The Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), the Centre for European Studies (CES), and the MA Programme in European Studies (MAEUS) – Chulalongkorn University, organised a public seminar entitled “Mutual Perceptions of Asia and the EU in a Changing Global Environment – the view from Thailand” at Chulalongkorn University on the 30th of August 2012. The seminar analysed the latest outcomes of the unique study, “The EU through the Eyes of Asia” which examines media, public and opinion leader perceptions of the “EU” in 10 countries across Asia including Thailand.
The study provides unique insights into the current state of Asia-EU relations in this era of economic uncertainty and shifting global power. The “EU through the Eyes of Asia”, has analysed over 7,000 news items, interviewed over 300 opinion leaders and surveyed over 10,000 public respondents on their perceptions of the EU. This multi-layered research offers an understanding of how the EU is perceived by a wide-section of civil society across Asia, providing a depth of knowledge into the importance of the EU for Asia.
In addition, the seminar will feature a presentation on a mirror study, ‘Asia in the Eyes of Europe’, which systemically tracks and analyses the perception of ‘Asia’ in 8 EU member states. To date study has captured and analysed over 2,700 news items from 29 media outlets, interviewed over 100 top media professionals, and conducted a survey of over 6,000 respondents to develop a unique understanding of how Europeans perceive Asia.
The event featured interventions from Mr. Seth Van Doorn, Press Attaché, Delegation of the Euriopean Union in Thailand, and , Ms. Jeerawat Na Thalang, Staff Writer, The Nation. Both speakers discussed the implications of the findings on their own work and offered very interesting insights into the media landscape and the EUs public diplomacy objectives.
