A more resilient cross-border education system with more involvement between institutions in different countries, could be the key to realising the economic and political aspirations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).Regionalisation of higher learning has a pivotal role to play in the community building process according to panellists at a forum organised by SEA Junction and the Heinrich Boell Foundation Southeast Asia in November, last year.

India’s Republic Day is a big deal for a nation of 1.3 billion. It was on this day in 1950, when the constitution of India came into effect, marking the moment when the country became a full-fledged republic. The celebrations are nothing short of grand – with patriotic military parades embodying Indian pride and valour.However, this year’s edition is an even bigger deal than usual.

The Internet of Things (IoT) comprises “a global network of computers, sensors, and actuators connected through Internet protocols,” according to Cuno Pfister, author of ‘Getting Stared with the Internet of Things’.

In 1930, economist John Maynard Keynes wrote in an essay titled “Economic Possibilities For Our Grandchild” that with the technological advancements of the future, people could be working as little as 15 hours a week. Just like the industrial revolution, many thought the introduction of automation in workplaces in the 21st century would revolutionise labour – freeing workers from long hours at the factory and spend more time on leisure activities.

As of 2015, out of the total population of 630 million people living in Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states, 107 million do not have access to electricity. Those affected live mostly in remote areas and are far off from electricity grids.Rural electrification is a major challenge for regional development. As rapid urbanisation sees more and more rural towns develop, what undergirds such a shift is access to electricity.

The gears of industry would not turn if not for power. In the modern world, we have come to depend on electric power generated from traditional fossil fuel resources like coal. However, amid a global awareness of the dangers of fossil fuels to our environment, we have since entered a paradigm shift – a shift towards renewable energy.As a region, Southeast Asia cannot be removed from this global upheaval.

Spotlight on energyThis week, The ASEAN Post highlighted some challenges that ASEAN is facing in terms of deploying renewable energy and electrification throughout the region. As the region’s energy demands grows, countries such as Myanmar are moving forward in order to quench the thirst for electricity.

If the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) were a single country, its approximate population would be a staggering 630 million, making it the fourth largest in the world behind India, China and the European Union. Economic growth is impressive, with an average annual real growth rate slightly higher than 5 percent.

On the agenda for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this year – as it has been for many years before – is the South China Sea dispute. Singapore, as chairman of ASEAN will go into the year with the foundations towards dispute resolution seemingly made. Last November, China and ASEAN formally announced the start of negotiations for a Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has set an ambitious target of securing 23% of its primary energy from renewable sources by 2025 as energy demand in the region will grow by 50%.