David M. CELDRAN (Director for Current Affairs, ABS-CBN News Channel)

Mr. Celdran is a well-known broadcast journalist and producer in the Philippines. As programming head of the Current Affairs division of the Philippines' biggest news organization, he is in charge of the programming and production of the channel's talk and debate programs. He plays a pivotal role in the reform of the TV community in the country as a member of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism. Through his prominent career as a TV journalist, he reflects the powerful role of TV media in the formation of human perceptions.

ALFP Research Topic: Surviving the Marketplace of Ideas in the Age of Electronic Media

HUANG, Ping (Research Professor and Deputy Director, Institute of Sociology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)

Having received his Ph.D. from LSE, University of London, Professor Huang is an internationally acclaimed sociologist. As an erudite scholar, he has written numerous books and papers in the field of the social sciences. In his empirical studies of contemporary Chinese society, he attempts to re-examine the validity of Western conceptional frameworks in the social sciences. Through various UN-related activities, he explores the application and implementation of theoretical studies and research into action.

ALFP Research Topic: Intellectual Debates on Public Issues in 1990s China

Mahendra P. LAMA (Professor of South Asian Economies, Jawaharlal Nehru University)

Professor Lama is a distinguished social scientist in India. Central to his intellectual pursuits is economic development and cooperation in South Asia. While teaching economic cooperation and integration in South Asia and India's Foreign Economic Policy, he does extensive research with distinct policy slants. He was the member from India of the Independent Expert Group set up by the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC). His major works on trade, development, technology, investment and energy have been published in many prestigious journals and translated into a number of foreign languages including Japanese, French and German. A prolific writer, he is also the Economic Adviser to the Government of Sikkim at Minister of State rank and the author of much acclaimed Sikkim Human Development Report 2001. The "Human Development Approach" employed in his analysis is regarded as paving the way for a new perspective on development in the region.

ALFP Research Topic: Economic Reforms in South Asia: Prospects, Challenges and Concerns

Ann LEE (Managing & Artistic Director, The Kuali Group)

Ms. Lee is a writer, director, performer, broadcaster, lecturer, editor and co-founder of Kuali Works, Malaysia's all-women theatre company which specializes in theatre, television and publications. Following a career in advertising, she has worked closely with arts practitioners, organizations and sponsors in Malaysia-both private and public, national and international-to facilitate the practice and appreciation of the arts in Malaysia. She is also immediate past Chairperson of the PT Foundation, an HIV/AIDS organization working with marginalized groups such as transsexuals, drug users and sex workers.

ALFP Research Topic: Modern Mythologies in Popular Culture about 'Asian Values'

Anek NAKABUTARA (Executive Director, Social Fund Office)

Mr. Anek is an experienced expert in rural planning and development. As a former UNDP officer, he was instrumental in establishing the Social Fund Office. Its chief objective is to administer social investment funds from the World Bank in order to mitigate various social problems in Thailand. His long-time dedicated efforts to improve Thai society are highly recognized. Due to his contribution, he was nominated as a representative to America from Southeast Asian countries in 1996.

ALFP Research Topic: Social Capital and Civil Society Building and Networking: Case Study of Thailand

RYU, Jeong Soon (President, Korea Research & Consulting Institute on Poverty)

Dr. Ryu is a reputed scholar and an influential NGO activist in the field of social welfare. Her scholarly achievements have gained worldwide recognition. In particular, her research on "Poverty Problems in Korea after the Foreign Currency Crisis" triggered repercussions in Korean society, thereby leading to government welfare policy reform. In close partnership with NGOs, she monitors government policy and provides reference materials for social welfare policy improvement.

ALFP Research Topic: Social Welfare Policy

SHIMADA, Kazuyuki (Editorial Writer, Asahi Shimbun)

As a journalist for the Asahi Shimbun, one of the major daily newspapers in Japan, Mr. Shimada is chiefly concerned with regional security cooperation in Asia. While a correspondent to Washington and London, he wrote many articles, focusing especially upon disarmament and international security. He has also served as Bureau Chief of the Bangkok-based Asian General Bureau from 1996, and was appointed an editorial writer in the Tokyo headquarters in April 1998. His penetrating analysis of Japanese diplomacy is widely respected by general readers in Japan.

ALFP Research Topic: Making a New Security System in Asia-For Stable Peace and Prosperity