The UP Asian Center, together with the University of Pittsburgh, will be hosting an international conference, “New Asian Connectivities” on 12-13 December 2023, at the GT-Toyota Asian Cultural Center. The event is by-invitation only.
ABOUT THE EVENT
Asia is undergoing a historic transformation that has often been referred to as the “Asian Century.” Representing 60% of the world’s population and 3 of the 10-largest economies, Asia plays a critical and ever-expanding role on the global stage. Transnational flows of people, goods, and ideas in and out of Asia have fueled rapid change within the region and increased its influence abroad. New sources of cultural and social influences, such as popular culture, labor mobility, and migration have broadened and deepened the ways in which Asia influences global platforms. Additionally, traditional connections, such as globalization and economic development, public health, and political networks have been impacted by new concerns such as environmental sustainability, pandemic crises, and the emergence of geoeconomic frameworks such as China’s belt & road initiative, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.
These linkages, both old and new, will also have a broad impact on Southeast Asia and the Philippines. A long history of trade and migration with China, interwoven with the colonial and post-colonial ties with the United States, places Manila at the center of the rivalry between Beijing and Washington. Labor migration and the Filipino diaspora are, in turn, affected by regional politics, but also shape the way in which the country influences regional economic development as a key economic actor.
The event is part of a series of collaborations between the two institutions that includes the virtual conference “Global Asia: Issues, Challenges, and Opportunities,” in February 2023 and the webinar “China’s Economy in Long-Term Perspective,” in November 2023. The conference, which consists of intensive sessions for research presentations and discussion, considers the sub-themes of political economy, foreign relations, and socio-cultural interrogations and flows.
THE CONVENERS
TINA S. CLEMENTE, Ph.D.
Tina S. Clemente is a Professor at the Asian Center, University of the Philippines, Diliman. She earned her Ph.D. at the School of Economics at the same university. Her research interests include development, China Studies in the Philippines, Philippines–China economic relations, and economic history. She co-edited Studies of China and Chineseness since the Cultural Revolution: Volume 2: Micro Intellectual History through De-central Lenses (2023, World Scientific) and China Studies in the Philippines: Intellectual Paths and the Formation of a Field (2018, Routledge). She was a program convener of the 2016 China/Strategic Studies Program of the UP Center of Integrative and Development Studies. Dr. Clemente is a former president of the Philippine Association for Chinese Studies and the first editor-in-chief of the Chinese Studies Journal. She received the 2022 Gawad Tsanselor Sa Natatanging Guro, the most prestigious award for UP Diliman faculty that recognizes excellence in teaching, research, and service.
JOSEPH S. ALTER, Ph.D.
Joseph S. Alter is a medical anthropologist whose work focuses on yoga, Ayurveda and Nature Cure in contemporary India and the comparison of medical systems in Asia. He has published on the cultural history of physical fitness, medicine, gender, and sexuality, with a particular interest in questioning nationalist assumptions about the integrity of cultural traditions.
THE PROGRAM
PANEL 1: BELIEFS, IDENTITY DISCOURSES, AND LITERATURE
“The Discovery of Yoga in the Himalaya: Swami Sivananda, New Asian Connectivity and the Mythos of Orientalism”
Joseph S. Alter, Ph.D.
Asian Studies Center, University of Pittsburgh
“Major Marginalities and Innate Sense of Selves: Sama Bajau Discourses on Identity in Two Sangbay-Igal Songs for the Dance”
Matthew Contancio M. Santamaria, Doctor of Law
UP Asian Center
“Beyond Folktales: Towards a Contemporary Definition of Southeast Asian Fantasy Literature for Young People”
Gabriela Lee
College of Arts and Letters, UP Diliman
Department of English, University of Pittsburgh
OPEN FORUM
Moderator: Maria Dulce Natividad, PhD
PANEL 2: GOVERNANCE, NARRATIVES, AND POLITICAL ECONOMY
“Connecting Narratives: Governance and Advocacy on Reproductive and Sexual Health in the Philippines and Vietnam”
Maria Dulce Natividad, Ph.D., UP Asian Center
Le Minh Giang, Ph.D., Hanoi Medical University
“Anti-Corruption, Good Governance, Capitalism and the Moral Economy of Care: Reexamining Indonesian Passports”
Nicole Constable, Ph.D.
Department of Anthropology, University of Pittsburgh
“Political Economy Dynamics in the Philippine Banana and Mining Sectors: Implications on Philippines-China Relations”
Tina S. Clemente, Ph.D., UP Asian Center
Nona May Pepito, Ph.D., College of Integrative Studies, Singapore Management University
OPEN FORUM
Moderator: Alexander Michael Palma, Ph.D.
PANEL 3: COOPERATION, REGIONALISM, AND THE INTERNATIONAL ORDER
“China-Saudi Arabia and U.A.E policies under BRI and its impacts on Regional Order”
Henelito A.Sevilla, Jr., Ph.D., Dean and Professor, UP Asian Center
Hossein Noroozi, Ph.D., Faculty of Law and Political Science, University of Tehran
“East Asian Regionalism and the Future of the International Order”
Gemma Marolda, Ph.D.,
Department of Political Science, University of Pittsburgh
“Leveraging on Infrastructure Development in ODA: Strengthening Strategic Alliances and Diplomatic Supremacy in Asia?”
Alexander Michael G. Palma, Ph.D.,
Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman
OPEN FORUM
Moderator: James Cook, Ph.D., Asian Studies Center, University of Pittsburgh
PANEL 4: GEOECONOMICS AND GEOPOLITICS
“Growing Like China: Difficulties at Home and Abroad”
Thomas G. Rawski, Ph.D.
Department of Economics, University of Pittsburgh
"China De-risking" and "Altasia": Prospects and Scenarios
Ravi Madhavan, Ph.D.
Katz Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh
“The Geopolitics of "Altasia": the Case of Electric Vehicles”
Kay Shimizu, Ph.D.
Graduate School of Public & International Affairs, University of Pittsburgh
“Power Tussle in the Pacific Island Countries: Complexities for India”
Reena Marwah, Ph.D.
Jesus and Mary College, Delhi University
OPEN FORUM
Moderator: Nona May Pepito, PhD
For inquiries, please email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
VIEW: ASIAN CENTER @ 68 ACTIVITIES
The Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman offers M.A. degrees in Asian Studies with four fields of specialization: Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and West Asia. The UP Asian 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. It 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. For an overview of these graduate programs, click here. As an area studies institution, 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.
