Post Covid-19 Economic Recovery and the Future of APEC
SINGAPORE APEC STUDY CENTRE
About the Webinar
This year, Asia-Pacific Economies (APEC) have begun the reopening of their region and transition towards a post-pandemic era. Thailand will lead the APEC forum where leaders will set the agenda for an inclusive and sustainable recovery in the region. The theme of APEC 2022 is “Open. Connect. Balance,” which is driven by a vision to remain open and address the imbalances created by the COVID-19 pandemic and to achieve sustainable growth through the Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) economy model. The BCG economy model aims for a more holistic and balanced approach to advance economic (facilitating trade and investment), environmental (climate change) and social (inclusivity) goals.
In this webinar, speakers will share their insights on the region’s focus on collaborative economic advancement through digitalisation and innovation, sustainable and inclusive growth, as well as effective COVID-19 management measures. They will also discuss key challenges and the way forward in this increasingly uncertain world for APEC economies. The findings and insights from the May 2022 issue of the APEC Regional Trends Analysis (ARTA), from the APEC Policy Support Unit’s (PSU) semi-annual flagship publication, will also be shared. Economic recovery, which was already fragile to begin with, faltered toward the second half of 2021 with the emergence of the highly contagious Omicron variant, while rising inflation, particularly of food prices, could push more people into extreme poverty. Recent trends in trade costs, which are a key determinant of trade patterns and trade networks, will also be discussed.
About the Speakers
Open. Connect. Balance. What Lies Ahead for APEC Thailand? By Suphat Suphachalasai
Suphat Suphachalasai is Associate Professor and a Commissioner at the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications of Thailand. He was a Director of Thammasat Institute of Area Studies (TIARA), Director of Thai APEC Studies Centre, Director of Australian Studies Centre, and Director of Master of Arts in Asia Pacific Studies (MAPS). Dr Suphachalasai worked as a policy advisor to the Prime Minister of Thailand in Economic Affairs (1996-1997), policy advisor to the Minister of finance (1996-1997), policy advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (2001-2004), and policy advisor to Deputy Prime minister in Foreign Affairs (2005-2006). His research interests include Trade Policy, Trade Negotiations Industrialization Policies in Developing Countries, Industrial Economics, Economics of Telecommunication, and Australian Studies. He received his Ph.D. in Economics from Australian National University in 1989.
APEC Regional Trends Analysis (ARTA) May 2022: Sustainable Recovery amid Uncertainty By Denis Hew
Denis Hew is Director of APEC Policy Support Unit (PSU), the policy research and analysis arm for APEC. He is responsible for driving and implementing the unit’s work programme, which is to provide objective and high quality research, analytical capacity, and policy support capability to support APEC members and fora. Before taking up his current appointment at APEC, Dr Hew was Regional Cooperation Specialist at the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Prior to that, from 2001 to 2008, he was Senior Fellow and Program Coordinator (Regional Economic Studies) at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) Singapore. He was also Managing Editor of the ASEAN Economic Bulletin (now Journal of Southeast Asian Economies), a leading academic journal that focuses on economic issues in Southeast Asia. Dr Hew holds a BSc (Hons) in Economics from the University of Warwick, UK, and an MSc and PhD in Finance from the University of Manchester, UK.
About the Discussant
ASEAN in APEC: Short-Term Outlook and Long-Term Challenges
Jayant Menon is Senior Fellow at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. Prior to this, he was Lead Economist in the Office of the Chief Economist of the ADB. He has also worked at various academic institutions including Monash University, the University of Melbourne, Victoria University, and the American University in Washington, DC. He is interested in trade and investment issues and how they affect economic development, particularly in the Asian region. He holds a PhD in international economics from the University of Melbourne.
Registration
This webinar will be delivered online entirely. You can join the webinar at the specified date and time using devices (computer, phone, or tablet) with internet connection.
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