Bangkok, 7 November 2024: Professor Nobuhiro Aizawa, Dean of the ERIA School of Government, attended the 50th ASEAN–Japan Business Meeting (AJBM) at the Okura Prestige Bangkok. Co-hosted by the Thai Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Trade of Thailand, and the Japan Association of Corporate Executives (Keizai Doyukai), the event focused on regional cooperation and talent development.

A key agenda topic was human resources and digital transformation, building on discussions first initiated by Keizai Doyukai and the ERIA School of Government at the inaugural Regional Talent Circulation Workshop in October. During the AJBM, Keizai Doyukai and the ERIA School of Government explored mechanisms for enhancing talent circulation in the region through policy design and establishing an ASEAN–Japan Human Resources Platform. Both organisations reiterated their commitment to collaboration aimed at developing and circulating skilled talent and strengthening workforce capabilities between ASEAN and Japan.

Speaking on a panel, Prof. Aizawa highlighted talent circulation as a critical component of regional talent development. He emphasised that, given the region’s rapid socioeconomic transformation and evolving geopolitical tensions, a new paradigm is essential to foster a transnational professional environment. Prof. Aizawa called for bold initiatives from the ASEAN Chair to drive administrative changes toward realising this vision in the coming years. He further stressed the importance of bolstering dialogue between policymakers and businesses to establish effective mechanisms that support regional talent circulation and workforce development.