Rethinking Asia 4: Why Asia Is Hopeful

“As Asia is poised to surge ahead, it is crucial to connect its new talents with the future leaders of other
countries. The birth of the ALT was sparked by this hope: to connect these talents and to channel leading
best practices to the individuals and organizations from all regions with the common desire to make the
world a better place, believing that all of us have unique opportunities and responsibilities to contribute
and make a difference.”

Hungsoo S. Kim
Founding President, Center for Asia Leadership

--

The IMF estimates that by 2030, Asia’s economy will be larger than that of the EU and the US combined as the
region’s world GDP share reaches to 40%. Six out of ten jobs in the world will be based in Asia while five Asian
countries will catapult into the top ten economies. It is imperative that Asia is prepared to take up this challenge by
producing enough capable and ethical leaders to cultivate ideas and implement plans for a successful future. In
Why Asia is Hopeful, graduate students from Harvard, Tufts, and MIT who participated in two Asia Leadership Treks
and ten Asia Leadership Fellowship Tours in 2017, discover how Asia is preparing for this acknowledged future. The
Treks covered prominent cities such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo and Seoul as well as newly developing
economies like Myanmar and Vietnam. These journeys offered the scholars novel experiences and insights, prompting
them to write the essays in this volume about how Asia's talents are poised to change the world for the better.

--

“Powerful stories of addressing leadership issues in Asia. An important read for those who want to better
understand how to lead in the dynamic Asian context.”

Mark Fagan
Lecturer in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School of Government


“The 21st century has been called the Asian century due chiefly to the region’s thriving economy and
technology advances. Through the contributors’ firsthand accounts of their travels to several major cities in
Asia, we witness the tension between ethical policymaking and sustainable growth. A compelling read for
anyone keen to learn more about Asia.”

Mathias Risse
Professor of Philosophy and Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School


“Science and technology has put Asia on the map, and in some cases, ahead of the pack. Rethinking Asia 4
presents itself as a valuable source for readers to learn how Asian societies are integrating technology and
innovation into the workplace and community to bring about positive impact.”

The Honorable Jae-chul Shim
Deputy Speaker, National Assembly of Republic of Korea