Bachelor of Social Science (Honours) in International Relations is a distinguished programme at the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences. It is designed for those who aspire to be leaders in Government, International Business, or International Organizations. This programme is Southeast Asia’s first International Relations degree which combines the most refined university learning with a stamp of industrial experience. The School of Liberal Arts and Sciences (SLAS) organized a webinar that discussed Russia’s War on Ukraine, which has been going on since 24th February 2022.
Although the war may seem like a distant predicament for many in Southeast Asia, the war has more profound implications for Malaysia and other countries in Southeast Asia as we need to respond and bear the war's implication to international politics and the global economy. The webinar was conducted on 7th March 2022, aimed to discuss the current crisis in Ukraine from various perspectives. Ms. Nur Ainif Omar, Work-Based Learning (WBL) Coordinator, School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Taylor's University worked excellently in moderating the webinar that involved four panelist from four different nationalities discussing the war from multiple standpoints.
The speakers were Prof. Dr. Adam Leong Kok Wey, a well-known Malaysian scholar. He serve as the Director, Centre for Defence and International Security Studies, National Defence University of Malaysia (UPNM). From his defence studies perspective, he discussed "The Strategic Logic of Russia’s Aggression". Prof Dr. Andre Luis Sena, Rio de Janeiro University, Brazil is a Brazillian Professor and Professional Researcher who studies International Relations in Ottawa, Canada. His talking points was about the "Canadian Reaction of Russian Aggression in Ukraine".
Followed by Prof. Dr. Iana Komar, Professor, Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia. She talked about the "Anthropology of Everyday Wartime Life in Donbas: A War that No One Wanted to Notice". Finally, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Guido Benny, Programme Director, Bachelor of Social Science (Hons) in International Relations, Taylor’s University presented his research on the "Southeast Asian Responses to Russian Aggression in Ukraine".
The webinar attracted many students and scholars in International Relations throughout Malaysia. In addition, Scholars from overseas such as India, Indonesia, Russia, Ukraine, and Poland also attended and participated in the discussion. Free Malaysia Today covered the webinar and wrote an article titled “Ukraine-Like Conflict Could Happen Over South China Sea, Says Academic.”
The report can be retrieved at this link: Ukraine-like conflict could happen over South China Sea, says academic | Free Malaysia Today (FMT).
