit is part of the India-U.S. Triangular Development Partnership to address global development challenges, leveraging their respective experiences and areas of expertise for the global good. Implemented by The Asia Foundation, the delegation from the Republic of Fiji visited India to explore opportunities for collaboration in telemedicine and psychosocial care. The collaboration aims to strengthen Fiji’s capacity to provide a wide range of mental health and emergency care services during disasters and in post-disaster settings.

The India-U.S. Triangular Development Partnership is supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and led by India’s Ministry of External Affairs Development Partnership Administration II.

USAID/ India Mission Director Veena Reddy said, “The U.S.-India Strategic Partnership is a significant contributor to regional and global stability and prosperity. Our shared purpose is to work together and leverage our combined capacities to share best practices and knowledge to address global development challenges for the benefit of the wider region and the world. We also appreciate the robust collaboration provided by the Government of Fiji. This initiative is one of the many we plan to facilitate in the coming months.”

The Asia Foundation’s Trustee Adil Najam Named as New President of World Wildlife Fund International

April 14, 2023 — The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) announced The Asia Foundation’s trustee Adil Najam as the new President of WWF International. Najam is Dean Emeritus of the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University and a professor of International Relations and Earth and Environment.

Globally renowned academic and policy expert, Dr Adil Najam, has been named as the new President of WWF International. Dr Najam replaces outgoing President ad interim, Neville Isdell, who steps down at the beginning of July after serving 13 months while the search for a permanent candidate was undertaken.

 

Dr Adil Najam is a leading public scholar whose teaching, research and public engagement focuses on issues of global public policy especially those related to conservation and environment, sustainable and human development, and climate change in the Global South.

Malaysia’s Skills2Work Initiative Highlighted in BFM’s Evening Edition

April 10, 2023 — BFM: The Business Station‘s “Evening Edition” spotlights The Asia Foundation’s Skills2Work program in an interview with Foundation Program Manager Anusuya Krishnan. 

Last month, we celebrated International Women’s Day and this year’s theme is DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality. We discuss women in tech and what it takes to help women returning to work or transitioning to careers in the digital space.

 

The Asia Foundation Discuss Key Takeways from Carbon Pricing Report on BFM Radio

April 4, 2023 — BFM: The Business Station, a Malaysia-based independent radio station, discusses key takeaways from The Asia Foundation’s recent policy report “Carbon Pricing and the Business Case for Emissions Reduction and Natural Conservation in Malaysia: Research Summary and Policy Recommendations.” The discussion features the Foundation’s climate consultant and report coauthor Darshan Joshi.

Malaysia is at a nascent stage of its carbon pricing journey, recently launching a voluntary carbon market on Bursa Malaysia, with a carbon tax and domestic emissions trading scheme also being considered. What factors go into carbon pricing design and why are CPI initiatives important? We discuss this with Darshan Joshi, climate consultant with the Asia Foundation and co-author of the report: Carbon Pricing and the Business Case for Emissions Reductions and Nature Conservation in Malaysia.

STEM ConnectHer Celebrates International Women’s Day in Malaysia

March 14, 2023 — BFM: The Business Station, a Malaysia-based independent radio station, highlights The Asia Foundation’s STEM ConnecterHER program and the Foundation’s Qistina Kamarudin, in an episode of “Inside Story”.

In line with International Women’s Day last week, and the International Day of Women and Girls in Science last month, we’re looking into women and girls in STEM, and how well we’ve done so far. First, we discuss a program that highlights the importance of mentorship in this area. And then after that, we talk about what the situation is like in Malaysian schools at the moment, and whether girls and women are being actively encouraged to take up STEM.

 

Climate Governance Malaysia Partners with The Asia Foundation for Study Assessing Carbon Pricing

February 23, 2023 — Climate Governance Malaysia (CGM), the Malaysian chapter of the World Economic Forum’s Climate Governance Initiative, spotlights key findings from the study “Carbon Pricing and the Business Case for Emissions Reductions and Nature Conservation in Malaysia: Research Summary and Policy Recommendations.” The research was launched jointly with The Asia Foundation, CGM, and the Institute of Strategic and International Studies Malaysia.

On 16 February 2023, The Asia Foundation Malaysia in collaboration with the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia and Climate Governance Malaysia (CGM) hosted the launch of a study assessing carbon pricing and its impacts and roles in driving the low-carbon transition across Malaysia’s energy and forestry sectors.

 

Key stakeholders from the public and private sectors, NGOs, think-tanks and academia were all in attendance, contributing to a lively interchange between participants who each brought unique knowledge and perspectives on the vast issue of climate change.

Asia Foundation and Australian National University Helps Strengthen Relations Between Thailand and Australia

February 17, 2023 — The Asia Foundation partnered with the Australian National University’s Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs to cohost a dialogue between Thailand and Australia. The dialogue brought together leaders from the government, the policy community, and the private sector to develop new ideas for the future of the bilateral relationship. The dialogue culminated in the report Dialogue to Strengthen the Relationship Between Thailand and Australia Synthesis Report.

Read the full program and report.

The Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs in partnership with The Asia Foundation hosted a track 1.5 dialogue between Thai and Australian leaders at The Australian National University in September 2022 to support the current efforts to strengthen bilateral relations.
 
The Thai-Australian relationship has continued to improve in recent years, building on several positive milestones. In 2020, the Australian and Thai Governments elevated their bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership, designed to enhance economic links, deepen political-security engagement, intensify sectoral collaboration, and enhance people-to-people links. Australia was the first development partner to the Thai-led Ayeyarwady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS).

SEA Today Live Spotlights the Let’s Read Initiative in Indonesia

February 7, 2023 — SEA Today Live, an English-language news outlet based in Indonesia, interviewed Country Representative in Indonesia Hana Satriyo, The Asia Foundation, about the Let’s Read initiative. A recent report on learning loss during the pandemic by the World Bank estimates that the learning poverty rate in low- and middle-income countries has risen to 70 percent, meaning that today, as many as seven in ten children may not be able to read and understand a basic text by age 10. Satriyo highlighted how Let’s Read’s digital library and collection of local language children’s books are being used to encourage families to embrace reading in Indonesia and across the region.

Asia Foundation Supports New Study on Critical Blue Carbon Ecosystems in Indonesia

February 3, 2023 — National Geographic Indonesia, Kompas, Antara News, and 19 local news sources spotlight The Asia Foundation’s partnership with the Indonesia Ocean Justice Initiative (IOJI). Protecting and maintaining blue carbon ecosystems is essential to mitigating climate change. On January 30th, 2023, The Asia Foundation, IOJI and the Ministry for Environment and Forestry launched new research on the critical issues related to blue carbon management.

Article excerpt from National Geographic Indonesia: 

Hasil studi oleh Indonesia Ocean Justice Initiative (IOJI) mendorong pemerintah Indonesia untuk memasukkan ekosistem karbon biru (EKB) ke dalam kategori modal alami yang penting (critical nature capital). Sebab, ekosistem ini sedang terancam rusak oleh manusia. Padahal, ekosistem ini berperan penting dalam mengendalikan perubahan iklim.

 

“Sekalipun EKB memiliki potensi yang besar dalam mengatasi perubahan iklim dan meningkatkan kesejahteraan masyarakat pesisir, kondisi EKB telah lama terancam oleh tekanan antropogenik,” kata Direktur Utama IOJI Mas Achmad Santosa.

 

Santosa menyampaikan pentingnya EKB ini dalam seminar peluncuran hasil studi IOJI bertajuk “Ekosistem Karbon Biru sebagai Critical Natural Capital: Blue Carbon Ecosystem Governance di Indonesia” pada Senin kemarin.

Generated translation of article excerpt: 

The results of a study by the Indonesia Ocean Justice Initiative (IOJI) encourage the Indonesian government to include blue carbon ecosystem (EKB) into the category of critical nature capital. Because, this ecosystem is in danger of being damaged by humans. In fact, this ecosystem plays an important role in controlling climate change.

 

“Although EKB has great potential in tackling climate change and improving the welfare of coastal communities, the condition of EKB has long been threatened by anthropogenic pressures,” said IOJI President Director Mas Achmad Santosa.

 

Santosa conveyed the importance of this EKB in a seminar launching the results of the IOJI study entitled “Blue Carbon Ecosystem as Critical Natural Capital: Blue Carbon Ecosystem Governance in Indonesia” on Monday.