BRICS Expansion: Southeast Asian Perspectives and Motivations
REGIONAL STRATEGIC AND POLITICAL STUDIES PROGRAMME HYBRID SEMINAR
About the Seminar
The expansion of BRICS and the interest of several Southeast Asian countries, including Malaysia and Thailand, in joining this bloc have sparked considerable regional interest. As institutional balancing becomes a strategy of great power competition that pits the US and its Western allies against China and Russia, the decision to join an international bloc where China and Russia are prominent players carries significant geopolitical implications. Understanding the motivations behind some Southeast Asian nations’ enthusiasm for BRICS, juxtaposed with the caution of others, provides crucial insights into the diverse interests and perspectives within the region. This dynamic also reflects how Southeast Asian states pursue different pathways to navigate their interests in an increasingly fragmented global order.
Our seminar aims to explore these issues in depth, reflecting on how geopolitical shifts have reshaped international institutions and how Global South countries—caught in the midst of great power rivalries—exercise their agency and expand their strategic horizons to navigate uncharted waters.
Download the programme here.
About the Speakers
Dr Shafiah F. Muhibat is Deputy Executive Director for Research Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Indonesia. She joined CSIS in December 2000 and was previously the Head of Department of International Relations (2018-2021) and Deputy Head of Department of Politics and International Relations (2016-2017). Her research interests include regional security issues in the Indo-Pacific, especially maritime security, ASEAN, Indonesia’s foreign policy, and development cooperation. She earned a Master’s Degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in 2003 and Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Hamburg in 2013.
Dr Jittipat Poonkham is Vice Dean for Academic and International Affairs and Associate Professor in the Faculty of Political Science, Thammasat University. His research interests include global geopolitics, Indo-Pacific power dynamics and Thai foreign policy. He is the author of A Genealogy Of Bamboo Diplomacy: The Politics of Thai Détente with Russia and China (ANU Press 2022). Dr Poonkham holds a PhD in International Politics from Aberystwyth University and an MPhil in International Relations from St. Antony’s College, University of Oxford.
Dr Nguyen Vu Tung is a professor of the Department of International Politics at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV). He served as the Ambassador of Vietnam to the Republic of Korea (2020-2023), former President of the DAV (2016-2020), and Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Vietnam in the US (2010-2014). He earned his BA in International Relations and Diplomacy from the Institute for International Relations, Vietnam, in 1986; MA in International Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in 1997; and PhD in Political Science from Columbia University in 2003.
Dr Ong Kian-Ming is the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Pro VC) for External Engagement at Taylor’s University and a member of the Board of Directors of the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) from August 2023 for a two-year term. He was the Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry (MITI) of Malaysia from July 2018 to February 2020 and was a two-term Member of Parliament from 2013 to 2022. Dr Ong was a former Fulbright Scholar and holds a PhD in Political Science from Duke University, an MPhil in Economics from the University of Cambridge, and a BSc in Economics from the London School of Economics.
Registration
This is a hybrid event which will be held at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute (ISEAS).
Attending the Event In-person at ISEAS
To join the event in-person at ISEAS, please register via the ISEAS mobile app, available on iOS and Android via the Apple or Play store. Search “ISEAS” to find or scan this QR code.
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Seating capacity is limited. Do register early to avoid disappointment.
Attending the Event Virtually via Webinar
To join the event virtually at the specified date and time using your internet devices, please register here to receive your unique login link for the webinar via the zoom platform.
If you have questions for the speaker, please key in your questions via the Q&A, stating your name and affiliation. The moderator will field them to the speakers during the Q&A session.