What It Takes: Southeast Asia – Charting the Region’s Path from the Periphery to the Core of Global Consciousness

Programme Outline

Southeast Asia stands at a critical crossroads. Home to 700 million people and a $4 trillion economy, the region has sustained peace despite immense diversity. By all measures, it should already be central to global consciousness, yet it remains at the margins.

Through multidisciplinary conversations with leading thinkers and practitioners, this Power Talk will explore the forces shaping Southeast Asia’s trajectory: education, leadership, economic strategy, sustainability and its place in the geopolitical order.

Together, we will reflect on the past, examine present realities and chart the path

ways forward—highlighting the collaborations Southeast Asia must forge with neighbouring regions and the wider world to unlock its full potential, moving from the periphery to the core of global consciousness.

Key Takeways:

1. Rule of Law as the Foundation of Capital Flows – FDI depends on predictability and enforcement of laws, as seen in Singapore’s consistent success.
2. Turning Uncertainty into Risk to Attract Capital – Investors accept measurable risk but avoid uncertainty; Southeast Asia must transform ambiguity into quantifiable opportunity.

3. Education as the Engine of Long-Term Relevance – Future competitiveness requires strategic investments in human capital, especially in primary and secondary education, to move up the value chain.

    

Jointly organised with:

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