The RCEP is the largest FTA in the world. It was negotiated at a moment in history when criticism concerning globalization, multilateralism, and FTAs as effective tools for growth and well-being abounded. Those concerns have been aggravated by COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine, which affected not only world health but also increased protectionist temptations and disruptions in GVCs. This paper aims to analyze the likely contribution of this mega-deal, its economic and political variables, including the leadership that China will exert, and the objectives pursued during the negotiation. The agreement is contrasted with other major FTA, namely the CPTPP, the FTAAP and the Pacific Alliance, mainly in relation to integration efforts. It is concluded that the RCEP will indeed increase intraregional trade, although its full impact will take years to be felt. To maximize its impact, the RCEP needs to incorporate key current issues and new members to the pact.

The 17th APEC Future Education Forum (AFEF) and the 19th International ALCoB Conference were held from 28 September (Tuesday) to 1 October (Friday) in a virtual manner. The annual forum and conference serve as an invaluable opportunity to discuss future directions of education and human resources development in the Asia-Pacific region. Since 2005, the forum and conference have served their role as the largest and longest thematic meeting in the APEC Human Resources Development Working Group (HRDWG). The 2021 forum and conference have gathered 780 participants from 20 APEC member economies, guest economies and international institutions. Under the theme “Strengthening lifelong competencies and skills development for individuals’ career, education, training, and life cycles”, the forum and conference reflected the current educational agenda from 21 APEC member economies and other international organizations such as G20, UNESCO. As a way forward, the forum and conference speakers recommend APEC to 1) consider individual and industrial needs for curriculum development, 2) expand lifelong learning policies and practices at both domestic and international level and 3) develop a public-private partnership to prepare its future talents with adequate competencies. This review explains the 17th AFEF and the 19th International ALCoB Conference background, summary and outcomes. The review also briefs on collective actions member economies can take as future steps to continue the forum and conference discussions.

Bilateral agreements are not the optimal solution to address modern challenges regarding the resolution of investment disputes. The time has come for multilateral agreements to define a clear procedure for resolving investment disputes and the formation of arbitration for these purposes. On November 15, 2020, ASEAN members and five regional partners signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), arguably the largest free trade agreement in history. Although the RCEP agreement defines the basic principles of legal protection of investments, it does not contain a procedure for settling disputes directly between investors and parties to the agreement, i.e., Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS), but rather postpones the issue for future negotiations. Nevertheless, a majority of countries understand the importance of investment protection and have significant outward FDI that will support stronger ISDS protections within a multilateral framework. Therefore, it is recommended that in the near future member countries will come to an agreement and adopt appropriate amendments to the RCEP regarding ISDS.

2015년 12월 14일부터 18일까지 필리핀 마닐라에서 국제나사렛 교단 아시아태평양지구(이하 아태지구)의 싱크탱크 모임이 최초로 개최 되었다. 당시 제기되었던 주요 이슈 중 하나가 아태지구에서의 리더십 위기였다. 즉, 일부 연회(district)에서 토착적 리더십으로의 위임 및 이양이 원만히 진행되지 못하고 있을 뿐만 아니라 다수의 연회에서 피라미드 모델(Pyramid Model)에 근거한 전근대적 권위주의 리더십이 만연하고 있다는 상황이 보고되었다. 이러한 이중적 리더십 위기는 아태지구의 성장동력을 저해하고 있는데 본 연구는 이 위기를 극복할 대안으로 성서적 충실성(biblical authenticity)과 현대적 적합성 (contemporary relevancy)을 겸비한 트리 모델(Tree Model)을 새로 운 리더십 패러다임으로 제안하고자 한다. 리더와 팔로워(follower)의 관계가 수직적 상명하복인 전통적 피라 미드 모델과는 달리 트리 모델은 양자 간의 유기적 상호의존성과 수평적 파트너십을 전제하고 있는데, 이런 관점은 현대 리더십 이론과 그 맥을 같이 한다. 또한 군림과 권한독점 대신에 섬김(servanthood)과 권한부 여(empowerment)가 트리 모델에 본유적으로 내재하고 있는데, 이런 특징은 성서적 리더십 원리와 잘 부합된다. 이처럼 현대적 적합성과 성서적 충실성을 지닌 트리 모델을 통해 리더십에 관한 인식론적 전환이 아태지구에 확산되면 현재의 리더십 위기 상황이 극복될 수 있는 기반이 형성될 수 있다. 다시 말해, 트리 모델의 권한부여적 속성은 토착적 리더십으로의 위임 및 이양에, 섬김과 파트너십의 수평적 특성은 전근대 적 권위주의 리더십 타파에 각각 기여할 수 있으며, 그 결과 아태지구의 성장 동력이 창출될 수 있을 것이다.

The Asia-Pacific region is an engine of global growth in political, economic, social and cultural aspects but tangible and intangible conflicts also remain in the region due to different backgrounds and experiences in history, culture, and so forth. In this respect, APEC has played its role to narrow divides and facilitate cooperative activities among 21 member economies since 1989. However, it is required to point out how these member economies can initiate and manage cooperative activities efficiently under challenging situations like recent economic crisis and remaining conflicts. This paper presents the role of education to enable member economies to understand each other and find a way to work together, and reviews one representative international educational APEC project: APEC Future Education Forum.

Persistent accidents related to food safety and expanded international trades have urged the world to be aware of the gravity of the accidents. Accordingly many countries have tried to come up with various laws, regulations, measures, support networks and educational programs for the agenda, particularly focusing on harmonizing food safety technologies among nations and fostering professionals. Also, APEC newly organized Food Safety Cooperation Forum (FSCF) in 2007 to exert multi-dimensional efforts to improve food safety for Asia Pacific nations. Up to now, 35 activities have been promoted since 2007 and additional 20 activities are waiting for their turns for action on the list of APEC project agenda. FSCF has the objective that it helps the stakeholders in food supply chain develop their own competence in that area, thus increase international trade among nations and maintain the globe healthy by applying the highest standards and best practices for the management of food safety ranging from production to consumption. To achieve this strategic objective, APEC subsequently formed Partnership Training Institute Network (PTIN) to build up the multilateral networks of specialists from governmental agencies engaging in food safety management, industries, academia and international organizations in Asia-Pacific region. This attempt made it possible for the world to exchange their scientific and technological information concerning food safety and strengthen related education and training. Today, international cooperation is essential for food safety management. Therefore, we need to participate actively in the activities of APEC FSCF to contribute to improving food safety technologies for the member countries of APEC. We also need to connect the domestic support programs with theirs.

Whether a ship is sub-standard or not shall be finally decided by the minimum standards laid down in international conventions or national standards having the same effects. The flag State is primarily responsible for implementing these standards as far as its own ships are concerned. And the port State shall, in the exercise of its rights under international law, take appropriate measures (including detention of ships identified as sub-standard), which are regarded as port State's supplementary role aiming at implementing these standards. The international standards are implemented by the regional co-operation in the form of the MOU(Memorandum of Understanding) on Port State Control in the Asia-Pacific Region on the ground that the PSC enforcement of only one country does not enable the eradication of sub-standard ships. Recently, EQUASIS which is an international database covering the whole world fleet change the regionalism of PSC into the globalization of PSC. However, there are many problems in Tokyo MOV and Korean PSC regime. In order to ensure the implementation of the standards laid down in international conventions and Tokyo MOU, the Korean and other country in Asia-Pacific shall settle the alienation from the actuality of the law, namely the problem of maritime administrative structure of non unifying PSC affairs.

본 연구는 회계정보의 공시수준에 대한 Gray(1988)의 기밀성가설(secrecy hypothesis)을 아태지역내 14개 국가를 대상으로 실증적 검증을 하였으며, 이에 추가하여 시장요인의 역할을 검증하였다. 시장요인의 역할은 국제시장환경하에서 지역내 국가간의 경제교류의 증대, 특히 해외직접투자의 증대가 국가들 스스로 국제적인 문화차입을 통해서 공시수준을 높여갈 것이라는 문화차입가설을 통해 실증적으로 검증하였다. 본 연구의 실증분석 결과는 Gray(1988)의 기밀성가설과 문화차입가설을 지지하는 것으로 나타났다. Gray(1988)의 기밀성가설 측면에서는 불확실성회피수준이 낮은 국가일수록, 권력거리가 작고 남성성향이 큰 국가일수록 보다 높은 수준의 회계정보공시를 하는 것으로 나타나고 있다. 그러나 개인주의가 강하고 단기적인 관점을 가진 국가일수록 높은 수준의 공시를 보일 것이라는 가설은 지지하지 않는 것으로 나타났다. 문화차입가설 측면에서는 국가경제의 해외시장노출도, 즉 GDP 대비 해외직접투자의 규모가 큰 국가일수록 그리고 자본시장의 규모가 상대적으로 큰 국가 일수록 보다 공시수준이 높은 것으로 나타났다. 따라서 전체적으로 볼 때 지역내 국가간의 경제교류의 증대가 국가들 스스로 국제적인 문화차입을 통해서 공시수준을 높여갈것이라는 문화차입가설이 지지되는 것으로 보인다.

This study explores the effect of trade of Information Communications Technology (ICT) products and government’s role, measured by three factors: Control of corruption, Government effectiveness, and Administrative tax level, on raising the economy across the East Asia- Pacific region. Secondary data were collected from the World Bank database of 21 countries over 12 years from 2006 to 2017. Applying the Panel corrected standard error model and running a robustness check based on the Dynamic panel data method, this research found that the exported ICT products, control of corruption, and government effectiveness could increase the economic income of a country in the region. The paper also provided the evidence indicating that the imported ICT products and the Administrative tax level are two harmful factors for economic growth. The major finding confirmed the useful contribution on improving government quality and its economy. First, improving the economy of a country always poses various challenges to its government. During the past decades, although much of the literature confirmed that exporting ICT products could promote an economy, very few studies investigated the role of Administrative tax level and the Government effectiveness. Second, there are only a few studies exploring the capability of government and the economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region.

The result of comparison and analysis study of institutionalization and exchange status of environmental education in South Korea, the People's Republic of China, and Japan, Northeast Asian countries that are closely related to Korea, is summarized as the following: First, this study shows that the process of environmental education institutionalization requires an instigation. For example, a specific environmental policy is established after raising awareness to modify environmental policies, as the result of aggravation of damage due to pollution. Therefor, it is the necessary process for the establishment of an environmental policy in order to proceed environmental education institutionalization. Second, even though institutionalization processes of environmental education for the three countries are considered to be very similar, differences are apparent if one carefully examines the content of environmental education for each country. In particular, South Korea, the People's Republic of China, and Japan all agree that environmental education is necessary, but differ in their ideas of main body for advocating institutionalization, as well as maintenance level of environmental education. Third, the order of establishment of environmental education institutionalization is Japan, South Korea and China and there exists about a 10 years time gap between each country. Fourth, the environmental education exchange was formed between South Korea and the People's Republic of China and between South Korea and Japan, first. Then it was enlarged to TEMM(Tripartite Environment Ministers Meeting) and TEEN(Tripartite Environmental Education Network) among three countries.