Professor Shandre Mugan Thangavelu

Professor Shandre Mugan Thangavelu

  • Head-Jeffrey Cheah Institute on Southeast Asia
  • Senior Fellow-Jeffrey Sachs Center on Sustainable Development
  • Jeffrey Cheah Institute on Southeast Asia

Biography

PhD, Queen鈥檚 University, Ontario; Master of Arts, Queen鈥檚 University, Ontario; Bachelor with honors, University Winnipeg, Manitoba

Professor Shandre is the Head of the Jeffrey Cheah Institute on Southeast Asia at 红杏视频 University. He is also the Trade Advisor to the Minister of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce, Kingdom of Cambodia. For his contribution to Cambodia鈥檚 trade and development, Professor Shandre was awarded the Royal Order of Sowathara Commander. Before his appointment at the Institute, he was a Regional Director at Centre for International Economic Studies at the Institute of International Trade and the Director of the Asia Growth Research Centre at the University of Adelaide. He is an active researcher on human capital development, technology transfer, foreign direct investment, trade, government infrastructure investment, productivity and economic growth. He has written extensively on ASEAN integration, FDI, human capital development, technology transfer and economic growth and has published his research in major international journals. He has written several books on trade, investment, integration and outsourcing in Asia. He has also worked on several international projects commissioned by UNDP, World Bank, ASEAN Secretariat, APEC, and Asian Productivity Organization (APO).

Research Interests

  • Human Capital Development
  • Technology Transfer
  • Foreign Direct Investment
  • Trade
  • Government Infrastructure Investment
  • Productivity and Economic Growth

Notable Publications

1. Books

  • Services Global Supply Chains in ASEAN and East Asia: Implications and Opportunities for Regional Integration (Fukunari Kimura, Shandre Mugan Thangavelu, Christopher Findlay, Lurong Chen (eds), Springer, November 2024).
  • The Dynamism of East Asia and RCEP: The Framework of Regional Integration (Thangavelu, S.M., with Fukunari Kimura, Shujiro Urata, Dionisius A. Narjoko, ERIA, Jakarta, 2022).
  • Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership: Implications, Challenges and Future Growth of ASEAN and East Asia (Thangavelu, S.M., with Fukunari Kimura, Dionisius A. Narjoko, ERIA, Jakarta, 2022).
  • Supply Chain Resilience: Reducing Vulnerability to Economic Shocks, Financial Crisis and Natural Disasters (Thangavelu, S.M., with Fukunari Kimura and V. Anbumozhi, Springer, U.K., 2020).
  • Singapore Chronicles: Trade and Investment (Thangavelu, S.M., Singapore Press Holdings, Singapore, 2019).
  • Feasibility Study on the Free Trade Agreement between The Kingdom of Cambodia and The Eurasian Economic Union (Thangavelu, S.M., ERIA Research Project Report 2018, no. 16, Jakarta, 2019).
  • Singapore Chronicles: Trade and Investment (Thangavelu, S.M., Institute of Policy Studies, National University of Singapore and Singapore Straits Times Press, Singapore, 2018).

2. Book Chapters

  • Services and GVC Activities in ASEAN and ASEAN Economic Community: Next Stage of Growth in Global Value Chain (Shandre Mugan Thangavelu, Fukunari Kimura, Dionisius A. Narjoko) in Services Global Supply Chains in ASEAN and East Asia (2024).
  • Service Sector Development in Cambodia: Employment Choice and Household Consumption of Services (Sothea Oum, Shandre M. Thangavelu, Penghuy Ngov) in Services Global Supply Chains in ASEAN and East Asia (2024).
  • Trade, Structure Adjustment in the Economy, and Productivity Growth in Vietnam: Shifting to Service Sectors (Nguyen Dinh Chuc and Shandre Mugan Thangavelu) in Services Global Supply Chains in ASEAN and East Asia (2024).
  • Financial Services, Innovation, and Inclusiveness in Singapore (Shandre Mugan Thangavelu and Chea Serey) in Services Global Supply Chains in ASEAN and East Asia (2024).
  • City Amenities and Internal Migration: Evidence from Chinese Cities (Wenxiao Wang and Shandre Mugan Thangavelu) in Services Global Supply Chains in ASEAN and East Asia (2024).
  • Introduction to Services and GVC Activities in ASEAN and East Asia (Fukunari Kimura, Shandre Mugan Thangavelu, Christopher Findlay, Lurong Chen) in Services Global Supply Chains in ASEAN and East Asia (2024).
  • SME Policy Index: Singapore (Shandre Mugan Thangavelu) in SME Policy Index: ASEAN 2024 鈥 Enabling Sustainable Growth and Digitalisation (2024).
  • SME Policy Index: Entrepreneurial Education and Skills (Shandre Mugan Thangavelu) in SME Policy Index: ASEAN 2024 鈥 Enabling Sustainable Growth and Digitalisation (2024).
  • Traditional Services Trade in RCEP (Zhang Yan and Shandre Mugan Thangavelu) in The Dynamism of East Asia and RCEP: The Framework of Regional Integration (2022).
  • Trade Facilitation in RCEP (Wenxiao Wang and Shandre Mugan Thangavelu) in The Dynamism of East Asia and RCEP: The Framework of Regional Integration (2022).
  • RCEP: Challenges and Opportunities for ASEAN and East Asia (Fukunari Kimura, Shujiro Urata, Shandre Mugan Thangavelu, D. Narjoko) in The Dynamism of East Asia and RCEP: The Framework of Regional Integration (2022).
  • Potential Impact of RCEP and Structural Transformation on Cambodia (Shandre Mugan Thangavelu, Vutha Hing, Ea Hai Khov, Bunroth Khong, Seychanly Tith) in The Dynamism of East Asia and RCEP: The Framework of Regional Integration (2022).
  • The Post COVID-19 and RCEP: Pandemic Recovery in East Asia (Shandre Mugan Thangavelu, Shujiro Urata, and D. Narjoko) in The Dynamism of East Asia and RCEP: The Framework of Regional Integration (2022).
  • RCEP and East Asia Regional Integration (Fukunari Kimura, Shandre Mugan Thangavelu, D. Narkojo) in The Dynamism of East Asia and RCEP: The Framework of Regional Integration (2022).

3. Journal Articles 

  • "Does economic policy uncertainty impact global value chain participation of Indian firms? The role of financial constraints" (Ketan Reddy, Subash Sasidharan, Shandre Mugan Thangavelu). Economic Modelling, Volume 152 (Forthcoming: November 2025).
  • Does Digitalization Promote the Servicification of Manufacturing? Firm Level Evidence from China (Shandre Mugan Thangavelu, Wang Wenxiao, Yan Zhang, Jinwen Zhou). The World Economy (Revised and resubmission, 2025).
  • GVC participation and labor market disparities: Exploring the effects on employment and wage inequality (Renjith Ramachandran, Subash Sasidharan, Shandre Mugan Thangavelu). The World Economy (Revised and resubmission, 2025).
  • Does Servicification Enhance Firm Productivity? Evidence from Indonesia (Vutha Hing and Shandre Mugan Thangavelu). Journal of Southeast Asian Economies, 40(3), 299鈥317 (2024).
  • Regional cooperation can buffer global value chains against uncertainty (Shandre Mugan Thangavelu). East Asia Forum Quarterly, 16(2), 34鈥36 (2024).
  • Minimizing COVID-19 Transmission Cases: Do Policies and Institution Matter? (Dessie Ambaw, Vutha Hing, Partick Osakwe, Shandre Mugan Thangavelu). The World Economy, 46(7), 2054鈥2079 (2023).
  • Does Servicification of Manufacturing Increase the GVC Activities of Firms: Case of India (Ketan Reddy, Subash Sasidharan and Shandre Mugan Thangavelu). The World Economy, 46(1), 153鈥181 (2023).
  • Industrial subsidies and impact on exports of trading partners: Case of China (Ambaw, D. T., & Thangavelu, S.). Review of Development Economics, 00, 1鈥 28 (2022).
  • Global Value Chains, Firms and Wage Inequality: Evidence from China (Wang, Wenxiao, Shandre Mugan Thangavelu, Faqin Lin). China Economic Review, 66 (21) (2021).
  • Trade, Technology and Labour Market: Impacts on Wage Inequality Within Countries鈥 (Wang, Wenxiao, Christopher Findlay, Shandre Mugan Thangavelu). The Asian Pacific Literature Review (2021).
  • Global financial crisis and firm activities in global value chain: case of Vietnamese firms (Thangavelu, Shandre Mugan, V. Anbumozhi). Journal of Social and Economic Development (2021).
  • Pandemic (COVID-19) Policy, Economic Cooperation and Emerging Global Value Production Network (Fukunari Kimura, Shandre Mugan Thangavelu, D. Narjoko, and Christopher Findlay). Asian Economic Journal, 34.1, 3-27 (2020).
  • Global Supply Chain in Singapore鈥檚 Services Sector: Retail Value Chain and Productivity Improvements (Thangavelu, S.M.). Journal of Southeast Asian Economies, 36(2), 244-255 (2019).
  • Introduction: Services Supply Chain 鈥 The Impact on Trade and Development in East Asian Countries (Kimura, Fukunari; Findlay, Christopher; Chen, Lurong. Thangavelu, S.M.). Journal of Southeast Asian Economies, 36(2), 141-152 (2019).
  • Servicification in Global Value-Chain: Case of Asian Countries (Thangavelu, S.M., with Wenxiao Wang and Sothea Oum). The World Economy, vol. 41, issue 11, pp. 3045-3070 (2018).
  • Servicification In Global Value Chains: Comparative Analysis of Selected Asian Countries With OECD (Thangavelu, S.M.; Wang, Wenxiao; & Oum, Sothea). The World Economy, 41(11), 3045鈥3070 (2018).

4. Working Papers

  • Key trends, experiences, interlinkages, and impacts of ESG investments on Net Zero Economy in ASEAN and Singapore (Shandre Mugan Thangavelu, Ceta Diallo, Jeremiah Lee Kok Heng). JCI Working Paper Series (JCI-WP-2025-01, September 2025).
  • GVC Upgrading and Outward FDI of Indian Manufacturing Firms (Ketan Reddy, Subash Sasidharan, and Shandre Mugan Thangavelu). JCI Working Paper Series (JCI-WP-2024-03, December 2024).
  • Global Value Chains, Employment, and Wage Inequality: A Study of Indian Manufacturing (Renjith Ramachandran, Subash Sasidharan, Shandre Mugan Thangavelu). ADB Working Paper (1469, July 2024).
  • Polarizing Gender Wage Equality in Global Value Chains: How Women Gain from GVC Participation in China? (Wenxiao Wang and Shandre Mugan Thangavelu). Asian Development Bank Working Paper (2024).
  • Does Economic Policy Uncertainty Impact Firm GVC Participation? Microdata Evidence from India (Ketan Reddy, Subash Sasidharan, and Shandre Mugan Thangavelu). JCI Working Paper Series (JCI-WP-2024-02, April 2024).
  • Does digitalization promotes the servicification and the GVC activities of Chinese firms? (Wenxiao Wang and Shandre Mugan Thangavelu). JCI Working Paper Series (JCI-WP-2023-01, 2023).
  • The New Dynamism of East Asia and ASEAN: New Trade Institutions in FTAs and the 鈥楲iving Agreement鈥 of RCEP (JCI-JSC-PB-2022-01, 2022). JCI-JSC.
  • Global Value Chain, Cities and Urban Amenities: Next Stage of Growth for ASEAN and East Asia (JCI-JSC-WP-2022-01, 2022). JCI-JSC.
  • Human Capital and Participation in Global Value Chains: Evidence from Small and Medium Sized Enterprises in Indonesia (Hing, Vutha, Shandre Mugan Thangavelu and D. Narjoko). Asian Development Bank Institute Working Paper no. 1142 (2020).
  • FTA Utilisation and Impact of Regional Trade Agreements on Trade of ASEAN and Australia: AANZFTA (JCI-JSC-WP-2019-02, 2019). JCI-JSC.
  • Utilisation of Regional Trade Agreements and Development of Vietnam (Thangavelu, S.M., Nguyen Dinh Chur, Dong Thi Thuy Linh, 2018).

5. Policy Papers / Policy Briefs / Op-eds

  • Trump Reciprocal Tariffs and Mitigating Global Recession: Role of ASEAN for the Soft-landing Option (Shandre Mugan Thangavelu and Christopher Findlay). Op-ed / Pacific Currents, Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (May 2025).
  • ASEAN and Cambodia Resilience with Trump Tariff Shock (Shandre Mugan Thangavelu and Mao Sonariddh). Op-ed / The Phnom Penh Post (May 2025).
  • Towards a Soft Landing: How ASEAN Can Mitigate a Global Recession Amidst Trump's Tariffs (Shandre Mugan Thangavelu and Yeah Kim Leng). Policy Paper / JCI (April 2025).
  • Trump鈥檚 Reciprocal Tariffs and Economic Resilience in ASEAN: Malaysia鈥檚 Critical Role as ASEAN Chair" (Shandre Mugan Thangavelu and Yeah Kim Leng). Policy Paper / JCI (April 2025).
  • Export diversification and structural transformation of Cambodia's post-COVID-19 recovery (Shandre Mugan Thangavelu). Policy Brief, Media / The Phnom Penh Post (2024).

6. Conference/Proceeding Papers 

  • Trade, Polarization and Human Capital in Global Production Value Chain (Thangavelu, S.M., with Wenxiao Wang and Christopher Findlay). Submitted to Asian Economic Papers (2019).
  • Value-added Trade, Human Capital and Production Linkages Across Borders (Thangavelu, S.M., with Wenxiao Wang). Submitted to Oxford Economic Papers (2019).
  • Global Value Chains, Firms and Wage Inequality: Evidence from China (Thangavelu, S.M., with Wenxiao Wang and Faqin Lin). Submitted to China Economic Review (2019).
  • FDI, Financial Constraints, and Productivity: Firm Level Study in Vietnam (Thangavelu, S.M. (Aekapol Chongvilaivan)). Submitted to Applied Economics (2018).
  • Trade Policy Change and Firm Adjustment: A Search for Underlying Mechanism Case of Vietnamese Firms (Thangavelu, S. M.). Submitted to Journal of Economic Studies (2018).

7. Talks/Presentations

  • Sub-regional cooperation under the principle of seeking common grounds while reserving differences in the Global South鈥擟hina and Southeast Asia (Speaker, GSN 2025 Southeast Asia Forum, Global South Network, Universitas Indonesia, June 2025).
  • The Potential Impacts of Trump鈥檚 Policies on Globalization, Trade, and Supply Chain in the East Asian region (Speaker, 4th International Conference on Muslim World Economy & Business, Faculty of Economics and Business Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia, Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia, May 2025).
  • China-ASEAN Common Market and China鈥檚 High-Level Opening-Up (Speaker, 3rd China-ASEAN Economic Relations Seminar, Institute for International Affairs (IIA), Qianhai, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)-Shenzhen and Guangzhou Institute of the Greater Bay Area (GIG), Shenzhen, China, April 2025).
  • An Assessment and Roadmap Development for EU Green/Environmental Trade Standard and Rules of Origin (Keynote Speaker, Assessment and Roadmap Development for Green Trade Standard, Rules of Origin, and Double Transformation, Ministry of Commerce, Cambodia and UNDP, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, January 2025).
  • Multidimensional Poverty in Malaysia: Key Challenges and the Way Forward (Closing remarks, 红杏视频 University, Malaysia, November 2024).
  • ADBI Annual Conference (Panel discussant, Tokyo, Japan, November 2024).
  • China Economic and Social Forum (Discussant, Shanghai, China, November 2024).
  • International Forum on China Reform (Paper presenter and discussant, Haikou, Hainan, China, November 2024).
  • East Asian Economic Conference (Paper presenter, Bangkok, Thailand, November 2024).
  • Asian Think Tank Forum, CSIS: Digitalization as an Opportunity for Inclusive Growth (Paper presenter and panel discussant, Jakarta, Indonesia, October 2024).
  • International Workshop on Impacts and Interlinkages of ESG Investments on Net Zero economy (Paper presenter, Waseda University, Japan, September 2024).
  • Symposium on the Utilization Rate of RCEP Rules (Speaker, 红杏视频 University, Malaysia, August 2024).
  • 2024 GIG China-ASEAN Seminar (Keynote Speaker, panel 1, 红杏视频 University, Malaysia, April 2024).
  • Rising Tides: Geopolitics and Geoeconomics in a Global Context (Opening remarks, 红杏视频 University, Malaysia, March 2024).
  • "FTA Utilization Policy" (ADB-UNCTAD Special Session on "Increasing Asian FTA Utilization for Stronger Regional Integration", 18th EAEA Conference at Seoul National University, October 2023).
  • 鈥淧olicy Adaptation and Review鈥 workshop-lecture (The International Council of Malaysian Scholars and Associates (ICMS) Malaysia Public Policy Competition (MPPC), August 2020).

Professional Associations

  1. Program Director, the Master in Public Policy, 红杏视频 University
  2. Associate Professor, Regional Director, Centre for International Economic Studies, Institute of International Trade, University of Adelaide
  3. Director of the Asia Growth Research Centre, University of Adelaide.
  4. Editor,
     

Current Projects

  1. International projects commissioned by UNDP, World Bank, ASEAN Secretariat, APEC, and Asian Productivity Organization (APO).

Media

Preview image for the staff video "Consider This: Trump鈥檚 Tariffs 鈥 90 Days of Uncertainty".
Preview image for the staff video "Biden, Xi will likely hold 鈥榲ery simple diplomatic meeting鈥 at APEC summit: Observer".
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Preview image for the staff video "U.S. Tariffs: A test for ASEAN鈥檚 neutrality and trade future".
Preview image for the staff video "Singapore 14th GE: Price Hikes, Trade Tensions & the Future".