Book Dialogue #1 feat. Prof. Iwan Jaya Asis: Why the Periphery and Small Ones Matters

By definition, dualism is a state of being dual or consisting of two parts; it is reflected in the coexistence of two systems, such as in the core regions and periphery (small) regions. Dualism is closely linked to inequality, especially when discussing countries with large diversity among their regions. This is evident in Indonesia, with a diverse background of the country, it is clear that there is evidence of dualism in growth and MSME. It is important to understand endogenous forces, such as agglomeration, and the structure of economic relations between regions as part of prevailing institutions when addressing interregional inequality. Similarly, in the context of MSMEs, the focus is on their perceptions of social capital and various policies. In the first episode of the Book Dialogue in 2024, KANOPI FEB UI had the opportunity to invite Prof. Iwan Jaya Azis, as Senior Economist and Professor at the University of Indonesia and Cornell University, to have a dialogue about the book "Periphery and Small Ones Matter: Interplay of Policy and Social Capital", which he wrote and published with Bank Indonesia. The results of this discussion will reveal that in policy making, especially to address deep-rooted problems such as inequality, there is often a gap between what institutions are trying to address with their policies and society's perspective. TIMESTAMP 00:00 Introduction 03:19 Background of the Book 08:24 Walking Through the Research Approach of the Book 19:30 The Unexpected Problems That Arose During the Process 25:03 The Importance of Prevailing Social Capital and the Examples of Real-World Scenarios 40:37 How the Social Planner Addresses the Issue of Regional Disparities in Indonesia 48:35 Exploring Challenging Economic Problems for Aspiring Students