War and nation-building on roundtable agenda

Wednesday, 24 September 2003

Australia's leading analysts and scholars of international politics and foreign relations will gather in Adelaide tomorrow (Thursday) for a two-day roundtable hosted by the University of Adelaide.

The War, Conflict and Nation-building roundtable will focus in particular on the Asia-Pacific region, and examine possible solutions to the ongoing clashes between nations and cultures that affect the entire world.

Project director and roundtable organiser, Professor Purnendra Jain of the University of Adelaide's Centre for Asian Studies, says despite many people believing the end of the Cold War would usher in an era of global peace, the issues of war and conflict continue to remain at the forefront of global affairs.

"Events such as the September 11 attacks on the US, the standoff in North Korea and the near nuclear collision between India and Pakistan demonstrate that the issues of war and conflict are becoming even more pronounced," Professor Jain says.

"The roundtable will look at the many questions surrounding these issues. For example, what is the most appropriate method of dealing with such crises: should it be pre-emptive strikes, military action or 'soft power' - the art of persuasion, credibility and legitimacy? What role should Australia and Japan be playing as the two most developed nations in the Asia-Pacific region? What processes should be adopted to achieve lasting peace and nation-building?

"Australia's best analysts and scholars will be on hand to discuss and debate these topics, and we are aiming to further develop the framework which policymakers in Australia and beyond can engage with."

Some of the speakers and their topics include:

• Dr John Bruni (University of Adelaide): Asymmetrical Warfare in the Asia-Pacific;
• Dr Greg Barton (Deakin University): Indonesia at the Crossroads: Islam, Islamism and the fraught transition to democracy;
• Professor William Tow (University of Queensland): American Visions of Asia post 9/11;
• Dr Felix Patrikeeff (University of Adelaide): The Changing Nature of the International Intelligence Services and its Impact on the Asia-Pacific Region;

The War, Conflict and Nation-building roundtable, funded by the University of Adelaide's Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Japan Cultural Centre in Sydney, will be held on Thursday September 25 and Friday September 26 in the Edgeloe Room in the University of Adelaide's Mitchell Building.

Media are welcome to attend most sessions; they must contact Professor Jain to register their interest before attending. For a full program of events, contact Ben Osborne in the university's media office.

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