It is with great pleasure I write to introduce myself as the newly appointed Director for the Griffith Asia Institute. I am excited and honoured to take up this role and to work with esteemed colleagues and partners to provide thought leadership, research and practice on sustainable development in Asia.
By way of background, my expertise is in green and sustainable finance as well as development economics. My most recent appointments include Associate Professor and Director of the Green Finance and Development Centre at Fudan University in Shanghai, People’s Republic of China, and Director of the Green BRI (Belt and Road Initiative) Centre at Beijing’s Central University of Finance and Economics.
The Griffith Asia Institute has over the past years gone from strength to strength and I want to express my gratitude to the previous Director Caitlin Byrne and acting Director Ian Hall for their leadership. Drawing from over 80 members and over 40 adjunct faculty and visiting researchers, GAI covers a broad set of topics—from inclusive growth to agriculture, to diplomacy and health, from the Pacific and South East Asia, to China and South Asia to name but a few.
The coming years will be decisive for Asian and Pacific economies and societies to tackle major challenges in climate resilience, green economic transition, artificial intelligence and new supply chains, as well as great power competition. GAI will support decision-makers in these critical areas by focusing and strengthening our research capabilities and partnerships in these areas. We will expand our platform as a space for exchanges, convening and discussing, as well as for capacity building for our students, researchers, policymakers, business people and the broader society.
I am eager to hear from you in the near future to learn your thoughts on how we can best work together to advance GAI’s mission and purpose. Please also feel free to contact me at any time.
Professor Christoph Nedopil Wang, Director, Griffith Asia Institute
