The Asian Center — in collaboration with the Cultural Counsellorship of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Foreign Service Institute of the Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Philippine-Iran Cultural and Scientific Society (PICSS) — will be holding an international conference, Philippines-Iran Relations: 50 Years and Beyond, on Friday, 20 February 2015, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Asian Center Auditorium, GT-Toyota Asian Cultural Center, Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman. The conference is free and open to the public.Commemorating over 50 years of bilateral relations between Iran and the Philippines, the conference features several papers discussing the origins, development, and future of Philippines-Iran relations; comparing the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution; identifying similarities between Iranian and Filipino culture; and examining Filipinos’perceptions of Iran and Iranians, among others.
The president of the University of the Philippines, Alfredo E. Pascual, is expected to deliver welcome remarks, as will His Excellency Aliasgar Muhammadi, the Iranian Ambassador to the Philippines. A keynote address will be given by Dr. Abozar Ebrahimi Torkaman, Deputy Minister of Cultural and Islamic Guidance and Head of Organization for Culture and Communications. Ambassador Laura del Rosario, Undersecretary, Office of the Undersecretary for International Economic Affairs, has also been invited to deliver a keynote address.
Three faculty members of the Asian Center will present their respective papers during the conference: Dr. Joefe B. Santarita, Assistant Professor and College Secretary of the Asian Center; Dr. Henelito A. Sevilla, Jr., coordinator of the West Asia Studies graduate program of the Asian Center; and Associate Professor Rolando Talampas. A graduate student, Emmeviene Suelto, joins the list of presenters that include diplomats and academics. An ancient Iranian musical presentation will conclude the conference.
Interested participants may send their inquiries and confirm their attendance via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Asian Center offers MA degrees in Asian and in Philippine Studies. The Asian Studies program offers specializations in Northeast Asian Studies, Southeast Asian Studies, South Asian Studies, or West Asian Studies. The Center also has an M.A. program in Philippine Studies that allow students to specialize on Philippine society and culture, Philippine foreign relations, or Philippine development studies. The Center also 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. Like the Asian Center on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @upasiancenter.