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

Professor Aileen Baviera of the Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman took part in the “2nd Asia Future Conference: Diversity and Harmony” last August 22 to 24 in Bali, Indonesia. The conference was organized by the Sekiguchi Global Research Association/Atsumi International Foundation in partnership with Udayana University. 

As part of a special panel, “New Order of East Asia in the Era of China’s Emergence,” Dr. Baviera delivered a paper on “China’s Rise and the Southeast Asian Security Environment.” She discussed how China’s rise has affected the security environment of Southeast Asia in light of territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea, the changing balance of power in the region, and the divisions between and among ASEAN member states vis-à-vis their relations with China.  

Professor Baviera teaches MA courses on international relations and on Chinese politics and governance. 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 allowing students to focus on Philippine sociocultural studies, 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 College of Social Sciences and Philosophy.

Photo: Dr. Aileen Baviera (L) with fellow panelists. Courtesy of the Sekiguchi Global Research Association