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From 10 epsHost
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Recent episodes
Citizens of nowhere: how climate change is creating a new generation of the stateless
Jun 22, 2026
40m 26s
Compound Capitalism: Inside Southeast Asia's Fraud Factories
May 12, 2026
51m 15s
How are rice farmers faring in the Philippines?
Feb 24, 2026
59m 11s
Can India maintain strategic autonomy in the Trump 2.0 era?
Dec 14, 2025
48m 27s
Indonesia under Prabowo—promises, protests, and power
Nov 12, 2025
51m 58s
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| Date | Episode | Topics | Guests | Brands | Places | Keywords | Sponsor | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6/22/26 | ![]() Citizens of nowhere: how climate change is creating a new generation of the stateless | Climate change is increasingly more than an environmental crisis — its human dimension is fast becoming one of the defining legal and political challenges of our era. Tens of millions are already displaced by floods, droughts, and rising seas, while communities like the Torres Strait Islanders face not just the loss of land, but the severing of profound cultural and spiritual ties to place. For low-lying Pacific nations like Tuvalu, the very existence of their state may one day be reduced to legal records and collective memory. So how does international law grapple with nations that no longer have territory? And what stands between the global community's emerging recommendations to safeguard the right to nationality and the political will to implement them? Assoc Prof Radha Govil and Aashish Yadav, both statelessness researchers from the Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness at the Melbourne Law School, join host Sami Shah in exploring how climate change is pushing people into statelessness — and what can be done about it. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com. | 40m 26s | ||||||
| 5/12/26 | ![]() Compound Capitalism: Inside Southeast Asia's Fraud Factories | Across Southeast Asia, vast compounds have emerged as the nerve centers of large-scale online fraud, run by transnational crime syndicates with links to ethnic Chinese networks. Their targets are ordinary people across Asia and beyond, ensnared in scams that drain savings and devastate families. But inside the compound walls are trafficked workers — lured under false promises of legitimate employment, then held captive in conditions of digital servitude. So what is the true extent of this shadow economy? How have these scam compounds become embedded in local communities and cross-border networks? And as regional governments attempt crackdowns, what happens to the exploited workers once the compounds fall? Researchers into the intersection of organized crime and technology Dr Ivan Franceschini from Asia Institute and Ling Li from Ca' Foscari University of Venice join host Sami Shah to examine the reach and ramifications of Southeast Asia's scam compounds. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com.A recent book on the subject by Ivan Franceschini, Ling Li and Mark Bo: Scam: Inside Southeast Asia's Cybercrime Compounds, Verso, 2025. | 51m 15s | ||||||
| 2/24/26 | ![]() How are rice farmers faring in the Philippines?✨ | rice farmingfood security+3 | Prof Wolfram DresslerDr Eric Gutierrez | For the Sake of Forests and Godsthe University Melbourne+3 | Philippines | debtland insecurity+2 | — | 59m 11s | |
| 12/14/25 | ![]() Can India maintain strategic autonomy in the Trump 2.0 era?✨ | IndiaUnited States+5 | Dr Pradeep Taneja | the University of MelbourneAsia Institute+2 | IndiaChina+6 | Trump 2.0tariffs+3 | — | 48m 27s | |
| 11/12/25 | ![]() Indonesia under Prabowo—promises, protests, and power✨ | Indonesiapolitics+3 | Prof Tim LindseyDr Ian Wilson | BRICSMelbourne Law School+4 | IndonesiaJakarta+2 | Prabowo SubiantoJakarta+3 | — | 51m 58s | |
| 10/13/25 | ![]() Navigating East Asian names in a Western world✨ | East Asian namesidentity+2 | Dr Lewis MayoProfessor Ikuko Nakane | the Asia InstituteAsia Institute+1 | West | mispronunciationbureaucracy+1 | — | 1h 00m 57s | |
| 8/26/25 | ![]() Profit, Politics, and the Future of Indonesia's Rainforests✨ | deforestationIndonesia+3 | Farwiza FarhanDr Charlotte Setijadi | Asia Instituteprofactual.com | IndonesiaJakarta | tropical rainforestpalm oil+3 | — | 52m 27s | |
| 7/14/25 | ![]() How governments in Asia juggle the pros and cons of AI✨ | AIpolicy+3 | Professor Jeannie PatersonProfessor Haiqing Yu | generative AIMelbourne Law School+3 | AsiaChina+4 | generative AIregulation+3 | — | 45m 12s | |
| 5/12/25 | ![]() How Chinese international students navigate their experience in Australia✨ | Chinese international studentsAustralia+2 | Dr Qiuping PanDr Eric Fu | University of MelbourneAsia Institute+2 | AustraliaChina | trade warsinternational students+2 | — | 47m 01s | |
| 3/25/25 | ![]() Can ethnic minority languages co-exist with Mandarin in China?✨ | ethnic minority languagesMandarin+3 | Dr LajiadouDr Alexandra Grey | Asia InstituteUniversity of Technology Sydney+2 | ChinaTibet | ZhuangTibet+2 | — | 53m 38s | |
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| 1/21/25 | ![]() The risks and rewards of engaging with Afghanistan's Taliban government✨ | AfghanistanTaliban+3 | Masoom StanekzaiDr Niamatullah Ibrahimi | Talibanthe University of Melbourne+2 | AfghanistanChina+3 | diplomatic tiesforeign investment+3 | — | 55m 28s | |
| 12/12/24 | ![]() Why Central Asia is key to unlocking China's global ambitions✨ | Central AsiaChina+5 | Dr Geoff Raby | Great Game On: The Contest for Central Asia and Global Supremacythe Shanghai Cooperation Organization+4 | Central AsiaChina+6 | global ambitionsstrategic expansion+3 | — | 38m 27s | |
| 11/24/24 | ![]() The Chinese Civil War's lingering shadow over modern China | China-Taiwan relations remain tense as Beijing maintains its stance on potential military action to "retake" the island—a position rooted in the unresolved Chinese Civil War (1927-1949). This ideological conflict pitted the Nationalist Party (KMT), which advocated national self-strengthening, against the Communist Party (CCP), which promised socialist revolution and class equality. The war inflicted massive civilian casualties and transformed Chinese society, particularly affecting family structures and women's roles. Although China has since experienced dramatic economic and military growth, the war's legacy endures, with the CCP maintaining strict control over its historical narrative. Why does the legacy of the Chinese Civil War still drive geopolitical tension between the People’s Republic and Taiwan, decades after its conclusion? How has the psychological trauma of the war shaped modern Chinese society? And in what ways does this legacy influence China's approach to its role as a global superpower today? Dr Lewis Mayo from Asia institute unravels the tapestry of the Chinese Civil War with host Sami Shah. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com. | 57m 25s | ||||||
| 10/31/24 | ![]() The Korean language abroad: Who's learning it and why? | The Korean language, once limited to the Korean Peninsula, has experienced a dramatic surge in global popularity due to the rise of K-pop, Korean dramas, and films. Even though this has led to increased enrollment in Korean language courses by both ethnic Koreans and non-Korean learners, achieving fluency remains a significant challenge. For the Korean diaspora worldwide, maintaining their linguistic heritage poses unique difficulties because as new generations emerge, the use of Korean as the primary language at home faces the risk of fading away, challenged by the pressures of assimilation and the dominance of local languages in their adopted countries. So who’s committing to learning the Korean language and what motivates them? What constitutes success and how many will go on to reach fluency? And what factors influence Korean language retention among heritage speakers in diaspora communities? Dr Nicola Fraschini and Dr Sin Ji Jung from Asia Institute discuss the complexities around learning Korean with host Sami Shah. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com.ear | 48m 30s | ||||||
| 10/17/24 | ![]() Troubled Waters: The Philippines' Maritime Standoff with China | China's maritime aggression towards the Philippines has been escalating, with the China Coast Guard now ramming Philippine naval vessels in disputed waters. This has put intense pressure on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to defend the archipelagic nation's maritime territory against a superior force. Despite efforts by the current and past administrations to address China’s incursions into the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ), Beijing continues to expand its territorial claims in violation of international law. The situation has also cast doubt on Manila’s relationship with Washington as the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty has failed to curb Chinese belligerence. So, how can and should the Philippines defend its maritime territory against a formidable adversary? Can the United States be relied upon to reduce tensions in the South China Sea? And what role can ASEAN and the international community play in resolving maritime disputes of this nature? Seasoned Philippines watcher Richard Heydarian from the University of the Philippines examines the Philippines’ maritime predicament with presenter Sami Shah. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com. | 44m 50s | ||||||
| 9/24/24 | ![]() Demography and deathcare in a changing East Asia | As East Asian countries like Japan, China and South Korea experience rapid population ageing due to declining fertility rates and increasing life expectancy, the demographic shift in the land of the living is having a parallel impact on what happens after life. Deathcare -- which encompasses post-death services, products, policy, and governance -- is changing too. Rapid urbanisation has disrupted long-observed burial practices and post-death rituals, while smaller family sizes and a jump in one-person households has put pressure on age-old East Asian traditions that centre the handling or the honouring of the dead in the family home. And just as new business models and services are emerging to meet the living needs of greying populations in East Asia, deathcare too has had to innovate, with new technologies and digital solutions aimed at both disposal and memorialisation of the dead. Anthropologists Dr Hannah Gould from the University of Melbourne and Professor Andrew Kipnis from The Chinese University of Hong Kong join Ear to Asia host Sami Shah to explain how demography in the region is reshaping deathcare. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com. | 58m 12s | ||||||
| 9/10/24 | ![]() Trickle-down tensions: The hydropolitics of transboundary river systems in Asia | The rivers of the Eastern Tibetan Plateau, a lifeline for hundreds of millions of people across Asia, are a hotbed of geopolitical tension. A history of colonialism, border disputes, and competing interests has made present-day transboundary governance exceptionally challenging, as national governments, non-state actors, international organisations, and local communities vie for influence. Heated negotiations over managing the rivers, including plans for dams and other water infrastructure, impact riparian populations, agriculture and the environment downstream. So how to make sense of the tapestry of interests to be found along rivers such as the Mekong or the Brahmaputra? How do less powerful states negotiate with more powerful ones upstream? And what strategies can policymakers and other stakeholders adopt to promote equitable and sustainable water governance in the face of climate change? Dr Ruth Gamble from La Trobe University and Zali Fung from the University of Melbourne join presenter Sami Shah to examine the complex geopolitics surrounding rivers of our planet’s third pole. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com. | 48m 51s | ||||||
| 8/27/24 | ![]() Is Indonesia's labor movement stuck in neutral? | More than a quarter century since landmark democratic reforms, Indonesia's labor movement remains surprisingly subdued. Workers continue to face low wages, poor working conditions, and laws that put employers first, as efforts to organize labor remain encumbered by a mix of nationalist and religious rhetoric, government policy, and the rise of the gig economy. So what will it take to significantly improve workers' ability to organize and fight for their rights? And what are their chances of a better deal under the leadership of the incoming president, Prabowo Subianto? Professor Vedi Hadiz, Director of Asia Institute at the University of Melbourne, joins presenter Sami Shah to examine the state of Indonesia's labor movement. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com. | 49m 47s | ||||||
| 8/12/24 | ![]() Searching for work-life balance in South Korea | South Korea has a reputation for very long work hours. Despite laws limiting the working week to 40 hours, overtime is rampant, fueled by a culture of "more is better." This relentless pace has resulted in overwork-related deaths and has played a part in South Korea having the world's lowest fertility rate. At the same time, the tradition of lifetime employment is fading, exacerbating job insecurity for many. So how did a work culture that puts such pressure on workers come to be? How can South Koreans find a way to a healthier work-life balance? And what needs to change in order to foster family growth while maintaining the nation's high standard of living? Human resource management researchers Assoc. Prof. Daejeong Choi from the University of Melbourne and Assoc. Prof. Sunghoon Kim of the University of Sydney Business School examine the complex dynamics underlying South Korea's work-life imbalance with presenter Sami Shah. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com. | 51m 25s | ||||||
| 7/15/24 | ![]() What to watch for in India during Narendra Modi's third term as prime minister | While Narendra Modi was able to secure a historic third term as India's Prime Minister in recent elections, he no longer enjoys presiding over an outright parliamentary majority by his party, the BJP. Instead, Modi is now forced to rely on alliance partners, who will likely bristle at his autocratic leadership style and his party's Hindu-nationalist agenda. Yet, Modi will have to find a way to address India's serious policy challenges, which include persistent inflation, the need to find tens of millions of jobs for young Indians, continued marginalisation of ethnic and religious minorities, and an escalating climate crisis that's resulted in 50-degree temperatures in Delhi and a looming water supply issue of existential proportions. So how will Modi's brand of politics measure up to the needs of policy this time around? Dr. Pradeep Taneja from the University of Melbourne's School of Social and Political Sciences joins host Sami Shah to explore what Modi's third term could mean for India. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com. | 47m 19s | ||||||
| 7/1/24 | ![]() How China safeguards its interests amid conflict in Myanmar | With escalating military conflict between Myanmar's ruling junta and various ethnic armed organisations (or EAOs) in recent months, China is pursuing a delicate balancing act along their shared 2200 km border, juggling its economic interests, security concerns, and regional reputation. While Beijing has traditionally supported the junta, recent events have signalled the limits of such backing as the regime appears to weaken. In Northern Shan State, a region with a rich tapestry of ethnic groups and militias – many at odds with the central government – China has attempted to position itself as a mediator, convening peace talks and exerting pressure on various factions. Meanwhile, reverberations of the unrest have been felt across the border in China's Yunnan Province, impacting trade, border security, and prompting calls for a potential Chinese security presence in Myanmar. So what’s really at stake for China as events in Myanmar become increasingly uncertain? How much do Beijing’s aspirations in the region rely on continued support for the ruling junta? And what constructive role, if any, could Beijing play in a more peaceful future for Myanmar? Jason Tower, Myanmar country director for the United States Institute of Peace, and Dr Pascal Abb, China foreign policy analyst at the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt, examine the intersection of Myanmar's fate and China's interests with Ear to Asia host Sami Shah. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com.Further readingTransnational Crime in Southeast Asia: A Growing Threat to Global Peace and Securityhttps://www.usip.org/publications/2024/05/transnational-crime-southeast-asia-growing-threat-global-peace-and-securityRoad to Peace or Bone of Contention?: The Impact of the Belt and Road Initiative on Conflict Stateshttps://www.prif.org/en/publications/publication-search/publication/road-to-peace-or-bone-of-contentionDo regime differences shape developmental engagement? How China and Japan compete in post-coup Myanmarhttps://blog.prif.org/2023/12/20/do-regime-differences-shape-developmental-engagement-how-china-and-japan-compete-in-post-coup-myanmar/Myanmar’s Collapsing Military Creates a Crisis on China’s Borderhttps://www.usip.org/publications/2024/04/myanmars-collapsing-military-creates-crisis-chinas-border | 52m 21s | ||||||
| 6/18/24 | ![]() The geopolitics of undersea cables in the Indo-Pacific | Undersea cables underpin global communication and the digital economy, with between 95-99% of data for international banking, e-commerce, video calls, and intelligence sharing travelling via these largely hidden transoceanic routes. However, this critical multi-billion-dollar infrastructure faces increasing risks from shipping accidents, natural disasters, geopolitical tensions, and sabotage threats. Meanwhile, in the Indo-Pacific region US-China tech competition is leading to a fragmented cable network with contrasting standards and governance models. Great power competition is forcing Southeast Asian nations into making political choices over what should be engineering decisions. So how are nations navigating this difficult balancing act and what role should regional frameworks play? And with digital data flows rising sharply, what steps are needed to enhance the resilience and protection of undersea cables? Maritime security researchers Elina Noor from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Cynthia Mehboob from the Australian National University take a deep dive into the world of these ocean-spanning data conduits. With host Sami Shah. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com. | 48m 46s | ||||||
| 6/5/24 | ![]() As Vietnam scales the global value chain, what does it mean for its workers? | 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 ReadingProf Angie TranEthnic Descent and Empowerment: Economic Migration Between Vietnam and Malaysiahttps://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/?id=p085277Dr Tu NguyenLaw and Precarity Legal Consciousness and Daily Survival in Vietnamhttps://www.cambridge.org/core/books/law-and-precarity/CDA947232EBCB9E5392F6674095F8E1B | 55m 48s | ||||||
| 5/20/24 | ![]() The outsized influence of the military in Pakistan’s politics | 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. | 52m 41s | ||||||
| 5/3/24 | ![]() Iran’s strategy of outsourcing warfare in the Middle East | 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. | 55m 19s | ||||||
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