The forum took place on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of ASEAN and Year of Friendship Vietnam - Korea 2012. It was one of the numerous activities to mark the 20th anniversary of officially established diplomatic relations between Vietnam and South Korea to contribute to further strengthen cooperation in scientific research, training and policy advice among research institutes in Vietnam, Korea and the ASEAN countries.
The forum began with opening and welcome speeches from Prof. Dr. Nguyen Xuan Thang - President of VASS, Prof. Dr. Le Bo Linh - Deputy Chairman of the Vietnam National Assembly’s Committee of Science, Technology and Environment, Mr. Woosang Kim - President of the Korea Foundation, Mr. Ha Chan Ho, Korean Ambassador to Vietnam and Prof. Dr. Lee Joon Sik - Vice President of the Seoul National University.
The forum is an important step in developing good relationships among countries. Moreover, it is a new message of trust and mutual understanding among ASEAN countries and South Korea. Looking back over the years, since the Republic of Korea became a full dialogue partner of ASEAN in 1991, relations between ASEAN and Korea have rapidly become one of the pillars of regional cooperation in East Asia. In particular, the 13th ASEAN - Republic of Korea Summit on 29 October 2010 in Ha Noi decided to elevate ASEAN-Korea dialogue relations from comprehensive cooperation to strategic partnership and adopted its Action Plan, which covers the period of 2011-2015.
However, the relationship between ASEAN and South Korea is facing new challenges as the world and the region is volatile. The world economy is still in a difficult period, the growth rate slowed, trade and investment decreased. The problem of environmental pollution, climate change continues to be serious challenges to sustainable development. The peace and stability in the region is still extremely complicated with problems related to nuclear security and maritime and island sovereignty disputes in particular, which tended to increase recently.
At the forum managers, diplomats, scholars from Korea and ASEAN countries participated in discussion sessions with three topics. Topic 1: "Developing Korean-ASEAN Cooperation: Economic Growth and Sustainable Development" chaired by Professor Rodolfo C. Severino, Director of the ASEAN Studies Center of ISEAS, National University of Singapore. Topic 2: "Migration: Labor, Travel and Studying overseas" - by Dr. Lydia N. Yu Jose, Director of the Ateneo Center for Asian Studies, Ateneo De Manila University. Topic 3: "Regional Security: Maritime Security, Denuclearization and Peace " - by Dr. Park Hong Kyoo, the Asian Studies Center, Seoul National University.
At first session, in addition to Korean scholar’s presentations on green growth, the presentations of other participants assessed Vietnam's Green Growth Strategy, in which confirmed this is a new trend of development, a new channel of cooperation between Vietnam and Korea. At the session on migration issues, some participants said that to get a growing number of scholars of Southeast Asian countries to study, research and publish their findings on Southeast Asia, we need to promote research on history, culture and society of the ASEAN member countries, to promote the learning of regional languages as well as organizing seminars, conferences and other public forums to propagate and disseminate knowledge of the ASEAN member countries. In the framework of the Forum, the participants also had a roundtable discussion with the theme “Looking for a Strategy to Boost Cultural Exchanges between ASEAN and South Korea”.
The forum was a chance for both ASEAN countries’ and Korea’s scholars to discuss, exchange ideas and share experiences about economic growth, sustainable development, migration issues, regional security and peace… In the frank and open spirit of academic exchange, the forum came up with new important ideas and initiatives to contribute to peace, stability and development of the region and the world and to good relationships between the ASEAN countries and Korea.
Nguyen Vu
