Adept by Robert Finn

Adept by Robert Finn

This book, a project of the ASEAN-China Study Programme of ISEAS, is designed to promote a better understanding between the people of the two regions as China continues to exert a dominant political and economic presence in Southeast Asia. Needless to say, scholars and academics from both sides have a significant role to play in terms of creating greater awareness of each other through research, workshops, and conferences. Whilst many universities and research institutes in the ASEAN region are conducting studies on various aspects of China, it is equally important for the Chinese counterparts to be fully engaged in Southeast Asian Studies in order to deepen their knowledge of the region for mutual benefit. The book traces the development of Southeast Asian Studies in China, discusses the current status of these studies, examines the problems encountered in the pursuit of these studies, and attempts to evaluate their prospects in the years ahead.

Robert Finn graduated from the University of Chicago with an A.B. in biological sciences and intended to pursue a career as a research neuroscientist. After several years in graduate school, in the Department of Psychobiology at the University of California, Irvine, he realized that he preferred writing about science to actually doing it. Robert left with an M.S. degree to pursue a career as a science writer. For a number of years, he worked full-time at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena, doing science writing for Caltech's research magazine and then for the news media, explaining scientific advances. Since 1992, Robert has been a full-time freelance writer. He has written hundreds of articles for dozens of publications, including Discover, Men's Fitness, the Los Angeles Times, and The Scientist, where he is a contributing editor. Although he has written about practically all areas of science, he specializes in biomedicine and in science policy. He estimates that he has interviewed close to 1,000 scientists, physicians, and other experts during his career. Robert has been fascinated with the drug development process and clinical trials since college. Several years ago he worked for a contract research organization, writing chapters for highly technical books intended for scientists interested in clinical trials. Cancer Clinical Trials is Robert's first book. He is now working on a book on organ transplants.