index

Sanctions: Death by a thousand cuts

by Mohamed Jawhar Hassan

The United Nations (UN) is a marvel. Successor to the ill-fated League of Nations, its pioneers managed to bring together all the nations of the world in a single global enterprise...

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Teaching EU Studies in the ASEAN Context

20 & 21 July 2020 (Monday & Tuesday) • 10am - 1pm MYT (UTC+08) via Zoom platform | A two (2) day online workshop for social science lecturers, academic staff, research assistants and graduate students (limited number of participants)

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[Video] ASEAN-EU DIALOGUE WEBINAR SERIES 2

Regional and Inter-Regional Dimensions in Higher Education Cooperation

Webinar Date: 1st July 2020 (Wednesday) • 3.00pm (Malaysia time)

The full recording of the webinar. Speakers: Nadia Reynders, Prof. Dr. Azirah Hashim, Dr. Filippo Bignami, Dr. Yang Mee Eng and moderator: Prof. Maya Khemlani David.

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Taking down BRICS

by Rahul Mishra and Raj Kumar Sharma

China’s hegemonic ambitions have subverted this grouping of solidarity of the Global South

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Linkage between Social Responsibility and Institutional Investment: Evidence from Bangladesh

AEI International Webinar Series featuring Prof. Dr. Sarwar Uddin Ahmed from Independent University, Bangladesh • 18th June 2020 (Thursday) • 11.00 am Malaysia time (UTC+8) • Video available

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Future Relationship between the UK and ASEAN: Prospects and Challenges

Ambassador Lecture Series featuring H.E. Charles Hay MVO, British High Commissioner to Malaysia. Video lecture premiering on 16 June 2020 at 10.00 am

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The silver lining in the Covid-19 crisis for Malaysia

by Dr. Rahul Mishra

The Covid-19 pandemic hit Malaysia at a time when the country was in the midst of a political upheaval, with the government of the day changing after several unexpected political moves were made.

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Protect The Marginalised

The Penjana stimulus plan has been praised by economists. BFM89.9 speaks to Distinguished Professor of Economics at Universiti Malaya, Dato' Dr Rajah Rasiah on areas that the government really needs to focus on.

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Europe must tread carefully as US-China links deteriorate

by Dr. Paul Gillespie

European powers have a deep interest in avoiding being caught up and marginalised in the slipstream of a new cold war between the United States and China.

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VIDEO OF ASEAN-EU DIALOGUE WEBINAR SERIES 1

Perspectives on COVID-19: The ‘New Normal’

Event Date: 10th June 2020 (Wednesday) • 3.00pm (Malaysia time) • via Microsoft Teams

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected the global population – not only from a health perspective, but politically, economically, and socially as well. The fallout means that society today will see fundamental adjustments in various aspects as we deal with “the new normal”.

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The Croatian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, January 1st - June 30th, 2020

The Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence Ambassador Lecture Series featuring H.E. Dr. Ivan Velimir Starčević, Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to Malaysia

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Wawancara Selamat Pagi Malaysia, TV1 bersama Profesor Ulung Dato' Dr. Rajah Rasiah

Pada 4 Jun 2020, Prof. Dato' Dr. Rajah Rasiah diwawancara oleh hos Selamat Pagi Malaysia, TV1 dengan topik 'Pelan Pemulihan Ekonomi Jangka Pendek'. Prof. Dato' Dr. Rajah Rasiah adalah Profesor Ulung Ekonomi di Institut Asia-Eropah, Universiti Malaya.

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Restoring Trust in Global Governance

by Tan Sri Hasmy Agam & Prof. Anis H. Bajrektarevic

Further to the points of view the undersigned authors expressed nearly two months ago, it is regretted that the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) still misses to adopt the much-needed Council Resolution to address the COVID-19 (C-19) pandemic event. (The UN Security Council should urgently address Covid-19 – addendum)

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Enhancing Mobility in ASEAN

By Azirah Hashim and Andy Gibbs

With students, scholars, degrees and universities moving about the globe freely, there is a pressing need for international cooperation and agreements between ASEAN universities and ASEAN universities with universities in other parts of the world.

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Join Prof. Maya Khemlani David at the International Online Seminar on Pandemic, Literature and Life Crisis

This event is organised by Department of English, S.A. Jain (PG) College, Ambala City, India.

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Road Map of Post-Pandemic Asia May Look Different

By Greg Earl, Contributor, Australian Financial Review

Leading observers on Asia are debating whether nations in the region will consider new approaches to diplomatic and economic engagement.

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Why International Institutions Matter: (And How They Are Letting Us Down)

Like the United States, Indonesia’s response to the pandemic has been lax, says Jusuf Wanandi, former Secretary of the Indonesian Supreme Advisory Council. Moreover, he argues regional cooperation is lacking – and the prospects for renewal are not strong.

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Divide, Cook and Consume

The COVID-19 phenomenon has accelerated degloblisation, writes Victor Sumsky, Director of the ASEAN Centre at Moscow State Institute of International Relations. Instead of preaching inclusiveness in the framework of economic cooperation in the Asia Pacific, the US has switched to the ‘free-and-open’ Indo-Pacific doctrine, aimed at containing China.

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Time for A New Regional Order: The Failure of American and Chinese Leadership

US-China relations are now failing ‘the rest of Asia’ says Tsutomu Kikuchi, adjunct senior fellow at the Japan Institute of International Affairs. He argues that we can’t narrow the range of policy choices available to us as we push for a rules-based order.

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Where to Now for Middle Powers?

Both China and the United States will emerge from the current crisis with their reputations damaged, says David Capie, Associate Professor in International Relations at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. He argues that today’s great power struggles are making it harder than ever for small and middle powers to navigate.

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A Pandemic of Modern Piracy: The Decline of Regional Order

When a crisis seems to threaten regional states unevenly, the incentive for cooperation weakens says Choi Kang, Acting President and Director in the Center for Foreign Policy and National Security at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, South Korea. He argues that the Covid-19 pandemic has seen individual rather than collective action, and existing institutions that should have been part of a global response have been discredited.

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Chinese Steel Investments in ASEAN

by Tham Siew Yean and Yeoh Wee Jin | ISEAS Perspective Issue: 2020 No.50

For iron and steel, China has identified Southeast Asia as the market with huge potential. The region’s high demand for infrastructure such as MRT lines, highways, bridges, roads, flyovers, dams and power plants match BRI aims, and fuel the demand for steel.

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COVID-19: An Opportunity to drive ASEAN Institutional Reform

China is channeling aid to Myanmar, but the virus crisis is a chance for existing multilateral bodies within the Asia Pacific to reset and reshape the foreign policy environment, says Aung Zin Phyo Thein from the Myanmar Institute of Strategic and International Studies.

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Strategic and foreign policy implications of COVID-19

A ‘self-help’ state is back, and nationalism, populism, xenophobia, trade, and territorial disputes are on the rise, writes Dang Cam Tu, Deputy Director-General at the Institute for Foreign Policy and Strategic Studies, Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam.

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The International Order After COVID-19

COVID-19 has proven the weakness of ASEAN-led mechanisms, so it’s now time to rebuild a regional security architecture that can contain the more extreme effects of the growing US-China rivalry, writes Herman Kraft, Chair of the Department of Political Science at the University of the Philippines.

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No Time for ASEAN Members to Self-Isolate

Each ASEAN member state has acted individually rather than collectively, writes Pou Sothirak, Head of the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace. Knowing that this virus crosses national borders, a regional response makes a lot more sense.

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Why The Unemployment Problem Will Remain Unsolved

Mohd Nazari Ismail

The problem of unemployment is becoming more serious in many countries. The International Labor Organization (ILO) predicts 1.25 billion workers worldwide will lose their jobs due to the Covid-19 pandemic, accounting for 38 per cent of the world’s workforce. In the United States, since the outbreak of Covid-19, 33 million people have been made unemployed.

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The Virus and Regional Order - Perspectives from Asia and beyond

A series of commentaries curated by the Australian Committee of the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific, in collaboration with Asialink (University of Melbourne)

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ASEAN Rises as the West Falls

In contrast to the EU, the virus crisis might actually benefit ASEAN in the long run, says Nurliana Kamaruddin, Senior Lecturer at the Asia-Europe Institute (AEI), University of Malaya

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Re-writing multilateralism post-COVID

A new ‘smaller’ multilateralism could emerge from this crisis, says Indrani Bagchi, senior diplomatic editor with The Times of India, Indrani Bagchi.

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Cooperate or capitulate

A dangerous ‘winner takes all’ crisis management approach is emerging from the virus, says Peking University’s Zha Daojiong.

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US-China ties going backwards

The virus crisis is eroding globalisation, and it’s hard to see the US-China relationship going any way but backwards, says Ralph Cossa of Pacific Forum.

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Covid-19 and the Way to return to normal: Role of OIC

by Ali Goutali and Anis H. Bajrektarevic

Muslim World and its Rapid Reaction Capacitation in times of new types of asymmetric challenges

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AEI Insights: Special Call for Papers – COVID-19

The journal invites articles and opinion pieces (op-eds) related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that have social, economic or political implications on Asia, Europe or both.

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From the virus, a stronger more confident China

China will emerge from this crisis stronger and more confident, writes former senior Singapore civil servant, Peter Ho.

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Asia is Uniting Around Virus Crisis

The response to COVID-19 will continue the steady decline of US influence in Asia - and China’s rise, writes Bangkok Post correspondent and senior fellow, Kavi Chongkittavorn.

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Unite to Fight the Common Enemy

While the COVID-19 crisis was an opportunity for greater global unity and coordination, nationalism and a trend against multilateralism has been the reality, writes Tsinghua University's Li Li.

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Deglobalisation, Authoritarianism and Asia’s Post-Virus Future

Prepare for further deglobalisation and realignment in Asia as the COVID-19 crisis continues, writes former Indian Foreign Secretary, Shyam Saran.

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Migrant Workers: Wake-Up Call for Malaysia

by Johan Saravanamuttu & Khor Yu Leng

The world was awakened to Singapore’s spike of COVID-19 cases among its foreign workers recently. This should alert countries like Malaysia and Thailand, which have even larger numbers of migrant labour, of the impending crisis they have yet to face.

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The missing piece in the debate about the future regional order

by Dr. Nurliana Kamaruddin & Dr. Jan Vincent Galas

While all attention has been on the US and China, countries of the region themselves might have a say.

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COVID-19: UN Security Council should urgently take lead

by Tan Sri Hasmy Agam & Prof. Anis H. Bajrektarevic

While the pandemic is being dealt with by the World Health Organisation (WHO), along with other relevant United Nation Specialised Agencies (UN SA), the situation is deteriorating rapidly. In a scenario growing more and more likely, it could engulf the entire world, - and have consequences akin to those of a Third World War.

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Watch Live: Distinguished Professor Dato' Dr Rajah Rasiah on Astro Awani's Consider This, tonight 10pm 17 April 2020

Topic: COVID19 Wartime Economics?

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Malaysia Needs A Pandemic Production Act

By Distinguished Professor Dato' Dr Rajah Rasiah & Dr Khor Swee Kheng

While it is extremely pertinent to fight Covid-19 so as to contain, it is equally important to stem its debilitating effects on the national economies

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Economic Survival Under An Extended MCO

BFM89.9 The Business Station spoke to Distinguished Professor Dato’ Dr. Rajah Rasiah about which sectors are crucial to resucitating the nation's economy during the MCO, and whether we are already in the midst of a global recession.

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The passing of Professor Dr. Aileen S. P. Baviera

The Asia Europe Institute wishes to offer our sincere condolences on the passing of Professor Dr. Aileen S. P. Baviera from University of the Philippines Diliman.

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UM3MT 2020 Competition - Asia-Europe Institute level

7 April 2020 • 10am • AEI Auditorium | Can you explain your thesis to a non-specialist audience in 3 minutes? Try it out! Compulsory to all AEI PhD students who are in the 4th semester and above.

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Prof. Dr. Sarinah Low Wah Yun is the new Acting Chairperson for UMREC

Congratulations to Prof. Dr. Sarinah Low Wah Yun for being appointed as the new Acting Chairperson for University of Malaya Research Ethics Committee-Non Medical (UMREC)

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[POSTPONED] - Linkage between Social Responsibility and Institutional Investment: Evidence from Bangladesh

AEI Public Lecture by Prof. Dr. Sarwar Uddin Ahmed from Independent University, Bangladesh • 18th March 2020 • 10:00 am • Asia-Europe Institute, UM. This event has been postponed

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CALL FOR RESEARCH PAPERS: The ASEAN-EU Dialogue 2020

This event has been postponed Theme: Towards a Common Regional Identity: Developing synergies through Socio-Cultural Co-operation. AEI would like to invite academicians, practitioners, researchers, students and administrators from the private and public sectors to participate and submit papers to be considered for presentation.

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Trinity Long Room Hub Visiting Research Fellowship

Professor Azirah Hashim is a recipient of the Trinity Long Room Hub Visiting Research Fellowship, Trinity College Dublin (TCD), Ireland.

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Working Conference on ASEAN-UK Relations in the Changing Regional Architecture

Dr. Sameer Kumar, Associate Professor, Asia-Europe Institute, Universiti Malaya, was an invited speaker at the conference held at the ASEAN Secretariat building, Jalan Sisingamangaraja, Jakarta, on February 18-19, 2020.

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Visit of Centre For Investment, Endowment And Wakaf (CIEW) Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS)

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Visit of Croatian Ambassador

On Tuesday, 11 February 2020, the Asia-Europe Institute (AEI), Universiti Malaya was visited by the Ambassador of The Republic of Croatia to Malaysia, His Excellency Dr. Ivan Velimir Starčević

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Workshop on Academic Writing: Getting Your Paper Published

12th February 2020 (Wednesday), 08:30 am – 05:00 pm, Venue: AEI Resource Centre.

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AEI Insights Vol. 6, Issue 1, January 2020

AEI-Insights: An International Journal of Asia-Europe Relations, Vol. 6, Issue 1, January 2020. Published by the Asia-Europe Institute Universiti Malaya.

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AEI Bulletin: July - December 2019

The regular email update of the Asia-Europe Institute's activities from July until December 2019.

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Mahathir 2.0 & China: Hedging in a Fluid World

By Johan Saravanamuttu

Under Mahathir, in his second term as prime minister, Malaysia has crafted a foreign policy of capitalising on an ascendant China while hedging against the current environment of a more fluid world. In so doing Malaysia is maintaining strong ties with major US allies of Asia, such as Japan.

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AMOS for Structural Equation Modeling in Research Workshop

This workshop which is scheduled on 11 & 12 January 2020 has been cancelled.

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BRECIL was featured in UM Research Bulletin Vol. 19 No.2 2019

‘Building Social Research Capacities in Higher Education Institutions in Lao PDR and Malaysia’ is a multi-country Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education joint project involving higher education institutions from both the EU and ASEAN countries.

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Congratulations to Mr. Arvend Applasamy on receiving the ASEAN Youth Leadership Award 2019

Arvend received the award at the ASEAN Youth Leadership Summit 2019 organised by the Global Youth Parliament in Manila, Philippines.

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Report: Asia-Europe Conference 2019

The 2019 conference brought together eminent thinkers and academics from more than ten countries across Asia and Europe, who discussed a wide range of topics such as western and non-western approaches to international relations, European and Asian security architectures, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the emerging Indo-Pacific construct.

Read the report