Wherever I am, the world comes after me.
It offers me its busyness. It does not believe that I do not want it.
Now I understand why the old poets of China went so far
and high into the mountains, then crept into the pale mist.
"The Old Poets of China" by Mary Oliver

Dr. Sevilla Delivers a Lecture on MENA Security and International Law in Mindanao State University-Marawi

Details

Dr. Henelito A. Sevilla, Jr., Assistant Professor at the UP Asian Center, delivered a lecture, “Contending Security Issues in MENA Region in the Context of International Law and International Agreements,” on 20 November 2015 before the students and faculty of the King Faisal Center for Islamic Studies, Mindanao State University in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur.

In his lecture, Dr. Sevilla explained why the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) has been subject to unending wars and conflict, and explored the link between the region’s security and that of the rest of the world. Utilizing realism and social constructivism as a lens, he argued that international law and international agreements have been weakened in the face of security issues that MENA countries face. He added that the situation has been exacerbated by mistrust and lack of genuine communication and argued that “the traditional concept of security in international relations theory, at least in the realist school, posits that the only way to ensure one’s security is to increase one’s power at the expense of other states. This conventional wisdom is practiced with perfection in today’s Middle East.”

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. 

Photo: Dr. Sevilla (3rd from left) receives his plaque of appreciation after delivering his lecture in MSU Marawi. Grabbed from Dr. Sevilla's Facebook page. 

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.