Media
I am available to discuss the political economy of development in Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar; governance in single-party states; and the politics of corporate welfare in the U.S. and Vietnam.
My research has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Washington Post, The New York Times, Reuters, and Bloomberg Businessweek.
Podcasts
2024
Tide Talk | U.S. – Chinese Relations S2 E3 (Nov. 25th, 2024)
In Tide Talk’s continuing election coverage, Dr. Edmund Malesky dives into the real fine details of what a Trump presidency means for both abroad and here at home. Treaty uncertainty, compounding tariffs, and more could spell disaster for the United States in the coming years. Finally, what do Vietnam and Mexico have to do with it all?
The Vietnam Weekly Podcast | “Inside Vietnam’s Largest Public Opinion Survey” (Aug. 4, 2024)
Edmund Malesky, who co-authored the Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI) report, and co-author Paul Schuler discuss the origins of the PAPI and the need to assess public views on policy, the response over time from different levels of government, the index’s evolution into an elite public opinion survey, significant trends over the years, and more.
The Vietnam Weekly Podcast | “Ranking the Competitiveness of Vietnam’s Provinces” (June 16, 2024)
Edmund Malesky, who serves as the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) primary author and lead researcher, spoke about the PCI’s background and the desire to create a tool that provincial officials can use to benchmark against other locations and identify best practices, the surprising official embrace of the index, the genesis of the newer Provincial Green Index (PGI) as a tool for provinces to measure compliance with environmental and energy regulations, and more.
Forward Vietnam Podcast | Episode 39 (Jan. 7, 2024)
Edmund Malesky spoke about economic development in Vietnam and his research projects related to Vietnam, including the Provincial Competitiveness Index, which evaluates the country’s business environment.
2021
The Fiona Show: Transfer Pricing | Episode 101: Audits on the Rise in Vietnam (June 8, 2021)
Over the last two years, few jurisdictions have heightened their transfer pricing scrutiny with the enthusiasm of Vietnam. CrossBorder Solutions Chief Economist Mimi Song and Duke University professor Eddy Malesky discuss how MNEs can brace themselves for impact.
2019
Rocking Our Priors | “Fish or Steel? Experimental Evidence on Preferences over Investment Attraction”
Do people in developing countries prioritise the economy or the environment? To find out, Dr Quynh Nguyen & Dr Eddy Malesky undertook a nationally representative survey in Vietnam, asking people which kinds of firms they preferred. Their results may surprise you.
Articles, Interviews, Commentaries
2025
Duke Center for International Development | Imagining the Future of Development (Mar. 3, 2025)
Edmund Malesky and Brook Horowitz offer thoughts on what development aid should look like post-USAID.
Financial Times | Letter: Aid community must manage the shift from soft to hard power (Mar. 2, 2025)
In this letter to Financial Times, Edmund Malesky and Brook Horowitz argue donors, recipients and aid practitioners need to manage the tectonic transfer of soft to hard power while continuing to maintain a minimum of development assistance.
Harvard Business Review | Research: The Costs of Circumventing Tarrifs (Feb. 13, 2025)
Edmund Malesky and co-authors discuss findings from their work analyzing trade rerouting through Vietnam following the 2018 U.S.-China trade war.
VoxChina | Exports in Disguise: Trade Rerouting during the US-China Trade War? (Jan. 22, 2025)
Edmund Malesky and co-authors discuss their research on the extent of trade rerouting through Vietnam during the 2018-19 US-China trade war.
2024
The New York Times | Trump’s Tariffs Helped Northern Vietnam Boom Like Never Before. What Now? (Dec. 17, 2024)
A Harvard Business School study co-authored by Edmund Malesky was cited in the NYT article. The study examines whether rerouting goods through intermediary countries to avoid origin-specific tariffs increased due to the 2018-2019 U.S.–China trade war via Vietnam.
BBC News Vietnamese | Việt Nam có đánh mất cơ hội trong chiến lược ‘Trung Quốc + 1’ do bất ổn chính trị? (Aug. 8, 2024)
[Does Vietnam lose opportunity in the ‘China + 1 strategy due to political instability] Edmund Malesky is quoted in a BBC News article examining if political leadership changes in Vietnam will affect the country’s attractiveness to foreign investors.südostasien | Reaktionsfähigkeit ohne Rechenschaft (Apr. 10, 2024)
Edmund Malesky spoke with the German magazine südostasien about National Assembly elections in Vietnam.
Testimony before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Commission Hearing on “Consumer Products from China: Safety, Regulations, and Supply Chains” (Mar. 1, 2024)
Testimony by Edmund Malesky.
2022
Duke Research & Innovation | An interview with Edmund Malesky (Nov. 12, 2022)
“My vision is to build a robust research portfolio that is producing cutting-edge academic findings, and then deliver those findings directly into the classroom to future governmental officials and bureaucrats around the world.”
2021
CafeF News | Giáo sư Mỹ tiết lộ cội nguồn cải cách ở Quảng Ninh với ‘nhiệm kỳ đặc biệt’ từ 10 năm trước (April 20, 2021)
[American Professor reveals the roots of reform in Quang Ninh with a ‘special term’ from 10 years ago]Zing News | Phân tích: Chuyên gia quốc tế: Nên thúc đẩy các tập đoàn tư nhân lớn (April 8, 2021)
[Analysis: International Experts Suggest Promoting Large Private Corporations] Two experts with extensive research on Vietnam expect the new government to take action to build an innovative economy, increase competitiveness, and advance in the global value chain.Zing News | Phân tích: Chuyên gia quốc tế đánh giá về tân Thủ tướng Phạm Minh Chính (April 5, 2021)
[Analysis: An international expert assessed the new Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh] Professor Carl Thayer and Professor Edmund Malesky expect that new Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, with his openness and leadership ability, will bring positive development to Vietnam.Brookings | The genie will not return to the bottle: Understanding the pro-democracy protests in Myanmar (Feb. 11, 2021)
Written by Edmund Malesky.
Zing News | Nhà đầu tư nước ngoài trông chờ gì ở Việt Nam sau Đại hội XIII? (Feb. 3, 2021)
[What do foreign investors expect in Vietnam after the XIII Congress?] Political stability, solid policy guidelines, and the ability to well manage crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic make foreign investors increasingly interested in Vietnam.
2020
Vietnam Investment Review | Vietnam’s automation future at work (May 23, 2020)
Are robots coming to take Vietnamese jobs? Are iPads invading Vietnamese workplaces? Throughout the economic reform era, a key policy challenge for Vietnamese leaders has been to continually provide new employment opportunities for the country’s workforce. Recent commentary, both about Vietnam and other emerging economies, has begun to question whether private and foreign companies will continue to fill this salutary role. Written by Edmund Malesky.
Brookings | Reopening Vietnam: How the country’s improving governance helped it weather the COVID-19 pandemic (May 20, 2020)
Written by Trang (Mae) Nguyen and Edmund Malesky. Vietnamese version: Nỗ lực bền bỉ nào giúp Việt Nam đồng lòng chống đại dịch?
Vietnam Investment News | Keys to nation’s investment optimism (May 14, 2020)
Recent analyses by the World Bank indicate that Vietnam will be one the few countries in the entire world to experience positive economic growth in 2020. Written by Edmund Malesky.
2016
Yes, NATO is sharing the defense burden. Here’s what we found. (Dec. 9, 2016)
The Monkey Cage @ The Washington Post
Videos
2025
BITSS Annual Meeting 2025: Metaketa – Women’s Group Empowerment (Mar. 19, 2025)
Edmund Malesky presents findings from a metaketa study investigating if women’s group empowerment can increase political participation.
2024
USAID DRG Learning Forum – Anticorruption in low political will environments
In a project for USAID’s Center of Excellence on Democracy, Human Rights and Governance (the DRG Center), a team of Duke Center for International Development (DCID) researchers sought to better understand the dynamics of political will and its role in anti-corruption efforts. Edmund Malesky, professor of political economy and director of DCID, presented an overview of the team’s research trajectory and findings during the 2024 USAID DRG Learning Forum.
U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission for the “Consumer Products from China: Safety, Regulations and Supply Chains” congressional hearing (March 1, 2024)
Edmund Malesky testified on how international supply chains have adjusted to the U.S.-China Trade War and the economic impact of these changes on Vietnam. Malesky’s testimony starts at 3:50:34
2023
BBC News: President Biden’s historic visit to Vietnam (Sept. 11, 2023)
Edmund Malesky speaks to BBC World News about the significance of President Joseph Biden’s state visit to Hanoi, Vietnam, to meet with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and announce the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS) Annual Learning Forum 2023: Checks, Balances, & Oversight Across Institutions (May 23, 2023)
Tune in to hear practitioner and academic perspectives on encouraging parliaments to improve transparency and good governance, safeguarding the institutional integrity of Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs) from politically motivated attacks, and efforts to coordinate national and sub-national levels of government for resilience in the face of crises. Featuring: Rakesh Sharma (IFES, moderator), Fernanda Buril (IFES, Kristen Sample (NDI), Brigitte Seim (UNC), Edmund Malesky (Duke).
2022
Ambassador Dave and Kay Phillips Family International Lecture Series: Ambassador Katherine Tai (Nov. 9, 2022)
United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai joined Edmund Malesky in a discussion about the current landscape of trade relations between the U.S. and China, the trade relationships that the U.S. has with other nations moving forward and more.
Who Wants to Learn about Globalization? A Field Experiment in Vietnam (Oct. 27, 2022)
Held in a hybrid format at the Kahin Center and on Zoom as a part of Cornell University’s Southeast Asia Program’s weekly Ronald and Janette Gatty Lecture Series.
Lễ công bố báo cáo chỉ số năng lực cạnh tranh cấp tỉnh ( PCI) Việt Nam 2021 (Apr. 26, 2022)
Ceremony to announce the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) Vietnam 2021 report.
2021
Nothing is Impossible: America’s Reconciliation with Vietnam – A book talk with Ambassador Ted Osius (Nov. 3, 2021)
In a candid conversation with Prof. Eddy Malesky (Political Science, Duke), Ambassador Ted Osius provides a vivid first-hand account of the various forms of diplomacy that brought about the reconciliation between two former enemies and helped bring new prosperity to Vietnam.
Under Beijing’s Shadow: Southeast Asia’s China Challenge with Murray Hiebert (Oct. 8, 2021)
Professor Edmund Malesky (Political Science, Duke) interviews Murray Hiebert (Senior Associate of the Southeast Asia Program, CSIS), author of “Under Beijing’s Shadow: Southeast Asia’s China Challenge.” The discussion explores the undercurrents lying beneath the surface of China’s relations with its smaller southern neighbors, as well as the ways these countries could address the “China Challenge.”
Communism: Past, Present And Future – Germany & Vietnam | CNA Insider (June 7, 2021)
LỄ CÔNG BỐ BÁO CÁO CHỈ SỐ NĂNG LỰC CẠNH TRANH CẤP TỈNH (PCI) VIỆT NAM 2020 (Apr. 14, 2021)
Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) Vietnam 2020 Report Announcing Ceremony
2020
ONE-SIM 2020 Outreach Award Winners – Edmund Malesky and Markus Taussig (Sept. 1, 2020)
Edmund Malesky (Duke University) and Markus Taussig (Rutgers Business School) share tips and tricks for outreach activities from their paper, “Participation, Government Legitimacy, and Regulatory Compliance: A Firm Level Field Experiment in Vietnam” (American Political Science Review, 2019), that won them the 2020 ONE-SIM Outreach Award. The jury is impressed by how the authors collaborated with local policy makers to generate insights that the authors then communicated to policy makers around the world.
How 63 Provinces Have Responded to PAPI Findings (Aug. 26, 2020)
How do 63 provinces and cities respond to PAPI results?
Announcement ceremony of PROVINCIAL COMPETITIVENESS INDEX 2019 (May 5, 2020)
The Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) assesses the ease of doing business and provincial economic governance on an annual basis across all 63 provinces and cities in Vietnam. The 2019 edition of the PCI report marks 15 years of collaboration between USAID and VCCI. Based on a rigorous survey of nearly 12,500 domestic and foreign firms operating across Vietnam, the 2019 PCI endeavors to amplify the collective voice of private entrepreneurs in Vietnam over essential areas of governance and business environment, including business prospect, ease of doing business, human capital, and infrastructure quality. For the first time, the 2019 PCI presents analytical findings on behavior and interest of foreign and domestic investors in automation and digital technologies, potential impacts that these investments will have on employment size and composition, and policy recommendations to address automation impacts.
PAPI 2019 launch – VTV4 (April 29, 2020)
Launch summary of the 2019 PAPI report.
2019
DC Launch of the Myanmar Business Environment Index (Oct. 8, 2019)
Dr. Kim N. B. Ninh, The Asia Foundation’s senior advisor and former country representative (2013-2018) in Myanmar, and Edmund Malesky, Professor of Political Science at Duke University and Lead Researcher and Lead Author of The Myanmar Business Environment Index 2019, share key findings from the report, which reflects the views of private enterprises across Myanmar and measures localities against ten components of good economic governance.
PCI 2018 – Lễ công bố Chỉ số năng lực cạnh tranh cấp tỉnh năm 2018
PCI 2018 – Announcement ceremony of the 2018 Provincial Competitiveness Index
2018
Conversation with Fulbright University Vietnam (July 17, 2018)
Dr. Ed Malesky, a Visiting Scholar in the School of Public Policy and Management at Fulbright University Vietnam, speaks about his research on transitional economies and teaching at Fulbright.
PCI 2017 – Lễ công bố Chỉ số năng lực cạnh tranh cấp tỉnh năm 2017 – Phần 2
PCI 2017 – Ceremony to announce the 2017 Provincial Competitiveness Index – Part 2
2017
China’s governance puzzle: Transparency and participation in a one-party state (March 31, 2017)
The Brookings Institution’s Center for East Asia Policy Studies and The Asia Foundation co-hosted Jonathan Stromseth, Edmund Malesky, and Dimitar Gueorguiev, authors of, “China’s Governance Puzzle: Enabling Transparency and Participation in a Single-Party State” (Cambridge University Press, 2017).
PCI 2016 – Lễ công bố Chỉ số năng lực cạnh tranh cấp tỉnh năm 2016
PCI 2016 – Announcement ceremony of the 2016 Provincial Competitiveness Index
Is NATO Pulling Its Fair Share? (Jan. 17, 2017)
Edmund Malesky discusses whether NATO is pulling its fair share of the defense burden. He shares additional thoughts on the issue in a Washington Post opinion piece.
2016
Interview with FBNC (Vietnam) about the Vietnam Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) (Sept. 30, 2016)
Edmund Malesky talked about the formation of the PCI index and future expectations.
PCI 2015 – Lễ công bố Chỉ số Năng lực cạnh tranh cấp tỉnh năm 2015 (March 31, 2016)
PCI 2015 – Announcement ceremony of the 2015 Provincial Competitiveness Index
2015
Duke Faculty Spotlight: Eddy Malesky (Feb. 27, 2015)
Associate professor of political science Eddy Malesky shares a look into his classroom, his travels and his upcoming book.
2013
Vietnam: Will a New Constitution Kickstart Development? (March 11, 2013)
Vietnam’s Communist Party has stated its desire to change the country’s constitution, written in 1992. Reformers hope it will address issues of property ownership and corruption. LinkAsia speaks with Edmund Malesky of Duke University about what this new constitution will mean for the country.
2012
Entrevista Dr. Edmund Malesky – Proyecto de Competitividad Municipal (Oct. 17, 2012)
Interview Dr. Edmund Malesky on the USAID Municipal Competitiveness Project
