Who We Are

The German–Southeast Asian Center of Excellence for Public Policy and Good Governance (CPG) is an autonomous academic institute and think tank established in 2009 under the German Federal Government’s prestigious Initiative Außenwissenschaftspolitik (Initiative for International Academic Policy). CPG is jointly held by Münster University, Goethe University Frankfurt, and Thammasat University in Bangkok, where it is based at the Faculty of Law.

Over the past fifteen years, CPG has developed into a leading regional hub at the intersection of law, governance, and (geo)politics. Combining academic rigor with practical advisory work, we engage in research, policy consultation, executive education, and specialized services for public-sector institutions, private-sector clients, and international partners across Southeast Asia and beyond.

Our Institutional Ecosystem

CPG operates within an integrated institutional ecosystem that enables both academic work and practical implementation.

Asian Governance Foundation (AGF)

In Thailand, CPG is institutionally represented by the Asian Governance Foundation (AGF), a Thai foundation chaired by the CPG Director. AGF functions as CPG’s legal representative and strengthens our long-term operational presence in Thailand.

Dynamic Minds Co., Ltd. (DM)

Dynamic Minds is a Thailand-registered boutique consultancy that emerged from the team and network of CPG. Founded in 2024 as an independent but connected structure, it serves as CPG’s corporate arm and enables current and former CPG members to conduct professional, project-based work with external partners while retaining their affiliation with CPG.

Technical Cooperation with The Keystone Group Global (KSG)

In sustainability and ESG-related fields, CPG cooperates with The Keystone Group Global, a specialized provider of data-driven ESG integration and carbon-accounting solutions. This partnership links CPG’s governance and regulatory expertise with advanced analytical and technological capabilities.

Our Thematic Hubs

CPG combines academic depth with practical advisory capability, regional expertise, and a flexible operational structure.

This enables us to support organizations in navigating complex legal, regulatory, and political environments with clarity and precision. Through our integrated ecosystem, we offer both high-level analysis and implementable solutions—anchored in rigorous scholarship, long-term regional engagement, and professional networks that span government, diplomacy, security institutions, business, academia, and civil society.

CPG’s thematic work is organized around four core hubs:

Constitutional Law & -Politics / Human Rights

CPG’s constitutional work focuses on the analysis and comparability of constitutional law and constitutional politics, combining German constitutional experience with deep engagement in Asian contexts. Current academic focus includes Thailand, Indonesia, India, and Bangladesh, supported by continuous monitoring from Japan to Pakistan and Mongolia to Tunisia. Through extensive networks of scholars and judges, CPG has become a leading address for constitutional expertise and dialogue in both Asia and Europe.

Peace & Security / Geopolitics

CPG’s work on Peace & Security focuses on intra-state and international conflicts in Asia, the transformation of regional orders, and the wider shifts in global geopolitical balances. Current attention includes rising polarization, escalating conflict zones, and the implications of Myanmar’s civil war, all set against broader changes in the international order and their relevance for Asian and European policy.

Governance & Compliance

CPG’s work in Governance & Compliance combines interdisciplinary analysis of organizational management with practical perspectives from Good Governance, Corporate Governance, Compliance, and Organizational Theory. The focus includes cross-border and cross-cultural compliance challenges, export control and anti-corruption regimes, and—more recently—ESG-related governance across global supply chains.

Mediation

The CPG’s Mediation Center (CMC) combines academic insight with practical expertise to support effective conflict resolution. Its work focuses on cross-cultural and international disputes, ESG-related multi-stakeholder engagement, supply-chain compliance, and political conflict resolution, promoting mediation as a forward-thinking, relationship-preserving alternative to litigation.