The government’s increased cigarette tariff aims to lower smoking rates and avoid adverse impacts. This study’s goal was to offer process innovation for lowering Asian’ smoking behavior. The participants were chosen by stratified random selection from a total of 738 people residing in Pathum Thani Province, Thailand. The instrument was a questionnaire. A software programmer was used to examine descriptive and inferential statistics using EFA and one-way ANOVA techniques. A strategic framework guideline using a SWOT analysis and TOWS matrix to encourage smoking reduction was proposed. The findings revealed two components: smoking behavior change and continues smoking that were based on SWOT analysis and TOWs matrix. There were nine strategies for the excise department to consider for the adjustment of the next policy in terms of reducing the number of smokers. The practical and policy suggestions could help reduce the negative impact of the cigarette industry on public health and increase government revenue while addressing weaknesses and threats in the industry.

Purpose: This research aims to examine the influence of intellectual capital disclosure and the geographical location of universities on the sustainability of higher education institutions in Southeast Asia. Design/methodology/approach: This research is quantitative and uses secondary data obtained through the annual reports of universities that have the Universitas Indonesia Green Metric Rank. This research uses two stages of data analysis techniques, namely the content analysis stage to determine the number of Intellectual Capital disclosures and the hypothesis testing stage. The analysis tool uses the SPSS version 23 application. The population of this research includes all universities in Southeast Asia that are included in the UI Greenmetric World University Rankings. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling technique, which resulted in 86 analysis units of higher education institutions in Southeast Asia. Findings: The research results prove that the geographical location of universities has a negative and significant influence on Universitas Indonesia Green Metric’s performance in Southeast Asia and human capital has a positive influence on UIGM’s performance in Southeast Asia. However, the structural capital and relational capital components do not affect the UIGM performance of universities in Southeast Asia. Originality/value: The originality of the research is the use of higher education sustainability variables with UIGM proxies and modified IC indicators for universities and geographical areas that have not been widely used to see whether there are fundamental differences in the disclosure of intellectual capital for higher education institutions in Southeast Asia.

The increase in world carbon emissions is always in line with national economic growth programs, which create negative environmental externalities. To understand the effectiveness of related factors in mitigating CO₂ emissions, this study investigates the intricate relationship among macro-pillars such as economic growth, foreign investment, trade and finance, energy, and renewable energy with CO₂ emissions of the high gross domestic product economies in East Asia Pacific, such as China, Japan, Korea, Australia and Indonesia (EAP-5). Through the application of the Vector Error Correction Model (VECM), this research reveals the long-term equilibrium and short-term dynamics between CO₂ emissions and selected factors from 1991 to 2020. The long-term cointegration vector test results show that economic growth and foreign investment contribute to carbon reduction. Meanwhile, the short-term Granger causality test shows that economic growth has a two-way causality towards carbon emissions, while energy consumption and renewable energy consumption have a one-way causality towards carbon emissions. In contrast, the variables trade, foreign direct investment, and domestic credit to the private sector do not have two-way causality towards CO₂ emissions. The findings reveal that economic growth and foreign investment play significant roles in carbon reduction, which are observed in long-term causality relationships, while energy consumption and renewable energy are notable factors. Thus, the study offers implications for mitigating environmental concerns on national economic growth agendas by scrutinizing and examining the efficacy of related factors.

Border areas can play a crucial role in market integration and infrastructure development between Central Asian countries, thus creating favorable economic growth and regional cooperation conditions. This study aims to assess the economic impact of border areas between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, focusing on their role in enhancing market integration and infrastructure development to foster regional growth and cooperation.  Focusing on labor and capital as essential production drivers, this study employs a sophisticated panel data regression model to explore the Cobb-Douglas production function’s application in these border territories. The research findings indicate that regions’ elasticity towards capital and labor inputs vary, necessitating differentiated economic strategies. For capital-intensive areas, we recommend prioritizing investments in infrastructure and technology to boost production outputs. Conversely, in regions where labor significantly influences production, the emphasis should be on human capital development through education, training, and improved labor market conditions. The study’s insights into the evolving trade relations between the two countries underscore the need for flexible economic policies to enhance regional integration and cooperation. This research not only fills a crucial knowledge gap but also offers a blueprint for leveraging the diverse economic landscapes of Central Asia’s border areas in future policy-making and regional economic strategy.

This paper investigates the evolving clustering and historical progression of “Asian regionalisms” concerning their involvement in multilateral treaties deposited in the United Nations system. We employ criteria such as geographic proximity, historical connections, cultural affinities, and economic interdependencies to identify twenty-eight candidate countries from East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Central Asia for this empirical testing. Using a social network analysis approach, we model the network of these twenty-eight Asian state actors alongside 600 major treaties from the United Nations system, identifying clusters among Asian states by assessing similarities in their treaty participation behavior. Specifically, we observe dynamic changes in these clusters across three key historical eras: Post-war reconstruction and transformation (1945–1968), Cold War tensions and global transformations (1969–1989), and post-Cold War era and globalization (1990–present). Employing the Louvain cluster detection algorithm, the results reveal the evolution in cluster numbers and changes in membership status throughout the world timeline. The results also identify the current situation of six distinct Asian clusters based on states’ inclinations to engage or abstain from multilateral treaties across six policy domains. These findings provide a foundation for further research on the trajectories of Asian regionalisms amidst evolving global dynamics and offer insights into potential alliances, cooperation, or conflicts within the region.