Since 2016, Asia Centre’s has undertaken a series of Malaysia-related activities to build momentum for a new branch in Johor Bahru. To date the activities include discussions on Malaysia’s political transition, co-convening events on fake news, engagement with Malaysian media and exploratory partnership meetings with institutions based in Malaysia. Collectively these efforts form the basis upon which Asia Centre Malaysia, first publicly announced in 2018, will build its programme of activities moving forward. Asia Centre began discussing Malaysia’s political transition as early as May 2016, when the Centre hosted Professor William Case, a well-known Malaysian studies scholar, who shared his analysis…

Asia Centre’s Regional Director, Dr. James Gomez has been awarded Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), 2020 Fellowship, to undertake research on disinformation operations, fake news and hate speech in Southeast Asia.  Known as the Taiwan Fellowship, it is awarded to foreign scholars and experts who plan to undertake part of their research at Taiwanese universities or academic institutions. The 2020 Taiwan Fellowship is the third in three years for Dr. Gomez. In 2019, Dr. Gomez received a Sumitomo Foundation Grant and in 2018 he was awarded the Korea Democracy Foundation Research Fellowship both times to undertake research on fake news…

Asia Centre aims to enhance the collaborative experience of its partners at its second Centre in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. The new Centre’s design, a multifunctional facility for seamless co-working, meetings, networking and project administration, was finalised in December 2019 following discussions with interior renovation firms and feedback from partners. Asia Centre Malaysia located at ION 2, CI Medini Complex, Johor Bahru, Malaysia, will occupy a 20’ by 60’ intermediate corner three-storey lot with a total floor area of 3209 square feet. The ground floor will spot a reception counter and waiting lounge, wall mounted desks and freestanding tables and chairs,…

Dr. James Gomez, Regional Director, Asia Centre signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Mr. Wasan Paileeklee, CEO, Thai Media Fund (TMF) on 1 November 2019 to formalise both institutions’ cooperation on activities and research to promote digital and media literacy on challenges related to online disinformation such as fake news and hate speech. The signing was witnessed by Asia Centre's Program Coordinator, Yawee Butrkrawee; Asia Centre’s Manager, Patcharee Rattanarong; TMF’s Director of Media Literacy, Weeraphong Kangwannavakul Department and International Collaboration Officer, Atthanat Khurat.The MOU signing follows engagements between the two organisations, starting from September 2018 when Dr. James Gomez…

In October 2019, Dr. James Gomez, Regional Director, Asia Centre visited institutions in Washington, D.C. and New York to introduce the work of the Centre and broaden its network in the United States (US). Apart from institution-to-institution level cooperation, Dr. Gomez also invited collaborations with the Centre on its 4 year project on Freedom of Expressions in Southeast Asia (SEA). During the US visit, Dr.Gomez presented findings from its International Conference on Fake News and Elections in Asia and promoted the 2020 conference on Hate Speech in Asia: Challenges and Solutions. This trip saw Asia Centre engaging with universities, policy…

The role of journalists in reporting on the scale of inequality came to the fore during the panel discussion convened on 8 November 2019 for the Thailand launch event of the Journalism for an Equitable Asia Award, organised by Asia Centre and Oxfam in Asia. The event brought together 35 participants from the media, academia and civil society to discuss the challenges of reporting on inequality. The objective of Asia Centre and Oxfam in Asia’s partnership in organising the Journalism for an Equitable Asia Award is to promote strong journalism and acknowledge the hard work of journalists who have persisted…

Asia Centre presented its research on disinformation in Southeast Asia at the Executive Committee Meeting of the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) in Taipei, from 18 to 23 October 2019. During the EXCOM meeting, the Centre’s Dr. Robin Ramcharan, also discussed future collaboration with CALD and its affiliated members. Created in 1993, CALD is a platform for dialogue and cooperation between liberal and democratic political parties in Asia.The Centre was invited to share its analysis on Fake News legislations in Southeast Asia, which has a considerable negative impact on democracy and elections in the region. The key point…