Ear to Asia Asia Institute, The University of Melbourne

Almost four decades since Vietnam abandoned Marxist central planning in favour of market socialism, Vietnam is now well integrated in the global supply chain and is an important manufacturing hub for labour-intensive industries like textiles, electronics, and even automobiles. The economic expansion -- powered by foreign investment and exports -- has reshaped Vietnam's labour market, creating higher-skilled jobs but also challenges like wage stagnation and worker abuse. For all the fanfare over investment dollars from the likes of Apple, Samsung, and Intel -- as well as a host of Chinese companies -- there are signs that the welfare of workers, both in terms of pay and working conditions, is far from a top priority. Meanwhile, restrictive policies around unionisation and dissent have served to hamper labour advocacy. So how to make sense of an uneven labour landscape overseen by a Communist party with long ties to workers? What can be done to ensure Vietnam’s workers truly benefit from the country’s hard-won place in the global value chain? And what can policymakers, businesses and civil society actors do better to protect the very people who underpin Vietnam’s economic future? Vietnam labour experts Prof Angie Tran from Cal State Monterey Bay and Dr Tu Nguyen from Asia Institute examine the often fraught labour relations in Vietnam with host Sami Shah. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com.
Further Reading
Prof Angie Tran
Ethnic Descent and Empowerment: Economic Migration Between Vietnam and Malaysia
https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/?id=p085277
Dr Tu Nguyen
Law and Precarity Legal Consciousness and Daily Survival in Vietnam
https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/law-and-precarity/CDA947232EBCB9E5392F6674095F8E1B

For the nearly eight decades since its founding, Pakistan has struggled to find a balance between civilian democratic governance and the power wielded by its armed forces. The military has directly ruled the country for almost half of its existence through coups d’etat and martial law. Even during periods of civilian rule, its influence has loomed large, often described as a "state within a state." The result has been a democracy where no prime minister has ever completed a five-year term. So what were the historical circumstances and power dynamics that elevated the military to such a dominant position? And does such an imbalance between civilian institutions and the military mean for Pakistan's democratic development and ability to create and enforce effective public policy today? Seasoned Pakistan watchers Dr Ayesha Jehangir from University Technology Sydney and Mosharraf Zaidi from Tabadlab, an Islamabad-based think tank, join presenter Sami Shah to examine Pakistan military's outsized presence in the political life of the South Asian nation.
An Asia Institute podcast.
Produced and edited by profactual.com.
Music by audionautix.com.

For decades, Iran has skillfully employed a network of proxy militant groups across the broader Middle East to project power and advance its interests, while maintaining an impression of plausible deniability on the global stage. At its core lies a "forward defence" strategy: pushing away or pre-empting threats from Iranian soil. Yet while this approach prioritises security, it also carries risks. As conflict in the region has intensified in recent months with the Israel-Gaza war, we ask how much control Iran truly enjoys over these forces. How sustainable is outsourcing warfare via proxies? And what are the risks for Teheran of miscalculation, sparking a wider conflagration?
Ear to Asia host Sami Shah is joined by Prof Shahram Akbarzadeh, Research Professor of Middle East & Central Asian Politics at Deakin University, and author of the 2023 book “Middle East Politics and International Relations: Crisis Zone” from Routledge. And also by international relations expert Dr Andrew Thomas, also from Deakin University. Andrew’s new book which relates to our topic is entitled “Iran and the West: A Non-Western Approach to Foreign Policy”, published by Routledge. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com.

Straddling the boundaries of Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan, the Baloch people have long endured as a distinct ethnic group whose aspirations have been overshadowed by the ambitions of larger state actors. In Balochistan, in Pakistan's west, Baloch ethno-nationalist assertions of identity have long driven protests and petitioning directed at Islamabad -- occasionally taking the form of militant insurgencies. Added to the mix are tensions arising from the Beijing-backed China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) with its grand infrastructure plans -- including the massive Gwadar Port expansion -- that cut through the region largely oblivious to Baloch concerns or input. To get a closer look at the Baloch people, how they're regarded and treated by Pakistani authorities, and how they're being impacted by CPEC, Ear to Asia host Sami Shah is joined by Pakistan watcher Dr. Nadeem Malik from Asia Institute, and expert on China’s Belt and Road Initiative Dr Pascal Abb of Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF).

Further reading:
China, Pakistan and the Belt and Road Initiative: The Experience of an Early Adopter State (2024, Routledge). Edited By Pascal Abb, Filippo Boni, Hasan H. Karrar.
All geopolitics is local: the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor amidst overlapping center-periphery relations (2023, Third World Quarterly Vol 44, No. 1). By Pascal Abb.

An Asia Institute podcast.
Produced and edited by profactual.com.
Music by audionautix.com.

Indonesia, the world's third largest democracy, has elected Prabowo Subianto to be its next president in a sweeping victory. Yet, Prabowo, who enjoyed substantial support from Indonesia's young voters, is a controversial figure with a reputation marred by human rights violations, a history of anti-democratic rhetoric, and ties to the authoritarian regime of Suharto (1967-1998). So what can Indonesia expect after Prabowo assumes his country's highest office in October? Will he pursue a stance of continuity from the Jokowi era, or will he act decisively to put his own stamp on things? And how are Indonesia's international relations likely to shift under Prabowo, a long-time military commander and defence minister under Jokowi? Seasoned Indonesia watchers Professor Tim Lindsey and Dr Ian Wilson examine Indonesia’s prospects under a Prabowo presidency. Presented by Sami Shah.
An Asia Institute podcast.
Produced and edited by profactual.com.
Music by audionautix.com.

Malaysian society stands at a crossroads as ethnic tensions simmer, fueled by fiery rhetoric and a rise in Malay nationalism. Recent elections exposed a divided democracy, with populists pushing an agenda that strains the nation's multicultural fabric. Despite the absence of actual violence, social media is amplifying hate speech that paints minorities as threats, thus widening the rift between the Malay majority and other ethnic groups. What's behind this ethno-nationalist trend in Malaysian politics, and why now? What can be done to rein in the hurtful speech and set Malaysian society and politics on a course for genuine national unity? Malaysia watchers Dina Zaman and Dr Nicholas Chan examine the complex fabric of race relations in Malaysia with host Sami Shah.
An Asia Institute podcast.
Produced and edited by profactual.com.
Music by audionautix.com.