Winston Set Aung

Winston Set Aung, Ph.D., is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization (IDE-JETRO), and an Affiliated Professor at the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University. Dr. Set Aung previously held several senior political positions in the Government of Myanmar, including Deputy Minister of Planning and Finance, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Myanmar, Deputy Minister of National Planning and Economic Development, and Economic Advisor to the President of Myanmar until February 1, 2021. He also held several key national positions, including:

•  Chairman of the Management Committees for both the Thilawa and Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zones
• Secretary of the Development Assistance Coordination Unit (DACU), chaired by State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi
• Member of the National Economic Coordination Committee (NECC), also chaired by the State Counselor
• Secretary of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Steering Committee, chaired by the Vice President of Myanmar
• Member of the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC)

Dr. Set Aung obtained a Bachelor’s degree and an MBA in Myanmar. He later earned a Master’s degree in Banking and Finance in Scotland, followed by a Master’s degree in Investment Management in London. He also holds a Doctoral degree from Keio University in Japan.

He has been actively engaged in numerous international and regional research projects focusing on economic development, social policy, and institutional reform across countries such as Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Sweden, and Japan. To date, he has contributed to the successful implementation of more than 40 international and regional economic and social research projects in over 10 countries.

Dr. Set Aung is also the author of numerous research papers produced in collaboration with leading academic and policy institutions, including the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, the University of Tokyo in Japan, the Institute for Security and Development Policy (ISDP) in Sweden, Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, the Mekong Institute in Khon Kaen, the Stockholm Environment Institute – Asia, and the Research Institute on Contemporary Southeast Asia (IRASEC) in France, among others.