Kuala Lumpur, 8 August 2025 – ERIA launched its latest publication, Where Next? Priorities for the ASEAN Economic Community Post-2025, through a series of events held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 7–8 August 2025.

On the first day, the launch was hosted with the support of Tan Sri Sir Dr Jeffrey Cheah, Founder and Trustee of the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation, and Professor Sufian Jusoh, Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). Representing ERIA were President Tetsuya Watanabe; Dr Aladdin D. Rillo, Managing Director for Policy Design and Administration and the book’s editor; Dr Intan M. Ramli, Senior Policy Fellow; and Tomy Waskitho, Executive Secretary to the President and Research Associate. The event was also attended by key executives from Sunway Group and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

On the second day, coinciding with ASEAN Day, the launch took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN Economic Integration Forum 2025. H.E. Liew Chin Tong, Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) of Malaysia, officiated the launch alongside President Watanabe.

Where Next? Priorities for the ASEAN Economic Community Post-2025 examines the policy priorities needed to sustain and deepen ASEAN’s economic integration as the region moves into its post-2025 agenda. The volume addresses emerging global challenges – from fragmented supply chains and digital transformation to climate change and socio-economic disparities – and offers evidence-based recommendations in areas such as trade and investment strategies, the digital economy, climate action, energy transition, gender equality, disaster management, and institutional effectiveness.

The back-to-back launches in Kuala Lumpur brought together policymakers, business leaders, academics, and development partners to explore how ASEAN can navigate a rapidly changing global landscape while ensuring the benefits of integration are widely shared.

The book can be accessed at: https://www.eria.org/publications/where-next--priorities-for-the-asean-economic-community-post-2025.