USJ Rector Emphasizes Importance of the Chinese and East and Southeast Asian Voices in Global Diplomacy at the 32nd Estoril Political Forum
USJ Rector Emphasizes Importance of the Chinese and East and Southeast Asian Voices in Global Diplomacy at the 32nd Estoril Political Forum
11
Jun
11/06/2024
The Rector of the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) Macao, the Reverend Professor Stephen Morgan, was a panelist at the 32nd Estoril Political Forum, held between 3rd and 5th June, at Hotel Palácio, Estoril, Portugal.
The Rector of the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) Macao, the Reverend Professor Stephen Morgan, was a panelist at the 32nd Estoril Political Forum, held between 3rd and 5th June, at Hotel Palácio, Estoril, Portugal.
The panel addressed the question of academic diplomacy in an age of increased geopolitical tensions at the forum which had taken place at the historic venue since 1981. This year, the forum marked the fiftieth anniversary of the Carnation Revolution, with political scientist, academics and diplomats from across the world.
In his intervention, Professor Morgan stressed that it was important to recognise that the US and European dominated rules-based international order did not look like a self-evidently neutral force for good everywhere in the world. He stressed that China and the countries of East and Southeast Asia could not be expected simply to be rule-takers: their voices, the voices of more than half the world’s population needed to be heard and had a right to be heard. Universities had a crucial role to play in building person-to-person and institution-to-institutional relationships fostering a space for these voices to be heard and ensuring understanding and peace.
(Português)
Reitor da USJ sublinha importância das vozes da China e do Este e Sudeste Asiático na diplomacia global durante o 32º Forum Político do Estoril
O Reitor da Universidade de São José (USJ) de Macau, Reverendo Professor Stephen Morgan, foi um dos oradores do 32º Fórum Político do Estoril, realizado entre 3 e 5 de junho, de 2024, no Hotel Palácio, Estoril, em Portugal.
O painel abordou a questão da diplomacia académica em tempos de crescentes tensões geopolíticas no fórum que se realiza neste local histórico desde 1981. Este ano, o fórum assinalou o quinquagésimo aniversário da Revolução dos Cravos, com a presença de cientistas políticos, académicos e diplomatas de todo o mundo.
Na sua intervenção, o Professor Morgan salientou que era importante reconhecer que a ordem internacional baseada em regras, dominada pelos EUA e pela Europa, não parece ser uma força neutra e evidente para o bem em todo o mundo. Sublinhou que não se podia esperar que a China e os países da Ásia Oriental e do Sudeste Asiático se limitassem a cumprir as regras: as suas vozes, as vozes de mais de metade da população mundial, precisavam de ser ouvidas e tinham o direito de o ser. As universidades têm um papel crucial a desempenhar na construção de relações pessoa-a-pessoa e instituição-a-instituição, promovendo um espaço para que essas vozes sejam ouvidas e assegurando a compreensão e a paz.
[Photo Caption, from left to right: Prof Rudolfo Gallo (Rector of the Catholic University of Salta, Argentina, and President of ODUCAL, the Latin American IFCU branch), Prof François Mabille (Secretary General of IFCU), Prof Isabel Capeloa Gil (Rector of UCP and President of IFCU), Prof Lara Boustany (former Rector of La Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon) and Rev’d Prof. Stephen Morgan (Rector of USJ, Executive Secretary of ASEACCU, Vice President of IFCU)]
