Dynamic economies in East, South East, and South Asia, 2011

BUSINESS SECTORS AND ASIAN STUDIES:

STORY OF RETAIL AND RUBBER

Asia is a much-talked about region especially in terms of its dynamic economies in East, South East, and South Asia.  The region today is distinctive not only for its ability to supply manufactured products to the world economy but also as a major source of demand.  What has contributed to this dynamism and what are some of the institutional reasons for their development are discussed by two leading scholars - Professor Gary Hamilton and Professor Richard Doner.

Relying on economic sociology and political economy they, in their different ways, illustrate how to do Asian studies using specific economic and industrial sectors in global, regional, and national institutional contexts.

Gary G. Hamilton

Professor of International Studies and Sociology

University of Washington

THE ASIAN MIRACLE AND THE RISE OF DEMAND-RESPONSIVE ECONOMIES

By  Gary Hamilton

The “Asian Miracle” refers to the spectacular industrial leap forward that began in Japan and that spread throughout East and Southeast Asian countries in the last half of the twentieth century.  Most scholars have told the story of this so-called miracle as a supply-side narrative, as something that Asian developmental states and forward-looking Asian entrepreneurs created.  In a series of previous works, including the recent The Market Makers just published, Hamilton and his co-authors show conclusively that, although Asian governments and Asian entrepreneurs played important roles, the Asian Miracle is most accurately viewed as a demand side phenomenon, as an industrial development directly linked to the retail revolution that occurred in the US and Europe during the same period.  As these Asian economies industrialized that became increasingly demand-responsive, which are economies organized “backwards” from demand to production, instead of “forward” from production to demand.  In this presentation Hamilton will describe in detail the economic development of Taiwan as a case of “demand-responsive”industrialization.

RICHARD F. DONER

Professor, Department of Political Science

Emory University

POLITICS AND UPGRADING: RUBBER IN MALAYSIA AND THAILAND

By Richard F. Doner

Asia is the global center of natural rubber production and exports, with Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia, the first, second and third largest exporters respectively.  However, Doner argues that they differ with regard to upgrading, i.e. the efficient production of higher value added goods based on local linkages and technology. Malaysia was not only the first-mover in Southeast Asia’s production and export of natural rubber. The country has also outpaced Thailand and Indonesia, in a wide range of rubber-related innovations, such as technically specified rubber and allergy-resistant medical gloves.  British colonial legacy contributed to Malaysia’s performance.  Doner shows that political pressures for higher value added rubber exports and efficient, sector-specific institutions were key to upgrading.  The comparison with Thai institutions and political pressures helps to assess the importance of these factors.

Programme

10:00 Welcome and Introduction: "Business Sectors and Asian studies – 

          Story of Retail and Rubber “ by Professor Anthony P. D’Costa, CBS

10:10 Guest lecture: "The Asian Miracle and The Rise of 

          Demand-Responsive Economies" by Professor Gary Hamilton

10:50 Guest lecture: “Politics and Upgrading – Rubber In Malaysia and 

          Thailand” by Professor Richard F. Doner

11:30 Discussion 

12:00 End

Registration by email to arc@cbs.dk thanks: Free of charge. Everybody is most welcome.