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Creating Synergies, Strengthening Interactions and Supporting Networks
The European Studies in Asia (ESiA) network was launched by the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) in 2005 to stimulate European studies in Asia by strengthening interaction between existing networks in Asia as well as by creating synergies between European study centres in both Asia and Europe. It is an inter-disciplinary and open platform that embraces any institution in Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) countries offering European studies research and networking.
ESiA is co-organised in partnership with the National Centre for Research on Europe (NCRE) and is guided by an ESiA Advisory Group of 17 prominent academics representing various European studies centres in Asia and Europe.
Latest News
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The EU through the Eyes of Asia Volume II: Enjoy the discount!
ASEF and World Scientific are pleased to offer a special 25% off the list price of The EU through the Eyes of Asia Volume II to the ASEF's alumni. Quote the discount code "AUT7525 " as you order your copy at World Scientific's online bookstore from now till December 30, 2010.
For more information, click here
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NFG Research Group at the Free University of Berlin launch new perceptions project:
'Asian Perceptions of the EU'
The perceptions that Asian elites have from the European Union (EU) deviate significantly from the perception that European decision-makers and scholars on EU foreign policy assign to the EU's role in global politics. With a special focus on India and the PR China, the interdisciplinary NFG Research Group "Asian Perceptions of the EU" aims to identify, analyse and assess factors and causes that affect the differences in perception of the EU (as the "sender") and Asian foreign-policy elites (as the targeted "recipients"). A recurrent topic of EU foreign policy research is the question if and to what extent the EU is a civilian power. Yet, which political, cultural or historical factors have influenced the perceptions of decision-makers in Asia’s emerging powers of the EU as a civilian power? To what extent have European norms and ideas been accepted, rejected or adapted?
The NFG research Group have released a call for applications for PhD places and Visiting Scholars, for more information, click here.
The NFG Research Group "Asian Perceptions of the EU" is funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) within its initiative "External Views of Europe (Europa von Außen gesehen)".
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Asia Europe Journal: Special ASEM issue & Free Online Access
To commemorate ASEM8 being held in Brussels from 4 to 5 October 2010, a special ASEM edition of the Asia Europe Journal was produced. The volume entitled "Reflections from Asia and Europe: How do we perceive one another?", was guest edited by Prof. Martin Holland and Dr. Natalia Chaban of the National Centre for Research on Europe - University of Canterbury and featured a number of high quality articles tracking the perceptions of the EU across Asia from a number of interesting and unique standpoints. The articles drew on the findings of "The EU through the Eyes of Asia" and were written by top scholars in the field of perceptions studies.
In addition, ASEF is marking the 8th ASEM summit by granting free online access to all articles of the Asia Europe Journal (AEJ) from 1 October to 30 November 2010. Gain insights into perceptions of Asian and Europeans (Volume 8 Number 2), opportunities and challenges of migration in Asia and Europe (Volume 8 Number 1), regional trade agreements (Volume 7 Number 1), environmental co-operation (Volume 6 Number 2) or youth culture and trends in Asia and Europe (Volume 5 Number 4).
For free online access, click here
For more information on the ASEM special issue, click here
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ASEF expand perceptions study to look at European perceptions of Asia
Participants of the Asia in the Eyes of Europe methodology workshop.
From the 23rd to the 27th of August in Berlin, ASEF held the first methodology workshop for the researchers of the newly implemented research project, "Asia in the Eyes of Europe". The workshop was hosted by the German Council for Foreign Relations (DGAP) and is a partnership between ASEF, DGAP, the Konrad Adenenauer Stiftung (KAS) and the National Centre for Research on Europe (NCRE) at the University of Canterbury.
For more information on the project, click here
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EU through the Eyes of Asia Briefing Report 
The organisers of the EU through the Eyes of Asia transnational research project have produced a comprehensive briefing paper to highlight the full findings of the research across the 12 locations. The briefing paper includes key data tracking the perceptions of the EU across Asia, gathered using a rigorous methodology, which includes media analysis, key informant interviews and public opinion surveys.
To download a copy of the briefing paper, click here
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EUforAsia Stakeholders Roundtable
How should the EU package itself to Asia?
While Europe and Asia are linked through the strength of existing economic, political, social and cultural partnerships, the understanding of the EU in Asia remains remarkably low. This communicative deficit breeds misperception and misunderstandings in terms of the clarity of EU objectives to promote stronger partnerships throughout Asia. To help address this weakness, the co-organisers of the Europe-Asia Policy Forum held a “Stakeholders” Roundtable to examine the issue of “How should the EU package itself to Asia?". The meeting took place on the morning of the 9th of April. The Roundtable brought together opinion leaders drawn from Academia, the EU institutions, the Media sector and Brussels-based think tanks to discuss the visibility of the EU throughout Asia and examine the current policies in place to communicate the external image of the EU in Asia.
The EUforAsia Stakeholders Roundtable featured a book launch for "The EU through the Eyes of Asia Volume II: New Cases, New Findings", by Natalia Chaban, NCRE (left) & Sol Iglesias, ASEF ( middle)
The keynote presentation by Dr. Natalia Chaban, Deputy Director, National Centre for Research on Europe – University of Canterbury, is available on the Asia Europe Foundation's You Tube Channel. See, http://www.youtube.com/asiaeuropefoundation.
Another direct outcome of the event is a policy brief document by Dr. Sebastian Bersick, Associate Fellow, German Council on Foreign Relations, which highlights the major discussions of the event. For a copy of the policy brief, please click here.
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ASEF Conference: Call for Workshop Proposals
“Connecting Civil Societies of Asia and Europe: Changing Challenges, New Ideas”
An official side-event of the ASEM 8 Summit, Brussels 2010
2-3 October 2010, The Square
The global and regional environment in which the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) operates has changed significantly since its inception in 1996. The initial optimism about the benefits of globalisation and international cooperation has given way to a more sober recognition of the challenges of a globalised world and the limitations of multilateral processes and institutions. Financial, economic and food crises, terrorism, climate change, and pandemics have emerged as global threats that compound the insecurity and challenges facing an increasingly inter-dependent but fractious international community. In view of these common concerns, Asia and Europe bear the responsibility of deepening the essential work of dialogue and cooperation through the ASEM process.
For more information, click here
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ESiA "EU through the Eyes of Asia" Methodology Workshop
Media, Public and Elite Perceptions in India, Macau SAR , Malaysia
The Asia Europe Foundation, the National Centre for Research on Europe and Jawaharlal Nehru University organised the second of a series of three methodology workshops for the upcoming phase of “The EU through the Eyes of Asia” research project. The workshop took place in the lead up to the European Union Studies Association Asia-Pacific (EUSA-AP) annual conference entitled, "Connections and Dialogue: The European Union and the Asia Pacific, Perspectives, Perceptions and Policies". The conference took place on the 8th and 9th of January.
For more details, click here
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32nd Asia-Europe Lecture Tour
"How the EU is Perceived in Asia"
by Prof. Martin Holland, Jean Monnet Chair ad personam,
National Centre for Research on Europe, University of Canterbury
Asia and Europe have become increasingly interconnected over the last few decades; this growth in mutual interest is due largely to their economic, political, cultural, and historical ties to one another. Due to the deepening relationship between the two regions, it seems natural to ask, “How is the European Union perceived in Asia?” as the EU is the most significant economic partner for many Asian countries and is emerging as an increasingly prominent political and security dialogue partner for the region. In 2006, the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) and National Centre for Research on Europe (NCRE) initiated the “EU through the Eyes of Asia” project to address this existing knowledge gap in “How we perceive one another”.
Prof. Martin Holland travelled to The Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam to launch the new publication and present the unique findings and key data collected throughout the course of the project. He linked up with the project's local partners, namely Ateneo de Manila University and Vietnam National University - Hanoi for events in two relevant capitals. This series of events was organised under the Asia-Europe Lecture Tour programme, an initiative by ASEF to bring “leaders of opinion” from each region to tour the opposite region, engaging in debates at a selected umber of institutions — typically think-tanks or universities and NGOs but all of which are open to the public.
For more details, click here
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Young Academics Fellowship winners Blog
The Young Academics Fellowship winners have begun there 3 month fellowship with the NCRE and the EU Centre in Singapore. Li Zhang (China) has already completed her two weeks at the EU Centre and is now at the NCRE, where she has been joined by Alessandra Brovelli (Italy), who arrived at the beginning of September to link up with the NCRE team.
This exciting opportunity will be tracked and documented in a series of online Blog entries and photographs.
To view the blog entries, click here
© 2009, Asia Europe Foundation