Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
This episode discusses how the world—especially Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific—is facing growing uncertainty due to several overlapping global challenges. These include rising tensions between the US and China, increasing economic fragmentation, competition over technology, and more protectionist trade policies. At the same time, conflict in the Middle East is driving up energy prices, which is worsening inflation and could slow global growth or even trigger a recession.
Against this difficult backdrop, the episode highlights how countries like Canada—through organisations such as the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada—can play a constructive role as “middle powers.” These actors help support regional cooperation, provide technical assistance, and build capacity, contributing to a more stable, inclusive economic environment in the Indo-Pacific.
To help us unpack whether this new strategy is fit for its purpose, we are delighted to have with us Mr Barrett Bingley. Barrett is the Asia Regional Director at the APF Canada, where he leads the Foundation’s work across Southeast Asia and the broader Indo-Pacific region, advancing Canada’s engagement through policy research, business facilitation, and strategic partnerships. Prior to joining the foundation, Barrett held senior roles at The Economist Impact and served as a policy advisor to Canada’s foreign and trade ministers, focusing on Asia’s policy, trade, and security.
The “ASEAN in Practice” podcast aims to invite practitioners from around the region that have spent many years working on ASEAN issues and policies. Through this podcast series, we hope to gain some valuable insights from their experiences that will contribute towards the policy-making level in the form of policy papers and future research on ASEAN.
Guest Speaker: Barrett Bingley, Asia Regional Director of the Asia-Pacific Foundation of Canada
Host: Denis Hew, Senior Research Fellow, Centre on Asia and Globalisation, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore
Podcast Producer & Editor: Mae Chow, Research Assistant, Centre on Asia and Globalisation, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore
#ASEANinPractice #ASEAN #CAG_LKYSPP #GovernancefortheFuture #publicpolicy #policymatters #internationaltrade #GovernancefortheFuture #publicpolicy #policymatters #Canada #CanadaASEAN
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This episode discusses how the world—especially Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific—is facing growing uncertainty due to several overlapping global challenges. These include rising tensions between the US and China, increasing economic fragmentation, competition over technology, and more protectionist trade policies. At the same time, conflict in the Middle East is driving up energy prices, which is worsening inflation and could slow global growth or even trigger a recession.
Against this difficult backdrop, the episode highlights how countries like Canada—through organisations such as the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada—can play a constructive role as “middle powers.” These actors help support regional cooperation, provide technical assistance, and build capacity, contributing to a more stable, inclusive economic environment in the Indo-Pacific.
To help us unpack whether this new strategy is fit for its purpose, we are delighted to have with us Mr Barrett Bingley. Barrett is the Asia Regional Director at the APF Canada, where he leads the Foundation’s work across Southeast Asia and the broader Indo-Pacific region, advancing Canada’s engagement through policy research, business facilitation, and strategic partnerships. Prior to joining the foundation, Barrett held senior roles at The Economist Impact and served as a policy advisor to Canada’s foreign and trade ministers, focusing on Asia’s policy, trade, and security.
The “ASEAN in Practice” podcast aims to invite practitioners from around the region that have spent many years working on ASEAN issues and policies. Through this podcast series, we hope to gain some valuable insights from their experiences that will contribute towards the policy-making level in the form of policy papers and future research on ASEAN.
Guest Speaker: Barrett Bingley, Asia Regional Director of the Asia-Pacific Foundation of Canada
Host: Denis Hew, Senior Research Fellow, Centre on Asia and Globalisation, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore
Podcast Producer & Editor: Mae Chow, Research Assistant, Centre on Asia and Globalisation, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore
#ASEANinPractice #ASEAN #CAG_LKYSPP #GovernancefortheFuture #publicpolicy #policymatters #internationaltrade #GovernancefortheFuture #publicpolicy #policymatters #Canada #CanadaASEAN
================================================
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Website: http://lkyspp.nus.edu.sg
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Twitter: twitter.com/lkysch
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![[CSA series] Is Time Running Out to Realise the ASEAN Economic Community by 2025?](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/mU2zFHd4h8I/mqdefault.jpg "[CSA series] Is Time Running Out to Realise the ASEAN Economic Community by 2025?
ASEAN aims to realise the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by 2025, which entails establishing a single market and integrated production base. The AEC Blueprint provides numerous initiatives and agreements that must be implemented to attain this objective. ASEAN also has a Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity with a deadline of 2025, which complements the AEC. There are also regional FTAs like RCEP that help ASEAN build closer trade linkages with its major trading partners. However, ASEAN has faced significant economic challenges over the last few years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Given this context, is it still possible to achieve the AEC by 2025? What can be accomplished with only two years remaining?
In our 6th Counterpoint Southeast Asia public webinar, we ask: Is Time Running Out to Realise the ASEAN Economic Community by 2025? and invite three Southeast Asian analysts to provide their unique perspectives.
Counterpoint Southeast Asia is a webinar and policy brief series that tackles strategic and complex questions facing Southeast Asia by presenting the perspectives of regional academics and policy experts. It is organised by the Centre on Asia and Globalisation at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore.
Speakers:
## Julia Tijaja, Former Director of ASEAN Integration Monitoring, ASEAN Secretariat (2015-2021)
## Jean Clarisse T. Carlos, Project Development Officer, Philippine Institute for Development Studies
## Aekapol Chongvilaivan, Senior Economist (Public Finance), Asian Development Bank
Chairperson:
Denis Hew, Senior Research Fellow, Centre on Asia and Globalisation, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore
#GovernancefortheFuture #publicpolicy #policymatters
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![[LKYSPP Alumni] Making an Impact in Poverty Alleviation](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/nP-wkGnSPcw/mqdefault.jpg "[LKYSPP Alumni] Making an Impact in Poverty Alleviation
How can public policy make a tangible impact in poverty alleviation?
Our LKYSPP Alumni, Jack Sim (MPA 2013), Founder of World Toilet Organisation, Ruchika Singh (MPP 2012), former Associate Director of Policy at J-Pal South Asia, Avantika Dhingra (MPP 2015), former Senior Manager at J-Pal South Asia and Rex Wang Xiao (MPP 2008), an Economist at the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, share their stories of making a difference in the lives of those affected by poverty.
They share the steps and approach they took to overcome the policy problem, which can seem challenging, but whose outcome is very meaningful. Through this sharing, we uncover how the public policy education journey these alumni underwent helped equip them with the necessary knowledge, skills and tools to tackle complex poverty issues.
#governanceforthefuture #publicpolicy #policymatters
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