20/11/2024
Five TIU IR students got the opportunity to travel to the Philippines recently to help organize The Manila Dialogue on the South China Sea, co-convened by TIU's maritime security lab. The students facilitated 7 panel sessions, 3 bilateral meetings, visited the headquarters of the Philippine Coast Guard for a roundtable discussion, and had insightful exchanges with experts, academics, diplomats, military leaders and coast guard officers from all over the world, in attendance throughout the three-day event!
See photos below for some snapshots of the students' experience! Also, here are their thoughts after the event:
Chiquita (Indonesia, Undergraduate student):
The dialogue provided me the opportunity to not only witness fruitful discussions among prominent maritime security figures, but also absorb as much knowledge as possible to enrich my own understanding of what it takes to uphold a rules-based world order. It was especially inspiring to have heard Indonesian voices during the panel. To my fellow student volunteers: お疲れ様でした! We've worked hard, we've played hard. I enjoyed working with you over the last couple weeks, all the best to us and all our future journey!
Michal (Norway, Undergraduate student):
It was a great experience and I was able to meet and connect with many experts on Maritime Security. Although it was a lot of work at times, it was fun and valuable for my future studies in the realm of International Relations and Maritime Security. The dialogue turned out to be a huge success, and I hope I get to help out next year as well! Many scholars, diplomats and experts from across the world made their way to Manila for this dialogue! Funny tweets and witty comments during the dialogue made the event more memorable as well.
Trisha (Indonesia, Undergraduate student):
I’m so honored to have contributed to this event alongside four other students of Tokyo International University. They are some of the most hardworking and talented people I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. With a turnout of brilliant scholars, ambassadors, experts, and academics, the Manila Dialogue provided a fantastic platform for open discussions on critical issues in the South China Sea and the broader region. It was also an invaluable learning experience, as I attended insightful panels while running around to ensure everything ran smoothly. 🏃♀️ This event was a wonderful opportunity to connect with so many inspiring professionals in the field of International Relations. Many were kind enough to share their experiences, stories, and advice with me. ❣️
Quan (Vietnam, Graduate student):
My utmost pride to partake in materializing the ambitious visions that the Lead Convenor and my advisor - Dr. Jeffrey Ordaniel - have for the event! My absolute pleasure to have Dr. Jeffrey's students work with me when I was at my lowest energy, namely Michal Aurstad, Chiquita Widjaja, Maria Kloster Nilsen, Trisha Florencia Tirtakusuma, without whom I could never have pushed my leadership and communication capacity to their limits! My honor to present as both lead staff and Pacific Forum Young Leaders Program delegate during the dialogue.
