Ben Bland is a research fellow at the Lowy Institute and the author of Generation HK: Seeking Identity in Chinas Shadow and the forthcoming Man of Contradictions: Joko Widodo and the Struggle to Remake Indonesia. An interesting regional precedent is set by the decision to stop the junta leader attending upcoming summit meetings. General enquiries contact: Finance enquiries contact: Future Foundation enquiries contact: Levi Hanes Deirdre MacFadyen Aileen Carson, Email: l.hanes@ulster.ac.uk Email: de.macfadyen@ulster.ac.uk Email: FutureScreensNI@qub.ac.uk, Highlights from Creative Industries Clusters Programme April 2021 Newsletter, Future Screens NI Host Policy Roundtable with the DUP, Future Tuesdays presents Neoco: Tools & Patterns for Progressive Operations with Ben Bland 11th of May 2021. Be the first to receive the Lowy Institutes latest research, podcasts and information on upcoming events. 11. Securing ASEAN Dialogue Partner status is a great opportunity to build on the UKs existingstrengths as a partner for Southeast Asian nations. I am the Director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Lowy Institute, a leading internationalthink-tank based in Sydney. There are few quick wins in Southeast Asia and the UK faces many risks as well asopportunities in the region. And what happens if the United States and China continue down a path of decoupling? 374 likes. It took only a short while, however, for complaints to emerge. The future of the internet will be shaped in countries likeIndonesia, which has some of the worlds most active social media users, and the internetwill also shape the future of Indonesia. Crisis of government adds to the burden of history and the challenge of nation-building. Ben, who used to go by Ben Bland before changing his name to reflect his heritage, posted the news after "unprecedented, overwhelming public demand" on his social media pages. The rising middle classes across the region willgenerate strong demand for the products and services that Britains diverse corporate sectorprovides. The key to success is a dual strategy of bilateralengagement with Southeast Asian nations and multilateral engagement with ASEAN. He led operations at Belfast-based AI company Sensum for five years, and serves as Chair of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers P7014 working group to develop a global standard for the ethics of empathic technology. Just days after the new President gave the maritime fulcrum speech, he divulged his real feelings about foreign policy on the flight back to Jakarta. As a large developing nation, and the worlds fourth most populous, Indonesias voiceis important and the UK should listen to Jakartas concerns and cooperate on areas ofmutual interest, such as reform of the WTO. Rather thanjust staffing up capital cities, there is also a need to have more personnel who can travelaround these sprawling and diverse countries, where local governments often have moresway than national governments. European and Asian leaders began to call the IRA unfair competition and protectionist. Xi Jinping had torn up former paramount leader Deng Xiaopings advice that China should "hide its strength and bide its time". 374 likes. He is a partner at a newly-founded innovation practice, Loopers. d provide massive tax credits to programs investing in clean energy. http://loopers.co/. My first book,Generation HK: Seeking Identity in Chinas Shadow (Penguin Random House, 2017), was astudy of the young Hong Kongers pushing back against Beijings pressures on the city. Benjamin Mark Bland (born 13 May 1984 in Countesthorpe, Leicestershire ), known professionally as Ben Boulos, is an English presenter and journalist for the BBC News, specialising in business for UK and global audiences on programmes including Business Live, Talking Business and World Business Report, as well as being one of the main relief presenters for BBC World News, BBC News Channel and BBC World Service which operates globally to an estimated weekly audience o The FCDO could learn from how Australias Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade hashelped the development of a broad network of non-governmental partners that fosterrelations with Southeast Asia (including the Lowy Institute, where the Southeast AsiaProgram is supported by several Australian government grants). But, at the same time, he replaced Tom Lembong, an effective salesman for Indonesia in global financial markets, with a low-profile figure as the head of the investment promotion board. His responses were ineffective, targeted at maximising media attention rather than achieving concrete results. There are few global leaders who have risen from obscurity as rapidly as Jokowi. Boulos explained that while he is proud of the British side of his family, having the surname Bland made people fairly assume he is as British as they come, and he felt like half of his identity was being masked. Something went wrong, please try again later. Extract from Man of Contradictions: Joko Widodo and the Struggle to Remake Indonesia by Ben Bland, a Lowy Institute Paper published by Penguin Random House on 1 September 2020, RRP $12.99. 2. Jokowi, by contrast, disliked the formalities of diplomacy and public speaking. Essential analysis of the stories shaping geopolitics on the continent. A more careful examination of his views and habits would have left them disabused of that notion. The FCDO needs to pair this governmental approach with support for civil society, which isunder pressure across the region from authoritarian governments and democraticgovernments with authoritarian tendencies. Boulos explained that while he is proud of the British side of his family, having the surname Bland made people fairly assume he is as British as they come, and he felt like half of his identity was being masked. He continued: Every name tells a story and I want mine to give a more complete picture of who I am. Although the UK government is looking to deepen its engagement across the Indo-Pacific, itcannot possibly hope to make a difference in all parts of such a large region, whichencompasses billions of people across two oceans. That meant, chiefly, no formal military or security alliances with other nations. The latest episode in a podcast to discuss the implications of coronavirus for Australia, the region, and the world. With a deep-seated aversion to liberal economics, Indonesia will not wholeheartedly embrace free markets and free trade any time soon, Bland writes. What have we learned so fShow morear, and how can we apply those lessons to make sure we dont sleepwalk into yet another war? Balancing national security and national prosperity a range of views and the call for a range of resources. He has an MA in Southeast Asian Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London and an undergraduate degree in History from the University of Cambridge. Ben, who used to go by Ben Bland before changing his name to reflect his heritage, posted the news after "unprecedented, overwhelming public demand" on his social media pages. sia invaded Ukraine, and businesses around the world confronted a decision on whether to pull out of the Russian market. 9. When it comes to winning trust,understanding nuances and getting down to brass tacks, there is no better tool thanspeaking the local language. Sometimes he gels with his counterparts and ignores his formal talking points, and at other times he reads out speeches in robotic fashion. someone else chipped in. Led by Rizal Sukma, who ran the countrys leading think tank and would later be rewarded with the ambassadorship to the United Kingdom, they had come up with the idea of turning Indonesia into a "global maritime fulcrum". Absolutely dire. The expansion of the Indonesian middleclass will offer many opportunities for British companies willing to navigate the sometimes complicated but often rewarding business scene in Indonesia. If Jokowi wants friends with benefits what economists would call mercantilism he has no real plan to win them over, beyond his personal charm and a rotating cast of supporting officials. Keep up with the world without stopping yours. bend ear phrase. 18. You can see more of Ben Bland on Youtube by just searching for "Ironically Bland". But Jokowi, as the President is known, was struggling to comprehend the relevance of events beyond Indonesias own waters. As an adult, I feel proud of it and want to celebrate and highlight a part of my background that has such a big influence in shaping who I am.. After emerging relatively unscathed from the first global wave of COVID-19, Southeast Asiais now bearing the brunt of the Delta variant. Governments, parliamentarians, businesses, universities andothers in both countries will have to work together to increase awareness about Indonesia inthe UK and foster a better mutual understanding. While ASEAN is often seen by outsiders as a forum for tackling geopolitical challenges,Southeast Asian governments are much more focused on domestic problems and howASEAN can help them resolve these. 24. My impression is the immense power of Indonesias oligarchs and military is the main factor blocking foreign investment. I am also a non-resident Senior Research Fellow at the ForeignPolicy Centre in London. 23. Although most of the challenges facing Southeast Asia are domestic, the region also risksdestabilisation because of external factors, chiefly the growing rivalry between the US andChina. 14. If the UK government is serious about competing with China, it has endless avenues to workwith both governments and civil society in Southeast Asia to demonstrate the benefits ofengaging with democracies that respect human rights, value environmental protections andembrace transparency and openness. LELO sexpert Kate Moyle has shared the spicy bedroom crazes that we need to look out for in 2023 but will you be adding any of these trends to your bucket list? Fittingly, Jokowis ghostwritten autobiography contains only a short chapter on foreign policy. At the Lowy Institute, he also wrote analysis papers examining the state of Indonesian democracy and the potential for the Australia-India-Indonesia trilateral relationship, among other research projects. Many of the values I try to live by are deeply rooted in both that faith and culture. It is partly a function of Indonesias size, its strategic location in the midst of key global shipping lanes and its history of, at times, demonstrating leadership potential. The first challenge, which the Foreign Secretary has started to address, is to increase highlevelpolitical engagement with Indonesia. FPs Winter 2023 print issue brings together 12 experts to help us answer those questions. Delivered Wednesday & Sunday. A whirlwind of online diplomatic speed-dating doesnt allow the impromptu conversations where real business is done. A British citizen, I am an expert on Southeast Asian politics, and have been working in orstudying the region for 20 years. Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called him one of the most important leaders in the world and a cool cat in every respect in his recently published memoir. Delivered Monday-Friday. BBC journalist Ben Bland changes name to Boulos to celebrate By Ben Bland Mr. I frequently write op-eds and provide expert analysis on Southeast Asia to leading international media organisations including Bloomberg, CNN, the Financial Times, TheGuardian, Reuters and The Washington Post. We are a local music group in the San Luis Valley who is very verse in music styles. Stay updated on the topics you care about with email alerts. Before joining the Lowy Institute, I was a correspondent for the Financial Times for a decade,with postings in Jakarta, Hanoi and Hong Kong. He chose a foreign minister, Retno Marsudi, who had a lower profile than her SBY-era predecessors. Government-to-government partnerships can only get nations so far. But the charismatic Indonesian leader has no time for great-power politics, writes Ben Bland in a new book. Boulous is a regular presenter on BBC World News, BBC One and the BBC News channel, and has also appeared on BBC Breakfast. The FCDO couldbenefit from the country experience, contacts and new ideas that outside experts bring,across a range of activities, from traditional diplomacy to trade and investment, anddevelopment cooperation. Language, diplomacy and law (in lockdown), Ten lessons from the history of espionage, Elections, leaders and the struggle to be heard, Insights, recommendations and random thoughts on Asia and foreign policy from author Ben Bland, This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. 36. But the concept was not fleshed out. Ben Bland is Director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Lowy Institute. Im in Salford, with me Naga, Jon, Mike. Given its deep multilateral experience and P5 status at the UN, the UK can also be a usefulpartner for Southeast Asian nations as they seek to raise their influence in important buttroubled global organisations such as the World Trade Organization and World HealthOrganization. The new web platform aims to help people find ways to improve the way they work, collaborate and build successful lives for themselves. Economic growth, while negatively impacted by the COVID-19pandemic, will bounce back strongly in the years ahead, generating many openings forBritish businesses to trade and invest. WebHe is the author of Man of Contradictions: Joko Widodo and the Struggle to Remake Indonesia (Penguin Random House, 2020), the first English language political biography Jokowis foreign policy has always been unpredictable, seesawing between nationalism and globalism. More likely is that jockeying between the two great powers makes it even harder for ASEANto adopt a cohesive response to shared challenges; or that growing economic linkagesbetween China and its neighbours in Southeast Asia create a path dependency that leavesSoutheast Asia enmeshed in a Beijing-dominated sphere of influence. Delivered Monday-Saturday. BBC Breakfast business correspondent Ben Boulos - best known for appearing alongside hosts like Naga Munchetty, Dan Walker and Sally Nugent - announced the news on social media, Sign up for the Daily Star TV newsletter for the biggest TV news. 27. And by his second term, this outsider had become firmly embedded in elite politics. Australia needs to have a much better understanding of these limits, and learn to cooperate more effectively and realistically with its important neighbour. 33. Ben initially teased the news on Instagram as he wrote: "Something VERY exciting is happening for the first time tomorrow hence the massive grin!". September 15 Officials from other south-east Asian nations have subsequently noted that, under Jokowis leadership, Indonesia has taken a less active role in regional forums. 43. Now their great-grandson is a BBC presenter who announced on Thursday he would be known as Ben Boulos - taking his maternal family's name to reflect his Sudanese-Egyptian heritage. While foreign policy discussions about Southeast Asia are often dominated by securityexperts, most of the regions governments are focused on domestic development challenges. Lowy Institute. Development cooperation isa vital tool of statecraft for the UK and, even in the middle-income countries such asIndonesia and the Philippines, there is no shortage of problems that the UK can help totackle. It is an easy mistake to make. Historically theUK has framed its Southeast Asian engagement around its former colonies: Malaysia,Singapore and Brunei. 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