Seminar: Unveiling the Answers to Trump and Brexit – What Next for Global Politics and Economics?

REGIONAL ECONOMIC STUDIES PROGRAMME

(Revised)

The book THE VEIL OF CIRCUMSTANCE published by ISEAS in November 2016 and authored by Jørgen Ørstrøm Møller analyzes the turmoil and seeks answers in an increasingly unpredictable world of problems and challenges

 

About the Seminar

How did we get into this mess? Discontent and frustrations fuel movements and rebellion against the global model. How do we get out of the mess? Why doesn’t globalisation work? What is the role of social networks? Which economic model will we see in the future? The author puts forward ideas of how to provide ANSWERS to the most challenging transition civilization has ever faced: From Societies to Humanity. How groups and values can help to make economics and politics work again.

About the Themes in the Book

“Many ills afflict the global political economy today. Conventional economic tools are losing their power to ensure steady economic growth.  Competing nationalisms are creating a more dangerous world that threatens the current international economic and political order.    This book gets to the heart of the issues that have brought the world to its current state.  Mr Moeller is to be congratulated for producing an historically grounded analysis which suggests a different way forward for our unequal, resource-depleting world economy.”

– Pang Eng Fong, Professor (Practice), Lee Kong Chian School of Business, Singapore Management University

“This book, immensely rich in data and keen observations, dwells into the central challenges of our economic and political system – the erosion of trust, the declining coherence and the shrinking common space. The author’s attempt to sketch out what can be done to help us address these challenges brought about by globalization, digitalization and our disconnect with nature is well worth pondering about.”

– Yeo Lay Hwee, Director, European Union Centre in Singapore

“Our world is changing deeply at the moment, economically, technologically, and socially. Jørgen Ørstrøm Møller is an astute observer of the forces and mechanisms causing these changes. Well worth reading and pondering.” 

– W. Brian Arthur, formerly Morrison Professor of Population Studies and Economics, Stanford University

“In his brilliantly illuminating book the author referenced the fundamental historical facts to trace the sources and triggers of a paradigmatic ongoing change in society, economy and world order. He did this with an immense knowledge, circumspection and interdependent understanding of the relevant forces and undertook a well-structured and documented research and analysis. We get valuable and important impetus as food for thought to a coming complex and gigantic change.”

– Alfred Scheidegger, Dr, Founder and CEO of Nextech Invest Ltd, formerly member of the board of directors, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich

“It has been more than 15 years ago when Joseph Stiglitz wrote, Globalisation and its Discontents with the message that there is evidence of much unhappiness in the way global reforms were taking place ,and how that have impacted developing and poor countries. Stiglitz concluded that the main issue is not with globalisation but rather the process of management was very much lacking. And now in Stiglitz, in his latest book, Rewriting the Rules of the American Economy’ had argued that this old message he had on globalisation is now affecting the advanced economies.

Professor Jørgen Ørstrøm Møller is never one to evade the complexity and subtleties of current affairs. He pursues the issues of the day with an intellectual curiosity, clarity of thought and completeness that is enriched with his vast experience in the Danish diplomatic service, policy-making and academia. In this book, he uses an interdisciplinary approach to discuss the intrinsics including globalisation that is shaping the world.

While Stiglitz’s point is about managing the needed change as in globalisation, Møller’s argument is to reinforce a better global governance , and a challenge of minds for world leaders and policy makers to create a new world where not only Science and Technology matters but also to some semblance of sanity where deep consciousness can take root, where inspiration , thought and creativity, strong bonds and cohesion in and across societies deepens, making cultural identities count , and above all when materialism fades.”

– Euston Quah, Professor, President, Economic Society of Singapore, Head of Economics, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

“An excellent and important book, wide-ranging (and comprehensive), drawing together many strands which we have already observed ourselves into a single coherent analysis with many original insights.”

– Stuart Larkin, Consulting Economist

About the Author

Jørgen Ørstrøm Møller is a seasoned diplomat having served as State-Secretary 1989-1997 in the Royal Danish Foreign Ministry and from 1997 to 2005 as Denmark’s ambassador in Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Since 2005 with ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore Management University, and MFA Diplomatic Academy (Singapore) plus Copenhagen Business School and University of Copenhagen. He is a well-known futurist and author having published HOW ASIA CAN SHAPE THE WORLD (2010) and THE GLOBAL ECONOMY IN TRANSITION (2013). Since 1997 he has lived in Singapore.

About the Chairperson

Francis E. Hutchinson is a Senior Fellow and Co-ordinator of the Regional Economic Studies and Malaysia Studies Programme at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. He is the Managing Editor of the Journal of Southeast Asian Economies, and is the author of Mirror Images in Different Frames? Johor, the Riau Islands, and Competition for Investment from Singapore (ISEAS, 2015), and co-editor of Asia and the Middle Income Trap (Routledge, 2016).

About the Panelists

Pang Eng Fong is Professor (Practice), Lee Kong Chian School of Business, (LKCSB), Singapore Management University.  He has served as Dean, LKCSB and in Singapore’s diplomatic missions in Seoul, Brussels and London.

Yeo Lay Hwee is Director of the European Union Centre in Singapore since 2009. She is also Council Secretary and Senior Research Fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA), and Adjunct Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS).  Since 2011, she is Co-Editor in Chief of the Asia Europe Journal. An international relations expert, her research interests revolve around comparative regionalism, principles of multilateralism and governance networks. She has written extensively on issues pertaining to Asia-Europe relations in general, and in particular, the ASEM process and relations between the European Union and ASEAN.

 

Programme

14.45 pm   Registration

15.00 pm   Opening Remarks by the Chairperson (Francis E HUTCHINSON)

15.10 pm   Introducing the themes in the book (Jørgen Ørstrøm Møller)

15.20 pm   First Panellist (PANG Eng Fong)

15.40 pm   Second Panellist (YEO Lay Hwee)

15.55 pm   Questions & Answers Session

17.00 pm   Refreshments

Registration

To register, please fill in this form and email it to iseasevents3@iseas.edu.sg by 13 January 2017.

Date

Jan 16 2017
Expired!

Time

2:45 pm - 5:00 pm

Location

ISEAS Seminar Room 2