Southeast Asia’s Multipolar Future: Averting a New Cold War
November 7 @ 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
Speaker: Thomas Parks, Vice President, The Asia Foundation
Moderator: Ann Marie Murphy, Adjunct Senior Research Scholar; Professor and Director, Center for Foreign Policy Studies, School of Diplomacy and International Relations, Seton Hall University
In this event, Tom Parks will discuss his excellent new book, Southeast Asia’s Multipolar Future: Averting a New Cold War. The book argues that Southeast Asia is emerging as an open, autonomous region, where small and middle powers can maintain their sovereignty and shape the regional order. Despite new superpower pressures, the region is moving towards a multi-polar order, with greater agency for Southeast Asian countries. The key to Southeast Asia’s future may be other external powers – particularly Japan, Australia, India, and Europe – who can provide ASEAN governments with more diverse partnerships, enabling them to avoid the bipolar blocs of superpower rivalries. The book argues that external partners are helping to shape the geopolitical order by supporting ASEAN leadership and diluting the influence of great powers. Southeast Asian countries also have remarkable capacity to manage asymmetrical relations and balance external powers. By examining the dynamics between Southeast Asia and external powers, the book predicts that the region’s future will look entirely different from its Cold War past.
Speaker’s Bio: Thomas Parks is The Asia Foundation’s Vice President for Strategic Partnerships. In this role, he leads the Foundation’s efforts to strengthen partnerships with governments, development organizations, multinational corporations, foundations and philanthropists. He oversees the Foundation’s overall resource development strategy and leads efforts to develop new institutional funding partnerships. As a member of the Executive Team, he plays a central role in shaping the Foundation’s overall strategy for impact and thought leadership.
This event is hosted by the Weatherhead East Asian Institute and co-sponsored by the Asia Foundation and NYSEAN.
Registration:
- To attend this event in-person, please register HERE.
- To attend this event online, please register HERE.
