Creating Synergies, Strengthening Interactions and Supporting Networks

Advisory Board Meetings

ESiA Interim Advisory Group Meeting and Public Seminar

University of Macao, China S.A.R

12 March 2009

The Asia Europe Foundation (ASEF) in partnership with the University of Macao organised an interim meeting of the European Studies in Asia (ESiA) Advisory Group, coupled with a public seminar entitled "Asian-EU relations: A Research Agenda".

The meeting took place to take advantage of the high numbers of the ESiA Advisory Group participating in the Network of European Studies Centres in Asia (NESCA), which took place in Macao from the 13th to the 15th.

The points up for discussion included:

• ESiA Phase III wrap up, Beginning of Phase IV and a future revisit
• Book Launch series
• ESiA Young Academic Workshop series
• Brussels Briefing
• Publications strategy
• Innovative Visions for the future of ESiA
• Role of the ESiA Advisory Group

The Public Seminar included some very interesting presentations from ESiA Advisory Board members Prof. Sung-hoon Park (Korea University), Prof. Martin Holland (National Centre for Research on Europe (NCRE) - University of Canterbury), Prof. Dai Bingran (Fudan University) and Mr. Peter Ryan (ASEF). The seminar was chaired by Prof. Paulo Canelas de Castro of the Faculty of Law, University of Macao.

The seminar was attended by over 50 local stakeholders including students and faculty of the University of Macao, Media and AdvEsiA advisory group members.

Prof. Rui Martins, Vice Rector, University of Macao, weclomes the distinguished speakers the audience at the Public Seminar

For a copy of Martin Holland's Presentation, please click here

For a copy of the Meeting Programme and Participants Profiles, please click here

3rd ESiA Advisory Group Meeting

Manila, the Philippines

6 December 2007

The 3rd ESiA Advisory Group Meeting was held on 6 December 2007 on the sidelines of the ESiA event "Workshop on the Future of European Studies in Asia". which was held in Manila, the Philippines, on 5-7 December 2007. The meeting was a partnership between the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), the National Centre for Research on Europe (NCRE), Ateneo de Manila University and the University of Warsaw.

The meeting welcomed two new Advisory Group members, namely, Ambassador Rosario Manalo, Director of Ateneo de Manila University's European studies programme; and Prof. Alojzy Nowak, President of the University of Warsaw's Research Council, Center for Europe.

2nd ESiA Advisory Group Meeting

Hong Kong, China

13 December 2006

The 2nd ESiA Advisory Group Meeting was held on 13 December 2006 on the sidelines of the ESiA Workshop "The EU through the Eyes of the Asian Media", which was held in Hong Kong, China, on 11-13 December 2006. The meeting was a partnership between the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), the National Centre for Research on Europe (NCRE) and Hong Kong Baptist University. Below are the main conclusions and recommendations:

• ESiA is a sustainable platform for European studies academics, institutions and networks in the Asian region;

• Particularly through the Hong Kong Meeting, ESiA has successfully created a conducive gathering of European studies academics from both Asia and Europe, most of whom have previously never been in contact with each other, thus creating unparalleled networking and collaborative opportunities;

• Together, the ESiA website http://esia.asef.org and electronic newsletter, the eMonitor, have successfully provided a concrete and widely-accessible forum for information exchange between European studies academics, institutions and networks in Asia and Europe. Continuously improving the contents of the ESiA website and eMonitor is crucial to maintain their relevance;

• The ESiA project serves as a good reference of how other high-quality and relevant collaborations between European studies centres in Asia can be implemented concretely within the ESiA initiative. The study should be extended to other Asian countries going forward;

• A major conference at the end of 2007 to present the final report of the ESiA project and a publication thereafter is a natural outcome and worthwhile follow-up; and,

• ESiA's uniqueness is its ability to not only serve the interests of European studies partners from Asia but also to bring on board those from Europe. Thus, ESiA should continue to deepen academic co-operation in the field of European studies, including by supporting the creation of a critical mass of next generation European studies experts, through spearheading new collaborations as well as effectively work with and complement the existing work of other platforms in both Asia and Europe.

1st ESiA Advisory Group Meeting

Singapore

21 October 2005

The inaugural ESiA Advisory Group Meeting held at the premises of the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), established European Studies in Asia (ESiA) with the objective of stimulating European studies in the Asian region, not only by strengthening interaction between existing networks in Asia but also by creating synergies between European study centres in both Asia and Europe.

ESiA will be created as an inter-disciplinary and open platform that embraces any institution in Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) countries offering European studies research and networking. The strategic objective of ESiA is not to duplicate the work of existing networks, rather to complement them by pragmatically bringing together some of the most relevant institutions in East Asia focused on Europe, into an unprecedented, sustainable forum for information exchange and the promotion of mutual interests.

The following were decided as initial activities to help form the foundation of ESIA's work in the future:

1. EU through the Eyes of Asia: A Comparative Study of Public, Elite and Media Perceptions of the EU in Korea, Singapore, Japan, Thailand and China

This comparative trans-national study is the pilot test project for future co-operation among European Studies centres in Asia through the ESiA platform. It will be an unprecedented mobilisation of Keio University (Japan), Hong Kong Baptist University (China), Fudan University (China), Korea University, National University of Singapore and Chulalongkorn University (Thailand) - all recognised focal points for European studies academic excellence in Asia - in a collaboration to extensively analyse media content and conduct public surveys and elite interviews in five selected countries in Asia. The results and findings will be shared and broadly distributed in Asia and Europe.

2. ESiA Website

The ESiA website will serve as a platform upon which academics, institutions and networks in the field European studies in Asia and Europe can exchange information and foster relationships. It will contain articles, conference and publication announcements, vacancies and an extensive database of leading European studies institutions and networks in the two regions. Its contents will be highly dependent on inputs from the ESiA Advisory Group and the European studies community.

3. eMonitor -- the electronic newsletter of ESiA

As an eletronic newsletter, the eMonitor is a a low-cost and effective way of proactively providing timely information of interest to academics, institutions and networks in the field of European studies. It will contain the latest highlights of the ESiA website.