When Barack Obama took the oath of office as the President of the United States, the world media applauded the event and expressed their hope in seeing America fulfill the changes promised in Obama's campaign. Many expect a change in the direction of American foreign policy, as the Democrats have taken control of the executive branch after eight years. In this age of globalization, changes made in American foreign policy will inevitably have a spillover effect on Asia. How likely is the Obama administration to make significant changes, given the relatively stable trend of American foreign policy over recent years? What changes, if any, are likely to happen in the short-run and in the long-run? How should Asian countries and individuals prepare themselves in light of these possible changes?
During our plenary session, we will examine key issues affecting America's relations with the world today. We will analyze the recent changes in the international environment, investigate heated topics in the foreign policy debate, study characteristics of the policy-making process in the United States and its impact on the outcome, and discuss possible changes in American foreign policy under the Obama administration.
Although Chairman Mao declared in 1949 that "women hold up half the sky," for the past 50 years, women have still been treated as inferior to men in many regions of Asia. Women are more likely to suffer from inequalities in protection of their rights and access to education; they are underrepresented in national and local governments, as well as in each nation's leading companies. Yet, this is beginning to change. We will examine methods being utilized nationally and internationally to restore equality between the genders, focusing on the particular success that has been found in breaking the cycle of poverty by providing women with basic education, financial support, and health care. Delegates are expected to bring a specific case study of an international or domestic policy or program that has been successfully implemented to establish women as equal counterparts in Asia.
