The efforts of the Asia Institute cover all of Asia, from Turkey to Japan, from Mongolia to Thailand. Although Asia is increasingly linked by finance, energy needs, communication and transportation networks, and shared global concerns, the level of cooperation at the institutional level throughout Asia, especially between the Middle East, Central Asia and Northeast Asia, remains fragmented and uneven. The Asia Institute envisions a fully integrated Asian continent in which experts working on the critical issues of our time can cooperate closely.

The Asia Institute is located in Daejeon, Korea, one of Asia’s leading research clusters and draws its strength from its close work with leading experts in all emerging fields of technology. We interact daily with specialists in biotechnology, nanotechnology, nuclear safety, mechanical engineering and material sciences—and similarly with experts in policy, international relations, finance, and the environment.

On the business side, the Asia Institute conducts research, and hosts discussions, about the needs of businesses in finance, logistics and marketing in order to adapt to a transformed economy. The startling shifts in exports today demand new strategies for sustainable business development. The Asia Institute draws on a broad network of experts to address these challenges and propose realistic solutions. The “Post-2008 Finance Project” launched in February, 2009, is the lynchpin of this effort.

Current programs at the Asia Institute include the East Asia Middle East Initiative (EAMEI), The Korea India Technology and Business Initiative (KITBI), a program dedicated to building bridges in research and business between Korea and India, and the Non-Proliferation Initiative, a project to promote close cooperation in nuclear technology throughout Asia and assure that the increase in nuclear power usage does not destabilize the geopolitical landscape.

The Asia Institute also manages the Biotechnology Initiative, in cooperation with the Korea Research Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology, which considers the overall impact of biotechnology on society.

The environment is a central theme for the Asia Institute. In cooperation with the Korean Ministry of the Environment and the City of Daejeon, the Asia Institute supports the Daejeon Green Growth Forum, a meeting of environmental technology experts, policy makers, businessmen and NGO representatives to discuss concrete approaches to improving the environment. This unprecedented effort by local and central government has drawn global attention.

The Asia Institute also runs the Korea-Japan Environmental Policy Initiative administered by Dr. Toraaki Nakamura. This initiative works closely with Korean and Japanese research institutes, and Korean and Japanese local government, to encourage greater cooperation in environmental technology and policy between the two countries.

The Asia Institute has two visiting senior researchers in residence:

Dr. David Bigman serves as Director of the Food and Environment Security Program, working with international organizations to promote effective cooperation on challenges in Asia to food supplies and the environment.

Dr. Fahad Altouraif administers the East Asia Middle East Initiative, a group of prominent figures dedicated to building strong working relations between academic institutions, businesses, and government in the Middle East and their peers in East Asia.