TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
New research center on East Asia launched amid geopolitical tensions
The launch of Prasetiya Mulya University's Centre for East Asian Studies aims to foster the study and research of East Asian topics in Indonesia amid the ongoing rivalry between China and the United States in the region.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
A China Coast Guard ship (right) sails past a Philippine fishing boat with volunteers from the civilian-led mission Atin Ito (This Is Ours) Coalition on board, in the disputed South China Sea on May 16, 2024. A Philippine boat convoy bearing supplies for Filipino fishers said they were headed back to port on May 16, ditching plans to sail to a Beijing-held reef off the Southeast Asian country after one of their boats was “constantly shadowed“ by a Chinese vessel. (AFP/Ted Aljibe)
P
rasetiya Mulya University inaugurated on Wednesday the Centre for East Asian Studies (CEAS), amid what experts deem as a shortage of East Asia-focused scholars in Indonesia at a time when the country needs to navigate the fierce rivalry between China and the United States.
With tensions and diplomatic complexities continuing to loom over the global political, security and economic landscape, Indonesia’s policy and foreign strategy makers must be guided by informed ideas and cooperation between sectors, including education, said university rector Djisman Simandjuntak.
On Wednesday, dozens of experts and diplomats attended the center’s launch event at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) office in Central Jakarta, mulling the evolution of East Asia as well as the importance of finding key avenues of cooperation for Northeast-Southeast Asia community building.
With the rapid growth of East Asian countries, particularly China, redefining the center of geopolitical gravity away from the Western sphere, discussions to pinpoint key opportunities, challenges and the role of multilateral cooperation like ASEAN must intensify, they concurred.
“We must not assume that proximity has naturally led to a mutual understanding between East Asian nations. While there’s growing interaction between governments and people, we must admit that we don’t know each other better,” former foreign minister Hassan Wirajuda said at the event.
“Indonesia doesn’t have a sufficient number of scholars and experts on East Asia to play the role of intellectual mediator,” he said.
