NEWS

From Aug. 20 to 23, 2026, the Global Inclusion Forum: Navigating Paradoxes, Cultural Nuances, and New Realities was held at the Sasin School of Management in Bangkok, Thailand. The forum explored approaches to inclusion rooted in diverse cultural contexts beyond Western-centric frameworks.

APU's Center for Inclusive Leadership (CIL) participated as a partner institution. Participants from APU included Lailani Alcantara, a professor in the School of Management and a member of the forum's organizing committee; fellow School of Management faculty members Pajaree Ackaradejruangsri, professor; Santiago Ruiz-Navas, associate professor; and Long Tam Pham, assistant professor; Miki Cutting, a professor in the Center for Inclusive Leadership and Learning; Toru Oga, a professor in the College of Asia Pacific Studies. In addition, Bijoy, a second-year MBA student from Bangladesh in the School of Management, served as a member of the organizing staff team.

Photo credits: Chaowarin Yimpanich of Sasin School of Management

On Aug. 20, a workshop was held for contributors of The Global Handbook of Inclusion, a volume that explores theories and practices of inclusion through examples from around the world. Toru Oga presented research based on philosophical dialogue sessions conducted with adults with intellectual disabilities at a Japanese support organization. Drawing on this practice, he argued that simply providing equal opportunities for everyone to speak does not necessarily lead to genuine inclusion. Long Tam Pham also contributed to a co-authored study that examined the choices made by Myanmar students studying at multicultural universities after the military coup, raising the question of whether inclusion can only be achieved under peaceful conditions. In addition, Peter W. Roux, deputy director of CIL, participated online and presented research that reexamined inclusion through the lens of Ubuntu, an African philosophy centered on human interconnectedness.

On Aug. 21, Ackaradejruangsri, together with Ruiz-Navas and Alcantara, facilitated a workshop on intergroup bias. Participants explored the impact of in-group and out-group biases on multicultural teams and took part in practical exercises designed to help them recognize and address these biases effectively. In the afternoon, Alcantara also served as a speaker in the Inclusion Lab, where participants discussed ways to advance justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in business through examples from B Lab and B Corp.

On Aug. 22, Cutting and her co-researcher presented their research findings. Their session highlighted the limitations of understanding belonging in multicultural environments through exclusively Western measures and discussed factors that foster inclusion in multicultural group work in Japan.

Throughout the forum, APU faculty members and students shared their research findings and practical insights on inclusion in multicultural environments with a global audience and contributed to discussions on the challenges and opportunities of building more inclusive societies.