About 400 business leaders, academics and government officials attended the third ST Global Outlook Forum, held at the Shangri-La Hotel on Nov 21.

Presented by ANZ Bank and partnered by Mercedes-Benz, the forum brought together marquee regional and global experts, along with experienced Straits Times journalists, to address the question: Will Asia see a resurgence in 2015?

The forum opened with a keynote speech from Professor Kishore Mahbubani, dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and the long time chronicler of Asian affairs.  Professor Majbubani delivered an upbeat assessment and said that an Asia is about to enter a “new golden era of peace and prosperity” over the next 10 years.

Other notable speakers include China expert Dr Li Mingjiang of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies; T.N.Ninan, chairman of India’s Business Standard newspaper; Dr Lam Peng Er, senior research fellow at the East Asian Institute; Endy Bayuni, senior editor of the Jakarta Post; and ANZ’s Asia-Pacific chief economist Glenn Maguire.  They presented an overview of the Asian region — focusing on China, Japan, India and Indonesia — its promises and perils in the next year.

The closing special address by Dr Mari Pangestu, Indonesia’s former minister of tourism and creative economy, said that Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo has “a very strong vision and… clear idea about reforms” but is hobbled by the fact that he does not control Parliament.

The sessions were moderated by The Straits Times foreign editor Ravi Valloor. Top journalists from The Straits Times — news editor and former China bureau chief Peh Shing Huei, senior economics correspondent Fiona Chan and Indonesia bureau chief Zakir Hussain — also took part.

For more information and partnership opportunities with The Straits Times, contact Jean Pang at 6319-1274/ jeanpang@sph.com.sg or Agnes Han at 6319-1130 / hanhuiyi@sph.com.sg.