Asean Council of Japan sets conference

The 21st conference of the ASEAN Council of Japan ( ASCOJA) with the theme “ASCOJA in an Integrated ASEAN” will be held on Oct. 2-4 at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati.

The conference will focus on regional integration and its impact on the 10 member countries of ASEAN and their respective Japan alumni associations.

ASCOJA is the premier regional Japan alumni organization. Not just a gathering of former students in Japan, it is a meeting of the best ASEAN minds, with some 300 participants expected to attend this year’s conference organized and hosted by the Philippine Federation of Japan Alumni (PHILFEJA) under its president, Philip Sanvictores.

ASCOJA 2015 features significant breakthroughs and milestones in its history with Japan’s former Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda as guest of honor. His late father, former Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda, enunciated the doctrine of “Heart-to-Heart” relationships in 1977 which continues to underpin Japan’s foreign policy to this day. The Fukuda Doctrine inspired the establishment of ASCOJA 38 years ago.

Among the ASEAN alumni invited to speak at the sessions are Adeline Pang Lin Ching of Brunei, Dr. Ooi Chee Keong of Malaysia, Eko Cahyono of Indonesia, Dr. Phouphet Kyophilavong of Laos, Goi Hoe Chin of Singapore, Prof. Si Si Shien of Myanmar, Asst. Prof. Sermsuk Thiensoonthorn of Thailand, Nguyen Huyen Trang of Vietnam, Dr. Fernando Sanchez, chancellor of the University of the Philippines in Los Banos, and Ambassador Takashi Tajima of Asia Japan Alumni International.

Following tradition, Japanese Ambassador Kazuhide Ishikawa will host a dinner for all participants at the end of the conference on Oct. 3. There will also be a Filipino welcome dinner with a “barrio fiesta” theme, replete with rondalla music and native dances.

The program will be capped by a turnover of the ASCOJA chairmanship from the Philippines ( PHILFEJA) to the Japan Graduates of Malaysia (JAGAM) led by Dr. Ooi Cee Keong, president, who will host the next conference.

For more information, check out www.philippinesjapansociety/