Can Asia still deliver the development dream? | Philip Schellekens

Asia is often described as the great success story of modern development, a region of rapid growth, falling poverty, rising middle classes, and extraordinary transformation. But how accurate is that narrative today? And what does Asia’s experience really tell us about the future of development in a world marked by inequality, insecurity, demographic change, and technological disruption? In this episode of In Pursuit of Development, Dan Banik speaks with Philip Schellekens, Chief Economist for Asia Pacific at UNDP. Prior to joining UNDP, Philip worked for more than two decades at the World Bank and the IMF, focusing on macroeconomics, governance, demography, and long-term structural change. Together, they explore both the promise and the contradictions of Asia’s development story. The conversation examines why economic growth remains essential, but also why growth alone is never enough. They discuss persistent inequality, informality, and job insecurity across the region, as well as the challenges created by aging populations, democratic backsliding, slowing globalization, and the uneven effects of AI and new technologies. The episode also asks a broader question that runs through this season of the show: how should we rethink development at a time when the global landscape feels more fragmented and more anxious, but still full of possibility? Drawing on examples from China, India, Bhutan, and the wider Asia-Pacific, Philip argues for a more holistic and future-oriented understanding of development, one that places governance, agency, decent work, and human well-being at the center. Host:Professor Dan Banik, Centre for Global Sustainability, University of OsloSubscribe:Apple Spotify YouTubehttps://globaldevpod.substack.com/