Demographics and Technological Change: Two Megatrends Shaping the Labor Market in Asia

Asia is experiencing rapid ageing and technological change, which can affect productivity growth, human capital, and technological change. In this keynote presentation, the author identifies the specific technologies that can help ease ageing pressures, such as long term care, healthcare, and digital identification technologies, as well as the various policy and research issues that need to be addressed in order to better manage these challenges.​

The Role of Private Sector in Human Capital and Skill Development in Thailand

Challenges in Thailand’s education sector include skills mismatch and employers’ low satisfaction with workers’ skills. The country’s dual vocational program has seen slow progress partly because of the risk of free riding and difficulty in redeeming tax deduction. The presenter recommends establishing an intermediary agency that will manage the program’s transaction costs.

Boonwara Sumano Chenphuengpawn

Boonwara Sumano Chenphuengpawn is Research Fellow Sectoral Economics Program (SEP) at the Thailand Development Research Institute. Some of her recent publication were Human Rights are becoming part of Trade Standard (12 October 2016); Let’s Demand more from Donations (10 Agusut 2016); Plugging the Public Information gap on the AEC (9 December 2015) and Panel Report Diffusion and the Future of EU-ASEAN Economic Relations. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy from the Queen of Mary, University of London, United Kingdom.

Vocational Training and Labor Market Transition: A Randomized Experiment among Cambodian Disadvantaged Young Adults

In Cambodia, a trial provided two-month training in housekeeping, with incentives, to low-income young adults in Phnom Penh. The program found that training had no effects on employment outcomes, and it was not enough for disadvantaged youth to break into the labor market.

Nisha Arunatilake

Nisha Arunatilake is the Director of Research and a fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) of Sri Lanka. She has considerable post-doctoral experience in conducting policy related economic research in labour market analysis, education, public finance and health. Her work is published in both local and international journals, book chapters and reports. She has collaborated with, and has been a consultant to bilateral and multi-lateral donor agencies.

Monzur Hossain

Monzur Hossain obtained his Ph.D. in International Economics, an M.A. in Public Policy (Economics) from the National Graduate Institute for Policy studies (GRIPS), Tokyo, Japan. He has participated and served as team leader in numerous professional research projects. He served as consultant for the UNDP, ADB, UNCTAD, EU, International Growth Center, London School of Economics etc. He is highly experienced in conducting performance assessments and impact evaluations for such organizations as UNDP, World Bank, Bangladesh Bank, USAID and the Government of Japan.