April 22nd, 2026
【Webinar on Asia】
The Role of Finance in Asia’s Growth Strategies:
Exploring Potentials for Cooperation in a Multipolar Era
In recent years, the global economic environment that has supported Asia’s growth has undergone significant changes, including the rise of protectionist measures and the strengthening of industrial policies in advanced economies.
Against this backdrop, Asian countries are being challenged to effectively mobilize both domestic and external financial resources to enhance growth potential by promoting industrial upgrading, diversifying export destinations, expanding investment, and improving productivity. At the same time, the need to strengthen regional cooperation and coordination to enhance resilience and stability has become increasingly important.
This webinar will focus on the growth strategies and challenges of major Asian economies in a multipolar era, as well as the prospects for cooperation and partnership between Japan and Asia, with particular emphasis on the role of finance.
| Date ＆ Time | Wednesday, April 22, 2026, 15:00-16:30 (JST) |
|---|---|
| Hosted by | The Institute for International Monetary Affairs (IIMA) |
| Progress | Panelist Presentations and Panel Discussion |
| Event Style | Virtual Event via Zoom |
| Language | Japanese (Simultaneous English translation available) |
| To Apply | Click Here |
Panelists
Fumiharu Mieno
Professor & Director, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University
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Fumiharu Mieno graduated from the Faculty of Social Sciences at Hitotsubashi University and went on to earn a Ph.D. in economics from the university's Graduate School of Economics in 1999. Following positions at Hitotsubashi, Hosei, Kobe, and Kyoto universities, he has served as a professor at Kyoto University's Center for Southeast Asian Studies since 2015 and as director since 2022. His areas of expertise include economic development, financial development, and Southeast Asian economics. His books include Financial System Reform and Southeast Asia (in Japanese, Keiso Shobo, 2015; Ohira Memorial Award) and Economic Transition in Myanmar After 1988 (NUS Press & CSEAS, 2009).
Nobutake Suzuki
President and CEO, MUFG Innovation Partners Co., Ltd. (MUIP)
Nobutake Suzuki has joined MUFG Bank in 2018 as a managing director in charge of open innovation of MUFG Group, and he has been the President and CEO of MUIP since January 2019. Before joining MUFG, he started his career as a venture capitalist at Global Brain, an independent venture capital firm in Japan, in 2002, and had experiences of investing in both Japanese and overseas startups and managing KDDI and other corporate venture capital funds. He started his career as a banker at MUFG Bank, where he was in the Industrial Research Division in New York Branch, and other divisions.
Aki Fukuchi
Principal Economist, Institute for International Monetary Affairs (IIMA)
Aki Fukuchi is Principal Economist at the Economic Research Department at the Institute for International Monetary Affairs, specializing in Asian economies. She obtained her master’s degree from Tohoku University. She joined the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, Ltd. (now MUFG Bank, Ltd.) in 2000 and served as an economist in the bank’s Economic Research Office until 2018, including an overseas assignment in Singapore as Senior Economist from 2010 to 2013. She has been in her current position since January 2019.
Moderator
Masatsugu Asakawa
President, Institute for International Monetary Affairs (IIMA)
Masatsugu Asakawa joined the Ministry of Finance, Japan (MOF) in 1981. At MOF, before being appointed as Vice Minister of Finance for International Affairs (2015-19), he held several senior positions, including Executive Secretary to the Prime Minister (2008-09), Deputy Vice Minister for Policy Planning and Coordination, and Director-General of the International Bureau. He also held senior roles at the IMF and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Additionally, he served as Chair of the Committee on Fiscal Affairs, OECD (2011-16), and as the President of ADB (2020-25). Since July 2025, he has been the President of the Institute for International Monetary Affairs (IIMA). He earned a BA from the University of Tokyo in 1981 and an MPA from Princeton University in 1985.