Launch of the book "The European Union Through the Eyes of Asia"

On December 7, 2009, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, in collaboration with the European Commission Delegation in Vietnam and the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), held a book launch ceremony for "The European Union Through the Eyes of Asia," Volume II.

This book is the result of 18 months of work by researchers from New Zealand, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Three Vietnamese researchers contributed to this book: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Quang Minh (Head of the Department of International Studies - Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities - Vietnam National University, Hanoi), PhD candidate Bui Hai Dang (Deputy Head of the Department of International Relations - Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities - Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City), and MSc. Tran Bach Hieu (Lecturer in Political Science - Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities - Vietnam National University, Hanoi). The book is 270 pages long and was published by World Scientific in October 2009.

Beginning in 2006, the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) and the National Centre for European Studies (NCRE) at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, established the European Research Network in Asia (ESIA) and initiated the research project “The EU Through the Eyes of Asia”. This research project aimed to explore in detail perceptions of the EU in Asia. In 2009, the “EU Through the Eyes of Asia” research project was conducted at 12 research sites across Asia.

The book "The European Union Through the Eyes of Asia, Volume II: New Case Studies, New Research Results" presents the new findings and discoveries of the project. It also provides a detailed and systematic overview of the EU's presence through the research of three groups from Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines. All data analysis and research were conducted in 2008 and the first half of 2009. Furthermore, the book compares the results and findings from the initial phase of the project conducted in China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Thailand in 2006 (Volume 1 published in 2007). Chapter 2 of the book, written by Vietnamese researchers, specifically examines perceptions of the EU in Vietnam as reflected in the media, public opinion, and the views of the elite and leadership class of Vietnam. It can be said that the research findings published by the project "The EU Through the Eyes of Asians" are of great value to policymakers and leaders in both Europe and Asia.

The book launch attracted considerable interest from readers, researchers, professors, and a large number of students both inside and outside the University of Social Sciences and Humanities. Attendees included representatives from the embassies of Hungary, South Korea, Japan, and Singapore; the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Vietnam; the European Union Delegation in Vietnam; the German Foundation for Academic Exchange (DAAD) in Vietnam; the European Chamber of Commerce (EUROCHAM) in Vietnam; and the University of Canterbury (New Zealand), among others.