With Barack Obama becoming the first US president to set foot on Cuban soil in 88 years, the US-Cuban relations are taking a new turn towards normalization after long decades of animosity. The trailblazing visit would gradually usher in a new era of bilateral economic ties. The US businesses see potential in Havana and on the island’s beaches where tourism …

A new piece in Wall Street Journal discusses how the increasing number of Chinese students at U.S. universities generates discord within them, emanating from cultural shocks, academic dishonesty, and pedagogic challenges. To some degree, all these concerns are legitimate and they reflect a general picture of the shortcomings of the Chinese educational system, which tends to put more emphasis on …

Rising inequality threatens to derail, from the start, successful implementation of the new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the Asia-Pacific region. Stronger, more equitable social protection will be critical in overcoming these challenges. New research by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) indicates that inequality, related to both outcomes and opportunities, is …