IN ASIA

Congressional Fellow Surat Suwannikkha in ThailaSince 1958, The Asia Foundation has supported 140 Asian participants from government, civil society, academia, and the media in the American Political Science Association Congressional Fellowship Program. For nine months, selected diplomats, journalists, political scientists, and private professionals… Read more

Last month, Dili played host to visiting government officials from more than 20 countries, including Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia, to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of Timor-Leste’s vote for independence on August 30, 1999. As the excitement and gravitas of the nationwide festivities taper off, and the dry-season dust resettles o… Read more

The biennial conference of the Women’s Funding Network, which took place in San Francisco September 11–13, provided an opportunity for The Asia Foundation to convene the panel “Gender and Climate Justice: Lessons from Asia and the Pacific.” The changing climate is arguably the biggest issue of our time, and the follow-on effects of environmental di… Read more

One of the oldest cities in Southeast Asia, Hanoi is fast becoming a leading economic center as well as an important supplier of textiles and technology. The city’s recent growth is a mixed blessing for residents. On the one hand, there is a flourishing business community, rising economic competitiveness and dynamic growth, and for many, the improv… Read more

Last night in San Francisco, Dr. Oyun Sanjaasuren of Mongolia was awarded The Chang-Lin Tien Distinguished Leadership Award, which honors the late U.C. Berkeley chancellor and chairman of The Asia Foundation’s board of trustees. Dr. Oyun is known for her leadership in promoting Mongolian democracy and stewardship of the environment. She is founder… Read more

From 2018 to 2019, 2,500 boys from 61 schools in Mumbai, Indore, and Delhi, India, took a journey to redefine masculinity and stand up to gender-based violence. The Gender Lab Boys Program is the brainchild of cofounders Akshat Singhal and Ayushi Banerji, strong believers in the power of collective action who say they are out to change a patriarcha… Read more

The rapid growth, in our era, of data-driven decision-making offers both a challenge and an opportunity for businesses at every level in Nepal. As government agencies, research institutes, and the private sector apply new quantitative tools and the analytical power of computers to understand human systems and social phenomena of every kind, the opp… Read more

A Conversation with Jason DeParle “The two main themes of Filipino Overseas Worker life are homesickness and money,” writes New York Times reporter and two-time Pulitzer finalist Jason DeParle early in his new book, A Good Provider Is One Who Leaves. As a Henry Luce Scholar in the mid-1980s, with no previous experience in Asia, DeParle was placed f… Read more

It’s a 45-minute drive on unpaved roads from Barangay Mabunao to Panabo, a small Philippine city in the southern province of Davao del Norte. The round trip costs “Joy” (not her real name) about US$2.00—25 percent of her daily income—just to get somewhere where she has access to a fast, reliable internet connection. But at that price, she mostly st… Read more

With the ratification of an IMF bailout on May 12, Pakistan has now embarked on a difficult journey towards long-term economic stability. Some principal indicators suggest the extent of the pain: Inflation is expected to run around 18 percent in 2019–20. The Pakistani rupee has fallen significantly against the dollar, eroding national buying power,… Read more