WORKSHOP

Evidence-based policymaking, strategic foresight, and energy–climate modeling

 
 

Evidence-based policymaking, strategic foresight, and energy–climate modeling

The Joint Workshop convenes leading policymakers, corporate leaders, and internationally recognized scholars to examine how evidence-based policymaking, strategic foresight, and energy–climate modeling can accelerate Asia’s transition toward a resilient, low-carbon future. The workshop emphasizes actionable research and policy insights to support national transformation across the Global South.

Agenda 

Registration

13:00-13:15

Welcome Remarks & Overview

13:15-13:30

Part 1: Accelerating Energy Transition and Climate Action in Asia

13:30–15:00

Featured Lectures

  • Prof. Yeh Shin-cheng
    Professor, National Taiwan Normal University | Former Minister, Taiwan
    Independent Director, Zhen Ding Tech. (ZDT) Group

Topic: Resilience by Design: Strategic Foresight and Simulation for Asia’s Urban-Energy Future - Insights from Taiwan

  • Prof. Shobhakar Dhakal
    Professor and Former Vice President for Academic Affairs, AIT
    IPCC Coordinating Lead Author

Topic: Energy Transition for a 1.5°C-Compatible World: Opportunities and Bottlenecks for the Global South

Panel Discussion

Topic: Accelerating Energy Transition and Climate Action in Asia: Evidence-Based Policymaking and Strategic Foresight for National Transformation

Moderator

  • Prof. Pai-Chi Li, President, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT)
    A world-renowned expert in electrical and biomedical engineering and and Fellow of IEEE, IAMBE, AIUM, and SPIE, Prof. Li has received numerous international awards for his leadership in research with industrial and societal impact.

Panelists

  • Dr. Siri Jirapongphan – Former Minister of Energy, Thailand; former Executive Director, Petroleum Institute of Thailand and Chairman of the Audit Committee at Bangkok Bank PLC

  • Mr. Chaiwat Kovavisarach – Group CEO & President, Bangchak Corporation Plc.; Chairman, OKEA ASA (Norway)

  • Prof. Yeh Shin-cheng – Former Minister, Taiwan; Professor, National Taiwan Normal University and Independent Director, Zhen Ding Tech. (ZDT) Group

  • Prof. Shobhakar Dhakal – IPCC Coordinating Lead Author; Professor and former Vice President for Academic Affairs, AIT

  • Dr. Naveed Anwar – CEO, CSI Bangkok; former Vice President for Knowledge Transfer, AIT

Key Discussion Themes

  • Energy and climate transition pathways in Asia

  • Evidence-based policymaking and research–policy integration

  • Balancing national energy security with green energy scaling

  • The energy–climate–urban nexus and resilient infrastructure

  • Strategic foresight: linking policy simulation to real-world action

 

15:00 Coffee Break

 

Part 2: Energy and Climate Scenario Planning, Foresight and Models

15:15-16:50

Workshop: En-ROADS Simulator Demonstration and Practice Session

Professor Chistopher Khittel, Associate Dean for Climate and Sustainability, MIT Sloan School of Management

Bethany Patten, Executive Director of MIT Climate Policy CenterPlease check again later.

16:50-17:00

Wrap Up & Closing Remarks

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Speaker Profiles 

Professor Pai-Chi Li

Professor Pai-Chi Li is a distinguished leader in the fields of electrical and biomedical engineering, currently serving as the President of the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT). His extensive research focuses on biomedical ultrasound, photoacoustics, and medical devices. His professional standing is underscored by his status as a Fellow of several prestigious organizations, including IEEE, IAMBE, AIUM, and SPIE. Additionally, he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Medical and Biological Engineering and held editorial positions with high-impact journals such as Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology and IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control. Prof. Li holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Electrical Engineering: Systems from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and a B.S. from National Taiwan University. A distinguished scholar in electrical and biomedical engineering, his many honors include the IEEE UFFC Rayleigh Ultrasonics Award, the ISTU Fry Award, the AIUM Joseph Holmes Basic Science Pioneer Award, the IEEE UFFC Distinguished Lecturer Award, the IFMBE Otto Schmitt Award, and the IFMBE Vladimir K. Zworykin Award. He has also been continuously ranked among the world’s top 2% of scientists (career-long impact) by Stanford University.

Dr. Siri Jirapongphan

Dr. Siri Jirapongphan is a highly accomplished executive and academic who currently serves as a member of the AIT Board of Trustees, and the Chairman of the Audit Committee at Bangkok Bank PLC. He possesses deep expertise in Chemical Engineering, having earned his doctoral degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and an honors bachelor’s degree from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). His career is marked by significant public service, most notably as Thailand’s Minister of Energy from 2017 to 2019 and as a Plan Administrator for Thai Airways International PLC and as the former Executive Director of the Petroleum Institute of Thailand. With extensive leadership experience in the energy and finance sectors, Dr. Siri has also held key positions at IRPC PLC, the National Petrochemical Corporation, and the Petroleum Authority of Thailand.

 

Mr. Chaiwat Kovavisarach

Mr. Chaiwat Kovavisarach serves as a member of the AIT Board of Trustees and the Chairman of the Executive Committee. Since 2015, he has been the Group Chief Executive Officer and President of Bangchak Corporation Plc (BCP), while also chairing BCP Trading PTE LTD and the Norwegian-based oil producer OKEA ASA. With more than 25 years of experience across engineering, investment banking, and senior executive management, Mr. Chaiwat founded the financial advisory firm TURNAROUND Company Ltd in 2002. He holds two Master’s degrees, one in Engineering from the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) and one in Business Administration from Thammasat University alongside an honors bachelor’s degree in Engineering from King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang. Currently, he is also a Director on the Board of the Government of Thailand’s Pension Fund.

 

Prof. Yeh Shin-cheng

Professor Yeh Shin-cheng is a distinguished professor at National Taiwan Normal University specializing in environmental systems analysis, climate change policies, and sustainable development. His academic journey includes a Ph.D. from Cornell University and both a Master’s and a Bachelor’s degree from National Taiwan University. Beyond academia, Professor Yeh has substantial government experience, having served as a Minister without Portfolio of the Executive Yuan from 2014 to 2016 and as the Deputy Minister of the Environmental Protection Administration from 2012 to 2014, and has been deeply involved in national policies on sustainability governance, energy, water resources, and the environment. His research encompasses corporate sustainability, water and environmental systems, and environmental communication and education. Throughout his career, he has held leadership and faculty roles at various institutions, including National Chi Nan University and National Kaohsiung Normal University. In addition, he has also served as a board member and committee leader in multiple corporations and non-profit organizations, including Zhen Ding Tech. Group, TPC (Taiwan Petroleum Company), Chinese Institute of Engineers Taiwan, First Bank Cultural & Educational Foundation, etc.

 

Prof. Shobhakar Dhakal

Professor Shobhakar Dhakal is an expert in energy policy and climate change mitigation who previously served as the Vice President for Academic Affairs at the Asian Institute of Technology. He is a prominent figure in the international scientific and policy community, notably serving as a Coordinating Lead Author for the Nobel Prize-winning IPCC’s 5th, 6th and 7th Assessments and speaking to governments in several high level UN events. Professor Dhakal holds a Ph.D. from the University of Tokyo, a Master’s from AIT, and a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Surat. Ranked well-within the 2% top global researcher in energy, he works on areas of energy and climate transitions, cities and climate change, regional energy cooperation, and SDGs’ tradeoff and synergies. He served as senior editors of several journals such as Carbon Management, Sustainable Cities and Society, PLOS Climate and ran several special issues including Journal of Industrial Ecology, Energy Policy, Resources Conservation Recycling and Conservation. He has also been a visiting scholar at MIT, Guest Scholar at IIASA-Austria, Executive Director of Global Carbon Project and Senior policy researcher at IGES-Japan.

 

Dr. Naveed Anwar

Dr. Naveed Anwar is a distinguished structural engineer and the current CEO of CSI Bangkok, following a successful tenure as the Vice President for Knowledge Transfer at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT). With over 40 years of experience, his expertise includes finite element modeling, advanced concrete design, and the performance-based design of tall buildings. Dr. Anwar has supervised more than 50 MS and Ph.D. research theses and has been a driving force in knowledge transfer initiatives through ACECOMS and AIT Solutions. He is known for integrating emerging technologies into structural engineering and has delivered numerous keynote speeches and workshops internationally. His academic and professional career reflects a deep commitment to innovation and capacity-building within the field of civil engineering.