Moderator: Xiaofei Ying
Associate: Michelle Ran
The first decade of the 21st century has witnessed globalization, regionalizatio,n and other problems concerning global financial crises, environmental degradation, energy shortage, and a demographic transition. Both developing and developed countries have been undergoing (or are in need of) profound transitions and reforms. What are the obstacles, opportunities, and options for Asian economies to reach successful transitions in the next decade? What are their political implications? How will institutions, leaders, civil society, and individuals respond to these shifts? Will the Asian economies sustain their development momentum and reach further regional integration? What are the possible scenarios for the coming decade in Asia? These are the questions that motivate this panel. We hope to engage scholars, governmental officials, NGO leaders, and college students in this discussion and debate.
Moderator: Daniel Nadler
Associate: Nancy Xie
Every year in Thailand, an estimated 250,000 women are coerced into sex trafficking, many of which are underage workers. Human rights activists and lawyers continue to be arrested in China, where criminal justice is far from being reached. The rise of the four Asian tigers two decades ago, as well as the rise of China and India today, has shifted the balance of power in economic relations. As Asia becomes increasingly globalized and integrated into international affairs, the significance of international law has also become more pronounced. Each of the following three panels will seek to examine the dynamic complexities and impact of international law on Asia.
Human Rights: The need for true justice has never been more urgent. Even though the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights provided for personal, political, and social rights, many countries have yet to guarantee these rights for their citizens. This panel will assess the questions of enforcement and enforceability, including regional and international processes and structures that establish and monitor international law. Since some states may perceive international humanitarian law as a challenge to their sovereignty, the panel will evaluate the role of government, advocacy networks, and individuals in human rights. It covers not only the theory and practice of human rights, but also how these rights must be considered in divergent cultural contexts.
Trade Regulations: With billions of people becoming advanced consumers, the Asia-Pacific region is home to the some of the worldfs largest economies and its most volatile strategic relationships. Yet despite its immense geopolitical importance, it has generally found itself unable to develop the kinds of powerful and effective regional trade and security institutions that are found in Western Europe. This last panel will aim to address this question through a close examination of the relationship between trade and development. Moreover, it will consider the prospects for future institutional development in this critical region.
Political and Cultural Implications: Given the various cultures and political structures in the Asia-Pacific region, the rule of international law can appear to have blurred or ambiguous boundaries. How can the boundaries between state and international law be better defined? Do universal norms of morality and rights outweigh national interests? Or vice versa? as regional powers expand and seek to assert their economic and national identities. This last panel will discuss the influence of political inter-state relations and cultural values on international law.
Moderator: Xi Lu
Associate: Leandra Barnes
All individuals, communities, and countries are threatened by deteriorating global environment. Pollutions of air and water, deforestations, loss of biodiversity, and global warming are penetrating every corner of the world. The most ridiculous thing is that we generate all these disasters by ourselves. Slowness in taking actions against the environmental challenges in science community, governments, private companies, and individuals cause instability in environmental security. Among all regions in the world, Asia has been a region particularly responsible for mass pollutions. Yet Asian responses have been complicated with other challenges imposed in Asian countries: First, their economies are unstable. Second, there are conflicting interests with the developed Western countries, who had been outsourcing Asian resources. Third, the public consensus regarding environmental problems is polarized. This panel aims to explore the problems of the environmental pollution and global warming in Asia through a series of case studies. Discussions will involve in several layers of depth including international diplomat, national policy, regional planning so that delegates will be prepared and gather their thoughts to realize their solutions toward Asian environmental security problems.
Moderator: Arne M. Wiechmann
Associate: Jennifer Zhu
Energy is the enabler of growth and its scarcity has been the trigger of multiple international conflicts. Various stakeholders are at ply with massively diverging interests: resource holders and consumers, government fs and supranational entities, national and international oil companies, environmental groups and intermediaries in the commodities market.
Various theories have frequented the media with regards to the depletion of fossil that triggered fears that the world might soon be running out of oil (Peak Oil). Simultaneously, public focus shifted to renewable recourses, and environmental considerations appear to have become more important in recent years. Those alternative energy providers potentially offer energy through solar, wind, water, or biomass. Other energy conversion technologies (XiL2) are currently outgrowing the market.
For governments, the stability and security of supply of supply of energy is critical to keep their economies well lubricated. Very different approaches can be observed with regards to how governments tackle these challenges: ethical values turn out to determine whether or not nations court dictatorships to guarantee its energy needs, while some ebig egos f keep reshuffling the deck as the game is on: geopolitics at its best. Military interventions will amplify these considerations.
Given the accelerated economic growth in the BRIC countries and other developing nations, the total energy demand will increase significantly while energy companies find it more and more difficult to maintain or even increase production. Oil prices are going to increase considerably unless new technologies to increase energy efficiency are adapted early and comprehensively; the energy consumption per GDP will become an important measure to track success.
On the political agenda, sustainable development is given a priority, and the impact of strict emission regulations and CO2 penalties need to be factors into investment decisions. While the efforts to protect the environment are likely be a major risk to traditional energy companies, they are surely an important catalyst of the 21st century energy value chain.
The workshop at the HPAIR 2010 Asia Conference will bring together leading academics and politicians with business decision makers and representatives from international organizations. We will have a vivid discussion about the worldfs energy challenges and how to tackle them to ultimately unlock the energy puzzle.
The workshop will be divided into three days of panel content as well as a field trip. At the current time, we hope to present an introduction to the energy value chain and the energy supply chain on the first day, to discuss the approaches that various nations have taken to energy (energy politics) on the second day, and to present on alternative energy on the third day. We have already acquired exciting speakers such as Markus Hector, Vice President of LNG Origination at E.on; David Boggs, General Manager for Tanker Pacific Offshore Terminals; and Dr. Michael Quah, Principal Fellow & Chief Scientist, Energy Systems and Technology, Energy Studies Institute.
Moderator: SuiLin Yap
Associate: Christina Guo
Many consider the 21st century to be Asiafs century, where the region is increasingly influential in both economic and political arenas. In this panel, we will learn from business leaders how they and their organizations thrive in this exciting and pivotal era by exploring the themes of leadership, global strategy and creative capitalism.
Leadership: A roundtable discussion will provide us a unique glimpse into the professional lives of CEOs. We will discover how these corporate leaders deal with various issues that keep them awake at night, for instance how they are leading their organizations in response to the recent financial crisis, delivering growth amid uncertainty and building their firmsf culture.
Global Strategy: After a view from the top, we will gain insights about the opportunities and challenges of firms competing in a global marketplace. Professionals at multinationals will shed light on how they formulate and execute strategies to manage customers, talent, innovation and government relations across borders.
Creative Capitalism: While Asiafs middle class is growing, there are still pockets of poverty in the region. Panelists will share their experiences in achieving social impact through creative business models, technology and distribution channels as a social entrepreneur, corporate executive or financier. Be inspired to do well and do good!
This panel will culminate with a field visit to a Singaporean company and a multinational operating in Singapore. We will debrief by comparing the similarities and differences of these two firms. Through the three breakout sessions and the field visit, we hope delegates will develop a better understanding of not only how companies win in Asia but more importantly how they can navigate successful careers in the region and beyond.
Moderator: Joanne Ho
Associate: Esther Lee
Scientific entrepreneurship is a high-risk, high-reward endeavor. What types of institutional, government and economic policies will help academics commercialize their work and encourage venture capitalists to invest in R&D? If success is contingent upon a revolving door between the academic and business worlds, then what can scientists do to succeed simultaneously as researchers and entrepreneurs?
To raise funds, science entrepreneurs must convince investors that they have identified the appropriate niche and designed a workflow that guarantees results. A strong patent and marketing team are also essential. These requirements can be daunting to new entrepreneurs. This panel will consist of scientists with experience in business management and venture capitalists with scientific know-how who have contributed to the growth of scientific entrepreneurship in Asia and Singapore. For example, Singaporefs Biopolis is a center that aims to translate scientific innovations into commercial products.
This panel will also investigate the roles of government, private institutions and research universities in the advancement of scientific entrepreneurship. Case studies of various successful and not-so-successful ventures may be analyzed, to identify the needs of scientist-entrepreneurs. A comparison of Asiafs scientific innovations with Europefs and the Americasf will provide insights on where Asiafs strengths lie and how scientists in Asia can also succeed as entrepreneurs.
