ASEAN Centre in MGIMO-University the MFA of Russia

Центр АСЕАН при МГИМО

Rector Anatoly Torkunov meets MGIMO MA Students from ASEAN

Rector Anatoly Torkunov meets MGIMO MA Students from ASEAN

14.02.2023

On February 14, 2023 MGIMO Rector Anatoly Torkunov met with a group of MA students-representatives of the ASEAN countries.

From the ASEAN side, the meeting was attended by the MA students of the International Relations MA Program from the Republic of the Union of Myanmar Mr. Aung Hlein Pyu, Mr. Khant Win, Mr. Kyaw Maung Maung Thwin and Mr. Yar Zar Aung, as well as a student from Vietnam Mr. Trinh Quoc Vinh and a student from Indonesia Ms. Hunto Yohanna Dvitriaprila. On the part of the University administration, Vice-Rector for Research Dr. Andrey Baykov and Director of the ASEAN Centre in MGIMO Dr. Ekaterina Koldunova also joined the meeting.

Welcoming the students Prof. Anatoly Torkunov noted that MGIMO has been always developing and maintaining strong relations with the universities and think tanks from ASEAN countries. Rector emphasized that at the moment the University has official agreements with partners from Brunei, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and the Philippines, and also seeks to establish broader contacts with other ASEAN countries. He also especially noted that among the graduates of MGIMO from the ASEAN countries there are many well-known diplomats and politicians. One the recent developments in terms of expanding the network of MGIMO’s partnerships in Southeast Asia was a visit of the Vice Rector Stanislav Surovtsev to Myanmar. During this visit a number of cooperation agreements and MoUs was signed.

The Rector also informed the students that since 2010, MGIMO has been the home of the ASEAN Centre, an analytical and educational think tank established by Russia and ASEAN, which has been consistently popularizing and promoting the ASEAN-Russia Dialogue Partnership through joint research, cultural activities and public diplomacy for many years. The participants of the meeting also noted that MGIMO acts as the coordinator for the Network of ASEAN and Russia think tanks and annually holds events on this track.

The Rector and University representatives also announced a brand-new Master's Program “Political Economy of ASEAN-Russia Strategic Partnership”, which was developed specifically for the joint study of Russian-ASEAN interaction by students from both sides. Particular emphasis was placed on the fact that the program is provided with quotas and citizens of ASEAN countries can apply for it freely.

Prof. Torkunov highly evaluated the active involvement of ASEAN students in student everyday life, noting the colorful annual event "Day of Vietnam" organized by the Vietnamese community in MGIMO. In this regard Anatoly Vasilyevich expressed his hope that the number of such communities of Southeast Asian countries in MGIMO will grow faster every year.

The guests of the meeting, in turn, shared with the Rector their impressions of their current study-programs and expressed a number of considerations for further improving the educational process for AEAN students.

At the end of the meeting, students from the ASEAN countries once again thanked Dr. Anatoly Torkunov for the learning and self-fulfillment opportunities in MGIMO.The rector, for his part, assured the students that MGIMO would continue to provide comprehensive assistance in attracting students from ASEAN countries to MGIMO programs and expanding cooperation with the Association member-states.