Diplomacy Lab Student Researchers Present Foreign Policy Findings to U.S. Consulate General in Vietnam
- Sep 8, 2020
- Jenan Taha
Culminating an extensive research project for Diplomacy Lab, a team of international relations and global studies students presented their foreign policy recommendations to the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in a live-streamed event on Sept. 8.
The team of students, Ayudhia Sofyan, Nakhim Seng, Katherine Newton and Bryan Applefeld, completed the project in spring 2020 under the direction of Dr. Michal Mosser, assistant professor of instruction in international relations and global studies, government and European studies. Their project, titled “ASEAN Identity Within Member State Sovereignty,” examined how member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) could build a collective identity while maintaining their individual sovereignty.
Diplomacy Lab, a U.S. State Department initiative, engages universities throughout the country to produce innovative research on foreign affairs and contribute directly to the policymaking process. The program allows students to receive class credit while collaborating on reports and presentations for policymakers. Dr. Michael Mosser led the capstone class at UT in fall 2019 and spring 2020.
The policy suggestions outlined in the report address strategies for Vietnam, the current chair of ASEAN, to strengthen the intergovernmental organization’s reputation and effectiveness in bolstering political and economic cooperation among the member countries.
Watch the presentation, which garnered more than 13,000 online viewers and reached approximately 72,000 people across Southeast Asia.
