Events

Mission Japan to Asean, 19 February 2016- On 17 February, the Mission of Japan to ASEAN held a public seminar entitled “The Future of Economic Cooperation and Social Development Japan and ASEAN: Looking for New Approaches”, co-hosted by Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS), at the Japan Foundation Hall, Jakarta. The event was attended by approximately 100 people from the government of Indonesia, ASEAN missions, international organizations, universities and others.

Ms. Yukiko Okano, Chargé d’affaires and Minister-Counsellor of the Mission of Japan to ASEAN participated in the seminar, which was moderated Mr. Arisman, Executive Director of CSEAS.

Chargé d’affaires Okano explained about Japan-ASEAN trade and investment relations and Japan-ASEAN Cooperation in recent years. She then spoke of possible cooperation between Japan and ASEAN based on the recently adopted ASEAN Community Vision 2025. (See material here.) Her speech was followed by presentations from Ms. Ina Haningtyas Krisnamurthi, Director for ASEAN Economic Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Tadashi Ogawa, Director General, Japan Foundation Jakarta and Mr. Masahito Ambashi, Economist of Economic Research Institute for ASEAN & East Asia (ERIA). The lecture was followed by a lively Q&A session between the speakers and the attendees.

Vietnam News Agency, 17 February 2016 – The prospects for the socio-economic cooperation between the ASEAN and Japan were the focus of a workshop held in Jakarta, Indonesia, on February 17 by the Centre for Southeast Asian Studies in Jakarta.

Nearly 150 scholars, researches, experts and diplomats took the occasion to present their assessment of the ties between the two sides and offer ideas on how to promote the relations in all fields.

Participants were unanimous about the great economic development potential of the ASEAN region with a population of 635 million. They forecast Japanese investment in the region will continue to rise, particularly in the fields of infrastructure, technology, education and vocational training.

An idea of “Made-in-ASEAN” products was tabled for discussion at the event.

Lee Yoong Yoong from the ASEAN Secretariat said the ASEAN-Japan cooperation brings many benefits, especially in economic and social terms. He expressed hope that the cooperation will be enhanced in the future to benefit both sides.

The workshop also underlined that the strategic partnership between ASEAN and Japan is built on the basis of shared strategic interests and common goals. Participants noted that Japan’s economic growth is closely related to ASEAN’s, while the close coordination of actions between the two sides will contribute to building an Asian-Pacific region of peace and prosperity.

Besides economic ties, people-to-people exchange and cultural connectivity are also believed to be a focus of cooperation between ASEAN and Japan.

According to Director for Southeast Asia of the Japan International Exchange Fund Ogawa Tadashi, culture will be an important aspect of bilateral ties in the future.

ASEAN and Japan set up informal dialogue ties in 1973, which became official in March 1977 at the ASEAN-Japan Forum. The two sides have made great strides in political-security, economic, socio-cultural cooperation over the past more than 40 years.

The bilateral ties received a boost with the signing of the Tokyo Declaration for the Dynamic and Enduring ASEAN-Japan Partnership in the New Millennium at the commemorative ASEAN-Japan summit in Tokyo in March 2003.

In November 2011, the 14th ASEAN-Japan Summit in Bali, Indonesia, issued the Joint Declaration for Enhancing ASEAN-Japan Strategic Partnership for Prospering together and the ASEAN-Japan Plan of Action for 2011-2015.

Detik.com, Friday 26 June 2015,

Jakarta- Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno LP Marsudi emphasizes and clarifies that Indonesia’s stance in the South East China Sea dispute is neutral. Retno hopes all the countries involved in the dispute implements early conclusion or the outline from the code of ethics and the code of conduct.

“We are now intensively communicating  with all parties so that early conclusion from the code of conduct (COC) will be applied immediately,” stated Retno upon attending High Level International Workshop event  2015 on ‘Managing South China Sea Conflict From ASEAN Perspective’ in Sumba Room, Borobudur Hotel, Central Jakarta on Friday (26/6/2015)

Retno cannot hang on wishes towards the South China Sea Conflict resolution. Although, the sooner the better. “We will communicate with all the parties, in this case Indonesia will talk more comfortably,” she added.

Due to Indonesia’s stance in the neutral position, therefore its parties can drive the settlement of the South China Sea conflict to be made sooner. “Insya Allah we will assure and make the South China Sea to become a region of peace and stability” declared Retno.

The dispute that occurred in the South China Sea, a region rich in natural resources, involves China and several other countries in the South East Asia region such as Malaysia, Philippine, Vietnam, Brunei Darussalam and Cambodia.

Republika, Friday 3 July 2015,

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia held an iftar event with a number of Ambassadors from Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC). The meeting was intended to strengthen relations between Indonesia and OIC member countries in Indonesia.

The head of Agency of Assessment and Foreign Policy Development, Salman Al-Farisi in his opening remarks during the iftar event that was attended by a number of ambassadors and representatives of OIC member countries, on Thursday (2/7), stated that the event was a continuation of the Ramadhan Dialogue which took place last year.

In the Ramadhan Dialogue, Indonesia and the representatives of OIC member countries who attended talked about various current issues that are going on in the world. Besides, the dialogue also opens lines of communication in the effort of enhancing relations between countries. “This forum is very important in shaping cooperation and in strengthening the citizen’s awareness toward the country’s potentials” declared Salman in front of the guests in Le Meridien, Jakarta.

The event is held in cooperation with Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Journalist Muslim Brotherhood (PJMI) and Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS), is attended by a number of ambassadors and their representatives. The countries that were present include Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia, as well as Pakistan.

This innovative and intensive program offered students the opportunity to examined how international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were affected by changes in their operating context. Students would become more familiar with the distinctive features of these organizations, their managerial challenges, their economic dynamics, their social and political environments, and the values they seeked to realize. An intensive curriculum engaged students via a case-based pedagogy that required them to applied various principles central to the management of international NGOs. Over the course of the program, students would conducted several different projects related to the varied phases of a particular international NGO’s operations.

Social, environmental, and other issues are growing increasingly complex and challenging, and many NGOs faced tasks that required practical management and communication skills to further their cause. This program carried out the theme “Revitalizing the Spirit of the Youth Pledge Towards the Civil Society Empowerment”. The main objective was to provided students with the knowledge and skills necessary to work in the field. Recognized experts in their disciplines teach the courses, and guest speakers from NGOs, corporations, academia, and the media also present their views.

This program held on January 26^th 2012 – January 31^th 2012 in Hongkong. Students had opportunity to get short training about how to be a good fundraiser from the experts of Association Fundraiser Profession Hongkong. They learned more about strategic planning for NGO & Networking of NGO at Dompet Dhuafa Hongkong. And then students had a set of discussion about community development at City University of Hongkong and Consulate General of The Republic of Indonesia. They also did field observation to migrant worker shelter of Dompet Dhuafa Hongkong. The outcome are when they graduate from this program, students have the ability to manage and pioneering NGO in their own environments.

Enrich students experience with industrial visit program organized by the Center for Southeast Asian Studies ( CSEAS ). This program is an annual CSEAS program, which this year carries out the theme “Youth in ASEAN Country with Access to University”. The main objective is to learn more about educational access scheme which is owned by youth in three countries , namely Indonesia , Singapore , and Malaysia. During this program, the activities divided into four elements consisting of forums (interaction with the local youth), mini conferences, scholarships searching, and enhancement of leadership skills.

The official visit to the university held in three cities and three countries, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technology University and the University of Technology Malaysia. The participants not only visited the university in the program, various international institutions also participated in the program agenda industrial visit, such as the ASEAN Secretariat , Institution of Southeast Asian Studies. Prior to departure , participants will also be equipped with general knowledge about ASEAN countries as young ambassadors of the country by ASEAN Secretariat.