The National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), Japan, and the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, will co-host the GRIPS-RSIS Workshop on “Regional Economic Integration in the Post-Pandemic Era”, inviting researchers and experts across the regions.

Global and regional economic trends over the past several years have given much cause for both optimism and pessimism. On the one hand, the COVID-19 pandemic, US-China strategic competition, as well as nationalist and populist concerns have disturbed economic cooperation and disrupted supply chains. On the other hand, there is also a trend towards multilateralism. For example, mega free trade agreements such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) entered into force. Also, regional governments have coined several initiatives to strengthen regional economic institutions and resilience. In light of these developments, this workshop seeks to examine how regional countries could bolster economic integration in a post-pandemic era and offer policy recommendations for the way forward.

Please join us and watch the workshop via Zoom webinar.

○Date and Time: Wednesday, 16 February 2022

                           10:00-16:30, Japan time (9:00-15:30 Singapore time)

○Format of the Workshop: Zoom webinar (For free)

○Language: English (Simultaneous interpretation to Japanese is available) 

○Theme: “Regional Economic Integration in the Post-Pandemic Era”

○Registration: required

 Fill in the registration form here.

  Meeting ID and passcode will be sent via email to all registrants one working day before the event.

Detailed Program Timetable and Speaker’s Biographies

○Program Outline（Japan time）:

1) OPENING REMARKS　10:00-10:20

Ambassador Ong Keng Yong

Executive Deputy Chairman, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS)

Professor Akihiko Tanaka

President, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), Japan

2) DISCUSSION

SESSION 1: THE IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND THE US-CHINA STRATEGIC COMPETITION ON THE REGIONAL ECONOMIC ORDER

10:20-11:50

(Panelist)

Dr June Park

Political Economist & Fung Global Fellow,

Princeton Institute for International & Regional Studies (PIIRS),

Princeton University

Associate Professor Henry Gao

Associate Professor of Law and Lee Kong Chian Fellow,

Yong Pung How School of Law, Singapore Management University

Dr Sanchita Basu-Das

Economist, Regional Cooperation and Integration Division,
Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department,
Asian Development Bank

(Moderator)

Assistant Professor Lee Su-Hyun

Coordinator of MSc (International Political Economy) Programme, RSIS

BREAK: 11:50-12:05

SESSION 2: BEYOND RCEP AND CPTPP – TOWARDS FURTHER REGIONAL ECONOMIC INTEGRATION

12:05-13:35

(Panelist)

Associate Professor Dr Piti Srisangnam

Director, ASEAN Studies Center, Chulalongkorn University

Professor Emeritus Shujiro Urata

Waseda University

Dr Jeffrey Wilson

Research Director, Perth USAsia Centre

(Moderator)

Ms Eunice Huang

Head of Trade Policy, Asia-Pacific, Google; and,

Adjunct Fellow, RSIS

Lunch Break: 13:35-15:00

SESSION 3: STRENGTHENING SUPPLY CHAINS RESILIENCE IN THE WAKE OF US-CHINA RIVALRY

15:00-16:30

(Panelist)

Professor Natasha Hamilton-Hart

Department of Management and International Business,

The University of Auckland Business School

Professor Yasuyuki Todo

Professor, Graduate School of Economics,

Faculty of Political Science and Economics, Waseda University

Dr Dipinder Singh Randhawa

Adjunct Senior Fellow, RSIS

(Moderator)

Professor Barry Desker

Distinguished Fellow, RSIS

Closing of Workshop (Open sessions) 16:30