Asia Insight

In this episode Lingy Au talks to Shenny Tang, and entrepreneur based in Brunei, who is Head of Growth at Innov8 Labs, Brunei's first digital capability centre - specialising in cybersecurity, AI and emerging technologies.  Shenny was in New Zealand earlier this year participating in the Young Business Leaders Initiative, a week-long exchange programme to learn more about the NZ business envi...

Today we're joined by Professor James Laurenceson, Director of the Australia-China Relations Institute at the University of Technology in Sydney, one of the sharpest minds working on the economics of the China relationship anywhere in the region.  James has spent years cutting through the noise on trade, investment, and what's become the defining question for governments and businesses a...

Our guests on the podcast today are two leading experts of Asia security issues, in Wellington NZ for the Asia Symposium hosted by the Asia New Zealand Foundation. This episode's a deep dive on Asia politics, and replete with the various associated acronyms. So if you aren't familiar with The IP4, The Quad, or ASEAN and Japan's OSA - a quick Google of the terms will make for a more...

Malaysia’s Institute of Strategic and International studies one of the country’s most high-profile think tanks, known widely as ISIS   Professor Mohd Faiz Abdullah is its Executive Chairman and Chief Executive  His diverse career spans media, law enforecement, education and three decades as a lawyer. He’s also currently an advisor to Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibraham.  A small delegation from...

Charlotte Glennie is a name with a rather special place in the New Zealand media history, as the country’s only former foreign correspondent based in Asia.  She’s spent more than two decades in the media, and as well as New Zealand outlets – notably TVNZ , she’s also worked with the BBC and ABC Australia.  She’s just released an autobiography called “Every Second Counts” , running through her life...

Mycotech is an Indonesian startup based in the central Javanese city of Bandung, and since about 2016 its been in the business of mycelium leather, the mushroom based alternative that is taking on the traditional leather goods industry.  One of the company’s founder is Adi Nugroho, who has been in the country recently courtesy of the Asia New Zealand Foundation. We sat down for a chat about the de...

Dr Samir Saran is President of the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), India’s premier think tank. ORF puts together the Raisina Dialogue, a global geo-politics conference held in New Delhi annually, attracting analysts, politicians and journalists from around the world. Samir's been back in NZ as a Prime Minister’s Fellow, and we sat down for a chat about India in 2025, the India -Russia rel...

Prof Joseph Liow is Dean, and Professor of East Asian Affairs, at the prestigious Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, at Singapore’s National University. He’s been in New Zealand this week as the inaugural Non-Resident Fellow at the Asia New Zealand Foundation. Professor Liow is one of Singapore’s leading scholars on international affairs, known for his incisive analysis of Southeast Asian polit...

 Last month, the Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono released its 28th Perceptions of Asia and Asian Peoples survey – the longest-running dataset tracking New Zealanders’ views of Asia and our connections to the region.  Today on the podcast, the Foundation's Director of Research and Engagement,  Julia MacDonald, is joined by VUW's Jason Young and Foundation fellow Raf Manji to...

Recently six New Zealand sports leaders joined Kirsty Sharp, Manager of the the Asia New Zealand Foundation's Sports programme, for a trip to Singapore  and Malaysia to meet with and learn about the sports ecosystems in both countries. Today on the podcast Kirsty catches up with Sport New Zealand's Claire George, who was one of the delegates  -to hear her observations and reflections pos...

The ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Kao Kim Hourn has been in New Zealand to mark the 50th Anniversary of the dialogue relationship. Today we catch up with him to discuss the role of ASEAN in turbulent times, where the organisation is headed, and the importance of the enduring links between ASEAN and Aotearoa.  Tweet us at @AsiaMediaCentre Website asiamediacentre.org.nz Email us at media@asianz.org.nz...

This week we join Raf Manji, a Non-Resident Fellow at the Asia New Zealand Foundation, in conversation with Dr Reuben Abraham, the CEO of Artha Global, a Mumbai and London-based public policy organisation advising governments  around the world. The pair take a deep dive into the new India - economics, trade, technology, and foreign policy. -as NZ embarks on the latest round of talks towards a Free...

Today on the podcast Dr Julia Macdonald, head of Research and Engagement at the Asia New Zealand Foundation, sits down with Vietnam’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Do Hung Viet, who earlier this year visited New Zealand as an ASEAN Prime Minister’s fellow. Mr Viet was appointed Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2022, following a diplomatic career that has focused on international organisatio...

In this episode of Asia Unfiltered, our host Arina Aizal chats to Nathan Taylor about his experiences growing up living in Indonesia as a teenager, and later living as an adult in China.  Digressions include the unique experience of going from homeschooling in New Zealand to being dropped into the middle of a remote Indonesian jungle, a deep dive into the power of accents within linguistics, and h...

In this episode of Asia Unfiltered, our host Arina Aizal chats to Yik Kun Heng about his experiences living… well, everywhere! Yik Kun has lived in Beijing, Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand, Thailand, Vietnam, Switzerland, and now Chile.  What's it like navigating identity as someone with a multicultural, international background, or to represent New Zealand in Wushu: the Chinese martial art,...

In this episode of Asia Unfiltered, our host Kii Small chats to Marcus Coll about his many experiences living in Japan over the years. Digressions include the power of learning a second language, how strange twists of fate can completely alter the course of your life, and how he uncovered a hidden hub of nuclear disarmament activism in Christchurch, New Zealand.  Asia Unfiltered is an exploration...

A few weeks ago the Asia New Zealand Foundation celebrated its 30th Anniversary with an “Asia Summit” at Parliament in Wellington. Among the speakers and the panels on the day was a session looking at the NZ media’s relationship with Asia. The panel comprised the Washington Post’s Asia-Pacific Editor Anna Fifield, Newsroom’s National Affairs Editor Sam Sachdeva, and journalist Jean Lee, currently...

The Asia New Zealand Foundation recently led a delegation on a Track II diplomacy visit to Malaysia for the 16th ASEAN Australia/New Zealand Dialogue. Foundation Trustee Hone McGregor and economist Brad Olsen were on the trip, and sat down with RNZ's Colin Peacock to discuss the key takeaways from their first Track II experience in Kuala Lumpur.  Tweet us at @AsiaMediaCentre Website asiamedia...

Today we welcome NATO permanent representatives Scott Oudkirk (US), Anita Nergaard (Norway) and Maris Riekstins (Latvia), who have been in Wellington to discuss the alliance's partner networks in the region, and the strengthening of the long-standing relationship with New Zealand.    Tweet us at @AsiaMediaCentre Website asiamediacentre.org.nz Email us at media@asianz.org.nz Whakawhetai mo te...

In this episode of Asia Unfiltered, our host Kii Small chats to Magdeline Huang about her experiences living in South Korea. Digressions include unpacking cultural differences between New Zealand and South Korean life, what it’s like to work as a software engineer, and how you can combine being a woman in STEM with creative pursuits.  Asia Unfiltered is an exploration of the stories and experience...

Jean Lee is a Korean American journalist and researcher based at the East-West Centre in Hawaii.   She has spent a large part of her career covering North Korea and Northeast Asian affairs, and is co-host of the award-winning “Lazarus Heist” podcast for the BBC World Service, which delves into the Lazarus Group, a shadowy consortium of cyber-criminals working on behalf of the North Korean state.  ...

In this episode of Asia Unfiltered, our host Arina Aizal chats to Leonard Hong about his experiences currently studying his master’s in Singapore. Digressions include reflections on growing up in New Zealand as a Korean-Kiwi, what life is like as a bourgeoning political economist, and why you should stop what you’re doing and move to Singapore. Asia Unfiltered is an exploration of the stories and...

In this episode Lingy Au speaks with entrepreneur Bicky Nguyen from Vietnam. Bicky was recently in the country as a keynote speaker at the ASEAN NZ Business Council Forum. She is the driving force behind "CricketOne, a leading global supplier in cricket ingredients as a form of alternative protein.   Tweet us at @AsiaMediaCentre Website asiamediacentre.org.nz Email us at media@asianz.org.nz W...

In this episode of Asia Unfiltered, our host Arina Aizal chats to Lucy Luo about her experiences living in Singapore, Hong Kong, and China. Digressions include what it’s like to have a truly international job, how getting out of New Zealand and going abroad can fundamentally change your perspective on life, and how a background in law can be truly versatile.  Asia Unfiltered is an exploration of t...

Ryan Neelam is a former Diplomat and Director of Public Opinion and Foreign Policy at the Lowy Institute in Sydney. In this edition of Asia Insight he's in conversation with The Asia New Zealand Foundation's Research Director, Dr Julia MacDonald, looking at this year's public opinion surveys from both organisations. The annual "Lowy Institute Poll", and the Foundation&apos...