The Smiling Dragon

China’s Soft Power in Southeast Asia – Implications for Germany and the EU

This KAS regional study on China’s soft power projection in Southeast Asia aims to identify and quantify the PRC’s engagement in selected ASEAN countries and evaluate its success. The authors conclude with a few policy recommendations for the EU and for Germany specifically to encourage European soft power gains in Southeast Asia.

Ciudades inteligentes: perspectivas para México y Latinoamérica

KASBLog: análisis y opinión

Las ciudades inteligentes impulsadas como un concepto de marketing empresarial han encontrado en las tecnologías de la información y de la comunicación (TIC) una herramienta para abordar los crecientes desafíos de la urbanización a través de la implementación de prácticas de desarrollo sostenible. No obstante, los altos niveles de desigualdad en México y Latinoamérica obligan a las ciudades inteligentes a añadir a la digitalización un componente adicional de desarrollo social que involucre a los principales actores políticos y sociales para elevar la calidad de vida de sus habitantes bajo condiciones más justas.

International Economic Review 2021 and Outlook 2022

The joint research project between Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Vietnam and Vietnam Institute for Economic and Policy Research

This in-depth research is to review the world economic situation with up-to-date information from international economic organizations as well as analysis from the prestigious consulting firms in the world in key industries, economic fields, and investment.

Sri Lanka – An assessment of the Gotabaya Rajapaksa presidency

The autocratic structure is swaying

In November 2019, Gotabaya Rajapaksa was elected president of Sri Lanka. He comes from an influential family clan that has been in politics for decades. When running as candidate, Rajapaksa made three major promises: first, he promised to strengthen national security and fight terrorism. Second, he presented a proposal for a sustainable economic development and tax cuts in order to boost the economy. Third, he promised to strengthen unitary state – a long standing demand of the Sinhala-Buddhist majority population. Although the government enjoyed a honeymoon period in its initial months, there has been a drastic turnaround of support. Meanwhile, the public’s confidence in the government has eroded due to unpopular and ill-advised policies that has further plunged the economy. Not even three years following the commencement of the government´s term, the public´s confidence in the government has eroded due to unpopular and ill-advised policies leaving the country Sri Lanka in a desolated state. On May 9, then Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, the brother of the incumbent president, resigned to make way for a unity government amid a violent wave that left several people dead and wounded. With his resignation the current cabinet was automatically dissolved. However, Rajapaksa has announced he will not resign under any circumstances. Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan parliament has appointed 73-year-old Ranil Wickremesinghe to head the interim government before early elections are held. (The information in this report is relevant as of 26 May 2022.)

Conflict Weekly, Vol.3, No.8, 25 May 2022

An initiative by NIAS-IPRI and KAS-India Office

Another school shooting in the US, and EU-UK tussle over Northern Ireland protocol

Kenya’s Supreme Court Writes a Further Chapter in the History of the Rule of Law in Africa

The Failure of President Kenyatta’s Building Bridges Initiative

Kenya’s Supreme Court has halted a project through which the head of state had sought to amend key elements of the country’s Constitution. The fact that the Supreme Court judges did not go as far as the lower courts in certain aspects of their ruling has disappointed some. Nonetheless, the glass is not half empty but at least half full when it comes to judicial independence in the East African country.

La Dixième Législature au Maroc 2016-2021

Neuer Bericht von KAS Marokko und ONPDE über die zehnte Legislaturperiode in Marokko 2016-2021

Praktikum im KAS Büro Kroatien

Praktikum

Mein Praktikumsbeginn beim Auslandsbüro der Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung für Kroatien und Slowenien in Zagreb.

The War in Ukraine: Regional and Global Fallouts

Padmashree Anandhan Ashwin Dhanabalan Rishma Banerjee

On 23 May, NIAS Europe Studies, in collaboration with Kristu Jayanti College and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, India, organized a one-day national workshop on the theme “The war in Ukraine: Regional and global fallouts,” at Kristu Jayanti College, Bangalore. The workshop was divided into three sessions, and participants across India presented on diverse topics such as the strategies of the US, Rus-sia, Europe, China, and the UN on the war in Ukraine. Presenters also focused on key issues, such as energy and the impact of sanctions. Fol-lowed by the presentation, each ses-sion was debated by discussants from the NIAS Europe Studies team and Kristu Jayanti College.

Neue Normalität im Nahen Osten?

Israel im Spannungsfeld zwischen regionalen Allianzen und globalen Machtverschiebungen

Über Jahre waren die zwischenstaatlichen Beziehungen in der Region Nahost geprägt von ideologischen Interessen, die oft zur Konfrontation führten. Doch in jüngerer Zeit ist Bewegung in dieses Szenario gekommen. Alte Frontstellungen scheinen sich langsam aufzulösen und wirtschaftspolitischer Pragmatismus die Oberhand zu gewinnen. Einer der zentralen Akteure auf dem Weg zu einer möglichen neuen Normalität im Nahen Osten ist Israel.