Inaugural Editorial: ASEAN Studies from Capital City of ASEAN We are very grateful to announce the launch of first edition of International Journal of ASEAN Studies, the first and only international journal specifically addressed Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as institution as well as individual country’s developments from Jakarta, the heart of ASEAN. The new initiatives of studying ASEAN are urgent yet very important as Southeast Asian countries have been moving forward towards ASEAN Community 2015 and beyond. The International Journal of ASEAN Studies (JAS), a peer-reviewed bi-annual journal that enriches understanding of past, current and future issues relevant to ASEAN, particularly, provides an academic venue for academician, practitioners, diplomats, businessmen and larger stakeholders of ASEAN to create an intriguing deliberation about ASEAN in order to address the need towards ASEAN as Community theoretically and empirically. JAS welcome any thoughts that encourage debate, controversy, new understanding on ASEAN with sharp analysis and rigorous methodologies either quantitative, qualitative or mixed method. We thank to our editorial board members that make this inaugural edition possible. They are very helpful by providing their time, energy, and resources to share views and efforts to push this journal forward. Blending of prominent scholars with world class reputation in the international relations, diplomacy and business as well as related disciplines and younger generation of scholars in the region will be an instrumental factor in making this journal as first-class international journal. In this inaugural edition, JAS covers five scholarly articles and one practical note. First article entitled The Mandala Culture of Anarchy: The Pre-Colonial Southeast Asian International Society, written by Pandu Utama Manggala from Australian National University, Australia. He provides an interesting thought in examining the interplay that had existed between pre-colonial Southeast Asian empires and the hierarchical East Asian international society during the 13th-16th Century. He argues that Southeast Asian international relations in pre- colonial time were characterized by complex political structures with the influence of Mandala values. In that structural context, the Majapahit Empire, one of the biggest empires at that time had its own constitutional structures of an international society, albeit still sought close relations with China. His study has set an open space for discussion about the alternative explanation of non-western analysis of international relations. While Manggala’s article focuses on the origin of Southeast Asian international order, the second article focuses on the current regional orderbeing established by Southeast Asian countries namely ASEAN. The second article entitled Why ASEAN Could Stay Strong? is written by Dinna Wisnu from Paramadina University, Indonesia. She argues that despite many tensions among members of ASEAN but it also recognizes such challenge as the one that unites ASEAN members together. There are some dilemmas among members of ASEAN that does not left much room for members but to cooperate with each other: the dilemma of risking higher tensions among members, the dilemma of risking the benefits of existing pooling of resources, the dilemma of improving connectivity among members and the dilemma of facing global pressure on good governance and liberal democracy. The third article discusses political economic issue in the context of global financial crisis in the late 2000s between Indonesia and China in energy sector that become hot debate recently. Muhammad Badaruddin from Bakrie University, Indonesia writes about Indonesia-China Energy Trade: Analyzing Global and Domestic Political Economic Significance in Indonesia-China LNG Trade. He urges thatLNG export as a medium to strengthen Indonesia-China strategic partnership using Tangguh LNG export to China as a case study. The bilateral relations between Southeast Asian countries and China are one of the main issues in enforcing the sustainability of ASEAN as a single market. The fourth article discusses cyber security cooperation as one of the understudied cooperation by ASEAN. The article entitled A Secure Connection:Finding the Form of ASEAN Cyber Security Cooperation written by Khanisa from Centre for Political Studies, Indonesia Institute of Sciences (LIPI) examines how ASEAN framework can widen its security agenda to cyber world in the future to complete its preparation of being connected. The fifth article is written by Wan-Ping Tai and Samuel C.Y. Ku entitled State and Industrial Policy: Comparative Political Economic Analysis of Automotive Industrial Policies in Malaysia and Thailand. In this piece, the writers discuss how despite having the same states’ intervention in automotive industry, Malaysia and Thailand has difference trajectories in their automotive industry. Tai and Ku argue that the choice of strategy and political interference are the two main reasons the automotive industry in Malaysia is less competitive than that in Thailand. The discussion of how state policy influences the economic outcome is central in the discussion for ASEAN to be able to stay as a single market economy. In the practical note, article written by Pingkan Umboh entitled Education for the ASEAN Community – The Case of Indonesia discuss the importance of education in ASEAN Community. Using Indonesia as a case study, she analyses how initiatives taken by the Government and Higher Education institutions can deepen people to people cooperation as one of the pillars of ASEAN Community. Last but not least, editor-in-chief would like to express highest appreciation for authors who submitted their articles as response from our invitation. We also thank to Indonesian Association for International Relations for supporting this joint publication with Centre for Business and Diplomatic Studies (CBDS) Department of International Relations Bina Nusantara University. In order to become internationally renowned journal, we are very happy to receive comments, feedback and advice for quality improvement of the journal. We hope JAS will bring an academic oasis that nurture new thoughts and encourage innovative practical application of ASEAN studies in Southeast Asian region and the world. Jakarta, 1 July 2013 Tirta N. Mursitama Editor-in-chief