European Institute for Asian Studies - Home Page and Latest News

EU-China? Ever Closer Cooperation?
December 9th 2004, Residence Palace, Brussels

The EU’s relations with China have greatly intensified since the early 1990s, through trade and investment, reinforced through the European Commission’s communications calling for a deeper engagement between the EU and China. The EU has sought to develop its engagement with China through numerous cooperation initiatives across a number of fields, in particular trade, investment, development, science and technology, political dialogue, governance and civil society and cultural exchange.

The search for an ‘Ever Closer Cooperation’ appears to be one of the leitmotivs in the construction of the EU-China relation.

In recognition of this fact the European Office of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, the Brussels Office of the Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung, the European Institute for Asian Studies, and the European Policy Centre held this conference. Updated with new photographs and presentation

Asia-Europe Young Leaders Symposium 8
29 November – 3 December 2004, The Hague, the Netherlands

The annual Asia-Europe Young Leaders Symposium (AEYLS) originated from a proposal made under the framework of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) dialogue process to establish an exchange programme for young leaders to strengthen cultural links and mutual understanding between Asia and Europe. Updated with report

EIAS Newsletter December 2004 Published

This Newsletter has just been issued.To learn more about joining our newsletter, click here

Dr Sebastian Bersick

We are pleased to announce that our new Research Fellow, Dr Bersick has joined the Institute from 6 December 2004, from the Free University of Berlin.

EurAsia Bulletin vol 8 No 7&8 Published

The latest issue of the Bulletin has been published. The previous issue is now online and can be downloaded as a pdf file

Taiwan-China Cross-Straits Relations: Outlook for Regional Security in East Asia
23 November 2004, Institut d’études Politiques, Paris
25 November 2004, Centre For East Asian Studies, Madrid

A Multi-level Conference co-organised by, European Institute for Asian Studies, Brussels Asia-Europe Centre - Institut d’Etudes Politiques, Paris Centre for East Asian Studies, Universidad Autonoma Madrid. Updated with Presentations from the conference

Relocating Productive Capacities to China? or Elsewhere?
16 November 2004, EIAS, Brussels

Prof Sylvain Plasschaert, Emeritus, University of Leuven, will speak on this subject. Updated with Photographs

The Outcomes of the Fifth EU-India Summit
Thursday 11 November 2004, EIAS, Brussels

Speakers: Mr. W. Mohr, Head of South Asia Desk, Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs
H.E. Ambassador Abhyankar Rajendra, Embassy of the Republic of India to the EU
Ms. Laurence Argimon-Pistre, Head of India Unit, European Commission

On 8 November the fifth EU-India Summit was held in The Hague. The Summit offered an opportunity for the two major international players, who share a commitment to democracy and multilateralism, to review the state of their bilateral relationship and examine means to further strengthen their "Strategic Partnership". Updated with photographs

The Outcomes of the Hanoi ASEM V Summit
Tuesday 9 November 2004, EIAS, Brussels

Speakers: Ambassador Mrs. Phan Thuy Thanh, Embassy of Vietnam, Brussels
Ambassador Dato Deva Mohd Ridzam, Embassy of Malaysia, Brussels
European Commission Representative: to be announced

The Fifth ASEM Summit which took place in Hanoi, Vietnam on 7-9th October 2004, was a landmark in Asia-Europe relations as it celebrated the enlargement of ASEM to include 39 partners, including the 10 new members of the EU, and 3 new members on the Asian side: Cambodia, Laos and Burma/Myanmar. Updated with Summit documents, Report and photographs

EU-Indonesia Relations: Stability and Prosperity in South East Asia
Round-Table Briefing and Discussion
Résidence Palace, Brussels, Monday 8th November 2004

The EU attaches great importance to the continuing consolidation of democracy in Indonesia under the newly elected President Yudhoyono. As a democratic country with the world's largest Muslim population, Indonesia is a key ally of the EU in promoting equitable, representative and secular governance. The European Institute for Asian Studies (EIAS) and the European Policy Centre (EPC) are honoured to invite you to a round-table briefing on Monday 8th November in which four prominent Indonesian figures will address these and other important issues. Updated with photgraphs and Meeting Report

Ecole Supérieure des Sciences Commerciales d'Angers
27 October 2004

We welcomed a group of students from Ecole Supérieure des Sciences Commerciales d'Angers, led by Mr. Albrecht Sonntag, for a briefing on the work of the Institute and EU-Asia relations.

The Promotion of Human Rights in EU External Relations
21 October 2004, EIAS, Brussels

Dr Georg Wiessala, Reader in International Relations, University of Lancashire, discussed this issue. Updated with presentation and photographs

North Korean Delegation
We hosted an information visit for Members of the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where we briefed them on the Structure and role of the European Institutions.

EU and South Asia
At the first full meeting of the European Parliament's Delegation for relations with South Asia and SAARC countries, Dr Willem van der Geest, EIAS Director was invited to present an overview and outlook of EU-South Asia relations, covering economic and governance issues. Download this presentation as a Power Point Slideshow or Adobe pdf file

Asian Studies in the Czech Republic and other new EU Member States
14 October 2004, EIAS, Brussels

Prof PhDr. Jaroslav Vacek, CSc., Dean, Philosphical Fac, Former Vice-Rector for International Relations, Charles University, Prague.

The enlargement of the European Union in May 2004 has brought to the fore the unique intellectual knowledge and competence which the Central and Eastern European Countries have built up across a wide range of fields. Updated with Letter of Invitation

EIAS Newsletter - October 2004
We are now publishing our monthly newsletter via email. You can easily join or leave the list, and we encourage people to keep informed about the latest news, events and publications by subscribing.

Global Organisation for Persons of Indian Origin (GOPIO)
October 4, 2004, Brussels

This event launched a European-Indian Chamber of Cmmerce. The event was co-sponsored by GOPIO and the Mission of India to the European Union. Amongst the speakers were Mr Malcolm Subhan, Vice-Chairman EIAS and Dr Willem van der Geest, Director, EIAS. He focused on the question how GOPIO could play a role on ensuring an informed debate about the mutual gains of outsourcing in the services sector.

European Union-India-United States Trialogue
30th of September 2004, Brussels

The European Institute for Asian Studies, jointly with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and the Hanns Seidel Stiftung, will be organising a European Union-India-United States trialogue on the 30th of September 2004 in Brussels on the eve of the EU-India summit to take place in Den Haag mid-October. Updated with Conference Report, Presentations and Photographs

Democracy and the Rule Of Law in Bangladesh
28 September 2004, EIAS, Brussels

A briefing, presented by Barrister Amirul Islam, Dhaka. Updated with documents and photos

We are pleased to announce that Caroline Horekens has joined the Institute as a Director's Assistant and Researcher. In addition, we have two Interns, Jappe Eckhardt and Eileen Ho

In addition we have some opportunities for internships. Click here for more information

Sixth EU-ASEAN Think Tank Dialogue
Munich, Brussels and Lisbon
5-10 September 2004

EIAS attended this conference and gave presentations and academic summaries at the end of the conference.

The Fourth Asian International Fourum
1 - 2 September 2004

Fukuoka, Japan

Dr Willem van der Geest, EIAS Director, gave a presentation, Should the EU Share Benefits of Globalisation Through FTA's? at this event.

Burma/Myanmar and ASEM Enlargement 2004: What Lessons from Cambodia and ASEAN Enlargement in 1997?
By Erik Friberg, Research Associate at the Center of Human Rights and Conflict Resolution, the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

We have just published this Policy Brief.

Click here to read more

The March/April 2004 issue of the EIAS Bulletin has been published, and is now avaliable for download

Modern South Asian Studies Summer School
24 July - 14 August, Heidelburg, Germany

This course is based on lectures, group work, roundtable discussions and one week of guided research, addressing several thematic modules.

For more information email Malte Pehl at Heidelberg University.
Outline of Dr van der Geest's Presentation (pdf)
List of Participants (pdf)

India’s National Security under the BJP: “Strong at Home, Engaged Abroad”
by Dr Apurba Kundu

We will shortly be publishing: The Politics of Re-Orientation and Responsibility, By Georg Wiessala

Click here to read more

China Engages Asia: A New Regional Order?
Residence Palais, Brussels

A special presentation by Professor David Shambaugh. We have organised this briefing with the European Policy Centre. Updated with reports and photographs

Modern South Asia Conference
6-10 July, Lund, Sweden.

Dr Willem van der Geest, Director EIAS will be the convenor of panel 41 on the Political Economy of Bangladesh, jointly with Dr Mobasser Monem and Prof Golam Hossain. Please find the abstract of the panel.

The European Alliance for Asian Studies
EAAS held its semi-annual meeting on 7 June, at the Nordic Institute for Asian Studies in Copenhagen to plan for joint activities during the remainder of 2004 and to develop ideas for the next year.

We have just published the latest EurAsia Bulletin. This contains up to date articles on EU-China and other EU-Asia issues.

Click here to read more

What are the foreign and national security policy implications of Congress return to power in India?
by Dr Apurba Kundu, EIAS Senior Research Fellow

The 2004 Indian general elections stunned observers when, contrary to expectations, the ruling National Democratic Alliance coalition government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was defeated by an electoral coalition led by the Indian National Congress (INC). Will the return to power of the INC after eight years in opposition result in a shift of India’s foreign and national security policies?

China's Privatisation Programme
25 June, EIAS, Brussels

Stephen Green, Senior Research Fellow and Head of Asia Programme at the Royal Institute for International Affairs, discussed this important issue. Updated with presentations and photos of the briefing

Connecting Civil Societies
16-18 June, Barcelona

At the Informal ASEM Consultation on Connecting Civil Society the European Institute
for Asian Studies hosted a workshop on International Relations, Regionalisation and
Security Issues. Several concrete proposals were developed for collaborative research
and policy issues were flagged for the attention of the leaders for the ASEM summit to be
held in Hanoi, Vietnam October 8-9, 2004 Updated with presentations

The Return of Congress! India’s 2004 Elections and Beyond
Friday, 28 May, EIAS, Brussels

India, the world’s largest democracy, second-most populous state, fifth-largest economy and sixth declared nuclear weapons power has just returned a Congress government to power after five years of BJP rule. This stunning result has myriad implications for the domestic and international economy and security of India. Speakers include Dr Apurba Kundu, Senior Research Fellow, European Institute for Asian Studies, Dr Kunal Sen, Reader in Economics, University of East Anglia, and Dr John Zavos, Centre for Applied South Asian Studies, University of Manchester.Updated with documents, presentations and photos

Islam and Democracy: Indonesia's 2004 Elections and Beyond
Thursday, 6 May, Embassy of Indonesia, Brussels

Indonesia, the most populous Muslim country in the world, is a nation in flux, striving to establish a democratic framework while overcoming the challenges of development, terrorism and globalisation. The country's response to these challenges is a crucial indicator of the future of both regional and global prosperity and stability. This special briefing will examine the results of Indonesia's recent local, regional and parliamentary elections and how these may affect the forthcoming Presidential elections, as well as the country's future role as a leading nation in the region and the world.

Speakers include Dr Salim Said, Department of Social and Political Science, University of Indonesia, and Dr Francois Raillon, Director of Research, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, with Discussant Dr Tazeen Murshid, Université Libre de Bruxelles. Updated with presentation and photos

Download the Letter of Invitation (pdf)

Trading in Services from South Asia: a new source of growth?
10-11 May 2004, Palais d'Egmont, Brussels

EIAS will be organising this regional workshop as part of the forthcoming World Bank ABCDE Conference. Updated with Photos

EU-China Security Relations
28 April 2004, EIAS, Brussels

The EU Security Strategy paper, A Secure Europe in a Better World, proposes to develop a strategic partnership with China. Mr. Frank Umbach, Resident Fellow, German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), will offer an assessment of how to put the envisioned EU-China strategic partnership into practice. He will give an overview of current EU-China security relations in the context of the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, assess the possibilities and prospects of future trilateral EU-U.S.-China security co-operation, and address the issue of the EU weapons embargo imposed on China in 1989. Acting as discussant will be Dr. Axel Berkofsky, EIAS Research Fellow. Updated with Reports.

2004 Elections in Indonesia
15 April 2004, EIAS, Brussels

The European Commission has deployed an EU Election Observation Mission (EOM) for the recent local, regional and parliamentary elections in Indonesia. Mr. Glyn Ford MEP, Chief Observer of EOM to Indonesia, will speak on the mission's observations of the elections. Updated with report and photographs

EIAS is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a three year Partnership Agreement with the European Commission through a competitive call for proposals. The operating grants are awarded to selected Institutes working on the external relations of the EU.

The Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organisation and North Korea
2 April 2004, EIAS, Brussels

H.E. Charles Kartman has served since May 2001 as the Executive Director of KEDO, an international consortium established to manage a $4.6 billion energy project in the DPRK. Previously, he was U.S. Special Envoy for the Korean Peace Talks, and concurrently served as U.S. Representative to and Chairman of KEDO's Executive Board until retiring from the Department of State in April 2001.

India's National Security under the BJP/NDA Governments: "Strong at Home, Engaged Abroad"
18 March 2004, EIAS, Brussels

Dr Apurba Kundu, EIAS Senior Research Fellow, will examine the BJP’s initial strategic vision of a strong India, and show how this led to the country becoming an overt nuclear weapons state in 1998. However, argues Dr Kundu, the 1999 Kargil Conflict and the 2002 near-war situation with Pakistan caused the BJP-led NDA administration to reposition its national security strategy as one of “strong at home, engaged abroad”.

Japan and Iraq (pdf)
An article written by Dr Axel Berkofsky, EIAS Research Fellow, for the Institute for Asian Studies, Hamburg, published in Japan Aktuell (German text).

Kashmir: What prospects for a lasting settlement?
12 March 2004, EIAS, Brussels

The SAARC Summit in Islamabad in January and the promise of bilateral discussions between Pakistan and India in February have raised hopes for a peaceful solution in Kashmir. How real are the prospects for a lasting settlement? This question will be examined by Dr Robert W. Bradnock, Senior Lecturer in Geography at King’s College, University of London, and widely published author of numerous books and articles on the political geography of South Asia.

Caspian Energy: A viable alternative to the Persian Gulf?
By Mehdi Parvizi Amineh, Research Fellow, International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS), Leiden, The Netherlands.

China, India and Pakistan: A nuclear arms race in Asia?
By Major-General (retd) Dipankar Banerjee, AVSM, Director, Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS), New Delhi, India.

Can the EU play a meaningful role in Asian security through the ASEAN regional forum?
By Dr Axel Berkofsky, EIAS Research Fellow.

Troop deployment to Iraq: Is Japan really changing the fundamentals of its defence and security policy?
A presentation by Dr Axel Berkofsky, EIAS Research Fellow at the "Reforming Japan: Has the Corner been finally turned?" conference organised by the Asia Programme, the Royal Institute for International Affairs (RIIA) and the Keizai Koho Center Tokyo, and held on 25 February 2004 at Chatham House, London.

The National Democratic Alliance and National Security
A presentation by Dr Apurba Kundu, EIAS Senior Research Fellow, at the "Coalition Politics and Hindu Nationalism" conference held from 21-22 February 2004 at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, London.

EU-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement: Sharing Benefits of Globalisation?
A lecture by Dr Willem van der Geest, EIAS Director, delivered to the Ninth ASEF University Session in Manila on 6 February 2004.

Sri Lanka - A New Chance for Peace? By Dr Christian Wagner, Senior Research Associate, German Institute for International and Security Affairs

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that was signed by the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) with the help of Norway's mediation in February 2002 and the international donor conference in Tokyo in June 2003 have created new hopes for a peaceful settlement of the war in Sri Lanka. But the power struggle between the President and the Prime Minister that erupted in November 2003 showed that the opportunities provided by apparently favourable constellations may be missed.

Outcomes and Implications of the SAARC Summit in Islamabad
22 January 2004, EIAS, Brussels

Guest Speaker: H.E. Mr. Tariq Fatemi, Ambassador of Pakistan to the European Union, with contributions by H.E. Mr. P.K. Singh, Ambassador of India to the EU, H.E. Mr. Maudud Ali, Ambassador of Bangladesh to the EU, H.E. Mr. Narayan S. Thapa, Ambassador of Nepal to the EU, and H.E. Mr. C.R. Jayasinghe, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the EU.

H.E. Mr. Tariq Fatemi, Ambassador of Pakistan to the European Union, will speak on behalf of Pakistan as the host country of the SAARC Summit and presently holding the Chairmanship of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). All the SAARC Ambassadors to the EU in Brussels have kindly agreed to assist at the meeting and participate in the Q&A which will follow Ambassador Fatemi's introduction and assessment of the outcomes and implications of the Summit.

Kyrgyzstan's Accession to the WTO - Implications for Central Asia
20 January 2004, EIAS, Brussels

In December 1998, Kyrgyzstan became the first country among the former Republics of the Soviet Union to join the WTO. It still remains the only Central Asian WTO Member State, and faces strong protection measures in trade with its neighbouring countries. Mr Muktar Jumaliev, First Deputy Minister for Foreign Trade of the Kyrgyz Republic, Bishkek is in charge of the multilateral and bilateral trade negotiation within the WTO as well as developing foreign trade and promoting exports.

2004 Presidential Elections in Taiwan - Why the referendum?
16 January 2004, EIAS, Brussels

Professor Chang Hsu-Cheng, Member, Legislative Yuan Taiwan and Presidential Advisor, will discuss a controversial referendum law. The referendum is expected to be called at the same time as the forthcoming Presidential elections on 20 March2004. It will focus on the threat that Taiwan faces from missiles on the Chinese mainland, calling for their removal.



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