Organizer: Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University and NYSEAN
Type/Location: Hybrid / New York, NY
Description:
This engaging dialgue, hosted by the Weatherhead East Asia Institute at Columbia University, aims to bring together U.S. Ambassadors from Vietnam, Malaysia, and Laos, along with students, faculty, staff, and members of the local Southeast Asian communities, to discuss and explore the multifaceted diplomatic relationships between the U.S. and ASEAN. The engagement will provide a platform for an open conversation on the impacts of these ties, the shared challenges and opportunities, and how educational and cultural exchanges can further strengthen bilateral relations. Through this interaction, participants will gain deeper insights into the strategic importance of ASEAN-U.S. relations and the potential for future collaboration across various sectors, enhancing mutual understanding and fostering a community of shared interests.
In the vibrant landscape of international education and cultural exchange, the connections between the United States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are more significant than ever. Notably, almost 50,000 students from ASEAN member states enrich U.S. campuses with their perspectives, contributing to a rich tapestry of international dialogue. Furthermore, travel and tourism statistics from 2022 highlight the deepening of people-to-people ties, with nearly 578,000 visitors from ASEAN countries to the U.S. and almost 1.8 million Americans exploring the diverse cultures of ASEAN. Additionally, the vibrant Asian American community, with more than one-third of the estimated 24 million identifying with ASEAN ethnicities, underscores these regions' profound connections.
Edgard D. Kagan, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, was most recently the Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for East Asia and Oceania at the National Security Council. Ambassador Kagan has previously served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. embassies in New Delhi, India and in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Deputy Assistant Secretary in the State Department’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Consul General at the U.S. Consulate General in Mumbai, India, and Deputy Director of the Washington Office of the U.S. Mission to the United Nations.
Earlier in his career, he was Director of Korean Affairs and Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs. Other overseas assignments include Economic and then Political/Economic Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Canberra, Australia, and Political Officer and then Political External Unit Chief at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, PRC. He has also served abroad in Israel, Hungary, and Cote d’Ivoire. A recipient of the Presidential Meritorious Award and numerous other State Department performance awards, Ambassador Kagan speaks French, Mandarin Chinese, Hungarian, and some Spanish.
Marc E. Knapper is a member of the Senior Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State and the Ambassador to Vietnam. He most recently served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Korea and Japan from August 2018 to July 2021. Prior to assuming this position, Marc was Chargé d’Affaires ad interim in Seoul from 2017 to 2018 and Deputy Chief of Mission from 2015 to 2016. Earlier assignments include Director for India Affairs, Director for Japan Affairs, and Seoul, Baghdad, Tokyo, and Hanoi.
Marc is a recipient of the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Service Award, the nation’s highest diplomatic honor. Marc has also received a Presidential Meritorious Service Award and the Department of State’s Linguist of the Year Award. He is a summa cum laude graduate of Princeton University, and also studied at the University of Tokyo, Middlebury College’s intensive Japanese program, the Army War College, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Seminar XXI program. Marc speaks Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese.
Heather Roach Variava, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counselor, currently serves as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines. Previously, Variava served as Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, and as the U.S. Consul General in Surabaya, Indonesia. In Washington, Variava was the Director of the Office of Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives, and Bhutan in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs. She has also worked at the State Department Operations Center and on the Thailand desk. Overseas assignments include postings at U.S. Missions in India, Mauritius, Vietnam, and Bangladesh. Variava’s substantive background in South and Southeast Asian Affairs and demonstrated ability to lead large interagency teams, coupled with over twenty-five years of broad diplomatic experience, make her a well-qualified candidate to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Laos.
The talk will be co-moderated by NYSEAN Co-Founder Ann Marie Murphy and Weatherhead Director Lien-Hang T. Nguyen.
Registration:
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