The ASEAN Research Center (ARC)
Endowed by Maybank, the ARC aims to be the center of intellectual activity in Southeast Asia by conducting impactful research on topics surrounding emerging markets in the ASEAN region.
Our Mission
Conduct rigorous and impactful research to inform policy-making and improve lives of ASEAN citizens, especially in emerging markets.
Research and publish publicly-available reports on topics regarding ASEAN, including long-term in-house “flagship” research programs.
Host public events for ASEAN-based research programs to spark intellectual dialog and public interest to advance knowledge generation.
Host visiting scholars and students to lecture and conduct research in the region.
ASEAN Research Center (ARC) Faculty Director
Dr. Melati Nungsari received her Ph.D. in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Melati’s areas of expertise include industrial organization, labor economics, public policy, and economic education. She studies externalities and pricing in platform businesses, pension markets in Malaysia and Chile, and the impact of interventions to improve the economic livelihood of refugees and urban poor in Peninsular Malaysia.
She has presented her research findings at many conferences internationally and has consulted with the United Nations. Her writings have been featured in the Chronicle of Higher Education and The Edge Business. She also holds a Research Affiliate appointment at MIT Sloan. Prior to joining ASB, she taught economics at Butler University and Davidson College in the USA.
Faculty Director, ARC
Associate Professor of Economics, ASB
Research Affiliate, MIT Sloan
THE ASEAN RESEARCH CENTER (ARC) TEAM
Management Team
Dr. Melati Nungsari
ARC Faculty Director
Associate Professor of Economics, ASB
Research Affiliate, MIT Sloan School of Management
Tan Zhai Gen
Research Manager, ASB
Fathin Rusliza
Program Coordinator, ASB
Research Associates
Kar Yern Chin
Research Associate, ASB
Shenyi Chua
Research Associate, ASB
Fatin Nadhirah Jamalolail
Research Associate, ASB
Nicole Wen Shan Fong
Senior Research Associate & Research Manager, ASB
Dr. Pieter E. Stek
Postdoctoral Researcher, ASB
Research Fellows
Dr. Nurul Azreen Azlan
Ph.D. in Urban Studies, Technology University of Delft
Visiting Scholar
Dr. Izzatina Aziz
Ph.D. in Economics,
University of East Anglia
Visiting Scholar
2021 In-House Flagship Research Project
In this project, we take an in-depth look and analyze the ”hawker culture” in Malaysia – using machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI), we generate a map of hawkers in Malaysia, understand the basics surrounding their businesses and how they access credit, and the impact of COVID-19 on their operations.
Events and Publications
| Title | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Trust, Norms, and COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Malaysia - Preliminary Results | Research Paper | August 2021 |
| Covid19 and ASEAN: The Pandemic Times | Conference | 22 & 23 November 2021 |
