Dr. Henelito A. Sevilla, Jr., Assistant Professor at the Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman delivered a lecture, “ASEAN Integration in a Rapidly Changing World: Aspiration or Reality?” for Doctor of Public Administration (DPA) candidates from Bulacan State University in Malolos, Bulacan Province.
The lecture was part of an official visit to the Asian Center headed by Aimee Grace M. Madlangbayan, who led the delegation of DPA candidates taking up a course, Comparative Development Administration, under their professor, Dr. Ariel S. Arceo who joined them in the trip to the university.
In his lecture, Dr. Sevilla outlined the historical evolution of ASEAN in the context of regional community building, its objectives and goals, and challenges and opportunities to integration. He recognized the fact that while the ASEAN vision has been generally moving slower than projected, its efforts towards regional economic cooperation should still be considered as a milestone.
Dr. Sevilla also suggested that Filipinos recognize and give more consideration to ASEAN integration, and that the government exert more efforts to meet standardized policies and measurements used to evaluate the skills of Filipino professionals. He also called for a stronger national campaign to educate Filipinos on the benefits and challenges of ASEAN integration, so that they can become not just beneficiaries but also strategic partners in the integration process.
After the lecture, the DPA candidates had a dialogue with Dr. Sevilla, discussing the points raised and exchanging their views. Also, as part of the visit, the BSU students listened to a brief presentation on the Asian Center, by Mr. Janus Isaac V. Nolasco, University Researcher and Information Officer of the UP Asian Center.
Photo: Dr. Sevilla (5th, L-R) together with the visitors to the Asian Center, including Doctor of Public Administration candidates from BSU accompanied by Dr. Arceo.
Dr. Henelito A. Sevilla, Jr. is Assistant Professor at the Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman and Assistant to the Dean for Administration and Public Affairs. He specializes in Mindanao studies, Philippine-Middle East Relations, political economy of the Middle East, energy security in Asia, Persian Gulf security and Middle Easterners in the Philippines. The coordinator of the West Asian Studies graduate program of the UP Asian Center, he handles several graduate courses such as Seminar on West Asia, Philippine Foreign Relations in Selected Countries in West Asia, and History and Development of Philippine Foreign Policy.
The Asian Center offers M.A. degrees in Asian Studies with four fields of specialization: Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and West Asia. The Center also has an M.A. program in Philippine Studies that allows students to major in Philippine society and culture, Philippine foreign relations, or Philippine development studies. The Center offers a Ph.D. program in Philippine Studies in conjunction with the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy. For an overview of these graduate programs, click here. The Asian Center also publishes Asian Studies: Journal of Critical Perspectives on Asia, the latest issue of which can be downloaded at the journal's website. View recent and upcoming Lectures & Conferences and read other News & Announcements. Join our mailing list to receive invitations to lectures, conferences, etc.