Asia is progressively emerging as the focal point of the global economy and exerting a growing cultural influence, making it a key determinant of the future trajectory of global developments. Asian nations, however, face their fair share of challenges, including aging populations, increasing inequality, brain drain, environmental hazards, cultural intolerance, and institutional deficiencies related to the rule of law and corruption. To tackle these challenges effectively, a comprehensive policy approach is essential.
Enter the Stanford Next Asia Policy Lab (SNAPL), a new initiative committed to addressing emergent social, cultural, economic, and political challenges in Asia through interdisciplinary, problem-oriented, policy-relevant, and comparative studies and publications. We provide evidence-based policy recommendations to help implement structural reforms that foster a “Next Asia” characterized by social, cultural, and economic maturity. Our research delves into areas such as educational and economic institutions, immigration policies, and cultural attitudes to identify the necessary changes for nurturing innovation-driven societies that propel dynamism and growth in the global system of the 21st century. The lab functions as a platform that facilitates network-based collaboration with academic and policy research institutions in Asia.
SNAPL is based at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC) and directed by sociologist Gi-Wook Shin, the William J. Perry Professor of Contemporary Korea and a senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies. It is an extension of the past “New Asia” research cluster, also led by Professor Shin.
