Griffith Asia Institute brings diplomacy to the table in Malaysia
The Griffith Asia Institute in partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) convened a one-day Diplomacy Roundtable in Penang, Malaysia on Friday 3 August 2018. Themed Australia + ASEAN: Soft Power and Partnerships, this third annual Roundtable brought diplomats, policy-makers and young influencers from the arts, business and community sectors together in a strategic conversation about the role and relevance of soft power in the Australia-ASEAN relationship. The Roundtable was convened in Penang in the lead-up to the George Town Festival, and complemented a wider Griffith University Creative Arts presence at the Festival.
Professor Caitlin Byrne, Mr Joe Sidek, Director, George Town Festival, Malaysia and Mr Andrew Goledzinowski, Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia
Session 1 – Debating soft power in a contested world: concepts, issues and challenges with (L. to R.) Professor Haig Patapan, Director, Centre for Governance and Public Policy, Griffith University, Ms Tamerlaine Beasley, Founder and Managing Director, Beasley Intercultural (moderator) and Professor Caitlin Byrne, Director, Griffith Asia Institute
Session one speaker Pham Duy Thuc, Policy Analyst and Head of Working Group on Southeast Asia, Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam
Session 2 – Addressing challenges: what can soft power achieve in the region?, with Ms Elaine Tan, Executive Director, ASEAN Department (Moderator), Mr Michael Vatikiotis, Asia Director, Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, Assistant Professor Charlotte Setijadi, Humanities (Education), Singapore Management University and Mr Tan Ghee Tiong, Head / Assistant Director, Culture and Information Division, Sustainable Development Directorate, ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Department
Ms Nicole Andronicus, Manager, International Relations and Multicultural Affairs, Brisbane City Council
Ms Angela Corcoran, Australian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia
Session 3 – Inspiring the next-gen leaders in a diverse region — what matters, who cares and how to connect?, with Mr Rithisal Kang, Executive Director, Amrita Performing Arts and Regionally Speaking delegate, Ms Leong Tsu Quin, Communications and Campaigns Officer, ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights and Mr Syed Nabil Aljeffri, Co-Chairman, ASEAN Young Entrepreneurs Council.
Session 4 – Building soft power through partnerships — maximising the value proposition?, with Mr Tan Sri Dr. Mohd Munir Bin Abdul Majid, Chairman, CIMB ASEAN Research Institute, Mrs Erna Witoelar, Founder of the Indonesian Environmental Forum and President of the Indonesian Consumer Foundation and of Consumers International and Former UN Special Ambassador for the MDGs in Asia Pacific and Mr T. Sasitharan, Co-Founder and Director, Intercultural Theatre Institute
Mr Sothirak Pou, Executive Director, Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace and Advisor to the Royal Government of Cambodia and Rithisal Kang, Executive Director, Amrita Performing Arts
Mr Damien Miller, Assistant Secretary, Soft Power, Partnerships and Research Branch, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Mr Mark Manantan, Research Affiliate, Asia Pacific Pathways to Progress, Philippines and Ms Bernadine Caruana, Counsellor (Education and Science), Australian High Commission, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Professor Tony Milner, Professorial Fellow and Director, Asialink, University of Melbourne and Mr Tan Sri Dato’ Dr. Mohd Munir Bin Abdul Majid, Chairman, CIMB ASEAN Research Institute, Malaysia
Ms Leong Tsu Quin, Communications and Campaigns Officer, ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights, Indonesia, Mr Tan Ghee Tiong, Head / Assistant Director, Culture and Information Division, Sustainable Development Directorate, ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Department, Professor Pham Duy Thuc, Policy Analyst and Head of Working Group on Southeast Asia, Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam and Ms Elaine Tan, Executive Director, ASEAN Department
Ms Angela Corcoran, Australian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia, Ms Tamerlaine Beasley, Founder and Managing Director, Beasley Intercultural and member of the board of the Australia-ASEAN Council (DFAT), Mr Andrew Goledzinowski, Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia, Ms Lyn Allen, Professor Caitlin Byrne, Director, Griffith Asia Institute
Mrs Erna Witoelar, Ms Marina Kusumawardhani, Executive Coordinator, Inclusive Business and Digital Application Task Force, Office of the Indonesian President, Indonesia (Session 3 speaker) and Mr Nabil Aljeffri
Ms Sharon Mapa Arriola, Associate Dean, New Media Cluster of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Design and Arts, and Regionally Speaking delegate, Philippines, Mr Damien Miller, Assistant Secretary, Soft Power, Partnerships and Research Branch, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade delivering closing remarks and Ms Elaine Tan, Executive Director, ASEAN Foundation, Indonesia
