Asia House announces new Fellows for 2025/2026
Asia House has awarded two new Fellowships as part of its commitment to develop the next generation of business and policy leaders.
Laura Malaussene and Ashton Choi have been selected as the Asia House Fellows for 2025-2026 from a competitive field of applicants. They will start in October and both will conduct a major research project which will be published in Autumn 2026.
Laura’s research will focus on how Saudi Arabia is leveraging AI to drive economic diversification under Vision 2030. Ashton will examine the global semiconductor supply chain and its political and commercial impact in the Asia-Pacific, with a focus on new players and regulatory dynamics.
Michael Lawrence OBE, Chief Executive of Asia House, said: “We are delighted to welcome Laura and Ashton as Asia House Fellows. They are two outstanding individuals who deservedly have been awarded the fellowship against a very competitive field of applicants. I look forward to working with them as they develop their projects.
“The Asia House Fellowship Programme is a key strategic initiative designed to identify and support the next generation of global leaders. We are excited to have Laura and Ashton as part of the Asia House team and wish them every success.”
The Asia House Fellowship Programme is now entering its fifth year and is a key programme to develop the leaders of the future and to inform and elevate understanding of Asia and the Middle East globally.
Laura Malaussene
The Role of AI in Gulf Smart Cities: A Focus on Saudi Arabia's Strategic Trade and Geopolitical Initiatives
Laura will explore the role of AI in Gulf smart cities, with a focus on Saudi Arabia’s strategic use of semiconductors to support economic diversification and regional influence goals under Vision 2030.
Her project builds on an interdisciplinary background in international relations, communications, and policy to examine how AI and semiconductors are reshaping trade and governance across the region. With the launch of Saudi Arabia’s Alat initiative and the Kingdom’s growing partnerships with global technology players in Asia, the research captures a pivotal moment in the Gulf’s geopolitical and economic transformation amid rising global tech rivalries and strategic tensions.
Ashton Choi
The Emerging Landscape: New Players in the Semiconductor Supply Chain
Ashton's research focuses on global technology businesses, regulations, and policies and their commercial and political impacts in the APAC and MENA markets, specifically examining the global semiconductor supply chain and its new entrants.
Ashton has a decade of experience in finance, working on a wide range of financing and investment deals at JP Morgan, BlackRock, Barclays, special situation hedge funds and VC funds. He has deep expertise in AI and semiconductors, and studied engineering at the University of Oxford.