The Impossible State Live Podcast: The Four Talent Giants

February 26, 2026 • 11:00 – 11:45 am EST

Brought to you by

Korea Chair

Please join The Impossible State Live podcast for a special episode featuring Stanford University Professor Gi-Wook Shin's new book, The Four Talent Giants. Moderated by Mr. Sydney Seiler, the episode features Professor Gi-Wook Shin, William J. Perry Professor of Contemporary Korea in Sociology and Director of the Stanford Next Asia Policy Lab at Stanford University.

In this episode, they discuss Professor Shin’s new book, The Four Talent Giants: National Strategies for Human Resource Development Across Japan, Australia, China, and India, and how these four “talent giants” achieved economic power and sustained momentum by responding to risks and challenges such as demographic crises, brain drain, and geopolitical tensions, drawing on his Four Bs theory—brain train, brain gain, brain circulation, and brain linkage—to explain national strength and success.

This event is made possible by the generous support of CSIS.

Tags

Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific, China, India, Japan, Korea, Geopolitics and International Security, Asian Economics, and International Development

Hosted By

Contact Information

  • Minchi Hyun
  • Special Assistant to the President, Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department and Program Manager, Korea Chair
  • MHyun@csis.org
Gi-Wook Shin

Gi-Wook Shin

William J. Perry Professor of Contemporary Korea in the Department of Sociology and Director of Stanford Next Asia Policy Lab, Stanford University

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