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

The UP Asian Center Launches ASEAN Week, 25–28 August 2015

Details

The Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman has designated 25–28 August 2015 as ASEAN Week and will be organizing a public forum, cultural exhibits, a lecture, and other activities in celebration of the event. The week-long festivities, most of which will be conducted in the facilities of the Asian Center, are free and open to the public. 

Starting off ASEAN Week on 25 August is a tree-planting activity at 9 a.m. at the GT-Toyota Asian Cultural Center grounds. This will be followed by the formal opening ceremonies from 9:30 am to 10:00 am. A public forum will then be held at the GT-Toyota Asian Center auditorium until noon, featuring talks by: 

  • Ambassador Leticia Ramos-Shahani, Senator of the Republic of the Philippines from 1987 to 1992 and from 1992 to 1998;
  • Hon. Ade Petranto, Deputy Chief of Mission, Indonesian Embassy;
  • Officials from embassies of select ASEAN states; and
  • Ambassador Claro Cristobal, Director General of the Foreign Service Institute. 

Chancellor Michael L. Tan of the University of the Philippines Diliman will give the welcome remarks, and Ambassador Delia Albert, ASEAN Director General from 1990 to 1995 and Secretary of Foreign Affairs from 2003 to 2004, will deliver the keynote address. 

On 28 August, Dean Joefe Santarita of the UP Asian Center will give a lecture on ASEAN countries as a cultural region at the Centennial Center for Digital Learning Auditorium, UP Open University, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines. The said lecture will be streamed live via  http:/upounetworks.net/ from 2 p.m. onwards. 

Cultural exhibits will be held everyday at the UP Asian Center throughout ASEAN Week; representatives of participating ASEAN states will set up all-day booths showcasing the cultural traditions of their respective countries.  

ASEAN Week is organized by the UP Asian Center in cooperation with the Foreign Service Institute, the UP Open University, the UP College of Home Economics, and the embassies of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. 

Seating for all events is on a first-come, first-served basis, but the organizers would appreciate it if interested participants can express their intent to come via email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Kindly indicate which activity you would like to take part in. For inquiries, please contact Neli Quejado at the Dean’s Office at 981.8500 local 3577. 

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. For other news and upcoming events at the Asian Center, click here.

Photo: Poster for ASEAN Week.* Image: "ASEAN 10" by nikikiyoyoneko@DeviantArt. Grabbed here. 
Erratum: The poster misspelled the user's name nikikiyoyokeno; it should be nikikiyoyoneko.