The opening of a new train line in Laos in 2021 had created the longest continuous train journey in the world.
Travelling all the way from Lagos in Southern Portugal to Singapore, it takes you through Paris, Moscow and Beijing. And at 18,755km, experts estimate completing the full journey would take 21 days. Before, a continuous train journey on this route would have ended in Vietnam and only gone on for around 16,898km. To then travel to Singapore, passengers would have had to catch a bus from Saigon, through Cambodia to Bangkok. Embarking on this monumental trip would take you through 13 different countries from Spain, Poland and Belarus in Europe to Mongolia, Thailand and Malaysia on the Asian leg of the journey. There are of course a few overnight stops included in the 21 day journey time, that Smith says are to allow for visas, paperwork and making connecting rail trips. Some short hops across cities to different railway stations would also be needed and booking tickets for the entire trip could cost around €1,200.
Seasia Viewpoint: Cultural Diplomacy in Southeast Asia and Beyond
🌏 ASEAN has emphasized public diplomacy to enhance regional partnerships both within and with neighboring countries. As global geopolitics evolve, ASEAN recognizes the importance of soft power and cultural diplomacy in strengthening cooperation.
The region, handling 40% of global merchandise trade and projected to be the fourth largest economy by 2030, is strategically vital due to its proximity to major partners like China, India, Japan, Australia, and the USA. Its cultural diversity, home to numerous ethnic groups and languages, and booming tourism industry underscore its global importance.
To harness this cultural richness, Seasia Academy, an initiative by Seasia Group, is hosting a panel discussion titled "Cultural Diplomacy in Southeast Asia and Beyond." This event aims to foster dialogue on using culture as a tool for public diplomacy to promote diversity, build bridges, and connect people across ASEAN.
Join us in the discussion, and be part of the progressive movements. Mark your calendar for Wednesday, July 31st 2024, from 4-5 p.m. Jakarta time (GMT+07:00), as we gather on the Instagram live platform to explore this critical topic. 🎨
#Seasia #SeasiaAcademy
The Future of Southeast Asian Ocean: Conserving the Marine Biodiversity for the Next Generation
Every year on 8 June we are celebrating World Ocean Day. In Southeast Asia, the Ocean is one of the most significant and critical ecosystems in the region. It has the so-called Coral Triangle and for its rich marine biodiversity, the region has been termed the Amazon of the Seas. According to the WWF, the Coral Triangle is a marine region that spans those parts of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands and Timor- Leste with at least 500 species of reef-building corals. The Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF) is a multilateral partnership of six countries working together to sustain extraordinary marine and coastal resources by addressing crucial issues such as food security, climate change and marine biodiversity.
The Coral Triangle is also home to some 363 million people and encompasses economic zones in which each country has exclusive rights to marine resources. Recognized as the global center of marine biological diversity, the region serves as the spawning and juvenile growth areas for five species of tuna, comprising the largest tuna fisheries in the world. The biological resources of the Coral Triangle directly sustain the lives of more than 120 million people living within this area, and benefit millions more worldwide.
The growing significance of the ocean and its biodiversity for the ASEAN community, Seasia Academy, an initiative by Seasia Group is organizing a special discussion titled “The Future of Southeast Asian Ocean: Conserving the Marine Biodiversity for the Next Generation”.
The discussion is hoped to provide opportunities for the speaker to share views and for the audience to ask critical questions—to build constructive dialogues on how the region can protect and conserve the marine biodiversity for the future generation in all ASEAN member states.
Join us in the discussion, and be part of the progressive movements. Mark your calendar for Friday, June 28, 2
Financial Literacy for All: The Roadmap to Build Financial Freedom
A new study by Milieu Insight reveals concerning financial practices among Southeast Asia regions, indicating a need for improved financial literacy and comprehensive planning initiatives in the area. Conducted across six markets including Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.
Findings drawn from the study show that, as per 43% of Southeast Asians, only 10% of their income is saved. Furthermore, more than half (54%) are not actively investing their money, indicating they could be missing out on avenues to accumulate wealth and opportunities for financial growth.
With this alarming concern on Southeast Asia’s financial gaps and situation among the countries, Seasia Academy, an initiative by Seasia Group is organizing a special discussion titled “Financial Literacy for All: The Roadmap to Build Financial Freedom”.
The discussion is hoped to provide opportunities for the speaker to share views and for the audience to ask critical questions—to build constructive dialogues on how the region can improve the Financial inclusion, therefore improving financial situation of the people in all ASEAN member states.
As the economy grows, the financial literacy should also expand across the board to reach the unreached communities in the remote areas in the region. So, how do we narrow the gaps of financial literacy index among the nations in the region and how we improve financial freedom of all the citizens.
Join us in the discussion, and be part of the progressive movements. Mark your calendar for Thursday, June 6, 2024, from 4 to 5 p.m. Jakarta time (GMT+07:00), as we gather on the Instagram live platform to explore this critical topic.
Seasia Viewpoint - Earth Day Celebration: Saving the Planet from Plastic
❤️🌏 The world is observing Earth Day on April 22nd, hundreds of millions of the Southeast Asian communities are still suffering from environmental problems, climate-related challenges and a lot of people still can’t benefit, at the same time safeguard the nature the earth has to offer. As manufacturing industries grow in the region, the use of plastic also skyrockets. Having developing countries with growing economies, Southeast Asia as a region is prone to environmental pollution, more specifically the presence and use of plastics in our daily lives
Getting the insights from 3 (three) speakers from Indonesia, Thailand and the Timor Leste on such phenomenon, can help us draw a bigger picture that make us realize that we, the Southeast Asian communities are facing common problems and our shared values among the Southeast Asian countries might be able to offer replicable solutions that we can all act on.
Given the annual theme of this year’s Earth Day: Planet vs Plastic, we Southeast Asian communities must be concerned more of the use of non- environmentally friendly materials in our day-to-day needs and consumptions. What’s more threatening is the presence of microplastic in the environments, of which most of us are not aware. Therefore, we need to highlight the materials our industries are using—the people need to determine the direction of the environmental protection policy in our own region, to be more livable and sustainable for the future generation.
By understanding the ground situations and examples elaborated by our speakers from Indonesia, Thailand and Timor Leste, we can envision a more solid and comprehensive path for the improvement of the ASEAN Economic Community, particularly in our fights to eliminate the use of too much plastics in our daily lives.
Join us in the discussion, and be part of the positive movements. Mark your calendar for Thursday, April 25th, 2024, from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (GMT+07:00), as we gather on the social medi
2nd Student Diplomat Overview Session | Cambodia, June 2024 (LIVE)
Dear all Indonesian students,
If you are thinking about how you are going to spend your semester break this summer, we have just the right program for you. Student Diplomat program is designed for Indonesian students to explore and exercise their public diplomacy skills by interacting with their peers and counterparts in different Southeast Asian countries.
The first batch of this program will be in Cambodia from 21-30 June, 2024 underlining the theme of tourism—how Indonesia and Cambodia can work together, to collaborate to develop their bilateral partnership in the tourism industry.
If you are interested to join this program and would like to know more about the Student Diplomat program, please join our Overview Session on Wednesday, April 17 at 16:00-17:00 WIB. You can ask our Program Director any questions you might have about the program. See you on our Instagram live!
Cheers,
Seasia Academy
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Seasia Viewpoint: Mosque As Community Development Center In Southeast Asian Muslim Communities
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How does a dog bark in Southeast Asia? 🦮
Stay updated with seasia.stats! 📊
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🇲🇾 Happy New Year 2024 from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Southeast Asia! 🥳🎉
This is the New Year’s Eve video for 2023, as Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is not holding fireworks tonight because solidarity with the current global situation.
Video reposted from @aereonwong
#Seasia #SeasiaStats #SoutheastAsia #Fyp #Viral #HappyNewYear2024 #KualaLumpur #SoutheastAsiaWishes
🇱🇦 Happy New Year 2024 from Vientiane, Laos to Southeast Asia! 🥳🎉Video reposted from Tiktok/@tounxayvongsa#Seasia #SeasiaStats #SoutheastAsia #Fyp #Viral #HappyNewYear2024 #Dili #SoutheastAsiaWishes
🇰🇭 Happy New Year 2024 from Phnom Penh, Cambodia to Southeast Asia! 🥳🎉
Video reposted from @Discover ASEAN
#Seasia #SeasiaStats #SoutheastAsia #Fyp #Viral #HappyNewYear2024 #Dili #SoutheastAsiaWishes
🇹🇱 Happy New Year 2024 from Dili, Timor-Leste to Southeast Asia! 🥳🎉
Video reposted from @timorleste_
#Seasia #SeasiaStats #SoutheastAsia #Fyp #Viral #HappyNewYear2024 #Dili #SoutheastAsiaWishes