Asia Insight

Today on the podcast Dr Julia Macdonald, head of Research and Engagement at the Asia New Zealand Foundation, sits down with Vietnam’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Do Hung Viet, who earlier this year visited New Zealand as an ASEAN Prime Minister’s fellow.

Mr Viet was appointed Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2022, following a diplomatic career that has focused on international organisations. He has held positions as Assistant Foreign Minister, Director-General of the Foreign Ministry’s International Organisations Department, and Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations. He will take up the position as Viet Nam’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in mid 2025.

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In this episode of Asia Unfiltered, our host Arina Aizal chats to Nathan Taylor about his experiences growing up living in Indonesia as a teenager, and later living as an adult in China. 

Digressions include the unique experience of going from homeschooling in New Zealand to being dropped into the middle of a remote Indonesian jungle, a deep dive into the power of accents within linguistics, and how translation work is rather difficult when working with the made-up mystical worlds of Chinese video games. 

Asia Unfiltered is an exploration of the stories and experiences of young Kiwis abroad in Asia. Each episode will feature conversations between members of the Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono’s Leadership Network, and one of our two fellow Leadership Network hosts: Kii Small and Arina Aizal. This is the last episode of this season - we've hoped you've enjoyed the episodes so far!

The Leadership Network is a global professional network equipping the next generation of New Zealand leaders with the know-how to strengthen the New Zealand-Asia relationship. 

Website asiamediacentre.org.nz
Email us at [email protected]

Whakawhetai mo te whakarongo .. thanks for listening !

In this episode of Asia Unfiltered, our host Arina Aizal chats to Yik Kun Heng about his experiences living… well, everywhere! Yik Kun has lived in Beijing, Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand, Thailand, Vietnam, Switzerland, and now Chile. 
What's it like navigating identity as someone with a multicultural, international background, or to represent New Zealand in Wushu: the Chinese martial art, and how does political science blend into guidance counselling...??

Asia Unfiltered is an exploration of the stories and experiences of young Kiwis abroad in Asia. Each episode features conversations between members of the Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono’s Leadership Network, and one of our two fellow Leadership Network hosts: Kii Small and Arina Aizal. 

 The Leadership Network is a global professional network equipping the next generation of New Zealand leaders with the know-how to strengthen the New Zealand-Asia relationship. 

Website asiamediacentre.org.nz
Email us at [email protected]

Whakawhetai mo te whakarongo .. thanks for listening !

In this episode of Asia Unfiltered, our host Kii Small chats to Marcus Coll about his many experiences living in Japan over the years. Digressions include the power of learning a second language, how strange twists of fate can completely alter the course of your life, and how he uncovered a hidden hub of nuclear disarmament activism in Christchurch, New Zealand. 

Asia Unfiltered is an exploration of the stories and experiences of young Kiwis abroad in Asia. Each episode will feature conversations between members of the Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono’s Leadership Network, and one of our two fellow Leadership Network hosts: Kii Small and Arina Aizal. 

The Leadership Network is a global professional network equipping the next generation of New Zealand leaders with the know-how to strengthen the New Zealand-Asia relationship. 

Website asiamediacentre.org.nz
Email us at [email protected]

Whakawhetai mo te whakarongo .. thanks for listening !

A few weeks ago the Asia New Zealand Foundation celebrated its 30th Anniversary with an “Asia Summit” at Parliament in Wellington. Among the speakers and the panels on the day was a session looking at the NZ media’s relationship with Asia.

The panel comprised the Washington Post’s Asia-Pacific Editor Anna Fifield, Newsroom’s National Affairs Editor Sam Sachdeva, and journalist Jean Lee, currently working at the East-West Centre in Hawaii, but also a past bureau chief in North Korea for the Associated Press, and co-host of the award-winning podcast  "Lazarus Heist" podcast on the BBC World Service. 

Website asiamediacentre.org.nz
Email us at [email protected]

Whakawhetai mo te whakarongo .. thanks for listening !

The Asia New Zealand Foundation recently led a delegation on a Track II diplomacy visit to Malaysia for the 16th ASEAN Australia/New Zealand Dialogue.
Foundation Trustee Hone McGregor and economist Brad Olsen were on the trip, and sat down with RNZ's Colin Peacock to discuss the key takeaways from their first Track II experience in Kuala Lumpur. 

Website asiamediacentre.org.nz
Email us at [email protected]

Whakawhetai mo te whakarongo .. thanks for listening !

Today we welcome NATO permanent representatives Scott Oudkirk (US), Anita Nergaard (Norway) and Maris Riekstins (Latvia), who have been in Wellington to discuss the alliance's partner networks in the region, and the strengthening of the long-standing relationship with New Zealand.   

Website asiamediacentre.org.nz
Email us at [email protected]

Whakawhetai mo te whakarongo .. thanks for listening !

In this episode of Asia Unfiltered, our host Kii Small chats to Magdeline Huang about her experiences living in South Korea. Digressions include unpacking cultural differences between New Zealand and South Korean life, what it’s like to work as a software engineer, and how you can combine being a woman in STEM with creative pursuits. 

Asia Unfiltered is an exploration of the stories and experiences of young Kiwis abroad in Asia. Each episode will feature conversations between members of the Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono’s Leadership Network, and one of our two fellow Leadership Network hosts: Kii Small and Arina Aizal. 

The Leadership Network is a global professional network equipping the next generation of New Zealand leaders with the know-how to strengthen the New Zealand-Asia relationship. 

Website asiamediacentre.org.nz
Email us at [email protected]

Whakawhetai mo te whakarongo .. thanks for listening !

Jean Lee is a Korean American journalist and researcher based at the East-West Centre in Hawaii.  

She has spent a large part of her career covering North Korea and Northeast Asian affairs, and is co-host of the award-winning “Lazarus Heist” podcast for the BBC World Service, which delves into the Lazarus Group, a shadowy consortium of cyber-criminals working on behalf of the North Korean state.  

Jean was in New Zealand recently to speak at the Asia Summit, held in Wellington to mark the 30th Anniversary of the Asia New Zealand Foundation.

She sat down for a chat on the North Korea issue, and what’s at stake in 2024,  dealing with leader Kim Jong Un and his regime. 

Website asiamediacentre.org.nz
Email us at [email protected]

Whakawhetai mo te whakarongo .. thanks for listening !

In this episode of Asia Unfiltered, our host Arina Aizal chats to Leonard Hong about his experiences currently studying his master’s in Singapore. Digressions include reflections on growing up in New Zealand as a Korean-Kiwi, what life is like as a bourgeoning political economist, and why you should stop what you’re doing and move to Singapore.

Asia Unfiltered is an exploration of the stories and experiences of young Kiwis abroad in Asia. Each episode will feature conversations between members of the Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono’s Leadership Network, and one of our two fellow Leadership Network hosts: Kii Small and Arina Aizal. 

The Leadership Network is a global professional network equipping the next generation of New Zealand leaders with the know-how to strengthen the New Zealand-Asia relationship. 

Website asiamediacentre.org.nz
Email us at [email protected]

Whakawhetai mo te whakarongo .. thanks for listening !