Migrants And The Mobility Of Their Economic Culture
3 min read
THE CONNECTION BETWEEN culture and economics is a fascinating one. Staying alive is much easier to do as a group…
Speaking of CHT… on Penang Seizing the Moment and Breaking from Industrial Silos
8 min read
AS USUAL, THIS column highlights an exciting personality from Penang, no
doubt because of what they have achieved, but more…
The Inclusive Ownership Of Penang And Its Paradoxes
3 min read
What makes a Penangite is not birthplace, but attachment. In this reflection on identity and belonging, Penang emerges as a place shaped by contradiction—provincial yet cosmopolitan, fragile yet resilient—held together by the people who care enough to claim it as their own.
Sustainability Is Good, But Not Enough; Let’s Aim For Satisfiability
3 min read
This article highlights the paradox of sustainable development: while necessary, unchecked global “development” risks ecological collapse. Ooi Kee Beng argues this calls for a deeper shift beyond sustainability towards “satisfiability,” focusing on sufficiency, ethics, and collective well-being.
Staying Sane By Acknowledging Our Rural Soul
3 min read
IN THE ENGLISH language, a “hamlet” or “colony” connotes a place of untainted being. Nature is close by, human warmth…
Acquiring A Pro-Active Life Should Make Active Ageing A Walk In The Park
3 min read
We celebrate active ageing as aspiration and policy goal. But the term hints that growing old means becoming passive. In truth, to age actively is to reclaim initiative—to nurture the inner capacity to act, choose and give meaning.
COSMOPOLISES: A Necessary Interpretation of The World of The Future
4 min read
COSMOPOLIS. That is an exciting word that is full of positive connotations. The original Greek expresses this idea by pairing…
Expanding Comfort Zones and Third Places
3 min read
If urban living means that I possess a little space to call home, feel safe in and control, then how much I feel at home in a city would depend very much on how much home-like access I have when out in public.
Is AI the Next Stage in Human Enlightenment or a Return to Some Dark Age?
2 min read
With the invention and re-invention of printing—first in China, and then in the West—universal literacy, though not achieved even today, became a long-term possibility.
Biting the Bullet: Globalisation Slowdown as a Necessary Stage in Global Decolonisation
7 min read
Today the Greater Bay Area (GBA) is the world’s most dynamic economic district, and it has been recognised as the most innovative region in the world, ahead of the Greater Tokyo Area, and then US’ Silicon Valley.
Eating with Senses Mingling
3 min read
When it comes to food and our ability to accept and enjoy it or to reject and discard it, humans actually rely on both Tongue and Nose to decide.
GTLF: One of Penang Institute's Two Annual Flagship Events
3 min read
Picnics are such optimistic events, come to think of it. A paradise for the multitasker, a dream for those in the family who love to keep connections alive, a time to touch base. Much can go wrong at picnics, no doubt, but they hold so much promise.