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

The UP Asian Center Welcomes Delegates to the 5th ASEAN-Russia Youth Summit

The UP Asian Center welcomed the delegates to the 5th ASEAN-Russia Youth Summit last 29 November 2019 at the GT-Toyota Asian Center Auditorium, Asian Center, UP Diliman.

Dean Santarita delivered a short lecture for the delegates on the role of the youth in society today; various government and intergovernmental initiatives to tap the potential of the youth, and the many ways in ways the young can promote people-to-people ties and contribute to social well-being. An open forum followed Dr. Santarita's lecture.

Joining the dean were the staff of the Asian Center, and several faculty members, including Associate Professor Rolando Talampas and Dr. Maria Cecilia T. Medina, the Assistant to the Dean for Administration and Public Affairs.

Facilitated by the Office of International Linkages and the Diliman Information Office, the visit to the Asian Center was part of the delegates tour of the University of the Philippines Diliman. The delegates, who stayed in Manila from 26 to 30 November 2019, comprised of "selected youth leaders from the ASEAN Member States, namely: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam." They were accompanied by their respective officials who also attend the ASEAN Senior Officials' Meeting on Youth (SOMY) [NYC 2019].

The theme for this year's summit is "Enhancing People to People Connectivity between ASEAN and Russia." The event "highlights plenary discussions and workshops on Education, Economy Trade & Business Exchanges and Cultural Understanding with resource persons providing significant insights and the best practices for the participants. The expected output is a Draft Declaration on Young People's Contribution to ASEAN-Russia Relations."

Hosted by the National Youth Commission with the support of the Russian Federation and the ASEAN Secretariat, the "Summit is a gathering of youth leaders from the ASEAN Member States and the Russian Federation that aims to promote mutual understanding and cooperation between these regions through various discussions and activities" (NYC 2019).

The Asian Center offers M.A. degrees in Asian Studies with four fields of specialization: Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and West Asia. The Center also has an M.A. program in Philippine Studies that allows students to major in Philippine society and culture, Philippine foreign relations, or Philippine development studies. The Center offers a Ph.D.  program in Philippine Studies in conjunction with the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy. For an overview of these graduate programs, click here. The Asian Center also publishes Asian Studies: Journal of Critical Perspectives on Asia, the latest issue of which can be downloaded at the journal's website. For other news and upcoming events at the Asian Center, click here.