he year 2004 opened with a loud bang at the World Scientific. The first two months saw two book launches and a book-signing. As if these were not enough, early February also marked the successful conclusion of a public forum attended by more than 300 people.
Academics, government officials and students alike sought after the book, After Bali: The Threat of Terrorism in Southeast Asia, at its launch held at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU). The book, jointly-published by the Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies, was edited by the institute's assistant professors Kumar Ramakrishna and Tan See Seng.
It critically analyzes the specific threat of terrorism in Southeast Asia since the Bali blasts of 12 October 2002 and the US-led war on Iraq, through the eyes of renowned terrorism and regional security analysts, as well as highly regarded regional journalists and commentators.
Some 150 guests also converged at the NTU for another book launch - the release of the second edition of Southeast Asia: The Long Road Ahead, penned by eminent economist Professor Lim Chong Yah. They included dignitaries from embassies, academics from the three Singapore universities, and distinguished guests from both the private and the public sector.
The book is a serious, concise and holistic cross-country study on various important economic issues confronting Southeast Asia. It highlights the main economic challenges faced by the 10 Southeast Asian countries and provides invaluable policy recommendations and practical advice on development issues. Economic analyses in the book are amply supported by cross-country empirical data that spanned over four decades.
A day after the launch of Southeast Asia, World Scientific's subsidiary Global Publishing joined hands with the Singa-Sino Friendship Association to organize a forum that discussed whether Singaporeans are arrogant. The event brought together six reputed speakers: Professor Chan Yan Chong, City University of Hong Kong; Mr Leslie Fong, Editor-at-Large of The Straits Times, Dr Hong Hai, Dean of Graduate Programs at Nanyang Business School, Ms Lien Siaou-sze, Senior Vice President of HP Services Asia-Pacific and selected as one of the most powerful businesswomen outside North America by the magazine Fortune, Ms Low Yen Yen, a Chinese language teacher of Nanyang Girls' School and editor of Tangent (a journal by civil society group The Tangent) and Madam Rongzi, popular Chinese language writer and businesswomen. They shared their views on the topic citing personal anecdotes and brilliant analyses.
February ended with a book-signing at a Border's bookstore in Dayton, Ohio. Professor Irwin Abrams, an editor of The Iraq War and Its Consequences autographed copies of the title which has been selling like hot cakes since its launch late last year.
orld Scientific joined the ranks of some 20 publishers by taking part at the prestigious American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) 43rd meeting at San Francisco in December 2003. It was the first time that our staff rubbed shoulders with the who's who in the industry at the must-attend event.
