In a Wall Street Journal article about the death of former Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid, The Asia Foundation’s Country Representative in Indonesia Robin Bush is quoted on his legacy as “one of the greatest thinkers and philosophers of Islam in Indonesia.” Read the full article: “Abdurrahman Wahid, Former Indonesian President, Dies at 69.”
In a New York Times article about the effect that Vietnam’s recent export decline has had on its economy, The Asia Foundation’s Director for Economic Reform and Development Programs Bruce Tolentino is quoted on the Vietnamese government’s response to the decline. Read the full article: “Vietnam Is Refining Its Role on the Global Stage.”
The Asia Foundation’s Country Representative in Indonesia Robin Bush is quoted in a Financial Times article about Indonesia’s strategy for tackling terrorism and Islamic radicalism. Read the full article: “Indonesia’s tactical change pays off.”
President Obama announced the seven new members of his President’s Intelligence Advisory Board, including The Asia Foundation’s board member and President and CEO of the Henry L. Stimson Center Ellen Laipson. Read the full release: “President Obama announces President’s Intelligence Advisory Board.”
Indiana University announces on its website that the ambassador of Nepal to the United States Shankar Sharma is expected to visit Indiana University December 28 to formally invite IU Professor and Nobel Prize laureate Elinor Ostrom to visit Nepal in 2010. The Asia Foundations’ Country Representative in Nepal George Varughese, a former doctoral student of Ostrom, will accompany Ambassador Sharma to IU. The Foundation’s support for facilitating Ostrom’s trip to Nepal is also mentioned. Read the full announcement: “Ambassador to invite Ostrom to visit Nepal.”
The Brookings Institution features the January 5 conference, co-hosted by The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy, on prospects for expanding the U.S.-ROK partnership. Read the full announcement: “Expanding the Agenda for Cooperation between the United States and Republic of Korea.”
An article in Pakistan’s Daily Times features The Asia Foundation’s donation of 300 books to inmates of Pakistan’s Central Adiala Jail to enrich the prison’s library. The Foundation’s Books for Asia Director in Pakistan Syed Zahid Abbas is quoted. Read the full article: “Asia Foundation donates books to prisoners.”
The biggest challenge likely to surface in negotiations of a new U.S.-South Korea peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement will revolve around differing views regarding the best way to manage spent nuclear fuel, according to a new report by Fred McGoldrick released by The Asia Foundation’s Center for U.S.-Korea Policy.
The report, New U.S.-ROK Peaceful Nuclear Cooperation Agreement: A Precedent for a New Global Nuclear Architecture, discusses options for reconciling South Korea’s desire to manage its spent nuclear fuel through an experimental reprocessing technique, called pyroprocessing, with U.S. concerns about the nuclear proliferation risks of pyroprocessing.
The current U.S.-Korea peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement is set to expire in 2014 and negotiations for a successor agreement will begin soon. The U.S. Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act of 1978—which had not yet been enacted when the current U.S.-Korea peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement was signed in 1974—requires that all new agreements give the United States the right to consent to reprocessing of nuclear material supplied by the United States and all nuclear material that has been used in a U.S.-supplied reactor. The report states that South Korea’s heavy dependence on nuclear power and lack of adequate storage capacity for spent nuclear fuel will lead the country to press the United States for consent to reprocess used nuclear fuel.
“South Korea’s development of nuclear energy production is a success story built on the foundations of past successful U.S.-ROK nuclear cooperation,” said Scott Snyder, Director of the Center for U.S.-Korea Policy. “For this reason, the efforts of the McGoldrick report to identify solutions to the most pressing concerns in U.S.-ROK negotiations will be helpful in addressing issues that might otherwise become sticking points in the bilateral negotiations.”
Among the findings and recommendations of the report:
Fred McGoldrick, the report author, has decades of experience in nuclear non-proliferation and international nuclear policy at the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Department of State, where he negotiated U.S. peaceful nuclear cooperation agreements. He is a partner in the international consulting firm of Bengelsdorf, McGoldrick and Associates.
Download the full report, New U.S.-ROK Peaceful Nuclear Cooperation Agreement: A Precedent for a New Global Nuclear Architecture.
The Embassy of Afghanistan announced on its homepage that Ambassador Said Jawad hosted a book signing event at the embassy author of the new book, Tall the Mountain, by Awista Ayub. The Asia Foundation is mentioned for co-hosting the event, and background on the Foundation’s Women’s Empowerment Program in Afghanistan are highlighted. Read the full article: “The Embassy Honors Author and Asia Foundation Partnership.”
In a Reuters wire story about the news that the 57 hostages abducted by armed mountain tribesmen in Mindanao had been released, Findings from The Asia Foundation’s rido report are cited. Read the full article: “Philippine hostage crisis ends, all free.”
In an article in The Jakarta Post featuring the Danish government’s announcement of a $10 million grant to promote good governance in Indonesia, The Asia Foundation is mentioned for signing an agreement to launch a new project to promote human rights and civic values. Read the full article: “Denmark gives $10m grant for good governance in RI.”
Royal Danish Ambassador to Indonesia Borge Petersen (second left) with Transparency International Indonesia Secretary General Teten Masduki (left), The Asia Foundation’s Country Representative in Indonesia Robin Bush (second right) and Kemitraan (Partnership for Governance Reform) Executive Director Wicaksono Sarosa (right) during a ceremony held at his residence.
The Asia Foundation recently welcomed Hasan Mazumdar as its new Country Representative in Bangladesh. Mr. Mazumdar succeeds Kim McQuay, who served as representative there from 2003 to 2009. With a background in both international development and the private sector, Mr. Mazumdar brings a deep knowledge of development issues in Bangladesh and the region, demonstrated management capabilities, and extensive relationships with bilateral donors and the private sector.
Mr. Mazumdar comes to the Foundation from CARE, where he worked for over 10 years in both Bangladesh and Pakistan. In his role as CARE’s Deputy Country Director in Bangladesh, Mr. Mazumdar managed 800 employees, led 25 projects totaling $40 million, and was responsible for finance, administration, and human resources. As CARE’s Country Director in Pakistan, he oversaw economic, governance, small and medium enterprise (SME) development, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and women’s empowerment programs.
From 1996 to 2000, Mr. Mazumdar worked for Cairn Energy, PLC, in Dhaka as Head of Finance and Administration. Prior to that, he worked as Senior Manager with KPMG in Dhaka where he provided audit and business development services to some of the largest multinationals and leading NGOs in the country. He has also held positions with Deloitte & Touche and with Frauenthal & Associates in Ohio.
Mr. Mazumdar is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of The American Institute and Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants. He received a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Dhaka University.
The Asia Foundation’s programs in Bangladesh promote fair elections and democratic representation, give policy voice to rural small business, assist the poor to access justice, build trust between police and communities, and engage religious and secular leaders of influence to support women’s rights, development, and governance reform. Through its Books for Asia program, the Foundation donates 70,000 books and journals annually to Bangladesh.
For more information, please visit our Press Room.
A Reuters wire story reports that 57 people were taken hostage by armed mountain tribesmen from a school in Mindanao on Thursday. Findings from The Asia Foundation’s rido report are cited. Read the full article: “Gunmen hold 57 in Philippines, free children.”
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