Future Leaders Programme 11 Online Forum

A transformative week for those shaping ASEAN’s next chapter.

The following days of the 11th Future Leaders Programme unfolded into an intense, insight-driven week. One that pushed participants beyond familiar narratives and into deeper thinking on development, governance, and structural transformation.

Expert contributors, including Tan Sri Azman, Professor Ha joon chang, Yin shao loong, nick khaw, Christopher Cramer, Prof Jomo, Yuen Yuen Ang, Elizabeth Thurbon, Keun Lee, Jonathan Pincus, and Malaysian policymakers led sessions on green industrialisation, coalition building, value-chain restructuring, and the political economy of development. Midway through, participants boarded the bus for site visits to MIMOS and NXP Semiconductors, grounding theoretical debates in real-world technological capabilities and Malaysia’s evolving innovation ecosystem.

Throughout the week, several ideas stood out:
- Progress is a team effort and meaningful transitions rely on coalitions that align incentives across government, industry, and communities.
- Investment quality matters as much as quantity; the goal is to build lasting capabilities, not just attract capital.
- Learning from systems that work, from organisations that normalise learning from failure to longstanding community structures that sustain cooperation.
- Reframing challenges, shifting from a “polycrisis” mindset to seeing multiple openings for redesign and innovation.

The long week concluded with serious reflections on leadership, collaboration, and the shared responsibility to shape more resilient and inclusive development pathways for ASEAN. We also extend our gratitude to SOAS Development Leadership Dialogue for their excellent collaboration in making this programme possible. Their support helped make the week engaging and impactful for all participants.

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