Center Overview

In 2025, Institute of Science Innovation and Culture – Rajamangala University of Technology Krungthep (RMUTK-ISIC) and the National Interdisciplinary Institute on Ageless at Southwest Jiaotong University jointly launched the ASEAN-China Silver Economy Development Research Center. The center aims to serve the development of the silver economy in ASEAN and China, addressing the urgent needs of the silver economy development in Thailand and the ASEAN region. Based on academic depth, centered on industry empowerment, using two-way collaboration as a pathway, and with regional well-being as its mission, the center is committed to building an innovative paradigm for a China-ASEAN silver industry community in the “silver age,” contributing neutral, professional, and actionable regional wisdom to the health, dignity, and sustainable development of hundreds of millions of elderly people.

Mission and Vision

Core Mission: Through transnational collaboration, cutting-edge research, and industry empowerment, we aim to promote academic dialogue, technological synergy, and market integration between China and ASEAN in the field of the silver economy, building a knowledge hub and innovation platform serving the health, dignity, and well-being of hundreds of millions of elderly people in the region.

Development Vision: By 2030, we aim to become a top-tier regional think tank with 30-40 full-time researchers covering the ten ASEAN countries and major provinces of China. We will continuously promote a series of research reports on regional cooperation in the silver economy, lead the formulation of multiple regional standards, and drive the transformation of research findings into national and regional policies. We will become an authoritative and neutral platform for academic innovation, talent cultivation, and industry empowerment in the Asian silver economy field.

Organizational Structure

ACSEC implements a “director-responsibility system under the guidance of the co-construction committee” to ensure diversified participation and efficient operation.

Construction Committee

Composed of the initial founding units (Rajamangala University of Technology Krungthep and Southwest Jiaotong University) and subsequent co-founding units, the center holds an annual plenary meeting to decide on strategic planning, major budgets, and new member admissions. Membership is open to all academic institutions, research institutes, and enterprises in ASEAN countries and China.

Expert Committee

It brings together over 30 policy and academic authorities from top institutions in China, ASEAN, and internationally, providing independent and neutral strategic guidance and academic oversight.

Industry Advisory Committee: Includes leaders in the health and wellness industry from ASEAN countries.

Policy Advisory Group: Invites former officials from retirement affairs departments of China and ASEAN countries.

A Chief Scientist position will be established.

Executive Office

1. Decision-Making & Governance: Joint Director, Deputy Director.

Composition: Composed of senior representatives from the host organizations of China and Thailand, with two directors.

Deputy Directors: Including representatives from universities and colleges of both sides and specially invited representatives from ASEAN countries.

Functions: Formulate the center’s development strategy, approve major research projects, and approve major annual achievements.

2. Execution & Operations:

Secretariat: One Secretary-General and several Deputy Secretaries-General.

Functions: Responsible for the daily operation and management of the center, coordinating research cooperation, information exchange and project promotion between ASEAN and China in the field of silver economy.

3. Business Departments: Five core departments

(1) Interdisciplinary Research Division

Functions: Build a joint research platform for the silver economy between China and Thailand, and be responsible for compiling the ASEAN Silver Economy Annual White Paper.

Personnel: One Minister, 4-6 Senior Researchers (covering economics, public health and sociology), and several Young Researchers.

Key Areas: ASEAN silver economy strategy, healthy aging service system, silver consumer market and social support system.

(2) Business & Innovation Department

Functions: Promote the construction of the ASEAN Health and Wellness Product Exhibition and Experience Center and promote cross-border industrial cooperation.

Key Areas: Promote cooperation between ASEAN and China in medical health, health and wellness tourism, and smart Deep cooperation in science and technology, nutrition and food fields.

(3) Standards Research & Development Lab

Function: To develop standards for health and wellness technologies and services in tropical regions and to carry out certification work.

Key Areas: Standards for the integration of traditional medicine and modern health and wellness, and standards for cross-border elderly care services.

(4) Innovation Ventures Department

Function: To run the Silver Economy Innovation Incubation Program and to cultivate start-up projects.

Key Areas: To build an integrated platform for “Research-Transformation-Investment”.

(5) Data & Policy Analytics Center

Function: To build the ASEAN Silver Economy Database and update the center’s media matrix.

Key Areas: Database of elderly population in ASEAN countries, database of ASEAN silver consumption, database of ASEAN silver industry/enterprise.

4. Support Department

Country Partners: One liaison officer will be appointed for each new member organization, recommended by the organization, responsible for local network expansion, project implementation, and relationship maintenance.

Administrative Office: Responsible for daily operations, international coordination, and meeting organization.

Office of Finance & Compliance: Responsible for daily financial management and ensuring compliant operations.

Center Director

Center Director   Dr. Surachai Traiwannakij

Dr. Surachai graduated from Thammasat University in Thailand and the University of Manchester in the UK, and received his PhD in Philosophy from the University of Innsbruck in Austria. He is currently a professor at Rajamangala University of Technology Krungthep, and has previously worked at the Thai Ministry of Commerce, the Kasikorn Bank Research Center, and well-known companies. He has held teaching and leadership positions at several prestigious universities, including Bangkok University. Dr. Surachai’s research is broad and cutting-edge, focusing on consumer behavior, digital marketing, organizational leadership, educational innovation, and cross-cultural management. He has published numerous high-level papers in internationally indexed journals such as Scopus and TCI. He has extensive experience in policy analysis, economic research, and business management, and is committed to promoting academic innovation and international cooperation. He currently teaches courses in economics, statistics, and research methods.

Center Director   Professor Yang Yifan

Vice Dean of the National Interdisciplinary Institute on Ageless /International College of Health and Wellness (China Research Center on Aging, CRCA) at Southwest Jiaotong University, Associate Professor of the School of Public Administration and Law, and Master’s Supervisor. He holds a PhD in Economics jointly trained by Southwestern University of Finance and Economics and the Max Planck Society of Germany, a Master of Management from Renmin University of China, and a Bachelor’s degree from Southwestern University of Finance and Economics. After graduating in December 2010, he was appointed as an Associate Professor at Southwest Jiaotong University as a recruited talent, engaging in teaching, research, and consulting work in the fields of healthy aging, women’s and children’s development, elderly care, and the health and wellness industry. He is a member of the National Aging Development “13th Five-Year Plan” research group, a key member of the National “Marxist Theory Research and Construction Project” 2017 key project “Research on the Basic Connotation and Great Significance of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s New Concepts, New Ideas, and New Strategies for Effectively Addressing Population Aging,” and the principal investigator of National Social Science Fund projects, National Natural Science Foundation projects, and Ministry of Education Humanities and Social Sciences projects. He has received honors such as “National Advanced Individual in Implementing the Outline for the Development of Women and Children” (State Council Women and Children’s Working Committee, 2016) and “Special Contribution Award for the 20th Anniversary of Sichuan Province’s Promotion of the Basic National Policy of Gender Equality” (Sichuan Provincial Government Women and Children’s Working Committee, 2016). Currently, he serves as a member of the Youth Committee of the China Social Security Association, a member of the Youth Scholars Alliance of the China Social Security 30 Forum; a director of the (China) Consumer Economics Society, a director of the Sichuan Provincial Residents’ Consumption Research Association, a director of the European Association for Research on Occupational Pensions (ENRSP), and an invited researcher of the China Pension Finance 50 Forum; a reviewer for the National Natural Science Foundation of China; an expert member of the Sichuan Provincial Policy and Regulation Gender Equality Assessment and Advisory Committee; a member of the Asian Association for Public Administration (AAPA), an overseas professor at Meiji University, Japan, a visiting researcher at the International Center for Poverty Reduction and Development Research at Yonsei University, South Korea, a visiting researcher at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, Japan, and a member of the Transnational Research Council on Global Poverty Reduction Strategies of the International Institute for Administrative Sciences (IIAS); and an anonymous reviewer for international English journals such as 《Poverty Reduction and Regional Development》 and 《Asian Public Administration Review》, among other academic and social positions.

Yang Yong, Deputy Director and Secretary-General of the Center, is a researcher and expert.

Holding an International MBA, she previously served as the Executive Deputy Secretary-General of the 6th Council of the Chinese Gerontology and Geriatrics Society and the Executive Deputy Director of the Aging Industry Branch of the Chinese Gerontology and Geriatrics Society. Currently, she is the Vice President of the Beijing Jinghe Cultural Tourism Development Research Institute and the Secretary-General of the Guangxi Longevity Industry Development Promotion Association. She has long been deeply involved in gerontology, the silver economy, the longevity industry, and health and wellness tourism, focusing on strategic responses to an aging society, longevity industry planning, development paths for health and wellness tourism, and the construction of a silver economy system. She has participated in dozens of national-level research projects and standard development projects, including 《The Criteria and Methods for the Recognition of Longevity Towns in China,》 《Guangxi Tourism and Retirement Service Standards》 and 《Research on Issues Related to the National Strategy for Addressing Population Aging》 With nearly 10 years of industry experience, she has conducted field research in more than 20 provinces and cities across China, deeply participating in regional “longevity+” development strategies and health and wellness industry path design. She is committed to the systematic research and industrial transformation of China’s aging problem and to promoting the government’s construction of a distinctive silver economy system.

Chief Scientist

Professor Hou Shengtian

A PhD in Management and doctoral supervisor, Professor at the School of Big Health Sciences, City University of Macao, and Director of the Health Industry Research Center, National Institute for Development and Strategy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. His main research areas are big health and management, with interests including: digital health and digital TCM, positive psychology and TCM psychology, health tourism and cross-border travel, and global health and TCM communication. He has led several National Social Science Fund projects, Ministry of Education Social Science Fund projects, and Beijing Social Science Fund projects. He has published nearly 100 papers and authored or edited over 40 books and textbooks. He is the chief editor (initiator) of the “Health Economics and Management Series” Blue Books and also serves as the chief editor of the following blue books: 《Global Health Blue Book》, 《Global Traditional Chinese Medicine Blue Book》, 《TCM Hospital Blue Book》, 《TCM Clinic Blue Book》, 《Digital Health Blue Book》, 《Digital TCM Blue Book》, 《Health Industry Blue Book》, 《Health Tourism Blue Book》, 《Health and Wellness Travel Blue Book》, 《Silver Age Industry Blue Book》, 《Integrated Medical and Elderly Care Blue Book》, and 《Food and Medicine Homology Blue Book》. Currently serving as Vice President of the International Health Tourism Professional Committee of the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies, Vice President of the Medical and Elderly Care Integration Professional Committee of the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies, Vice Chairman of the International Travel and Wellness Branch of the Chinese Gerontology and Geriatrics Society, Vice President of the Medical and Elderly Care Integration Branch of the China Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine Information, Vice Chairman of the Wine and Wellness Professional Committee of the China Medicinal Diet Research Association, and Vice President and President of the Health Tourism Professional Committee of the Beijing Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine Ecological Culture Research.