Asia Program 2014 Retrospective

As we move into the next year, the Asia Program would like to thank all of our speakers, writers, scholars, and supporters who have helped us make 2014 so successful.  We are especially grateful to the writers have worked with us this year on our publications, covering a range of topics from energy crises in both Pakistan and India, the negotiation of the Trans-Pacific Trade Partnership, and the changing relationships and "rebalancing" in Northeast Asia.  A full catalogue of our publications is available at this link, and many are available in hard copy upon request.

Pakistan is South Asia’s most rapidly urbanizing country. In barely 10 years, nearly 50 percent of its 180 million people will live in cities (a third do today). The series of four policy briefs seeks to share with a wider audience the proceedings of a recent Wilson Center conference that explored Pakistan’s urbanization challenges.  Featuring reports by Tasneem Siddiqui, Murtaza Haider, Nadeem Ul Haque, and Aun Rahman.  Download a PDF

To mark the 35th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act, the Asia Program launched a series offering recommendations designed to ensure that the TRA remains relevant to the policy challenges of the 21st century.  Featuring policy briefs by Dennis Hickey, David J. Keegan, Yeh-Chung Lu, and Xiaobo Hu. Download a PDF

As questions about U.S. commitment to its rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region remain, how Japan sees its own role in East Asia continues to evolve. The changing nature of Tokyo’s relations with Beijing and Seoul, and Japan’s internal debate about whether it should become a “normal” country are some key issues discussed in essays by Yoichiro Sato, Fumiaki Kubo, Leonard Schoppa, Bryce Wakefield, and Kent Calder.  Edited by Shihoko Goto.

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This new publication discusses the drivers of Pakistan’s urbanization, and examines the country’s major urban challenges. It also offers a series of policy recommendations and ways forward to help tackle a trend that won’t be going away anytime soon.  With essays by Murtaza Haider, Nadeem Ul Haque, Nadeem Hussain, Ahsan Iqbal, Sania Nishtar, Mohammad Qadeer, and Tasneem Siddiqui.  Edited by Michael Kugelman.

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Pakistan is plagued by a deep energy crisis—one with troubling consequences for its fragile economy and volatile security situation. This series seeks to share with a wider audience the proceedings of a recent Wilson Center conference that examined Pakistan’s energy crisis and proposed immediate steps to combat it.  Featuring policy briefs by Ziad Alahdad, Akhtar Ali, and Javed Akbar. Download a PDF

Japan may no longer be the economic threat it once was, but tensions with the United States still prevail over trade, most notably in pushing forward with the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement. This report discusses the challenges ahead for TPP to become a reality, written by Robert Rogowsky and Gary Horlick. Download a PDF

Through 2008-2009, the world was confronted by the risk of global economic catastrophe on a scale not experienced since the Great Depression.  This resulted in intensive efforts at international cooperation and coordination by national governments. The subsequent track record, in bureaucratic parlance, has been mixed. Why?  Written by Christopher Legg. Download a PDF | Request a Print Copy

Much has been said in recent years about India’s rising global clout. Considerably less has been said about India and a different type of power: The kind that electrifies households, fires up factories, lights up buildings—and, overall, sustains nations and their economies. On this count, India faces great challenges.  Raymond E. Vickery, explains India's chief energy challenges in this new volume. Download a PDF | Request a Print Copy

As two of the biggest democracies in the most populous and dynamic region in the world, the many values that Japan and India share are crucial to ensuring stability in the Asia-Pacific and beyond. Edited by Shihoko Goto, this book collects essays by Makoto Kojima, Satoru Nagao, Tomoko Kiyota, Sourabh Gupta, and Michael Kugelman based on discussions from the conference that assessed prospects for bilateral relations between Japan and India. Download a PDF | Request a Print Copy