05/11/2026
ISEAS Event – This morning, we kicked off our annual ASEAN Roundtable with welcome remarks by ISEAS Director and CEO, Mr Ng Chee Khern, followed by a keynote address by HE Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand. Drawing on his extensive experience, HE Sihasak shared valuable insights on the challenges facing and the region before engaging participants in a lively Q&A session moderated by Mr Ng.
The programme then continued with three panel discussions featuring Amb Piper Campbell, Dr Zha Daojiong, Prof Kei Koga, Prof Simon Tay, Min Jasmin Lau, Mr Nick Marro, Ms Aparna Bharadwaj, Mr Seng Bingxun, Dr Yose Rizal Damuri, Dr Ha Anh Tuan, and Amb Elizabeth Buensuceso. Discussions explored how ASEAN can strengthen regional resilience, coordination, and strategic foresight across its three community pillars amid tensions, maritime insecurity, and food supply pressures, AI and developments and global fragmentation.
Organised by the ASEAN Studies Centre and supported by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, the 41st ASEAN Roundtable was themed “Navigating Polycrisis: Can ASEAN Deliver When It Matters?” The one-day forum drew 202 participants, including policymakers, diplomats, scholars, and regional experts.