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Sebastian Lim
Profile
Sebastian Lim is the Editor of New Asia Currents and a veteran journalist with over four decades of experience. He was formerly the Entertainment and Lifestyle Editor of theSun daily, the first free newspaper in Malaysia, where he helped shape cultural and lifestyle reporting for many years.
Since retiring from theSun, he has continued to pursue his passion for reading and writing through his personal book review blog. His work reflects and defines a lifelong dedication to storytelling, media, and the evolving landscape of Asian currents.
Dato’ (Dr.) Teoh Seng Lee
Profile
Seng Lee is the Honorary Consul of the Russian Federation based in Penang. He has held this appointment since 1995. He began working with top Russian universities from 1996 and have placed over 3,000 Malaysian students at various universities throughout Russia for tertiary and postgraduate studies; in fields ranging from Sciences to Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Sciences, Medicine, Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. With his vast network in the academic circles in Russia, he has also facilitated collaboration and exchanges between Malaysian and Russian institutions of higher learning. Seng Lee is motivated by two powerful quotes: Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world" by Nelson Mandela and “Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.” by Albert Einstein.
Lim Siang Jin
Profile
LIM SIANG JIN is advisor of New Asia Currents. He has spent much of his career in publishing and journalism at, among others,The Malay Mail, the International Organisation of Consumers Unions (IOCU), ISIS Malaysia and The Edge, of which he was a founder and later Managing Director. He also headed theSun when it was a successful national free daily in the early 2000s. Since the Covid pandemic, however, he has turned a hobby, his art, into a passionate life project. Since 2022, he has held four solo exhibitions and participated in group shows both locally and abroad. In 2024, he began curating at Jin’s Art Gallery. Lim holds a BA in Sociology from the University of Kent at Canterbury and an MA in Sociology of Culture from the University of Leeds, England.
Yusmadi Yusoff
Profile
Yusmadi Yusoff is a lawyer and Senior Partner at Fahda Nur & Yusmadi. He is the founder of the RIGHTS Foundation, an independent regional think tank focusing on governance, human rights, and social justice. He is also the Chairman of Encorp Berhad, a public-listed company in Malaysia, and a former Member of Parliament and Senator.
Internationally, he has been a Humphrey Fellow at American University, Washington D.C., a Democracy and Development Fellow at Stanford University’s Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law (CDDRL), and part of the first cohort of the Lee Kuan Yew Senior Fellows in Public Service at the National University of Singapore.
He also serves as an Interview Panel Member for Schwarzman Scholars at Tsinghua University, contributing to the selection of future global leaders.
Yusmadi is a strong advocate of dialogical leadership, a principle he advances through his research, writings, and policy initiatives. He has written extensively, including his recent book Anwar Ibrahim: Global Justice and Peace Through Dialogue, and actively promotes inter-civilizational dialogue as a foundation for peace and regional cooperation.
As a Member of the Asia Dialogue Society (ADS), Malaysia, he contributes to strengthening ASEAN’s role in fostering dialogue within the region and with the wider world.
Tan Sri Ong Tee Keat
Profile
ONG Tee Keat ( knighted with the Malaysian royal honorifics awards Tan Sri and Datuk ), the founder of both think tank outfits -- namely, The Centre for New Inclusive Asia ( CNIA ) and the Belt and Road Initiative Caucus for Asia Pacific ( BRICAP ), is a multi-faceted personality well equipped with knowledge, connectivity and experience in such sectors as mechanical engineering, geopolitics, Chinese language creative writing and political commentary writing in both Chinese and English.
Prior to the founding of his think tanks in Malaysia, he envisions the necessity for new value creation in shaping a new Asia characterised with openness and inclusiveness in the globalised world. On the home front, Yayasan Bakti Nusa Malaysia ( alternatively known as The Herald Vision Foundation of Malaysia ) was the first NGO founded by him in 1999, evolving from a community-based entity to one that is actively involved in Track 2 diplomacy.
Such ideals are rooted in his 25-year long experience in the Malaysian federal politics through such portfolios as Minister, Deputy Minister and Deputy Speaker of Dewan Rakyat ( Lower House) of Parliament.
Parallel to this, on the international front, he had once been elected to the Executive Council of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association ( CPA), representing the South East Asian region.
Currently he continues to actively contribute to the development of inter-nations, inter-regions bilateral relations through trade, public diplomacy, culture and arts, especially in the Asia-Pacific region.
Dr Teh Lip Li PhD.
Profile
Teh Lip Li is an adviser and consultant on regionalism, sustainable development and human security.
Recent roles include advising governments, ASEAN organisations, foundations and businesses on trade, sustainable and inclusive development, strategic communications, culture, the arts and digitalisation.
She has also led initiatives on capacity building and institutional strategies, and taught international development studies at Chulalongkorn University.
Her research and insights have contributed to the development of regional laws and policies.
She holds a PhD in International Law and is a Senior Fellow of the Asian Dialogue Society.
Dr. (HC) Setyono Djuandi Darmono
Profile
Dr. (HC) Setyono Djuandi Darmono is an Indonesian entrepreneur, social innovator, and advocate of civilizational dialogue. He is the Founder and Chairman of PT Jababeka Tbk, one of Indonesia’s pioneering industrial estate developers that has played an important role in creating employment and advancing industrialization in Indonesia.
Through the development of Jababeka Industrial Estate in Cikarang, he helped transform a rural area into one of the largest integrated industrial townships in Southeast Asia, hosting more than 2,000 companies from over 40 countries. The ecosystem also includes President University, an international university he founded to nurture globally minded leaders and entrepreneurs.
His leadership philosophy is guided by three practical principles that he often shares with young entrepreneurs and policymakers:
“Think Big, Start Small, Move Fast,”
“Building a Ship While Sailing,” and
“Bringing Civilizations Together.”
These ideas reflect his belief that progress requires bold vision, practical experimentation, and collaboration across cultures.
Beyond industry and education, Dr. Darmono has also been actively involved in the preservation of Indonesia’s cultural heritage. From 2007 to 2012, he served as Chairman of the Borobudur Tourism Park, contributing to initiatives that strengthened the international recognition and management of the Borobudur temple complex, one of the world’s most important Buddhist heritage sites. He has also supported efforts to revitalize Jakarta’s historic Old City (Kota Tua) as a living cultural district that reflects Indonesia’s multicultural history.
In addition to his professional achievements, Dr. Darmono has long been interested in spirituality and philosophical traditions. His personal journey includes reflection on Kejawen spiritual wisdom and the teachings of Pransoeh, which emphasize harmony between humanity, nature, and the divine. These experiences have influenced his perspectives on leadership, ethics, and the need for balance between material development and spiritual values.
Through his work in industry, education, culture, and social initiatives, Dr. Darmono continues to promote a vision of development that integrates economic progress, cultural heritage, and the peaceful coexistence of civilizations.
Dr. Henry Wang Huiyao PhD.
Profile
Dr. Henry Huiyao WANG is the Founder and President of the Center for China and Globalization (CCG), a leading Chinese non-governmental think tank accredited with United Nations Special Consultative Status and ranked 64th among think tanks worldwide in the 2020 Global Go To Think Tank Index (GGTTI) released by the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Wang is a former Counselor to the State Council of China (China’s Cabinet), appointed by the Premier of China. Currently, he serves as the Director General of the Alliance of Global Talent Organization (AGTO); as a Director of the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs and a Director of the China National Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation, both under the supervision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China; as a Executive Director of China International Economic Relations Association (affiliated with the People’s Bank of China); a Distinguished Professor of China Foreign Affairs University; and as a Member of the Advisory Committee for Center for Global Competence Development at Tsinghua University. In addition, he is a Steering Committee Member of the Paris Peace Forum, and also sits on the Advisory Boards of Duke Kunshan University and the Richard Ivey Business School of Western University in Canada.
Dr. Wang previously served as Vice Chairman of the China Association for International Economic Cooperation (CAIEC) under the Ministry of Commerce; as Vice Chairman of the China Public Relations Association (CPRA); and as Professor and Dean of the Institute of Development at Southwestern University of Finance and Economics.
Dr. Wang was an official with the former Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (now the Ministry of Commerce) of China, where he worked on China’s outbound investment policy. Later, in Canada, he was appointed by the Government of Quebec as Chief Trade Representative for the Quebec Government Office in Hong Kong and Greater China. His senior corporate experience includes serving as Managing Director for Asia at SNC-Lavalin and as Vice President of AMEC-Agra in Canada. He has also had extensive experience with international organizations, having served as an Advisory Board Member of the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM), as a World Bank expert, and as a Metropolitan Executive Committee Member.
After receiving his Bachelor’s degree in English and American Literature from Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Dr. Wang pursued MBA and PhD studies at the University of Windsor, the University of Western Ontario, and the University of Manchester, where he obtained a PhD in International Management. He has been appointed Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution, Senior Fellow at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, and Policy Fellow at the IZA Institute of Labour Economics. He has also taught as an Adjunct Professor at Peking University, Tsinghua University, China University of Political Science and Law, and the University of Western Ontario Richard Ivey Business School.
Dr. Wang’s expertise spans China and globalization, global governance, international relations with a focus on US–China relations, global trade and investment, global migration, talent mobility, and diaspora studies. He is the author or editor of more than 100 books. His English-language publications include Escaping Thucydides’s Trap: Dialogue with Graham Allison on China-US Relations (Palgrave Macmillan 2023); The Ebb and Flow of Globalization: Chinese Perspectives on China’s Development and Role in the World (Springer Nature 2022); Understanding New Geopolitics, World Economy, Global Issues and Global Governance: CCG Global Dialogues vol. 1&2 (Palgrave Macmillan 2022&2026); Handbook on China and Globalization; and the Springer China and Globalization Series. He also edited Consensus or Conflict?: China and Globalization in the 21st Century by Alistair Michie (Springer Nature, 2021), which won Springer Nature’s “Book of the Year” award in 2021.
Dr. Wang is also a prolific op-ed contributor. His commentaries regularly appear in South China Morning Post, Foreign Policy, Bloomberg News, Financial Times, The New York Times, China Daily, and Global Times. He is frequently interviewed by major global media outlets including BBC, CNN, CNBC, CNA, CGTN, NBC, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Al Jazeera, Bloomberg, and other major global media outlets.
Widely recognized outside China as a leading think tank voice and candid interlocutor on China’s domestic and foreign policy, Dr. Wang has been invited by leading global think tanks, including Brookings Institution, CSIS, Heritage Foundation, ASPI, CATO Institute, Hudson Institute, Wilson Center, AEI, RAND Corporation, Carter Center, and European institutions such as Bruegel, IFRI, ISPI, EPC, and CERRE, as well as Singapore’s RSIS and Indonesia’s FPCI, to participate in Track II dialogues and policy discussions. In 2021, he launched the CCG Global Dialogue Series, featuring renowned global thought leaders and policy experts such as Thomas Friedman, Graham Allison, Joseph Nye, John Thornton, Susan Thornton, Angus Deaton, Adam Posen, David M. Lampton, John Hamre, Wendy Cutler, Stephen Roach, Kishore Mahbubani, Pascal Lamy, Wolfgang Ischinger, Martin Wolf, Jim O’Neill, and others, with Jeffrey Sachs among upcoming speakers.
Dr. Wang is frequently invited to speak at major international forums, including the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Munich Security Conference, the Paris Peace Forum, the WTO Public Forum, the Munk Debates, the China Development Forum, the Berlin Foreign Policy Forum, the Milken Global Conference, the Doha Forum, Sir Bani Yas Forum, he World Government Summit, the Delphi Economic Forum, the Athens Democracy Forum, the Bled Strategic Forum, and other prestigious international conferences, serving as one of the most prominent Chinese voices in global policy debates.
Dr. Peter Eng MBBS
Profile
Dr. Peter Eng graduated from from the University of Singapore in 1964. He is the 2019 National Institute of Integrative Medicine, Australia, Award recipient. In recognition of his outstanding contribution and accomplishments in the field of Integrative Medicine. He served as a board member of ACNEM in 2005 and made Fellow of ACNEM in 2003.
2017 to present date - Advocate for the use of integrative (science based) medicine in Australia and export of nutritional products made in Australia to the Asian market. Currently giving lectures in Chinese cities as head of the Victor Smorgon Group, expansion of Integrative Health Care into 46 Chinese cities.
2000 to present date:
Middle Park, Victoria
General Practice – Specialising in nutritional medicine
Member of the Swisse Scientific Advisory Panel
2016 - 2018 Annual keynote speaker at Four Seasons Hotel Sydney on Integrative Oncology and latest advances in targeted treatment for cancer.
2017 Appointed to the Academic Board of NIIM (National Institute of Integrative Medicine)
Published the first ever study on the use CTC (Circulating Tumour Cells) for the early diagnosis of cancer and using nutrients to reduce CTC counts as an increase in CTC count puts patients at risk of progression of existing cancer lesion.
2017 Raised $1.3 million from his VIP patients for the Stroke Ambulance on behalf of Professor Stephen Davis, Professor of Neurology Melbourne University
2016 Helped raise $1 million towards the setting up of Professor Jonathan Kalman’s Ablative surgery unit for atrial flutters and atrial fibrillation.
2015 A keynote Speaker at the National Integrative Medicine 2nd Annual Symposium “Advances in Integrative Medicine”
2011 One of 3 Principal Speakers at a Parliamentary breakfast meeting in Canberra highlighting the benefits of complementary medicine.
2008: Senate inquiry, Canberra. Appeared on behalf of Australia College of Nutritional & Environmental Medicine into use of complementary medicine in cancer treatment – submission accepted
2008: Baker Heart and Research Institute, Melbourne Raised $250,000 towards Magnetic Resonance Imaging facility
2003:Awarded centenary medal by Governor General of Commonwealth of Australia for contributions to Australia society
1995 to present date. Epworth Health Care, Richmond, Melbourne Teaching unit for Melbourne University of Medicine.Accredited in general practice
1995:Swinburne University council, Hawthorn, Melbourne elected as member introduced a department of Nutritional medicine in Swinburne.
Robert Jones
Profile
Born in New Zealand, he spent much of his early life travelling internationally before working in both Glasgow (Scotland) and Wellington (New Zealand) as a Property Executive within his late father’s commercial enterprise, Robt. Jones Holdings Limited - one of New Zealand’s leading privately owned property companies, with a portfolio valued at approximately $1.5 billion. He retired from this role in late-2025.
Prior to his career in property, Robert studied at Auckland Unitec Institute of Technology, where he completed a Bachelor of Performing Screen Arts. During this time, he directed a number of short and feature films, including the cult indie production Even Stephen.
In 2022, he published Furries, The Highest Stage of Liberalism, a work of political science examining contemporary sociological phenomena within Western societies.
With a longstanding interest in history, politics, and archaeology, Robert is currently establishing the New Zealand Museum of Anomalous Antiquities (NZMAA), an independent initiative focused on researching, documenting, and presenting contested or lesser-explored aspects of New Zealand’s historical record.
Prof Jeffrey D. Sachs
Profile
Sachs is widely recognized for bold and effective strategies to address complex challenges including the escape from extreme poverty, the global battle against human-induced climate change, international debt and financial crises, national economic reforms, and the control of pandemic and epidemic diseases.
Sachs serves as the Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, where he holds the rank of University Professor, the university’s highest academic rank. Sachs was Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University from 2002 to 2016. He is President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Co-Chair of the Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition, academician of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences at the Vatican, Commissioner of the UN Broadband Commission for Development, Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah Honorary Distinguished Professor at Sunway University, and SDG Advocate for UN Secretary General António Guterres. From 2001-18, Sachs served as Special Advisor to UN Secretaries-General Kofi Annan (2001-7), Ban Ki-moon (2008-16), and António Guterres (2017-18).
Sachs has authored and edited numerous books, including three New York Times bestsellers: The End of Poverty (2005), Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet (2008), and The Price of Civilization (2011). Other books include To Move the World: JFK’s Quest for Peace (2013), The Age of Sustainable Development (2015), Building the New American Economy: Smart, Fair & Sustainable (2017), A New Foreign Policy: Beyond American Exceptionalism (2018), The Ages of Globalization: Geography, Technology, and Institutions (2020), and most recently, Ethics in Action for Sustainable Development (2022).
Sachs is the 2022 recipient of the Tang Prize in Sustainable Development and was the co-recipient of the 2015 Blue Planet Prize, the leading global prize for environmental leadership. He was twice named among Time magazine’s 100 most influential world leaders. Sachs has received 45 honorary doctorates, and his recent awards include the 2022 Tang Prize in Sustainable Development, the Legion of Honor by decree of the President of the Republic of France, and the Order of the Cross from the President of Estonia.
Prior to joining Columbia, Sachs spent over twenty years as a professor at Harvard University, most recently as the Galen L. Stone Professor of International Trade. A native of Detroit, Michigan, Sachs received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees at Harvard.
Prof Victor Gao
Profile
Victor GAO is Chair Professor of Soochow University; Chairman of China Energy Security Institute; Vice President of the Center for China and Globalization; a member of the International Advisory Board of the Energy Intelligence Group in London; a member of the Editorial Board of the OPEC Energy Review; and a member of the Board of Directors of several listed companies in Hong Kong.
Victor Gao has extensive experience in government, diplomacy, securities regulation, legal, investment banking, PE, corporate management and media. Victor was Deng Xiaoping’s English interpreter in the 1980s. Victor served as the China Policy Advisor at the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission in 1999 and 2000. Victor’s prior investment banking experience included senior positions with Morgan Stanley (Vice President of Morgan Stanley Asia, in the Merger, Acquisition and Restructuring Department), CICC (General Manager of the Investment Banking Department, Head of M&A Practice, and Head of CICC Hong Kong Investment Banking Department) and Daiwa Securities (Co-Chairman of China, Executive Vice President and Managing Director). Victor’s corporate management experience included senior positions with CNOOC Limited as its Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Company Secretary, Member of the Investment Committee, and Director of CNOOC International and with major Hong Kong companies including PCCW and Henderson Land Group.