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Asia School of Business

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Executive Education

ASEAN Research Center

Endowed by Maybank, the ASEAN Research Center (ARC) positions itself as the intellectual hub in Southeast Asia, focusing on impactful research about emerging markets in the ASEAN region.
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ARC extends our gratitude to Maybank for their endowment and support in making our work possible.

Our Mission

01

Conduct rigorous and impactful research to inform policy-making and improve lives of ASEAN citizens, especially in emerging markets.

02

Research and publish publicly-available reports on topics related to ASEAN, including long-term “flagship” research programs developed in-house.

03

Host public events for ASEAN-based research programs to foster intellectual dialogue and public interest, advancing knowledge generation.

04

Host visiting scholars and students to lecture and conduct research in the region, enhancing academic exchange and collaboration.

Research Pillars

Economic Resilience

ARC’s economic resilience research explores strategies to withstand shocks, adapt, and thrive in the ASEAN region’s dynamic market conditions and policies that foster stability and growth.
  • RYSE
    • A program designed to empower Malaysian youths through entrepreneurship and employability initiatives. Learn more
  • Roadside Economy Research Project
    • An extensive study on Malaysia’s hawker economy and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their operations and their livelihoods.

Sustainability and Society

ARC’s Sustainability and Society research pillar works with various public and private organizations to analyze ways to balance economic growth with environmental stewardship and social equity for a thriving future in the ASEAN region and beyond.
  • ESG Policies in ASEAN
    • In 2023, ARC was commissioned by the AKC to publish the “ESG Practices in ASEAN & Korea: Pathways Towards Sustainability” guidebook which highlights green and responsible business practices in ASEAN & Korea.
  • Palm Oil
  • MOF Case Study

Inclusivity

The Inclusivity pillar promotes equity, ensuring that diverse voices are heard, valued, and protected. ARC partners with organizations such as UNHCR and SUHAKAM on research concerning statelessness, forced migration, and beyond.
  • SUHAKAM
  • UNHCR
  • Covid-19 Mortality
  • Public Perception on Refugees

Our Research Projects

ARC-UNHCR Conference on Refugee Studies and Forced Displacement
Hosted in collaboration with UNHCR, our annual academic conference aims to platform and address developments in refugee rights and forced migration on a global scale.

Learn more

Our Research Projects

Building a Malay Language Curriculum for Adult Refugees in Malaysia: Preliminary Findings
This project, a collaboration between ARC and UPM, along with funding partners UNHCR and Uniqlo Malaysia, aims to close the language gap between refugees and their hosts through an immersion-based Bahasa Malaysia curriculum.

Learn more

Our Research Projects

Understanding Youth Entrepreneurship and Employability
Using RYSE as a platform for research, the methodology employed is based on two principles: (1) The integration of research and programs, leading to a two-way feedback system, and (2) Holistic Understanding towards Youth Entrepreneurship.

Our Research Projects

Ethnography on Palm Oil Labour
We conducted a labor ethnography study through semi-structured interviews with palm oil workers and smallholders in Johor, Negeri Sembilan, Perak, and Selangor. The research explores and compares labor conditions between unionized estate workers and independent smallholders.

Our Research Projects

Focus Group Discussions conducted for Public Perception on Refugees in Malaysia Study
The research aims to understand public perception of refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia, as well as the factors that influence such perceptions.

Our Research Projects

Understanding the Role of AI in Enhancing Research
With the ongoing evolution of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly Large Language Models (LLMs) like those employed in ChatGPT, what impact will it have on the future of research? This is the question ARC aims to address through our AI projects.

Our Research Projects

Advancing Corporate Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Goals Through the Enhancement of Financial Literacy Amongst Refugees in Malaysia
This study examines a recent initiative by Touch ’n Go (TnG), PayNet, and Visa to expand financial access for refugee communities in Malaysia. The project highlights private sector leadership in promoting financial inclusion and aims to publish insights in both a practitioner journal in the vein of the MIT Sloan Management Review,and an international peer-reviewed journal, while also exploring essential financial education for the program’s success.

Our Research Projects

ASEAN Talent Compendium & Mobility Facilitation Study
This study, funded by TalentCorp Malaysia, aims to examine cross-border talent mobility across ASEAN, with a specific focus on internships and work placements for university students and recent graduates. It explores the challenges associated with cross-border internships in the region, highlights best practices that have supported labour mobility, and proposes recommendations to facilitate increased movement of young talent within ASEAN.

Our Research Projects

Financial Literacy As A Tool Of Empowerment: A Pilot Program
This programme aims to empower 500 youths from low-income households with essential financial literacy skills through a comprehensive 3-month curriculum, consisting of a 3-day immersive boot camp and community service. Upon successfully completing the programme, students will receive a RM3,000 grant in savings or as a fixed deposit.

Our Research Projects

Crisis and Continuity: An Ouroboros Model of Refugee Coping Strategies
This ongoing paper utilizes a unique data set collected over the two-year period of the COVID-19 pandemic to examine the coping strategies employed by refugee communities in Malaysia during times of crisis. A central concept, the “survival loop” (i.e., the ouroboros of crisis and continuity), is used to illustrate how individuals from low-resource backgrounds navigate crises through interconnected, adaptive coping mechanisms.

Our Research Projects

Research Ethics for Vulnerable Populations in Climate Crises
This is an ongoing research initiative aimed at mapping and analyzing ethical methodologies for conducting research with vulnerable populations who are disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change across the ASEAN region.

Our Research Projects

Tiny Titans of Southeast Asia
Tiny Titans is a project that engages business and management students to partner with micro and small businesses across Southeast Asia to produce short case studies documenting the landscape the business is operating in, the challenges they’ve faced, and how they’ve overcome them.

Learn more
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News and Events

ARC Open Day 2025

ARC-UNHCR Conference on Refugee Studies and Forced Displacement 2025

ARC – ASB-UNHCR Conference on Refugee Studies and Forced Displacement 2024

ARC at the ASB Signs MoU with Sogang University of South Korea to Promote Asean Research

ARC x SUHAKAM Lecture 2024

ARC in the News

ASEAN-Korea ESG Forum 2023

The ASB-UNHCR Research Workshop on Refugee Studies and Forced Displacement 2023

Feeding the Nation: Hawkers are Navigating the Storm 2022

Launching of ASEAN Research Center 2022

Research Publication

NoTitleYearType
1‘Jostling for right of way’: Hawker discourse, legitimation, and politics in post-independence Malay(si)a, 1957–19692025Research Paper
2Malaysia's Covid-19 Economic Stimulus Packages2025Book Chapter
3Subjective norms towards entrepreneurship and Malaysian students’entrepreneurial intentions: does gender matter?2024Research Paper
4Conditions of Precarity and Strategies of Resilience: The Malaysian Hawker Community and COVID-19 Pandemic2024Book Chapter
5Tiny Titans of Southeast Asia2024Research Project
6Modul Bertutur Bahasa Melayu : Aras Permulaan (Kemaskini 2024) (A Basic Conversational Malay Language Curriculum for Non-Native Adult Speakers (2024 Edition))2024Book
7The formation of youth entrepreneurial intention in an emerging economy: the interaction between psychological traits and socioeconomic factors 2023Research Paper
8Do proactive students benefit more from university support for entrepreneurship when it comes to choosing entrepreneurship as a career choice? An examination of Ghanian and Malaysian students 2023Research Paper
9Perceptions of Entrepreneurship and Online Learning During the Coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic 2023Research Paper
10Dreams vs Reality: Urban and Rural Female Youth Aspirations 2023Research Paper
11Conditions of Precarity and Strategies of Resilience: The Malaysian Hawker Community and COVID-19 Pandemic 2023Book Chapter
12Recruitment of Participants from Vulnerable Groups for Social Research: Challenges and Solutions 2023Book Chapter
13Human Rights and Statelessness in Peninsular Malaysia 2023Report
14Modul Bertutur Bahasa Melayu: Aras Permulaan (A Basic Conversational Malay Language Curriculum for Non-Native Adult Speakers)2023Book
15Social expectations and government incentives in Malaysia’s COVID-19 vaccine uptake2022Research Paper
16A voice for the silent: uncovering service exclusion practices2022Research Paper
17Identity, trust, and the experiences of refugees during a COVID-19 lockdown2022Research Paper
18Refugee community-based organizations: Resources, power, and dependency2022Research Paper
19A textual analysis of the effect of short-term volunteering on attitudes toward refugees in Malaysia2022Research Paper
20Reclaiming agency: A case study on refugee community organisations in Malaysia2022Book Chapter
21Translating entrepreneurial intention to behaviour amongst micro and small entrepreneurs 2022Research Paper
22An agency mapping of marginalized communities and aid providers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia 2022Research Paper
23Understanding the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on vulnerable populations in Malaysia through an ethical lens: A study of non-state actors involved in aid distribution 2022Research Paper
24Trust, Norms, and Increasing COVID-19 Vaccination Registration in Malaysia – Preliminary Results 2021Report
ASEAN Research Center (ARC) Faculty Director

Dr. Melati Nungsari is an Associate Professor II of Economics, the Deputy CEO and Deputy Dean of Research and Academics, and the Faculty Director of ASEAN Research Center (ARC). She is an applied microeconomist specializing in industrial organization, public economics, market design, and economic education. She received her Bachelors of Arts in Mathematics and Economics (Magna Cum Laude) with Honors in Mathematics from Knox College, and her Ph.D. in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Her research focuses on two-sided matching platforms with search, and how firms use pricing to correct for negative externalities on the platform. She also studies public policy issues such as the labor market integration of refugees, policy design for retirement markets in Chile and Malaysia, and labor market discrimination. Additionally, she has published research on pedagogy in economic education, services marketing, and refugee studies. While at UNC-Chapel Hill, Dr. Melati was a Chancellor’s Fellow with the Royster Society.

She has won multiple teaching awards throughout her career, and is also a member of Phi Beta Kappa, the most prestigious academic honor society in the United States. She is an active Op-Ed writer, public scholar, and public speaker. Prior to joining ASB, Dr. Melati was a professor of economics at Davidson College and Butler University. She has given research and classes all over the world, and is originally from Penang, Malaysia.

For a full list of her research publications, presentations, and most up-to-date CV, please visit her website at www.melatinungsari.com.

Dr. Melati Nungsari

Associate Professor II of Economics, Deputy CEO and Deputy Dean of Research and Academics, Faculty Director of ASEAN Research Center (ARC)

Chin Jia Wei

Principal Research Associate

Kirstine Rahma Stroeh Varming

Senior Research Associate

Fatimah Zahra Ros’azam

Research Associate​

Sharon Wah Yue Qing

Research Associate​

Shre Maha Manohar

Research Associate

ARC Open Day 2025

The ARC Open Day 2025 featured research presentations from ARC, including exploring the anxieties of Malaysian household labor during the 1950s-60s, and an ongoing ESG policy paper across the ASEAN region. This was followed by the Tiny Titans Case Studies launch, where ASB MBA students presented challenges and opportunities for small businesses across ASEAN. Participants also had the chance to explore various research initiatives and collect exclusive merchandise. Presentations from RYSE Programme showcased efforts to upskill Malaysian youth and how these initiatives translate into research and insights. The event was concluded with an exciting Pitching Workshop by ASB Hive, ASB’s hub for innovation and entrepreneurship.

ARC-UNHCR Conference on Refugee Studies and Forced Displacement 2025

On June 11 and 12, 2025, the ASB ASEAN Research Center (ARC) at the Asia School of Business (ASB) hosted the ASB-UNHCR Conference on Refugee Studies and Forced Displacement 2025. Held in partnership with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, this annual event focuses on sharing and expanding scholarly work related to refugee issues and forced displacement. The 2025 edition emphasized turning academic insights into practical impact by featuring community-driven projects and capacity-building workshops. The goal was to promote collaboration and knowledge exchange among researchers, policymakers, civil society groups, refugee communities, and the wider public.

ASB-UNHCR Conference on Refugee Studies and Forced Displacement 2024
On 12 and 13 June 2024, the ASEAN Research Center (ARC) at the Asia School of Business (ASB) held its two-day ASB-UNHCR Conference on Refugee Studies and Forced Displacement 2024. This annual conference, hosted in collaboration with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is dedicated to presenting and expanding the availability of academic literature on refugee studies and forced displacement. This year’s conference featured a special focus on bilateral learnings of refugee contexts between Brazil and Malaysia, facilitated through a special knowledge exchange with the Embassy of Brazil in Kuala Lumpur.
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ARC at the ASB Signs MoU with Sogang University of South Korea to Promote Asean Research

The ASEAN Research Center (ARC) at the Asia School of Business (ASB) announces the successful signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Sogang Institute for East Asian Studies (SIEAS) from Sogang University, South Korea. The agreement aims to foster the mutual sharing of resources on academic research between the two universities, reaffirming ASB’s global reach and impact as a knowledge and learning institution. 

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ARC x SUHAKAM Lecture 2024

On January 23, 2024, the ARC x SUHAKAM Lecture in Kuala Lumpur delved into the pressing concern of statelessness in Malaysia. Dr. Melati Nungsari, Deputy Dean of Research at ASB and Faculty Director of ARC, presented a SUHAKAM-commissioned report, followed by an impactful keynote from Bukit Gelugor MP YB. Tuan Ramkarpal Singh, illuminating the struggles faced by stateless individuals. The event also marked a milestone with the signing of a five-year memorandum of understanding on statelessness in Sabah, uniting SUHAKAM, Indonesia’s Komnas HAM, and The CHR Philippines in collaborative efforts.

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Watch the Lecture
ARC in the News

Explore a collection of media articles that provide insightful perspectives on the work and research themes of the ARC. These features delve into a broad overview of our commitment to addressing statelessness issues and showcase the diverse facets of our research initiatives.

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ASEAN - Korea ESG Forum 2023

The ASEAN-Korea Centre orchestrated the ‘ASEAN-Korea ESG Forum’, marking the debut of the ‘ESG Practices in ASEAN and Korea: Pathways Towards Sustainability’ Guidebook, authored by the ASEAN Research Center and the Korea University ASEAN Center. Esteemed experts from both regions convened to explore the intersection of environmental, social, and governance issues in international trade. Through insightful sessions and expert dialogues, the forum underscored the pivotal role of ESG cooperation in bolstering sustainable partnerships between ASEAN and Korea, setting the stage for ongoing collaboration and mutual advancement.

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The ASB-UNHCR Research Workshop on Refugee Studies and Forced Displacement 2023

The two-day workshop on refugee studies and forced displacement is being held for the third time in Malaysia by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNHCR, in collaboration with the Asia School of Business ahead of World Refugee Day (20th of June), to highlight the importance of those who fled their war-torn country receiving basic human needs such as healthcare and education when seeking asylum. About 200 participants from all over the world attended the workshop and gathered to exchange and discuss ideas to understand deeper on refugees issues.

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Feeding The Nation: Hawkers Are Navigating The Storm 2022

On 19th October 2022, the Maybank ASEAN Research Center at Asia School of Business officially launched its first public research dissemination event based on their in-house flagship study on Malaysia’s hawker and roadside economy. The research launch event closed with a panel discussion exploring how the Malaysian hawker community can be supported and noting the value of nostalgia in regard to street culture.

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Launching of ASEAN Research Center 2022

On the 29th March 2022, the ASEAN Research Center has officially been launched! We were honoured to have Datuk Nora Manaf, co-chair of the Maybank ASEAN Research Center and Group Chief Human Capital Officer of Maybank and Professor Charles Fine, President and Dean at Asia School of Business and Professor at MIT Sloan to officiate the ceremony.

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