Jon Foley-Donoghue’s Post

One of the coolest things about my job is that I get to share what I know while learning something new every day, especially about the contexts of other countries beyond Viet Nam. Recently, my team at Development Intelligence Lab dived into what Cambodian non-government experts think about Australia’s role in development cooperation in the country. Here are some interesting takeaways: - Climate change is seen as the biggest challenge for development, but opinions are divided on how Australia is tackling it. Meanwhile, they feel Australia’s strength lies in agriculture, making it a better fit for collaboration than areas like trade or infrastructure. - Cambodian experts are more worried about the impact of great power rivalry on development than other Southeast Asian countries. - There’s a call for more attention to human capital development—from both Cambodia’s government and partners like Australia. It’s always fascinating to hear these perspectives and think about how partnerships can evolve. Would love to hear your thoughts!

🇻🇳🇦🇺 Pulse Check x Vietnam has just launched! Curious to know what experts from Vietnam really think of Australia’s development cooperation in their country? Here’s what 40+ Vietnamese development and foreign policy professionals have to say: https://ow.ly/lFJr50TjAMi The Lab’s work would not be possible without the time, generosity, and deep insight of each of the experts who participated in the Pulse Check x Vietnam. We thank you wholeheartedly. The Pulse Check x Vietnam is one part of the Lab’s larger Pulse Check x Southeast Asia project, where we ask 360+ top, local, non-government experts across Southeast Asia what they would do if they were in charge of Australia’s development program.

Ooooh this data is fascinating. Our team has launched the latest batch of insights for the Pulse Check. This time, from Vietnamese non-government experts. Curious signals for me are: - BIG appetite for partnership with Australia on the basis of technical expertise sharing, especially in areas like climate adaption (and energy transition), digital transformation, and agricultural innovation - SOME experts have a specific desire to see more development cooperation on more sensitive governance matters like civic space, seeing it as an area that Australia is more proven in than other development partners - ON TRADE there’s a desire to see increased two-way trade and investment, which aligns to Australia’s ambitions in Southeast Asia as set out in strategies like Moore’s Invested: Economic Strategy to 2040, but the data stresses that development outcomes for Vietnam should take primacy It's such a joy watching this project unfold and our team make sense of it with Vietnamese experts and Australian Government officials along the way. Hats off to Mira Sulistiyanto, Manh-Tien Bui, Rory Betts-McCrae, Martina Zapf, Richard Moore and Heather Murphy. It takes a lot to calibrate, validate and make this data relevant to Australian Government leaders who shape Australia's approach to development in Vietnam.

Our new publication ‘Why Innovations Live or Die: South Africa’s Innovation System’ examines the factors that affect the application and commercialisation of innovations in three parts: Part 1: Transformational Orientation of South Africa's National System of Innovation Since Democratisation Part 2: Technologies’ Journeys Part 3: Public Policy and Innovation System Navigation To read the #Policy Brief and download the table of contents: https://ow.ly/j2J250QXHxo

 I am honored to be one of the young scholars contributing to the policy brief, Driving Digital Transformation in Cambodia: Issues, Challenges, and Recommendations, with a focus on e-learning in higher education in Cambodia. I firmly believe that access to high-quality education is essential for enhancing the well-being of all individuals. This experience marks my first foray into policy brief writing, during which I have gained invaluable insights from esteemed lectures and senior government officials. I welcome your feedback on my contribution and insights. 🖨️ Discover my chapter (Chapter 13) and explore the findings. 💡

🔔 IHK Pfalz: Webinar: Partners in New Markets – Vietnam 🔔 Following the kick-off event in December 2023, the Partnering in Business with Germany programme is entering its second round with a webinar on establishing business contacts with Vietnam. You will once again gain insights into the Vietnamese market and have the opportunity to forge new business contacts in the Southeast Asian country. Three German and three Vietnamese companies will present themselves at the event. This time, the focus is on the cooperation fields of green technologies, food and agriculture as well as health. Participating companies will also gain access to other cooperation partners for whom there is no room to present during the webinar due to time constraints. If you are interested in participating in the webinar and in creating a cooperation proposal, please fill out the corresponding form (link below). The cooperation proposals will be shared with all participants after the event➡ https://shorturl.at/EvBrN

I was honored to be invited to the 10th Annual Public Policy Conference led by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies with support from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. The conference, held on 19 September, featured interesting and stimulating discussions on the #MiddleIncomeTrap. The discussions couldn’t be timelier as developing economies, like the Philippines, are gearing up to transition from lower to upper middle-income status in the next couple of years. The Philippines is on the cusp of achieving upper middle-income status by 2025 but it first needs to address serious obstacles to the transition. The economy has yet to fully utilize its human capital potential, while its sizable investments in R&D need to galvanize private sector development. Adopting advanced technologies can also help accelerate the country’s transition to upper middle-income status by supporting investments and enabling social mobility. These were just a few of the interesting discussions highlighted during the conference’s plenary session. Kudos to the organizers for such a fruitful learning event! Jose Ramon Albert Celia Reyes Nanak Kakwani

⚡️Sorted out how you plan to tap into the opportunities with Horizon EU to scale your developments? The 2025-27 Work Programme release is imminent, so get some clarity about its scope and suitability for your own initiatives and activities. 2️⃣ years in, a range of New Zealand entities have already secured and kicked off some fantastic project collaborations with 🇪🇺 partners. Are you next??

The Pilipinas Conference serves as a rallying cry for all sectors—government, private, and civil society—to come together and contribute to the nation’s future. Stratbase remains committed to fostering these essential dialogues and diverse perspectives are brought together to develop policies that are responsive, inclusive, and future-focused.   Our greatest challenges won’t be solved by any one sector alone. Solutions will arise from collaboration, innovation, and a shared outlook to push forward. This is our moment to engage, inspire, and lead—leveraging our strengths, addressing our challenges, and building a more resilient, prosperous Philippines for all. https://lnkd.in/gJqhqk8m

How can the Asia-Pacific region achieve transformative adaptation? Share your insights as we deep dive into identifying pathways, conditions, and enablers leading to the achievement of transformative adaptation in the region. Join this webinar, “Enhancing regional cooperation for Transformative Adaptation in the Asia-Pacific: key barriers, enablers, and policy insights,” on 22 October 2024, 10.00 AM, Bangkok Time. Register: https://shorturl.at/ebOtF