Wherever I am, the world comes after me.
It offers me its busyness. It does not believe that I do not want it.
Now I understand 
why the old poets of China went so far
and high 
into the mountains, then crept into the pale mist.
"The Old Poets of China" by Mary Oliver

Dr. Marina Durano, Assistant Professor at the Asian Center, spoke at a public forum on “Asia Europe Meeting: A partnership for the 21st century” last 8 July in Brussels, Belgium and organized by the Friends of Europe and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.

Referencing economic interdependence between Asia and Europe, Dr. Durano argued for the need to recognize and address the inequalities and the resulting injustices that characterize our societies. She also pointed to the vulnerabilities in such societies, including that of the middle class, especially in Asia where there is little social protection. 

The conference was held in preparation for the 10th Asia Europe Meeting Summit in October 2014 in Milan, Italy. Discussions focused on raising ASEM visibility and making sure ASEM renewal remains high on the Asia-Europe agenda until and beyond the summit. It was attended by key policy makers, government leaders, and scholars in the field of international relations and economics.

Dr. Marina Durano recently joined the Asian Center and will start teaching graduate courses on Asian industrialization and urbanization; social and economic development in Southeast Asia; and theories of development. The Asian Center offers M.A. programs in Asian Studies; areas of specialization include Northeast Asian Studies, Southeast Asian Studies, South Asian Studies, and West Asian Studies.

It also has an M.A. in Philippine Studies program, in which students can major in Philippine sociocultural studies; Philippine foreign relations; or Philippine development studies. A Ph.D. Philippine Studies program is jointly offered with the College of Arts and Sciences and College of Social Sciences and Philosophy. Photos courtesy of Friends of Europe. For more photos and to learn more about the forum , visit their website

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