11.12.2021
On December 9-11 Vladivostok hosted the first “regional” ASEAN Week, which was jointly organised by ASEAN Centre and the Model United Nations of the Russian Far East (MUNRFE). The event brought together students and staff of MGIMO University, Vladivostok State University of Economy and Service (VSUES) and the Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU).
On December 9 ASEAN Centre Acting Director Dr. Ekaterina Koldunova and the Centre´s staff, as well as MGIMO students specializing in Thai and Lao languages paid a visit to VSUES. The purpose of the visit was to meet the Rector Prof. Tatiana Terentieva and the Director of International and Cultural Affairs Department Petr Syomin. MGIMO students also took part in the Lao Speaking Club meeting with VSUES students from Laos and joined the discussion on the dynamics of Russia-Laos bilateral relations with the Honorary Council of Laos in Russia H.E. Alexander Virich.
A city quest on Southeast Asia was conducted on the same day. It was created and carried out by the MUNRFE activists with the ASEAN Centre’s organizational and informational support. The participants had to solve nine riddles and find nine places in the city centre, which are historically or symbolically associated with Southeast Asia.
On December 11 ASEAN Week events were conducted in FEFU. Addressing the participants with his opening remarks, H.E. Mr. Alexander Ivanov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to ASEAN highlighted the importance of youth exchanges for the upward development of Russia-ASEAN relations. Dr. Ekaterina Koldunova, ASEAN Centre Acting Director in her introductory speech underlined the fact that the ASEAN Week in Vladivostok has yet no equivalents in ASEAN Centre’s record of activities, however, it was made possible due to the long-established relations between MGIMO and FEFU.
ASEAN Centre’s Experts delivered lectures and led discussions on various aspects of Southeast Asia’s development. For instance, Dr. Victor Sumsky, ASEAN Centre’s Leading Expert covered in his lecture the history and the present state of ASEAN, stressing the main challenges posed to the Association, and answered the questions emerged. Dr. Valeria Vershinina, Ms. Daria Bachilo and Mr. Nikita Kuklin organized and a quiz and a role play on ecology in ASEAN. The quiz was to be done individually, while for the role play three teams were formed representing respectively government officials, business and ecological activists. The three teams had to interpret and solve the emerging ecological threats typical for Southeast Asian countries.
During the visit to FEFU Acting Director of the ASEAN Centre, Dr. Ekaterina Koldunova, Deputy Director Ekaterina Tronevskaya and the Leading Expert Victor Sumsky met the Vice-Rector for International Relations Evgeny Vlasov and the Director of the School of Regional and International Studies Evgeny Pustovoyt. The parties discussed the possibilities of cooperation in the sphere of training, among others, in Thai and Vietnamese languages, as well as the organization of joint events in the coming year.
The event program also included a sightseeing tour, the visits to the Vladimir Arseniev Museum of History of the Far East and the Vladivostok Aquarium.
ASEAN Week is an annual event organized in MGIMO, Moscow. The ASEAN Week in Vladivostok is the first “regional edition” of the event. ASEAN Centre plans to conduct more such events in other cities and partner universities.
Photo: Ekaterina TRONEVSKAYA, Daria BACHILO, VSUES