Ear to Asia
Asia Institute, The University of Melbourne
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About This Podcast
On Ear to Asia, we talk with Asia experts to unpack the issues behind news headlines in a region that is rapidly changing the world. Ear to Asia is produced by Asia Institute, the Asia research specialists at the University of Melbourne, Australia. Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Recent Episodes
S2026E169 Compound Capitalism: Inside Southeast Asia's Fraud Factories
Across Southeast Asia, vast compounds have emerged as the nerve centers of large-scale online fraud, run by transnational crime syndicates with links to ethnic Chinese networks. Their targets are…
S2026E168 How are rice farmers faring in the Philippines?
Rice is more than a staple in the Philippines — it’s a measure of well-being and security. But decades of government policies built around industrial-scale production have struggled to deliver…
S2025E167 Can India maintain strategic autonomy in the Trump 2.0 era?
While shared anxieties over China have brought India and the United States closer, President Donald Trump’s second-term tariffs and tougher immigration rules have injected fresh strain into the…
S2025E166 Indonesia under Prabowo—promises, protests, and power
A year into his presidency, Prabowo Subianto stands at a pivotal moment in Indonesia’s political journey. Elected on promises of both continuity and change, his government has faced unrest in the…
S2025E165 Navigating East Asian names in a Western world
For many East Asians living in Western societies, the first challenge they face is their own name — mispronounced in classrooms, simplified in workplaces, or changed altogether to fit in. Behind…
S2025E164 Profit, Politics, and the Future of Indonesia's Rainforests
Indonesia’s 17,000-plus islands boast the world’s third-largest tropical rainforest, home to endangered species and Indigenous communities, and a vital shield against climate change. Yet in 2024, the…
S2025E163 How governments in Asia juggle the pros and cons of AI
Governments across Asia are confronting a new kind of policy challenge — one that’s moving faster than most have ever had to legislate for. The astonishing speed of generative AI development has…
S2025E162 How Chinese international students navigate their experience in Australia
Despite all the talk of trade wars and other tensions, China remains the largest source of international students worldwide. In Australia alone, there are over 125,000 China nationals attending…
S2025E161 Can ethnic minority languages co-exist with Mandarin in China?
While Mandarin has long been China's official language, recent policies have accelerated its dominance — often at the expense of minority languages. Despite constitutional protections, a 2020…
S2025E160 The risks and rewards of engaging with Afghanistan's Taliban government
Afghanistan’s Taliban government has been busy appointing ambassadors, courting foreign investment, and participating in global forums, all with the aim of winning international recognition and…
S2024E159 Why Central Asia is key to unlocking China's global ambitions
China's growing influence in Central Asia marks a strategic pivot in its bid to challenge a global order still largely led by the US. Through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Shanghai…
S2024E158 The Chinese Civil War's lingering shadow over modern China
China-Taiwan relations remain tense as Beijing maintains its stance on potential military action to "retake" the island—a position rooted in the unresolved Chinese Civil War (1927-1949). This…
S2024E157 The Korean language abroad: Who's learning it and why?
The Korean language, once limited to the Korean Peninsula, has experienced a dramatic surge in global popularity due to the rise of K-pop, Korean dramas, and films. Even though this has led to…
S2024E156 Troubled Waters: The Philippines' Maritime Standoff with China
China's maritime aggression towards the Philippines has been escalating, with the China Coast Guard now ramming Philippine naval vessels in disputed waters. This has put intense pressure on President…
S2024E155 Demography and deathcare in a changing East Asia
As East Asian countries like Japan, China and South Korea experience rapid population ageing due to declining fertility rates and increasing life expectancy, the demographic shift in the land of the…
S2024E154 Trickle-down tensions: The hydropolitics of transboundary river systems in Asia
The rivers of the Eastern Tibetan Plateau, a lifeline for hundreds of millions of people across Asia, are a hotbed of geopolitical tension. A history of colonialism, border disputes, and competing…
S2024E153 Is Indonesia's labor movement stuck in neutral?
More than a quarter century since landmark democratic reforms, Indonesia's labor movement remains surprisingly subdued. Workers continue to face low wages, poor working conditions, and laws that put…
S2024E152 Searching for work-life balance in South Korea
South Korea has a reputation for very long work hours. Despite laws limiting the working week to 40 hours, overtime is rampant, fueled by a culture of "more is better." This relentless pace has…
S2024E151 What to watch for in India during Narendra Modi's third term as prime minister
While Narendra Modi was able to secure a historic third term as India's Prime Minister in recent elections, he no longer enjoys presiding over an outright parliamentary majority by his party, the…
S2024E150 How China safeguards its interests amid conflict in Myanmar
With escalating military conflict between Myanmar's ruling junta and various ethnic armed organisations (or EAOs) in recent months, China is pursuing a delicate balancing act along their shared 2200…
Frequently Asked Questions
Ear to Asia has published 169 episodes since September 2016, covering topics in News, Politics.
Ear to Asia is currently highly active with new episodes monthly. Average episode length is 42m.
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