From Japan’s aging lessons to unlocking the demographic dividend in South Asia, Rohini Somanathan, Professor and Head of the Economics Department at the Delhi School of Economics and Sagiri Kitao, Senior Research Economist at ADBI, discuss what the demographic trends shaping Asia means for growth, jobs, and policy choices. Script: https://adbi.me/4sJcqfX

Industrial policy plays a central role in shaping how economies grow—but the sectors governments support, the firms they finance, and the skills they prioritize can either reinforce existing inequalities or help close them. So what would it take to design industrial policy that actively advances gender equality? Valeria Esquivel of the International Labour Organization and Jennifer Castañeda-Navarrete of the University of Cambridge discuss how gender-responsive industrial policy can be designed and implemented—and why it matters for inclusive and sustainable growth. Script: https://adbi.me/4rI8kEC

Asia’s economic rise has been built on trade, but with the global trading system undergoing structural transformation could digital trade define Asia and the Pacific’s next phase of growth and integration? ADBI Fellow Sayuri Shirai explores its potential impact. Script: https://adbi.me/4tZQaR8

What does it take for developing economies in Asia and the Pacific to grow, move beyond middle-income status and cope with today’s global challenges? In this episode, ADBI Dean Bambang Brodjonegoro and World Bank Group Chief Economist and Senior Vice President for Development Economics Indermit Gill discuss how smart policies, stronger institutions, and regional integration can all support resilient growth, and harness emerging technologies like AI. Script: https://adbi.me/4ajWBX4

What does it take to develop effective policymakers in today’s turbulent geopolitical climate? Professor Francis Fukuyama joined ADBI Dean Bambang Brodjonegoro to discuss the future of governance, why building policy expertise matters more than ever, and the challenges and opportunities for capacity development across Asia and the Pacific. Script: adbi.me/4rDSH2f

Court battles can drag on for years, but what if major cross-border disputes could be solved in just days? Nadja Alexander, Director of the Singapore International Dispute Resolution Academy, and Rajesh Sharma, Director of RMIT Dispute Management Centre, explain how mediation and arbitration are helping Asia’s economies cut case backlogs, boost investor confidence, and build trust. Script: https://adbi.me/3L6O289

How is AI reshaping the future of work across Asia and the Pacific? In this episode, journalist Michael Beltran and Professor Mohammad Jarrahi cut through the hype to explore automation, tacit knowledge, and co-learning between humans and machines. Discover what AI means for BPO workers, education, and the policies needed to protect vulnerable communities. Script: https://adbi.me/46202Qo

Dr. K.E. Seetharam, Senior Consulting Specialist at the Asian Development Bank Institute, and Dr. Sakshi Pandey of the Capacity Building Commission, Government of India, explore Asia’s triple burden of malnutrition: urban obesity, rural undernutrition, and widespread micronutrient deficiencies. Drawing on case studies and insights from their recent book, they examine how urbanization, evolving food systems, and socio-economic disparities are reshaping public health across the region. Script: https://adbi.me/4m4p078

With global fragmentation on the rise, ADBI Dean Bambang Brodjonegoro and ADB Vice-President for East and Southeast Asia, and the Pacific, Scott Morris explore how Asia and the Pacific can boost resilience and forge a bright future through cross-border integration. Read the transcript: https://adbi.me/3GN3zIh

As scams and cybercrime soar in the digital age, financial crime has become a moving target. Shawn Hunter, research fellow at Griffith Asia Institute, and Louis de Koker, a professor of law at La Trobe University, explain how new technologies, outdated frameworks, and regulatory gaps affect everything from financial inclusion to cross-border cooperation in Asia and the Pacific. Script: https://adbi.me/3T5D5V1