The UP Asian Center further expanded its academic network by collaborating with the Eurasia Center of John von Neumann University, Hungary. Last 9 September 2024, the two institutions conducted the international symposium “The Practice of Area Studies in the Philippines and Hungary” at the Seminar Room of the UP Asian Center.

DISCUSSING PANEL 1

As institutions both studying and practicing Area Studies, representative scholars discussed various perspectives in the study and teaching of Area Studies—from an area-specific focus to various special topics. The symposium began with the panel on “Regional Powers, Regional Associations,” moderated by Dominic Ambat, Asian Center alumnus. Eurasia Center Researcher Máté Szakáli  kicked off the discussions with a presentation on the trends of security fragmentation and economic integration in the region, the growth of pan-Asian regionalism of ideas and institutions, and the rise of historical Asia. He underscored the need for cooperation between the EU and ASEAN to promote the latter’s competitiveness in geopolitical and economic strategizing. UP Asian Center Professor Dr. Tina Clemente delivered the final presentation where she discussed the historical context of China Studies in the Philippines and its recent development in the country. She asserts that the amorphous nature of the Philippine experience reflected the eclectic and flexible knowledge production space of China Studies in the Philippines.

EXPLORING PANEL 2

Eurasia Center Director Dr. Levente Horváth moderated the second panel “Transcontinental Connectivity.” As the UP Asian Center’s expert on Korea Studies, Dr. Michelle Palumbarit defined the field as a study of both North and South Korea using a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary lens from the Philippine vantage point. She argued that the growth of Northeast Asian Studies in the Asian Center, as well as the emergence of trends and more collaborative projects is indicative of the growth of Korean studies in the university and in the country. The second presentation by Eurasia Center Researcher Dr. Sándor Seremet, discussed the invaluable role of South Caucasus, which consists of Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, in the economic and logistical connectivity between Europe and Asia. To contextualize, he described the “double triangle” of geopolitical conundrums vis-à-vis interdependency due to the interest in trade and economic stability within the region and the surrounding powers, Russia, Iran, and Turkey. Finally, Dr. Alexander Michael Palma of the UP Asian Center provided a glimpse into the various courses offered by the Asian Center on Philippine and Asian Studies. These courses delve into the elements of development in the Philippine setting and situate it within a “Philippines in Asia” perspective. Japan/Asian development studies courses, on the other hand, involve integration, sectoral, and economic studies.

RAISING INTEREST IN AREA STUDIES

During the open forum, the presenters addressed the audience's questions. Dr. Clemente mentioned the increase in scholarly interest in China amid its current rivalry with the US and further argued for the need to engage in difficult conversations on national development in underrepresented sectors. Dr. Klemensits also shared his experiences, maintaining that a strong and healthy mentorship between students and faculty is essential for the success of the growth of area studies as a field. On the topic of strengthening area studies in the Philippines, AC’s most senior Professor Dr. Matthew Santamaria called for including more extensive foreign language courses in secondary-level education, the strengthening of disciplinal anchors among incoming graduate students of Area Studies, and more generous funding assistance from the government.

The event was attended by students from schools such as UP Diliman and Far Eastern University, and experts from various private and public agencies. Dr. Clemente moderated the symposium while Dr. Henelito A. Sevilla Jr., professor and immediate Former Dean of the UP Asian Center, delivered the opening remarks. Director Horvath formally closed the program with a nod to the Asian heritage of the Hungarian identity, which strengthens their role in mediating knowledge between Europe and Asia.

The symposium “The Practice of Area Studies in the Philippines and Hungary” sought to provide a platform for an exchange among the faculty of the participating institutions about their general research interests in Area Studies to facilitate a better appreciation of points of common interest in aid of future collaboration.  

MORE PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT

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.