Asia Society Southern California and UCLA’s Asia Pacific Center and Anderson Center for Global Management are pleased to present a timely talk with Chandran Nair, author of The Sustainable State: The Future of Government, Economy and Society and Founder & CEO of the Global Institute For Tomorrow, an independent think tank in Hong Kong. Nair’s provocative book argues that the West's market-driven model is not scalable and that development must be directed by a state that is willing and able to intervene in the economy. Corporations need to be directed towards meeting societal needs or otherwise restrained, not unleashed. Development has to be oriented towards the greatest good—clean drinking water for the many must take precedence over swimming pools for the few. That means rethinking concepts like “prosperity,” “freedom,” “rights,” and democracy itself. As Nair writes, “A democracy that cannot work to improve the life of its citizens is not better than a non-democracy that can actually improve quality of life.”

The Global Institute For Tomorrow focuses on advancing a deeper understanding of global issues, including the shift of influence from the West to Asia. He provides strategic management advice and coaching to business leaders. Nair served as Adjunct Professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and author of Consumptionomics: Asia's Role in Reshaping Capitalism and Saving the Planet. 

The event is free, but we suggest a donation $10 per person to help ASSC cover program costs. Please click here to donate. 

If you are interested in purchasing the book, it is available here. Copies will also be on sale at the event.