University of Social Sciences and Humanities - VNU Hanoi

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The EU Approach to Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific: From Strategy to Practice

The seminar sharing the research results of the same name was jointly organized by the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU (VNU-USSH) and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stifung (KAS) and was held on the morning of September 24, 2024 in Hanoi.
20 years of cooperation between the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stifung 
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Prof. Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan - Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities said: “Over the past 20 years, the cooperative relationship between the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) has developed strongly. The cooperation between the two sides not only improves the quality of training and research, but also creates a solid foundation for sustainable development in the fields of social sciences. Cooperative activities such as organizing seminars, workshops and academic exchange programs have made certain contributions to finding creative and sustainable solutions to urgent social problems.”
In the context of the Indo-Pacific region playing an increasingly important role in the global economic and political structure, regional studies have helped Vietnam better understand its historical, cultural and economic relations with neighboring countries, providing a solid scientific foundation for building regional cooperation strategies, ensuring stable and sustainable development. Research on the European Union's approach to regional cooperation, from strategy to practice, plays a very important role in understanding the views and policies of a large entity, an important partner of Vietnam. From there, the research results will contribute directly and indirectly to the process of understanding foreign policy and building foreign policy of Vietnam.
Rector Hoang Anh Tuan affirmed: “The continuous support and companionship from KAS Institute is a valuable motivation to help the school fulfill its mission of contributing and creating positive changes for society, making an important contribution to promoting the exchange of knowledge, culture and values ​​between Vietnam and Germany.”
Mr. Florian Feyerabend - Representative of Konrad Adenauer Stifung in Vietnam shared: The Indo-Pacific region is increasingly strategically important for the EU, recognizing the growing economic, demographic and political weight of this region in promoting the shaping of the world order and addressing global challenges. The EU aims to use a strategy aimed at strengthening cooperation with the region, building partnerships to strengthen the international order based on rules, addressing global issues and laying the foundations for a rapid, equitable and sustainable economic recovery. The 
three-phase research between KAS and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities focuses on the EU's strategy being implemented and, more importantly, how this strategy is viewed from the perspective of countries in the Indo-Pacific region in general and Vietnam in particular. 
As a German political organization, KAS supports this research and workshop to promote discussions on the EU's Indo-Pacific cooperation strategy. Accordingly, he hopes that the workshop will open up many future research topics, strengthening the relationship between the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and KAS in particular, and between Vietnam and Germany in general.
Sharing the research results, Prof. Detlef Briesen - Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany said: “The research project The EU Approach to Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific: From Strategy to Practice delves into the European Union’s strategic approach to the Indo-Pacific region, in a rapidly changing geopolitical context, largely shaped by the strategic competition and growing influence between the United States and China. The EU’s strategy reflects an important adjustment of its foreign policy priorities, emphasizing the need for strategic autonomy, multilateralism and enhanced partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region.” The EU 
recognizes that regional stability is closely tied to Europe’s own economic and security interests, especially with regard to trade routes, energy supplies and critical technologies. The EU's strategy is driven by the need to protect its interests, mitigate geopolitical risks posed by rising tensions between China and the United States, and strengthen its role as a global actor through strategic partnerships and multilateral cooperation.
According to Dr. Nguyen Thi Thuy Trang - Faculty of International Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities: In the first step, the 2021 research project analyzed the contents of the European Union's Indo-Pacific strategy and its reception in Vietnam. In the second step in 2022, experts analyzed the views and perceptions of regional entities on this strategy. The research results presented in 2023 are more related to the fluctuations of the global geostrategic environment. Dr. Nguyen Thi Thuy Trang analyzed the views of several regional entities such as ASEAN, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as their concerns about the role and prospects of implementing the EU's strategy in the Indo-Pacific. Concerns include: On trade, the EU’s stringent environmental and labour standards could pose challenges for developing and emerging economies that are not yet able to fully meet these standards; On security and defence, countries in the region are somewhat sceptical about the EU’s ability to make a significant contribution to the Indo-Pacific security architecture; In addition, countries in the region are aware that Europe’s main focus remains on its own neighbourhood – such as relations with Russia, North Africa and internal European concerns such as Brexit. This raises concerns about the EU’s long-term commitment to the Indo-Pacific and whether the EU has the capacity to focus on Southeast Asia amid competing priorities.
At the seminar, the participating experts and researchers also had positive discussions about the opportunities for the EU when seeking to balance its strategic interests with those of other powers in the Indo-Pacific as well as the opportunities and challenges for Vietnam in the current context, and proposed some necessary and meaningful research directions in the future, the risks and opportunities for the EU when seeking to balance its strategic interests with those of other powers in the Indo-Pacific as well as the opportunities and challenges for Vietnam in the current context.
“The EU Approach to Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific: From Strategy to Practice” is a collaborative project between the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stifung, which has been implemented in three phases:
Phase 1 (2021): Research on the EU's objectives and clarify questions about the EU's level of engagement in the new foreign policy area with its strategies. The research also clarifies Vietnam's views on the EU's new strategy. 
Phase 2 (2022): Research and assess the EU's awareness and strategy among key international actors in the region.
Phase 3 (2023): Research and assess the EU's cooperation strategy in the Indian Ocean region in the new context, especially in the post-conflict context of the Ukraine region to date.

Author: Đại Hữu - USSH Media

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