Asia Insight
Asia-related issues and perspectives from the Asia Media Centre at the Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono in Wellington. The podcast will feature Asia experts from across the region, along with staff from the Asia New Zealand Foundation.
Asia Insight : Zhen Wu & Alistair Crozier
Earlier this month the New Zealand China Council and the Asia New Zealand Foundation hosted Zhen Wu, the Vice President International Business Development China at Magna International on her first visit to New Zealand. Magna is a listed automotive technology company that partners with automakers across the globe, including many of China's emerging EV companies.
Foundation Business Programme Manager Ethan Jones sat down with Ms Wu, and China Council Executive Director Alistair Crozier, for a chat about business and technology in China, and the transformation of the Chinese auto industry.
Website asiamediacentre.org.nz...
Asia Insight : Cushla Aston & Mark Williams
In this episode, Asia New Zealand Foundation Arts programme Director Craig Cooper talks to Mark Williams from arts agency CIRCUIT Artist Moving Image, and Cushla Aston, from the Aston Road music industry agency, about their recent experiences observing the arts and music scene in Indonesia.
Website asiamediacentre.org.nz
Email us at media@asianz.org.nz
Whakawhetai mo te whakarongo .. thanks for listening !
Asia Insight: Alan Gepty
Alan Gepty is currently the Undersecretary for the International Trade Group at the Department of Trade and Industry in Manila, managing trade agencies of the Philippines government, as well as trade policy and trade negotiations across the board.
He was in New Zealand earlier this month for the inaugural meeting of the new Philippines-New Zealand Joint Economic Commission – the JEC - a new body designed to develop trade between the two countries. I sat down with Alan to discuss the new JEC, and just how the Philippines is dealing with trade issues in the Asia Pacific and acr...
Asia Insight : Dhruva Jaishankar
Dhruva Jaishankar is executive director of the Observer Research Foundation America and a 2026 senior fellow with the Asia New Zealand Foundation
He’s also a non-resident Fellow at the Lowy Institute in Australia, and is the author of Vishwa Shastra: India and the World ,an excellent introduction to India's international relations due to be published in New Zealand later this year.
Dhruva was in Wellington recently and had time to sit down for chat on all things India, and the future of the New Zealand India relationship ..
Website asiamediacentre.org.nz
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Asia Insight : Erin Roxburgh
In May 2026 the Asia New Zealand Foundation led its first sports delegation to India. Six New Zealand sports leaders joined Programme Manager Kirsty Sharp on a trip that included Mumbai and Amdavad, to take a closer look at India's sports ecosystem as India prepares to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games. Among the delegates was Erin Roxburgh - researcher, lecturer, and governance practitioner specialising in sport leadership and equity. She is also the Deputy Chair of Women in Sport Aotearoa. Kirsty caught up with Erin after the delegation returned, for a wide-ranging chat on the role of sport in India, and...
Asia Insight : Shenny Tang
In this episode Lingy Au talks to Shenny Tang, an entrepreneur based in Brunei, who is Head of Growth at Innov8 Labs, Brunei's first digital capability centre - specialising in cybersecurity, AI and emerging technologies.
Shenny was in New Zealand earlier this year participating in the Young Business Leaders Initiative, a week-long exchange programme to learn more about the NZ business environment.
She joins us online from Brunei for a chat about her time in NZ , her home country, and her work at Innov8 Labs.
Website asiamediacentre.org.nz
Em...
Asia Insight : Prof James Laurenceson
Today we're joined by Professor James Laurenceson, Director of the Australia-China Relations Institute at the University of Technology in Sydney, one of the sharpest minds working on the economics of the China relationship anywhere in the region.
James has spent years cutting through the noise on trade, investment, and what's become the defining question for governments and businesses alike: how do you manage risk with your biggest trading partner when the geopolitics keep getting more complicated?
In the country for the China Business Summit, James has been a go-to voice on economic coercion, on what de...
Asia Insight : Akiko Fukushima & Cheng Chwee Kuik
Our guests on the podcast today are two leading experts of Asia security issues, in Wellington NZ for the Asia Symposium hosted by the Asia New Zealand Foundation. This episode's a deep dive on Asia politics, and replete with the various associated acronyms. So if you aren't familiar with The IP4, The Quad, or ASEAN and Japan's OSA - a quick Google of the terms will make for a more rewarding listen.
Website asiamediacentre.org.nz
Email us at media@asianz.org.nz
Whakawhetai mo te whakarongo .. thanks for...
Asia Insight : Prof Mohd Faiz Abdullah
Malaysia’s Institute of Strategic and International studies one of the country’s most high-profile think tanks, known widely as ISIS
Professor Mohd Faiz Abdullah is its Executive Chairman and Chief Executive
His diverse career spans media, law enforecement, education and three decades as a lawyer.
He’s also currently an advisor to Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibraham.
A small delegation from the Institute has been in Wellington this week and we sat down with Faiz for a wide ranging chat on all things Malaysia and New Zealand, and the current state of...
Asia Insight : Charlotte Glennie
Charlotte Glennie is a name with a rather special place in the New Zealand media history, as the country’s only former foreign correspondent based in Asia.
She’s spent more than two decades in the media, and as well as New Zealand outlets – notably TVNZ , she’s also worked with the BBC and ABC Australia.
She’s just released an autobiography called “Every Second Counts” , running through her life and times in journalism – the stories, the people, the stress and strain of being a one-woman news machine in Asia.
I sat down with Charlotte in W...
Starting Up With Asia : Adi Nugroho
Mycotech is an Indonesian startup based in the central Javanese city of Bandung, and since about 2016 its been in the business of mycelium leather, the mushroom based alternative that is taking on the traditional leather goods industry.
One of the company’s founder is Adi Nugroho, who has been in the country recently courtesy of the Asia New Zealand Foundation. We sat down for a chat about the development of the company, and the huge possibilities in the animal-free leather market.
Website asiamediacentre.org.nz
Email us at media@asianz.org...
Asia Insight : Dr Samir Saran
Dr Samir Saran is President of the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), India’s premier think tank. ORF puts together the Raisina Dialogue, a global geo-politics conference held in New Delhi annually, attracting analysts, politicians and journalists from around the world. Samir's been back in NZ as a Prime Minister’s Fellow, and we sat down for a chat about India in 2025, the India -Russia relationship, climate change, technology, and what’s next for the Raisina Dialogue, to be held in early March 2026
Website asiamediacentre.org.nz
Email us at media@asianz.org.nz
Asia Insight : Professor Joseph Liow
Prof Joseph Liow is Dean, and Professor of East Asian Affairs, at the prestigious Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, at Singapore’s National University.
He’s been in New Zealand this week as the inaugural Non-Resident Fellow at the Asia New Zealand Foundation.
Professor Liow is one of Singapore’s leading scholars on international affairs, known for his incisive analysis of Southeast Asian politics and the role religion plays in the region.
Website asiamediacentre.org.nz
Email us at media@asianz.org.nz
Whakawh...
Perceptions of Asia 2025 : Jason Young & Raf Manji
Last month, the Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono released its 28th Perceptions of Asia and Asian Peoples survey – the longest-running dataset tracking New Zealanders’ views of Asia and our connections to the region.
Today on the podcast, the Foundation's Director of Research and Engagement, Julia MacDonald, is joined by VUW's Jason Young and Foundation fellow Raf Manji to discuss this year's findings and what they reveal about the developing NZ-Asia relationship.
Website asiamediacentre.org.nz
Email us at media@asianz.org.nz
Whakawhetai mo te wha...
Asia Experience : Claire George
Recently six New Zealand sports leaders joined Kirsty Sharp, Manager of the the Asia New Zealand Foundation's Sports programme, for a trip to Singapore and Malaysia to meet with and learn about the sports ecosystems in both countries.
Today on the podcast Kirsty catches up with Sport New Zealand's Claire George, who was one of the delegates -to hear her observations and reflections post -trip.
Website asiamediacentre.org.nz
Email us at media@asianz.org.nz
Whakawhetai mo te whakarongo .. thanks for listening !
ASEAN & New Zealand : 50 Years of Dialogue
The ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Kao Kim Hourn has been in New Zealand to mark the 50th Anniversary of the dialogue relationship. Today we catch up with him to discuss the role of ASEAN in turbulent times, where the organisation is headed, and the importance of the enduring links between ASEAN and Aotearoa.
Website asiamediacentre.org.nz
Email us at media@asianz.org.nz
Whakawhetai mo te whakarongo .. thanks for listening !
Asia Right Now: Dr Reuben Abraham & The New India.
This week we join Raf Manji, a Non-Resident Fellow at the Asia New Zealand Foundation, in conversation with Dr Reuben Abraham, the CEO of Artha Global, a Mumbai and London-based public policy organisation advising governments around the world. The pair take a deep dive into the new India - economics, trade, technology, and foreign policy. -as NZ embarks on the latest round of talks towards a Free Trade Agreement.
Website asiamediacentre.org.nz
Email us at media@asianz.org.nz
Whakawhetai mo te whakarongo .. thanks for listening !
Asia Right Now: Do Hung Viet
Today on the podcast Dr Julia Macdonald, head of Research and Engagement at the Asia New Zealand Foundation, sits down with Vietnam’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Do Hung Viet, who earlier this year visited New Zealand as an ASEAN Prime Minister’s fellow.
Mr Viet was appointed Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2022, following a diplomatic career that has focused on international organisations. He has held positions as Assistant Foreign Minister, Director-General of the Foreign Ministry’s International Organisations Department, and Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations. He will take up the position as Viet N...
Asia Unfiltered: Nathan Taylor
In this episode of Asia Unfiltered, our host Arina Aizal chats to Nathan Taylor about his experiences growing up living in Indonesia as a teenager, and later living as an adult in China.
Digressions include the unique experience of going from homeschooling in New Zealand to being dropped into the middle of a remote Indonesian jungle, a deep dive into the power of accents within linguistics, and how translation work is rather difficult when working with the made-up mystical worlds of Chinese video games.
Asia Unfiltered is an exploration of the stories and experiences of yo...
Asia Unfiltered : Yik Kun Heng
In this episode of Asia Unfiltered, our host Arina Aizal chats to Yik Kun Heng about his experiences living… well, everywhere! Yik Kun has lived in Beijing, Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand, Thailand, Vietnam, Switzerland, and now Chile.
What's it like navigating identity as someone with a multicultural, international background, or to represent New Zealand in Wushu: the Chinese martial art, and how does political science blend into guidance counselling...??
Asia Unfiltered is an exploration of the stories and experiences of young Kiwis abroad in Asia. Each episode features conversations between members of the Asia New Zea...
Asia Unfiltered: Marcus Coll
In this episode of Asia Unfiltered, our host Kii Small chats to Marcus Coll about his many experiences living in Japan over the years. Digressions include the power of learning a second language, how strange twists of fate can completely alter the course of your life, and how he uncovered a hidden hub of nuclear disarmament activism in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Asia Unfiltered is an exploration of the stories and experiences of young Kiwis abroad in Asia. Each episode will feature conversations between members of the Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono’s Leadership Netwo...
Asia Summit : Asia & The New Zealand Media
A few weeks ago the Asia New Zealand Foundation celebrated its 30th Anniversary with an “Asia Summit” at Parliament in Wellington. Among the speakers and the panels on the day was a session looking at the NZ media’s relationship with Asia.
The panel comprised the Washington Post’s Asia-Pacific Editor Anna Fifield, Newsroom’s National Affairs Editor Sam Sachdeva, and journalist Jean Lee, currently working at the East-West Centre in Hawaii, but also a past bureau chief in North Korea for the Associated Press, and co-host of the award-winning podcast "Lazarus Heist" podcast on the BBC Wor...
Asia Experience: ASEAN Aust-NZ Dialogue
The Asia New Zealand Foundation recently led a delegation on a Track II diplomacy visit to Malaysia for the 16th ASEAN Australia/New Zealand Dialogue.
Foundation Trustee Hone McGregor and economist Brad Olsen were on the trip, and sat down with RNZ's Colin Peacock to discuss the key takeaways from their first Track II experience in Kuala Lumpur.
Website asiamediacentre.org.nz
Email us at media@asianz.org.nz
Whakawhetai mo te whakarongo .. thanks for listening !
Asia Insight : NATO, NZ and the Asia Pacific
Today we welcome NATO permanent representatives Scott Oudkirk (US), Anita Nergaard (Norway) and Maris Riekstins (Latvia), who have been in Wellington to discuss the alliance's partner networks in the region, and the strengthening of the long-standing relationship with New Zealand.
Website asiamediacentre.org.nz
Email us at media@asianz.org.nz
Whakawhetai mo te whakarongo .. thanks for listening !
Asia Unfiltered: Magdeline Huang
In this episode of Asia Unfiltered, our host Kii Small chats to Magdeline Huang about her experiences living in South Korea. Digressions include unpacking cultural differences between New Zealand and South Korean life, what it’s like to work as a software engineer, and how you can combine being a woman in STEM with creative pursuits.
Asia Unfiltered is an exploration of the stories and experiences of young Kiwis abroad in Asia. Each episode will feature conversations between members of the Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono’s Leadership Network, and one of our two fel...
Asia Right Now: Jean Lee
Jean Lee is a Korean American journalist and researcher based at the East-West Centre in Hawaii.
She has spent a large part of her career covering North Korea and Northeast Asian affairs, and is co-host of the award-winning “Lazarus Heist” podcast for the BBC World Service, which delves into the Lazarus Group, a shadowy consortium of cyber-criminals working on behalf of the North Korean state.
Jean was in New Zealand recently to speak at the Asia Summit, held in Wellington to mark the 30th Anniversary of the Asia New Zealand Foundation.
She sat down f...
Asia Unfiltered: Leonard Hong
In this episode of Asia Unfiltered, our host Arina Aizal chats to Leonard Hong about his experiences currently studying his master’s in Singapore. Digressions include reflections on growing up in New Zealand as a Korean-Kiwi, what life is like as a bourgeoning political economist, and why you should stop what you’re doing and move to Singapore.
Asia Unfiltered is an exploration of the stories and experiences of young Kiwis abroad in Asia. Each episode will feature conversations between members of the Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono’s Leadership Network, and one of our t...
Starting Up with Asia : Bicky Nguyen
In this episode Lingy Au speaks with entrepreneur Bicky Nguyen from Vietnam. Bicky was recently in the country as a keynote speaker at the ASEAN NZ Business Council Forum. She is the driving force behind "CricketOne, a leading global supplier in cricket ingredients as a form of alternative protein.
Website asiamediacentre.org.nz
Email us at media@asianz.org.nz
Whakawhetai mo te whakarongo .. thanks for listening !
Asia Unfiltered: Lucy Luo
In this episode of Asia Unfiltered, our host Arina Aizal chats to Lucy Luo about her experiences living in Singapore, Hong Kong, and China. Digressions include what it’s like to have a truly international job, how getting out of New Zealand and going abroad can fundamentally change your perspective on life, and how a background in law can be truly versatile.
Asia Unfiltered is an exploration of the stories and experiences of young Kiwis abroad in Asia. Each episode will feature conversations between members of the Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono’s Leaders...
Asia Insight: Australasian Views on Asia 2024
Ryan Neelam is a former Diplomat and Director of Public Opinion and Foreign Policy at the Lowy Institute in Sydney. In this edition of Asia Insight he's in conversation with The Asia New Zealand Foundation's Research Director, Dr Julia MacDonald, looking at this year's public opinion surveys from both organisations. The annual "Lowy Institute Poll", and the Foundation's "Perceptions of Asia & Asian Peoples" poll are unique windows on how the public on both sides of the Tasman is seeing the greater region, and the current issues at play in foreign and domestic policy.
Website asiamediacentre.o...
Asia Experience: Zennon Wijlens
Zennon Wijlens is the co-owner and Head Chef at Paris Butter in Auckland. He was part of a delegation attending this years Ubud Festival in Bali, courtesy of the Asia New Zealand Foundation. Founded in 2015, the Festival is cross-cultural culinary adventure, showcasing Indonesia's diverse cuisine and extraordinary local produce. Zennon joined us to discuss the restaurant trade, his career in cooking, and what Indonesia brings to the table in NZ.
Website asiamediacentre.org.nz
Email us at media@asianz.org.nz
Whakawhetai mo te whakarongo .. thanks for listening !
Asia Right Now: China & NZ
The Asia New Zealand Foundation's Head of Research & Engagement Julia MacDonald is joined by Dr Henry Wang and Dr Mabel Miao, from the Centre for China & Globalisation in Beijing, to discuss the economic relationship between China and New Zealand, and the growing importance of growing people-to-people links between the two countries.
Website asiamediacentre.org.nz
Email us at media@asianz.org.nz
Whakawhetai mo te whakarongo .. thanks for listening !
Asia Unfiltered: Oliver Ibbetson
In this episode of Asia Unfiltered, our host Kii Small chats to Oliver Ibbetson about his experiences living in Taiwan for ten percent of his life. Digressions include the real pay-off that comes with putting up your hand for opportunities, what it was like to do a Masters degree in Asia during peak Covid, and the phenomenal effectiveness of the Taiwanese health and education system.
Asia Unfiltered is an exploration of the stories and experiences of young Kiwis abroad in Asia. Each episode will feature conversations between members of the Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau T...
Asia Experience : Pahia Turia
The development and expansion of renewable energy alternatives was the subject of a recent NZTE study tour to South Korea and Japan for Māori representitives.
Many countries across Asia are searching to meet 2050 energy targets but don’t have the natural resources. Iwi/Māori entities in Aotearoa have access to natural resources but need investment to transform those resources to be exportable.
One of those on the trip was Pahia Turia of Ngā Wairiki Ngāti Apa, an iwi based in the Whanganui region, who recieved funding from Te Whitau Tuhono – the Asia New Zealand...
Asia Right Now : Laurel E Miller
The Asia Foundation is a US-based nonprofit international development organization committed to improving lives and expanding opportunities across Asia and the Pacific. The Foundation’s work focusses on governance, climate action, gender equality, education and leadership, inclusive growth, and international cooperation.
TAF works in more than 20 countries with funding from a diverse array of bilateral and multilateral development agencies, foundations, corporations, and individuals.
Chief Executive Laurel E Miller was in New Zealand recently, and sat down for a discussion on US strategy in Asia, and the activities of the Foundation.
+This interview was rec...
Asia Unfiltered: Wei-Wei Ng
In this episode of Asia Unfiltered, our host Arina Aizal chats to Wei-Wei Ng about her experiences living in Shanghai and Hong Kong. Digressions include the unique experience of growing up as a Chinese-Kiwi who moved to China, the successes and challenges of finding a job in Asia, and why a law degree may not be right for everyone.
Asia Unfiltered is an exploration of the stories and experiences of young Kiwis abroad in Asia. Each episode will feature conversations between members of the Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono’s Leadership Network, and one o...
Perceptions of Asia: Natasha Hamilton-Hart & Paul Spoonley
The Asia New Zealand Foundation's 'Perceptions of Asia' survey was released earlier this month - it is a unique insight into how New Zealanders are feeling about Asia and its peoples, and a useful guide to future policy-making. Today we speak to Professor Natasha Hamilton-Hart from Auckland University's Dept of Management and International Business. Professor Hamilton-Hart is also director of the NZ Asia Institute at Auckland University . Also joining the podcast is Distinguished Emeritus Professor Paul Spoonley, Honorary Research Associate at Massey University, and a sociologist who has been following the Perceptions of Asia survey for many years.
New Zealanders' Perceptions of Asia and Asian Peoples 2024
The Asia New Zealand Foundation's annual "'New Zealanders' Perceptions of Asia and Asian Peoples" survey is in its 27th year, detailing changing trends in the way New Zealanders regard Asian nations and the people who live there. The survey is out today, and for a quick run-through of some of the central themes in the report we're joined by Asia New Zealand Foundation Chief Executive Suz Jessep, and Dr Julia Macdonald, diector of the Foundation's Research and Engagement programme.
Website asiamediacentre.org.nz
Email us at media@asianz.org.nz
The Dilmah Story: Dilhan C. Fernando
This week we talk to Dilhan C. Fernando, CEO of Dilmah Tea, the family-owned Sri Lankan company that forged its own path in the marketing of tea in New Zealand, and around the globe.
Website asiamediacentre.org.nz
Email us at media@asianz.org.nz
Whakawhetai mo te whakarongo .. thanks for listening !
Asia Unfiltered: Alex Smith
In this episode of Asia Unfiltered, our host, Kii Small, chats to the Asia New Zealand Foundation’s very own Alex Smith, about her experiences living in Shanghai and Taiwan. Digressions include what it’s like to study Mandarin Chinese as a young woman living in East Asia, and how a guilty pleasure for East Asian trash television can catapult you on a profound, life and career changing journey.
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Asia Unfiltered is an exploration of the stories and experiences of young kiwis abroad in Asia. Each episode will feature conversations between members of the Asia...
