The UP Asian Center will be organizing a public forum, Russia-ASEAN Relations: Overtures and Opportunities, on Friday, 25 November 2016, 10 am–12 nn, Ambion Room, 1st Floor, College of Law (Malcolm Hall), University of the Philippines Diliman.  The forum is free and open to the public; seating is first-come, first-served basis, but participants are encouraged to sign up to expedite the registration process on the day of the forum. 
SIGN UP: ONLINE REGISTRATION SHEET

FORUM OVERVIEW

Russia first opened formal relations with ASEAN in 1991, but recently rachetted up its visibility in Southeast Asia, hosting three regional conferences in 2016 and more actively engaging in bilateral negotiations with its member-states toward forging broader and closer partnerships with its eastern neighbors. Russia’s diplomatic offensive indicates its interest in claiming a place in Asia’s shifting economic and security architecture. But how does Russia see its role in the region’s geopolitical dynamics in which the US and a rising China present distinct poles? What are Russia’s economic, political and security interests in Southeast Asia and the Philippines, in particular? The public forum aims to tackle these questions at a time when the Philippine government itself has signified its willingness to explore a strategic partnership with Russia.

SPEAKER PROFILE

Dr. Victor Sumsky is the Director of the ASEAN Centre, Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia. A leading Russian expert and writer on Southeast Asian political history and development and East Asian security studies, Dr. Sumsky worked previously with the Soviet Foreign Ministry, Institute of Oriental Studies, and the Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO) in Moscow and earlier this year, received a Medal of the Order of Merit for the Motherland, 2nd Grade, in Russia.  The ASEAN Centre was established in 2010 toward promoting Russian-ASEAN member states’ academic exchanges and economic and other forms of linkages. VIEW FULL PROFILE: DR. SUMSKY.

REACTOR PROFILE

Serving as reactor is Flerida Ann P. Mayo, Director for External Relations, Office of ASEAN Affairs, Department of Foreign Affairs. 
VIEW POSTER

VENUE And VICINITY MAP

The Ambion Room is located on the first floor of Malcom Hall (UP College of Law), University of the Philippines Diliman. The main entrance is located on Osmeña Avenue, University of the Philippines Diliman, facing the Sunken Garden. It can also be accessed by foot through Guerroro St. Nearby landmarks include the School of Economics, National Engineering Center (NEC), and the UP Asian Center. POP UP VICINITY MAP.

ORGANIZERS

The forum is organized by the UP Asian Center (Bugkos “Asia in Transition” program) in partnership with the UP Third World Studies Center; Center for Integrative and Development Studies (China/Strategic Studies Program); the UP Department of Political Science; and the UP Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea.

INQUIRIES

For inquiries about the forum, please email the Information Office of the UP Asian Center: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The UP Asian Center offers M.A. programs 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. Get an overview of these programs. The Asian Center also houses a peer-reviewed, open-access journal, Asian Studies: Journal of Critical Perspectives on Asia. It has published several books and monographs, and hosts or organizes various lectures and conferences.