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Purpose: This paper aims to identify the reasons why cases of leakage of patient personal data often occur in the health sector. This paper also analyzes personal data protection regulations in the health sector from a comparative legal perspective between Indonesia, Singapore and the European Union (EU). Design/methodology/approach: This type of research is legal research. The research approach used is the statute approach and conceptual approach. The focus of this study in this research is Indonesia with a comparative study in Singapore and the EU. Findings: Cases of leakage of patient personal data in Indonesia often occur. In 2021, the data for 230,000 COVID-19 patients was leaked and sold on the Rapid Forums dark web forum. A patient's personal data is a human right that must be protected. Compared to Singapore and the EU, Indonesia is a country that does not yet have a law on the protection of personal data. This condition causes cases of leakage of patients' personal data to occur frequently. Research limitations/implications: This study analyzes the regulation and protection of patients' personal data in Indonesia, Singapore and the EU to construct a regulatory design for the protection of patients' personal data. Practical implications: The results of this study are useful for constructing regulations governing the protection of patients' personal data. The regulation is to protect the patient's personal data like a patient's human right. Social implications: The ideal regulatory design can prevent data breaches. Based on the results of comparative studies, in Singapore and the EU, cases of personal data leakage are rare because they have a regulatory framework regarding the protection of patients' personal data. Originality/value: Legal strategies that can be taken to prevent and overcome patient data breaches include the establishment of an Act on Personal Data Protection; the Personal Data Protection Commission; and management of patients' personal data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the motives and mechanisms behind data localization implemented by states to protect data, which is essential to emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence. Despite the significant negative aspects of data localization for states, the practice has become increasingly prevalent, leading to the unexplored question of why states choose to implement it. This suggests that data localization is a form of economic means derived from digital technologies and employed by states to serve political objectives. Focusing on the data in platforms, the theoretical mechanism of data localization is captured in light of two factors: network perception and security externality. Network perception pertains to a state's perception of the positive network effect generated by platforms, while security externality refers to a state's consideration of the security implications in relation to the economic benefits derived from the positive network effect, serving the national interest in domestic and/or international contexts. To substantiate these theoretical propositions, the paper employs a comparative case study approach where Vietnam, Singapore, and Indonesia have been chosen as empirical cases based on the selection strategy. The paper bridges the concept of economic statecraft with digital technologies, fosters interdisciplinary discussions, and offers policy implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper provides a comparative analysis of the legal frameworks governing the delisting of issuer shares in Indonesia, the United States, and Singapore. Using a normative legal research approach, supplemented by interviews with members of the Financial Services Authority (OJK) and a Member of the House of Representatives Commission XI, the study explores how each jurisdiction addresses the delisting process, particularly focusing on the protection of minority shareholders . The analysis reveals that Indonesia's legal system, influenced by its Civil Law heritage, contrasts with the Common Law approaches of the US and Singapore, especially in terms of shareholder involvement in voluntary delisting and the specificity of conditions for forced delisting. The study suggests enhancements to the Indonesian framework, such as clearer guidelines for shareholder approval in delisting decisions and more transparent criteria for forced delisting. These recommendations aim to improve the protection of minority shareholders within Indonesia's Capital Market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of research is to ascertain the existing situation of STEAM education research over three decades based on the Scopus database. The entire documents are 256 findings globally data shorted by year, region, and highest cited to 100 documents. The analysis technique used VOSViewer, Microsoft Excel and word cloud generator. The result of document type article is ranks first in Global and conference paper rank first in South East Asia. The sources that have published the top cited papers are "Journal of Small Business Management" in global and the "Education Sciences" in South East Asia. Meanwhile, the author with the most citations is Jeon M from the U.S.A. Specifically, the country with the most publications is US with 31 articles and 2553 citations. Whereas the majority of Southeast Asian countries have 9 articles and 10 citations. Supported the visualization analysis, VOSViewer's global region is divided into 4 clusters and 62 keywords to assist with the visualization analysis. A pair of clusters containing 14 keywords each for the South Asia region. The terms program, project, environment, model, and implication are frequently used in STEAM throughout the world. The keyword STEAM education appears in analyses conducted in South-East Asia. The outcome of this research can serve as a resource for scholars interested in STEAM and education. Further research into STEAM education trends can be conducted by focusing on a single region or on more specific issues.

The network of international search and rescue teams, International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG), has had a classification system since 2005 known as the INSARAG External Classification (IEC). The purpose of IEC is to ensure that all the international urban search and rescue teams acquire the minimum operational standards set by INSARAG. The National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) of Indonesia is applying for IEC certification in November 2019 with support from Singapore. This paper reviews the IEC process for BASARNAS and critically evaluates the effectiveness of IEC as a tool for urban search and rescue capacity building. Through the preparation for IEC, the internationally deployed BASARNAS team successfully strengthened its search and rescue capabilities. The IEC process identified gaps in current levels of operation and INSARAG requirements. Having an IEC-classified team in Indonesia would lead to strengthening capability of domestic first responders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: With a particular emphasis on corporate strategies for innovation, the purpose of this paper is to examine how cost behaviour operates under conditions of strong competition in the retail industry. Design/methodology/approach: Retail companies listed on the Indonesian, Singaporean and Malaysian capital markets are studied using the regression analysis method. Findings: The findings of this study show the sticky behaviour of changes in the selling, general and administrative (SGA) costs when companies are under competitive pressure. When sales increase, SGA costs will increase; however, when sales decline, SGA costs evidently increase. This is especially true for retail companies which have suffered a decrease in their sales of less than 7 per cent, but experienced positive sales growth in the previous period. The suggestion would seem to be that competition leads to greater aggression and the contemporary real options theory bears this out. Research limitations/implications: This study only uses data from retail companies listed on stock exchanges in Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia. Practical implications: The type of industry, the extent of the competition and the corporate strategy employed might influence the extent of cost stickiness. Therefore, the users of financial statements need to understand these factors. Originality/value: While previous studies incorporated a variety of industries, this paper focuses on examining cost behaviour amid the competitive pressure from recent phenomena in the retail industry. The study provides empirical evidence for supporting the contemporary real options theory. When an industry experiences competition, investing in an uncertain situation will add value to a company, even if it causes sticky cost behaviour. This result contributes to the literature on cost behaviour and strategy management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to calculate the net gains or losses for the ASEAN Members 1998-2007 in the East Asian market. Design/methodology/approach – This paper provides a new extension to the shift-share analysis to attribute the net shift to competing economies with a dynamic approach. This new extension is applied to analyze the competition among the ASEAN members in the East Asian market for the year from 1998-2007. Findings – Although in terms of market share, Indonesia and Malaysia take the lead in East Asia, the dynamic shift-share analysis suggests that the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia are gainers during 1998-2007, with positive net shifts and positive competitiveness effects. Originality/value – There are two main contributions of this paper: one is to dynamically estimate the net shifts of the economies as compared to the traditional comparative static approach; the other is to extend the shift-share analysis to attribute the net gains or losses to competing exporters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been argued that successful professional development efforts, especially in assessment-literacy, need to address emotional components and the existence of implicit conceptions in order to raise consciousness and ultimately transform practice (Xu and Brown, 2016: p. 156). Experiential approaches have been shown to be highly effective for adult learning, especially in bringing about and sustaining changes in beliefs and practices. In this paper, I explore the use of an experiential approach in an online language assessment course, describing in depth two formative assessment (FA) activities and the technology tools that were employed. These activities served to (1) develop participants' AL in formative assessment, including online formative assessment; (2) evoke emotions, raise consciousness about conceptions, and prompt a desire for transformation; and (3) bridge the theory-practice gap. This paper offers insights into approaches to FA and teacher development in online settings and seeks to contribute to the growing body of knowledge in the field of assessment education.

This paper examines asymmetry of the loss function of professional forecasters for output growth, inflation, and exchange rate forecasts, based on the survey of professional forecasts (SPF) data of three South Asian countries (India, Indonesia, and Singapore). Our results provide India's unbiased output growth forecasts and under-predicted inflation and exchange rate forecasts; Indonesia's broadly unbiased forecasts; and Singapore's under-predicted output growth forecasts and unbiased inflation and exchange rate forecasts. Testing the rationality of all three countries' SPF forecasts, we find that all are rational under an asymmetric loss function but not under a symmetric loss function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across Asia, countries have signed the UNCRPD and to a greater or lesser extent are pursuing inclusive education (IE). In this article, we present case studies from Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, and China analyzing them for common themes around the education of students intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), and noting commonalities, challenges, and emerging issues. While the definition of IE (being the philosophy, process and practice of welcoming, valuing and supporting all learners in general education environments) and the conceptual distinction between integration and segregation are clear in the UNCRPD and subsequent comments, the terminology used in some of the countries is inconsistent with these definitions. This makes interpretation of reports from government instrumentalities difficult. In some cases, misuse of terminology allows justification of practices that are contrary to the UNCRPD. Terminology differences coupled with challenges of finding data related to the education of children with IDD, if the data exist, make a regional analysis of progress towards IE complex. In our paper, we have drawn on previous reviews and reports to discuss common issues and make suggestions for ways forward. Our findings add to the few other reviews from Asia on IE and draw attention to the continuing need for improved access to any education at all for learners with IDD. Provision of IE is caught up in dilemmas in the region about teacher preparation and professional learning, and how to provide specialist support in inclusive settings. School structure decisions including staffing provision and class sizes affect the education outcomes of students with IDD. School leadership, with the fundamental role of translating policy into practice, is critical for the development of IE and must be aligned with system and country priorities. Collaboration across the region has the potential to share best practice and continue to improve the educational opportunities for learners with IDD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest burning in Indonesia results in severe episodes of 'seasonal haze' in neighboring Singapore. We offer the first causal analysis of the transboundary health effects of the Indonesian forest burning. Instrumenting for air pollution with satellite fire data, we estimate the impacts of the Indonesian fires on Singaporean polyclinic attendance for acute upper respiratory tract infections and acute conjunctivitis. We find that a one standard deviation increase in the Indonesian fire radiative power increases Singaporean pollution by 1.4 standard deviations and causes a 0.7 standard deviation increase in polyclinic attendance for each of the illnesses examined in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to find alternative method of executing reimbursement loan, as a form of documentary loan, that is, to investigate new digital technology methods (fintech) to improve the efficiency of the international exchange. Reimbursement loans are often used to credit the trade of overseas goods. The reason of such case is that the shipment of goods by the maritime transport requires a significant amount of time and those trades are often associated with high financial amounts. Since international trade (exchange) is a kind of a generator of society’s progress, it is necessary to explore the possibilities for making international payment cheaper, more efficient and more secure. In this case, we based our research on the implementation of modern technologies, more precisely “blockchain”/DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology) and “smart contracts”. The new reimbursement loan model presented in the paper is based on the aforementioned technologies. It could potentially change not only the documentary lending techniques, but also, eventually, overall financial paradigm. The effectiveness of the application of modern technologies is proven comparing the results of the so called conventional and unconventional reimbursement credit model on a real case involving two companies in Indonesia and Singapore. The paper also tackles on the further implementation of “smart contract” technology and “blockchain”/DLT, thus considering the potential impact of these technologies on overseas trade, credit markets and financial institutions. Finally, the paper argues on the limitations in implementing this new technique (e.g. legal, political and technical challenges). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infrastructure can be unreliable and administration subject to corruption in Asia's rapidly developing economies. Foreign investment is thus drawn to privileged investment enclaves, as well as in and around centers of international infrastructure. This context provides opportunity for Singapore-styled industrial parks, through the provision of superior infrastructure, the ability to negotiate investment concessions at inter-government level and, where existing, through the links to influential Chinese business groups in the investment location. Batamindo Industrial Park and Bintan Industrial Estate in Indonesia were the prototypes. This paper revisits the Parks, and offers a stock-take on the challenges confronting these flagship projects. Evidence from on-site surveys and interviews are presented. This paper concludes that the raison d'être for the projects has overestimated the attractiveness of the low-cost investment enclaves for multinational companies, and the projects' potential has been largely overshadowed by socio-political uncertainties in the host environment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

How should educators teach about one of the most complex and pressing issues of our times? This paper presents an empirically-grounded framework to help educators understand the opportunities and challenges of engaging youth around the topic of migration, including migration involving refugees. It stresses the importance of inviting youth to dialogue in ways that involve "slowing down, sharing stories, and making connections." The framework emerged from a design-based research study involving an experimental online learning community and curriculum on the topic of human migration. Posts and comments involving 140 teens from seven countries were closely analyzed using a modified grounded theory approach that incorporated constructivist principles. 14 interviews with participating educators also informed the analysis. The framework proposes that youth be supported to develop (1) curiosity and engagement about individual migration stories and migration in general, (2) nuanced understanding of the complex and diverse factors that help shape historical and contemporary migration experiences, and (3) critical awareness of their own and others' perspectives on migration and migrants. A visual representation is provided. Specific examples of student dialogue are unpacked to illustrate the framework, with discussion of the following cognitive and affective challenges: "the Three O's" of overgeneralization, overconfidence, and othering. The paper argues that youth of all backgrounds need opportunities to learn about migration in ways that allow them to leverage their various experiences and perspectives and engage with one another in meaningful, authentic ways.

This research explores the implementation and utilization of the E-Arrival Card system in Indonesia, using Singapore's experience as a benchmark case study. The E-Arrival Card is an electronic innovation designed to streamline the arrival and immigration inspection process by collecting visitor information prior to entry. This study employs a qualitative methodology, including a detailed literature review and secondary data analysis, to evaluate the system’s deployment in Singapore, examining the associated policies, strengths, and weaknesses. The objective is to derive actionable recommendations for implementing a similar system in Indonesia. Data were gathered from various literature sources and analyzed using secondary analysis techniques. The findings indicate that in Singapore, the E-Arrival Card significantly enhances immigration efficiency and security while providing a positive user experience. In contrast, the system in Indonesia is still under development but has garnered positive feedback in trials conducted at several international airports. Based on these insights, this research recommends the development of a user-friendly online platform, integrating mobile applications, and using the E-Arrival Card for health monitoring and immigration law enforcement in Indonesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to explore instructional designs for promoting inquiry practices in secondary school textbooks. Three criteria were employed to select the textbooks: (1) approved by the Ministry of Education in Singapore and the Ministry of Education and Culture in Indonesia, (2) used in secondary schools, and (3) included content and practices based on the current curriculum. Based on these criteria, six science textbooks from Singapore and three from Indonesia were selected for further coding in the dimensions of learning goals of inquiry skills, nature of scientific inquiry, and inquiry types. The results showed that more activities in both the Singaporean and Indonesian textbooks focus on observing and interpreting skills. However, few activities in the textbooks from either country provide an opportunity for students to engage nature of scientific inquiry. In addition, more activities in the Singaporean textbooks were designed as guided inquiry than those in the Indonesian textbooks. Finally, it is suggested that inquiry activities in textbooks should be revised to include nature of scientific inquiry, and more textbook analysis studies are needed to reveal characteristics of inquiry activities in textbooks for different subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT This paper empirically examines the dynamic stock return-volume relations for six emerging Asian markets: Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. Evidence is found that trading volume Granger causes stock return in quantiles and the causal effects of volume are heterogeneous across quantiles. This shows that volume carries some information to the return and could be interpreted in light of theoretical models. In addition, we find that there is bi-directional causality between stock return and trading volume in most of the markets. The finding indicates that those Asian emerging markets with different institutions and information flows than more mature markets have present similar causal effects on the stock return-volume relation. Furthermore, the cross-country evidence shows that the US market helps to predict the returns of the emerging Asian markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to Mundell (1961), an optimum currency area is an economic unit composed of regions affected symmetrically by disturbances and between which labour and other factors of production flow freely. The issues of forming a single currency in the ASEAN countries have long been debated by the government of the member of ASEAN. Ironically, these countries would also choose not to surrender their own county's currency which made the idea of forming an OCA nearly impossible. It is also worth to note that the formation of an OCA within the ASEAN members may not be as simple as the European Union due to the mix results obtained by previous studies. This paper will examines the feasibility of forming an Optimum Currency Area (OCA) among the ASEAN-5, which are Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, by testing the symmetry of underlying structural shocks. This paper will further suggest the feasible sub regions to form the OCA within these ASEAN-5.The results imply that it would be difficult for the ASEAN-5 to form a currency union, however there is a possibility for Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand to spearhead the formation of the single currency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - Skill shortages worldwide have intensified the need for talent management. Few papers examine the pattern of human resource (HR) and talent management practices that help retain competent employees among service multinational companies (MNCs) in Asia. The purpose of this paper is to map out a number of HR practices used by service companies and to examine the effect of talent retention as perceived by MNC managers on service delivery capacity and business growth. Design/methodology/approach- A survey data of 281 service MNCs in six Asian countries (namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand) are used to compare country and sectoral differences. Standard multiple regression analysis is conducted to test the link between HR practices, employee retention, and service firm performance. Findings - The results confirm that there are statistically significant linkages between HR practices, talent retention and firm performance. In particular, various skill training and development programs are seen to be significantly associated with capacity to deliver quality service and on firm growth as perceived by managers surveyed. Informal recruitment methods that are used more by Asian-bred firms have contributed to better retention rates. Not all formalised HR practices lead to talent retention; and the degree to which HR is perceived to have impacted on firm performance varies. Research limitations/implications - The paper focuses on examining the perceptual impacts of human resource management (HRM) practices on firm performance; rather than actual HRM impacts. The interpretation of results should be taken with caution. Originality/value- Talent management is influenced by country specific variables. This paper shows how important it is for service firms to focus on strategic selection of both formal and informal HR practices in order to deliver high quality service and to drive service firm growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Singapore's regionalization stratagem led to the establishment of industrial parks in China, India and several South-East Asian countries. The strategic intent behind these overseas projects was twofold: exporting Singapore's competencies such as management know-how, technological capabilities and corrupt-free administration to regions where such positive factors were lacking and secondly, exploiting comparative advantages that each region had to offer. This paper 1 revisits Singapore's flagship projects in Indonesia, Vietnam and India. Evidence from on-site surveys and interviews are presented. This paper contends that progress in these privileged investment zones remains stymied by particular dependencies and challenges in the host environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropes of borderlessness are pervasive both in discourses concerning the spread of HIV/AIDS and the Growth Triangle, a transnational economic zone that ideally binds together the Indonesian island of Batam, the Malaysian province of Johor and Singapore. This paper considers how the emergence of HIV as a problem in the Growth Triangle, and on Batam in particular, has been framed as a problem to be addressed in context of the nation-state rather than as a transnational problem that demands cooperation across borders. In conjunction with this, it focuses on further attempts to create boundaries around HIV, through the identification of risk groups, the localisation of prostitutes and the distribution of condoms. The paper focuses particular attention on the relationship between Batam and Singapore, and how non-governmental organisations and governments have dealt with HIV/AIDS issues in both places. Furthermore, it problematises these activities by paying ethnographic attention to other forms of cultural and economic logics that often are odds with prevention models. This raises important questions concerning, most specifically, the problems of HIV prevention and cross-border cooperation, and, more generally, the regulation and formation of new kinds of borders in a‘borderless world’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an increasingly integrated international economy, nation-states are. of themselves, no longer the prime containers or coordinators of political-economic activity. The extra-territoriality of states and the blurring of the boundaries between states and firms, for example, have been captured in analytical concepts such as "triangular diplomacy' the "web of global interdependencies' and 'cosmopolitan democracy'. Such trends have become visible in what have been termed mega-urban regions or zones of economic integration or of graduated sovereignly. Moreover, such zones are held to illustrate non-traditional or cooperative inter-state relations. This paper utilizes Stopford and Strange's (1991) notion of 'triangular diplomacy' to interpret the development of one such zone - the Indonesia-Malaysia-Singapore growth triangle (IMS-GT), The paper argues that whilst embodying elements of cooperative inter-state relations the development of the IMS-GT also highlights the persistence of the 'traditional' concerns of inter-state relations. It also uses the notion of triangular diplomacy to draw attention to different models of social order sought by multinational enterprises (MNEs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper exploits random and exogenous transboundary haze pollution in Singapore caused by forest fires in Indonesia to examine the causal effects of air pollution on firm productivity and consumer satisfaction. To measure firm productivity in the private sector, we use the subcategory review scores on service quality, and to estimate consumer satisfaction, we use the individual-level overall online review scores. We find that a significant reduction in consumer satisfaction related to increases in haze pollutant intensity is followed by a substantial rebound in consumer satisfaction for eight months after the haze completely dissipates. We also employ sentiment analysis to illuminate review data and to uncover the underlying mechanisms: the decreased consumer satisfaction during the haze shock is caused by changing consumer mood, rather than by decreases in service quality; after the haze dissipates, consumer satisfaction is quickly restored and soon exceeds the previous level due to substantial improvements in service quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the impact of official travel advisories warning citizens about the dangers of travel to countries near to those which have experienced terrorist attacks. The issues are considered within a Southeast Asian context, using the example of the bombings on the Indonesian island of Bali in 2002 which had serious implications for its neighbours. Particular attention is given to the consequences for Singapore which found its previously unchallenged reputation for safety being questioned. Advice given by selected governments and the reactions of the relevant tourism authorities are reviewed, revealing the problems confronted by the industry in these circumstances and possible response strategies. Terrorism is shown to have the potential to damage place images and visitor arrivals beyond the particular location where it occurs, and travel advisories may contribute to this process with political repercussions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the variables having impact on the student motivation have been analyzed based on the articles, conference papers, master's theses and doctoral dissertations published in the years 2000-2017. A total of 165 research papers were selected for the research material and the data were collected through qualitative research techniques through document review and content analysis. According to the research results, the most important factors affecting student motivation are the fields of teacher, teachers' classroom management skills and their teaching methods. In this research, factors having less influence on the student motivation are parental communication, student characteristics and study fields. In addition, relational search type was used more than others, mostly students were selected as the study group and most researches were conducted in USA and Turkey.

Purpose: The three neighbouring nations of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore participated in the 2009, 2012 and 2015 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) cycles. Despite many similarities between the three nations, Singapore has consistently been a top PISA performer, with Malaysia and Indonesia in the bottom third of the international league tables. This paper aims to sketch the comparative Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) context and uses PISA-derived metrics to contrast how differences in decision-making and school leadership, particularly in relation to staff development and training practices, may impact school performance across Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Design/methodology/approach: Ten scales from the 2015 PISA School Questionnaire for Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia were analysed using ANOVA and "t"-tests as an aid to exploring the extent to which different approaches to teacher training, school leadership and governance may impact student performance. Findings: Although Malaysian and Indonesian school principals report higher levels of autonomy than Singaporean peers, other evidence suggests that schools in Singapore may actually have greater decision latitude. Most significantly, Singaporean teachers take responsibility for key staff development decisions and skills transfer, whereas in Indonesia and Malaysia, teacher training is controlled by government administrators, a factor that may be a critical differentiator between the school systems. Practical implications: In Singapore, teacher training is controlled by and for teachers through professional learning teams within schools and professional learning communities across schools; in Malaysia and Indonesia, similar decisions are taken by external administrators. Giving Malaysian and Indonesian teachers control over their own training could be a simple and powerful reform to target skills gaps and to generalise improvements in pedagogy quickly across schools and thus to lift school performance in these countries. Originality/value: This paper highlights how differences at systemic and school levels, particularly in approaches to teacher training and leadership and may explain differentials in school performance in three ASEAN education systems.

Background: Rare diseases, also referred to as orphan diseases, are characterised by their low prevalence with majority of them are chronically debilitating and life threatening. Given the low prevalence and the widely dispersed but very small patient base for each disease, there may often be a disproportion in the availability of treatments and resources to manage patients, spur research and train experts. This is especially true in Southeast Asian countries that are currently in the process of implementing or revising their universal health coverage schemes. This paper aims to examine the status of rare disease management in Southeast Asian countries. It will serve as the basis for a more active discussion on how countries in the region can address an under-recognised rare disease burden and enhance national and regional capacities.Methods: The study consists of literature reviews and key stakeholders interviews in six focus countries, including the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand and five countries as best practice, comprising of France, Canada, Australia, Taiwan, and South Korea. Rare disease management initiatives across each country were examined based on the World Health Organization's framework for action in strengthening health systems.Results: The results suggest rare disease management remains challenging across Southeast Asia, as many of the focus countries face fundamental issues from basic healthcare systems to funding. Nonetheless, there are substantial improvement opportunities, including leveraging best practices from around the world and organising a multi-stakeholder and regional approach and strategy.Conclusions: Southeast Asian countries have made significant progress in the management of rare disease, but there remain key areas for substantial development opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) gears toward full regional integration by 2015, the cross-border mobility of workers and citizens at large is expected to further intensify in the coming years. While ASEAN member countries have already signed the Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers, the health rights of migrants still need to be addressed, especially with ongoing universal health coverage (UHC) reforms in most ASEAN countries. This paper seeks to examine the inclusion of migrants in the UHC systems of five ASEAN countries which exhibit diverse migration profiles and are currently undergoing varying stages of UHC development. Design: A scoping review of current migration trends and policies as well as ongoing UHC developments and migrant inclusion in UHC in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand was conducted. Results: In general, all five countries, whether receiving or sending, have schemes that cover migrants to varying extents. Thailand even allows undocumented migrants to opt into its Compulsory Migrant Health Insurance scheme, while Malaysia and Singapore are still yet to consider including migrants in their government-run UHC systems. In terms of predominantly sending countries, the Philippines's social health insurance provides outbound migrants with portable insurance yet with limited benefits, while Indonesia still needs to strengthen the implementation of its compulsory migrant insurance which has a health insurance component. Overall, the five ASEAN countries continue to face implementation challenges, and will need to improve on their UHC design in order to ensure genuine inclusion of migrants, including undocumented migrants. However, such reforms will require strong political decisions from agencies outside the health sector that govern migration and labor policies. Furthermore, countries must engage in multilateral and bilateral dialogue as they redefine UHC beyond the basis of citizenship and reimagine UHC systems that transcend national borders. Conclusions: By enhancing migrant coverage, ASEAN countries can make UHC systems truly 'universal'. Migrant inclusion in UHC is a human rights imperative, and it is in ASEAN's best interest to protect the health of migrants as it pursues the path toward collective social progress and regional economic prosperity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Governance and regulation of the use of live animals in research and teaching is examined in Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, China, Japan and India. A comparison of the systems in different countries will enable the determination of best practice and fit-forpurpose regulation. The most comprehensive government regulation of animal welfare in institutions covers a broad range of animals and institutions are required to have an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, whose membership is specified in guidelines or regulations. The work of the Committees is rigorously overseen by government and facilities that use live animals are audited externally. All countries examined have legislation governing the use of live animals in research, although only Australia and Malaysia have a fully equivalent mandated oversight of teaching. Teaching that uses live animals is partly covered in the Philippines, Japan, Singapore and Thailand This paper thus aims to review the regulation of animal use in different Asian jurisdictions in order to determine best practices that are appropriate to those settings. The most comprehensive oversight is provided in Australia and Malaysia that essentially use the same regulatory framework.

How much is hegemony and how much is self-determination in the higher education systems in Southeast Asia? This paper argues that while the question of centre and periphery is still relevant to the analysis of international university systems, the analytical frameworks from which it has arisen may lose viability in the long term. Southeast Asian states are making use of higher education to act in ways that will contribute to the altering of their peripheral position in the global economic and political system. While changes in Southeast Asian higher education are closely tied to global markets and follow what sometimes appears to be a dependent pattern of adaptations driven by Western developed economies, the paper argues that there is also a significant amount of resistance. As Southeast Asian countries adapt in ways that help embed economic globalisation within their national landscape, the manner in which the adaptation occurs is more selective, open, and democratic than before. Moreover, while global communication with core (centre) university systems has been more open and transparent, the system is closed to direct intervention from the outside, making hegemony a less plausible explanation for the manner in which the system is reacting within the new global environment of financial interdependency.

Background: To measure the content of cholesterol-raising diterpenes in coffee sold at the retailer level in Singapore, Indonesia and India and to determine the relationship of coffee consumption with lipid levels in a population-based study in Singapore.Methods: Survey and cross-sectional study in local coffee shops in Singapore, Indonesia and India to measure the diterpene content in coffee, and a population-based study in Singapore to examine the relationship of coffee consumption and blood lipid levels. Interviews and coffee samples (n=27) were collected from coffee shops in Singapore, Indonesia and India. In addition, 3000 men and women who were Chinese, Malay, and Indian residents of Singapore participated in a cross-sectional study.Results and Discussion: The traditional 'sock' method of coffee preparation used in Singapore resulted in cafestol concentrations comparable to European paper drip filtered coffee (mean 0.09±SD 0.064 mg/cup). This amount would result in negligible predicted increases in serum cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations. Similarly low amounts of cafestol were found in Indian 'filter' coffee that used a metal mesh filter (0.05±0.05 mg/cup). Coffee samples from Indonesia using the 'sock' method (0.85±0.41 mg/cup) or a metal mesh filter (0.98 mg/cup) contained higher amounts of cafestol comparable to espresso coffee. Unfiltered coffee from Indonesia contained an amount of cafestol (4.43 mg/cup) similar to Scandinavian boiled, Turkish and French press coffee with substantial predicted increases in serum cholesterol (0.33 mmol/l) and triglycerides (0.20 mmol/l) concentrations for consumption of 5 cups per day. In the Singaporean population, higher coffee consumption was not substantially associated with serum lipid concentrations after adjustment for potential confounders [LDL-cholesterol: 3.07 (95% confidence interval 2.97-3.18) for <1 cup/week versus 3.12 (2.99-3.26) for ≥3 cups/day; p trend 0.12].Conclusions: Based on the low levels of diterpenes found in traditionally prepared coffee consumed in Singapore and India, coffee consumption in these countries does not appear to be a risk factor for elevation of serum cholesterol, whereas samples tested from Indonesia showed mixed results depending on the type of preparation method used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross-border tourism is often proposed by governments as an incentive for economic growth, but critics have suggested that its impacts are, in fact, overplayed. This paper presents research in the Indonesia-Malaysia-Singapore Growth Triangle (IMS-GT). It examines the broad economic impacts of Singaporean cross-border tourism on local host communities in two locations: Kukup, a traditional Malaysian fishing village in Johor, southern Peninsular Malaysia, and Bintan in Riau Islands Province in western Indonesia. The study found that cross-border tourism generated income, employment and some local economic linkages. In Kukup clear economic benefits with increased income and employment were unevenly distributed between ethnic groups. The Bintan enclave development had some linkages to the island economy but was reliant on immigrant labour. Cross-border ethnic ties, particularly Chinese, also played an important role in the growth of tourism in the IMS-GT. The paper shows that cross-border tourism can be a useful addition to more conventional forms of international tourism within national tourism planning and could lead to significant economic benefits for local communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the money demand function for five Southeast Asian countries, viz. Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines, and Indonesia. Design/methodology/approach - The ARDL modeling approach is employed because of its ability to incorporate both 1(0) and 1(1) regressors. Findings - The results reveal that real M2 aggregate, real expenditure components, exchange rate, and inflation rate are cointegrated for Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore. The statistical significance of real income components suggests the bias of using single real income variable in money demand (M2 aggregate) specification of both short- and long-run. The CUSUM and CUSUMSQ tests show that the estimated parameters are stable for the five Southeast Asian economies, except for Indonesia which is based on short-run specification. Practical implications - These findings are important for policy makers in formulating monetary policy. Originality/value - Besides conventional determinants of money demand such as exchange rate and interest rate variables, this study considers the major components of final expenditure (GDP) - final consumption expenditures (private and government sectors), expenditures on investment goods, and exports as scale variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that the Indonesia–Malaysia–Singapore Growth Triangle makes manifest the complex geographies of power that subvert efforts to read cross-border regionalization as a straightforward geographical corollary of‘globalization’. As such, the region needs to be examined not simply as a complementary transborder assemblage of land, labour and capital, but rather as a palimpsest in which the imagined geographies of cross-border development and the economic geographies of their uneven spatial fixing on the ground are mediated by complex cultural and political geographies. We seek to unpack these by triangulating how the geographies of capital (including its uneven development and its links to the geo-economics of intra-regional competition), land (including post-colonial relations across the region, the geopolitics of land reclamation and the enclaved landscapes of tourism) and labour (including the divergent itineraries of migrant workers) overlay and complicate one another in the region. By charting these complex triangulations of space and place, we seek to problematize narratives of the Growth Triangle as an exemplary embodiment of the‘borderless world’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates the impact of China's WTO entry and the establishment of a free-trade agreement between China and ASEAN on the ASEAN-5 (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand). We examine the trade competition between the two regions using a market-share model and assess the impact of China's WTO entry on the ASEAN-5 with an exchange rate-tariff model, based on two-digit SITC data. It is found that for the period 1987 to 2000 the competition in trade only occurred between China and Singapore in manufacturing goods, while the competition between China and other four nations was in primary goods. The trade-widening opportunity between the two regions appears much larger than the competitive challenges for ASEAN-5 after the WTO entry of China and the establishment of FTA between ASEAN and China, impacts on different industries are evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern Singapore has been a focus of contact between the three cultural blocs of China, India, and Indonesia, and between Orient and Occident. Asian migrants came as laborers, artisans, and entrepreneurs; the much smaller European migrant group introduced western economic and administrative institutions. Subsequent modernization and development, necessitating improved coordination and development of all resources, has been hampered by substantial cultural divergences relating to economic and social practice and attitude. Contrasting cultural patterns are commonly identified with ethnic differences and can most readily be analyzed on this basis; the ethnic data utilized in this paper serve to highlight significant cultural differences which are only gradually breaking down despite sustained locational contiguity and the unifying force of political independence within, and subsequently outside the Federation of Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction to The Problem: The development of the creative industry has an impact on the need for capital. The government has made new policies related to the financing mechanism of the creative economy through Government Regulation (PP) Number 24 of 2022 concerning the Implementation of Law Number 24 of 2019 concerning the Creative Economy. The government is trying to provide support in the form of a credit financing scheme with IPR as a collateral to financial institutions. Purpose/Objective Study: This study aims to determine the prospects of IPR as a credit guarantee after the issuance of PP Number 24 of 2022. To see the extent of the effectiveness of the PP, this study presents a comparison of IPR commercialization in Singapore, which is one of the countries that has successfully implemented IPR as a credit. Design/Methodology/Approach: The research method used is normative juridical with analytical descriptive specifications. Findings: The results indicated that to implement IPR as a credit guarantee, collaboration between institutions is needed and several instruments must be fulfilled, namely concerning legal regulations, government institutions, financial institutions, valuation institutions, insurance institutions, and secondary markets. Indonesia does not fully have these six instruments, especially in terms of institutions related to valuation institutions and their technical implementation guidelines, insurance institutions in case of bad credit, and the secondary market as the last place to sell IPR assets. The implication is that IPR-based credit financing for creative economy actors in Indonesia has not run optimally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The media's role in shaping public opinion is evident through several studies done on the subject previously. Media also tends to influence audiences' perceptions and the country's image. The purpose of this study is to explore the portrayal of Indonesia in international news media. This study examines the identification of the Indonesian image as depicted by the international community (the international news media's perspective is chosen for this case). Comparative content analysis is performed to examine three international news websites to study the perception of the world towards Indonesia. Findings reveal that Indonesian Politics is the most mentioned topic portrayed by the media in three countries followed by Indonesian State Actors as the most quoted source of information. Similar patterns were found while framing news about Indonesian image in Qatar and United States. Both countries portrayed Indonesia with a negative valence while Singapore portrayed Indonesia more positively and neutrally. This research potentially contributes to providing an overview of Indonesian image in foreign countries to actors responsible for national branding or Public Diplomacy in general. In future, this research can be used to develop the concept of nation branding or Public Diplomacy strategy, especially towards the United States, Qatar, and Singapore. Finally, recommendations for future studies on suitable national branding practices for Indonesia are suggested in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indonesia always continually failed international assessments even though many efforts have been made. The results of PISA 2012 put Indonesian students in the worst position. In contrast, East Asian countries' performance well in mathematics, reading, and science. Indeed, Singapore has the best performance in the Southeast Asia region even in the world as well as Shanghai-China. The position of Indonesia is lower than Viet Nam, Thailand, and Malaysia in South-East Asia. Therefore, by carrying out a literature review, this paper analyzes what is happening in Indonesia beyond assessment, especially in science. Assessment reform from the above East Asian countries was also depicted to complete the discussion. Thus, this paper not only analyzed the lack of science content in Indonesia compared to other countries, but also described some lessons that can be drawn in relation to the content tested in the PISA science test from East-Asian countries.

Background and Objectives: Current practices and available resources for nutrition therapy in paediatric intensive care units (PICUs) in the Asia Pacific-Middle East region are expected to differ from western countries. Existing guidelines for nutrition management in critically ill children may not be directly applicable in this region. This paper outlines consensus statements developed by the Asia Pacific-Middle East Consensus Working Group on Nutrition Therapy in the Paediatric Critical Care Environment. Challenges and recommendations unique to the region are described.Methods and Study Design: Following a systematic literature search from 2004-2014, consensus statements were developed for key areas of nutrient delivery in the PICU. This review focused on evidence applicable to the Asia Pacific-Middle East region. Quality of evidence and strength of recommendations were rated according to the Grading of Recommendation Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach.Results: Enteral nutrition (EN) is the preferred mode of nutritional support. Feeding algorithms that optimize EN should be encouraged and must include: assessment and monitoring of nutritional status, selection of feeding route, time to initiate and advance EN, management strategies for EN intolerance and indications for using parenteral nutrition (PN). Despite heterogeneity in nutritional status of patients, availability of resources and diversity of cultures, PICUs in the region should consider involvement of dieticians and/or nutritional support teams.Conclusions: Robust evidence for several aspects of optimal nutrition therapy in PICUs is lacking. Nutritional assessment must be implemented to document prevalence and impact of malnutrition. Nutritional support must be given greater priority in PICUs, with particular emphasis in optimizing EN delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The rate of international migration for the primary purpose of employment has increased exponentially in recent decades. A significant proportion of this global movement takes place across East and Southeast Asia as workers move on a temporary basis from lower-middle-income home countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam to high-income host destinations including Hong Kong and Singapore. Relatively little is known about the unique and long-term health needs of this heterogeneous group of people. This systematic review presents an analysis of recent research into the experiences and perceptions of health of temporary migrant workers in the East and Southeast Asian regions. Methods: Five electronic databases CINAHL Complete (via EbscoHost), EMBASE (including Medline), PsycINFO (via ProQuest), PubMed and Web of Science, were systematically searched for qualitative or mixed methods, peer-reviewed literature published in print or online between January 2010 and December 2020. Quality of the studies was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research published by the Joanna Briggs Institute. Findings from the included articles were extracted and synthesised using qualitative thematic analysis. Results: Eight articles were included in the review. Findings from this review indicate that multiple dimensions of workers' health is impacted by the processes of temporary migration. In addition, the research reviewed indicated that migrant workers used various strategies and mechanisms to attempt to address their health-related issues and to take better care of themselves. Such agentic practices could help them manage and maintain their health and wellbeing across physical, psychological and spiritual dimensions within the structural constraints of their employment. Conclusions: Limited published research has focused on the health perceptions and needs of temporary migrant workers in East and Southeast Asia. The studies included in this review focused on female migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong, Singapore, and the Philippines. These studies provide valuable insights but do not reflect the heterogeneity of migrants moving within these regions. The findings of this systematic review highlight that temporary migrant workers experience high and sustained levels of stress and are exposed to certain health risks which may compromise long-term health outcomes. These workers demonstrate knowledge and skills in managing their own health. This suggests that strength-based approaches to health promotion interventions may be effective in optimising their health over time. These findings are relevant to policy makers and non-government organisations supporting migrant workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seamless learning has a significance that has been increasing in recent years, and an increasing number of studies on the subject in the literature draws attention. This study aimed to examine the research on seamless learning between 1996 and 2020 with the bibliometric analysis method. The Scopus database was used in the collection of the data. After various screening processes, a total of 389 publications were included in the analysis. Descriptive analysis and bibliometric analysis were used in the analysis of the data. The distribution of publications by years, types of publications, sources, and languages were analyzed in the research. Additionally, visual maps were created with analyses of co-author, cocitation, and co-word. At the end of the study, it was seen that there has been an increase in the number of publications from the past to the present, articles and papers were predominant, and that most of the studies were carried out in English. As a result of bibliometric analysis, it was concluded that the most efficient countries in seamless learning were the United Kingdom, the United States, and Singapore. Also, it has been determined that the National Institute of Education, Center for International Education and Exchange, and Kyushu University institutions are dominant. The most frequently mentioned authors cited in studies in many different fields are M. Sharples, L.-H. Wong, and H. Ogata. According to the co-word analysis, the keywords seamless learning, mobile learning, ubiquitous learning, and mobile-assisted language learning stand out in the field of seamless learning.

Aerosol robotic network (AERONET) data from Dongsha Island (20.699N, 116.729E) and Taiping Island (35.90N, 3.03W) over the South China Sea (SCS) from January 2018 to December 2020 were used to analyze and discuss the temporal evolution properties of aerosols in the South China Sea. Surrounding AERONET stations (Hong Kong, NSPO, Nha Trang and Singapore) were also used to analyze regional characteristics. High aerosol loads over Dongsha were strongly associated with the anthropogenic fine particle transport from the southeastern coast of China and occasional advection of desert dust from Mongolian areas. The high fine aerosol loading in Taiping originates from the region between Singapore and Indonesia. Compared with other marine islands in the world, SCS was not a pure marine aerosol environment and was affected by terrestrial aerosols. In the Taiping area, aerosol optical depth τ (500 nm) was 0.17 ± 0.13 and the average Ångström exponent α (440–870 nm) was 0.96 ± 0.36. However, that of Dongsha shows the larger values of τ (0.26 ± 0.21) and α (1.1 ± 0.38), indicating that there are large fluctuations in aerosol concentration and size. Aerosol loads in different regions of the SCS due to uneven socioeconomic and complex meteorological systems, such as those of the coastal cities of China, Singapore, and the region between Singapore and Indonesia, contribute to the high optical depth. The special meteorological regime and aerosol source mechanism in the SCS leads to the obvious seasonal cycle of aerosol optical depth and Ångström index. Moreover, the loading variations of aerosols on Dongsha Island and Taiping Island were highly consistent with those of coastal cities around them, suggesting the significant effect of the aerosol in the SCS by the surrounding coastal cities, although the aerosol optical depth in these two places was much lower than that in the surrounding cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The progress of the financial industry marked by the emergence of crypto assets at the global level is a result of the development of technological advances, through Regulation No. 99 of 2018 concerning the General Policy for the Implementation of Crypto Asset Trading and followed up with regulation of the Commodity Futures Trading Supervisory Agency No. 8/2021 making crypto assets recognized as commodities, meaning that crypto assets in Indonesia are only recognized as commodity assets not as means of payment, related to the development plan of crypto asset exchanges in Indonesia, the need for legal updates related to regulations, human resources and governance. Besides, given its fluctuating nature and tending to give discontent, its use as a transaction is forbidden in Islam, but is lawful as long as it is used as a commodity asset with clear underlying assets and fulfills the sil’ah. This type of research is normative juridical and is analyzed using qualitative data analysis, using legal comparisons from countries that already have crypto asset regulation first, then the Singapore state deserves to be used as a parameter to conceptualize legal updates in Indonesia in the governance and regulation of crypto assets in Indonesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to explore the holistic picture of sustainability curricula in Asian higher education. Design/methodology/approach: Content analysis was conducted based on Asian management education for sustainability in higher education. Online courses arrangement, teaching methods, instructors' educational background and cross-referencing data between triple bottom line and sustainability courses have been investigated. Findings: The paper provides empirical insights about the current state of sustainability education in Asia. The results show that there is an opportunity for interdisciplinary integration, as there are imbalanced sustainability courses offered by business, science and engineering schools. It also suggests that Asian universities should add an international connection and active promotion of sustainability education on their Web sites. Research limitations/implications: Findings are based on web-based sustainability-related courses. Future research could apply method of case study to do a deeper study. Practical implications: The paper provides an overview of Asian management education for sustainability and curricula analysis through our research, and that this will further assist in the development of interdisciplinary integration in Asian management education for sustainability. Originality/value: This paper is the first attempt to gain better understanding of sustainability-related courses offered in leading business/management colleges in Asia.

South Asian economies has witnessed very slow growth over the years and the gap has widened manifold between other nations of Asia particularly East Asian nations and South Asian nations. This paper examines co-integration between the economic growth and reach of higher education in South Asian nations explaining this disparity. The research employed an econometric panel co-integration investigation to analyse the long run relationship of higher education and economic growth among these nations. The research confirmed positive long run causality between the economic growth of the South Asian nations and gross enrolment ratio of higher education. So, if the South Asian nations continue with their existing pattern of paying less attention to higher education by allocating low share of investment on it, poor human capital formation would result in growing further economic disparity between developed and South Asian nations where rich nations would remain richer and poor nations would remain poor with the gap remaining unabridged. This research will serve as an aid to policy makers, educators and financers of South Asian nations to bridge the gap between high- and low-income nations. The focus on the quantum of spending on higher education by the government will help improve the reach of tertiary education and build economic prosperity in these nations.

Wildfires are well known as annual disasters in Indonesia. More than 3 million ha was burned in the last 5 years. During an extreme event such as in 2019, carbon emissions can cause smog disasters in neighboring countries such as Malaysia and Singapore. Though difficult to predict, many hotspots that appear can be used to indicate the emergence of large-scale wildfires. The objective of this research is to provide suggestions in terms of used variables when analyzing fire event indication (hotspot), fire event scale (burned area), and fire event impact (carbon emissions). This research provides a spatio-temporal analysis and dependency between drought (precipitation and its derivative variables) and fire indicators (hotspot, burned area, and carbon emission). This research provides the different characteristics of each indicator when used to find joint patterns of burned areas, hotspots, and carbon emissions. Overall, using potential evapotranspiration and precipitation to calculate climate water balance gives great results in all analysis. Precipitation anomalies give the best joint spatial pattern to describe wildfire events in the area with monsoonal rainfall. Meanwhile, precipitation gives better results by capturing more wildfire events in a temporal pattern, even on robust analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and nitro-PAHs (NPAHs) in PM2.5 samples were determined from 2020 to 2021 in Singapore. For analysis convenience, the sampling period was classified according to two monsoon periods and the inter-monsoon period. Considering Singapore's typically tropical monsoon climate, the four seasons were divided into the northeast monsoon season (NE), southwest monsoon season (SW), presouthwest monsoon season (PSW) and prenortheast monsoon season (PNE)). The PM2.5 concentration reached 17.1 ± 8.38 μg/m3, which was slightly higher than that in 2015, and the average PAH concentration continuously declined during the sampling period compared to that reported in previous studies in 2006 and 2015. This is the first report of NPAHs in Singapore indicating a concentration of 13.1 ± 10.7 pg/m3. The seasonal variation in the PAH and NPAH concentrations in PM2.5 did not obviously differ owing to the unique geographical location and almost uniform climate changes in Singapore. Diagnostic ratios revealed that PAHs and NPAHs mainly originated from local vehicle emissions during all seasons. 2-Nitropyrene (2-NP) and 2-nitrofluoranthene (2-NFR) in Singapore were mainly formed under the daytime OH-initiated reaction pathway. Combined with airmass backward trajectory analysis, the Indonesia air mass could have influenced Singapore's air pollution levels in PSW. However, these survey results showed that no effect was found on the concentrations of PAHs and NPAHs in PM2.5 in Indonesia during SW because of Indonesia's efforts in the environment. It is worth noting that air masses from southern China could impact the PAH and NPAH concentrations according to long-range transportation during the NE. The results of the total incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) via three exposure routes (ingestion, inhalation and dermal absorption) for males and females during the four seasons indicated a low long-term potential carcinogenic risk, with values ranging from 10−10 to 10−7. This study systematically explains the latest pollution conditions, sources, and potential health risks in Singapore, and comprehensively analyses the impact of the tropical monsoon system on air pollution in Singapore, providing a new perspective on the transmission mechanism of global air pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The broad goals of the World Council of Comparative Education Societies (WCCES) are: (1) to advance education for international understanding in the interests of peace, intercultural co-operation, mutual respect among peoples and observance of human rights; and (2) to improve education systems so that the right of all to education may be more fully realized. The Council comprises representatives of 39 national, regional or language-based comparative education societies. In all, membership of these societies is spread throughout every continent (other than Antarctica) in more than 80 nations. The WCCES has a unique leadership role in promoting comparative education dialogue. Two key concepts are highlighted in this paper: those of regionalism, and of partnership. The first concept, regionalism, is discussed in relation to shifting alliances and realignments of political, ideological and geographic borders occurring in the name of globalization, and their impact on regional priorities for educational reform. The second concept, that of partnership, is discussed in relation to both successful international policy and planning agreements, and the more controversial nature of so-called "development" partnerships for international educational assistance. The complexities of Asia-Pacific regional connections form the background framework for the paper. Education comparativists from the Asia-Pacific region are demonstrating active leadership in furthering dialogue in comparative and international education.

Article 51 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) governs the legitimate activities of an immediately adjacent neighbouring state within certain areas of an archipelagic state's archipelagic waters, utilising open-textured terms and subsequent bilateral agreements to balance states' interests. In the context of both the signing of the 2022 Expanded Framework Agreements between Indonesia and Singapore and the 40-year anniversary of the adoption of UNCLOS, this article examines the interpretation and application of Article 51 in respect of military training activities. This analysis demonstrates that the purposively ambiguous wording of the exceptional 'Singapore Clause' is best understood in the light of Singaporean and Indonesian negotiation crafting, as well as their subsequent implementation efforts (1995–2022). On military training activities, the states have consistently sought to conclude bilateral arrangements which align with the object and purposes of an Article 51 bilateral agreement in all but name. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]