Bilahari Kausikan: The Cold War, Russia-China Relations, and the Making (and Unmaking?) of SE Asia

April 8, 2025 — For the 2025 Borton-Mosely Distinguished Lecture at Columbia University, veteran Singaporean diplomat Bilahari Kausikan shares his insights into how the Cold War and the rivalry between China and the U.S.S.R. gave rise to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the federation of states that was founded in 1967 to promote regional stability—and how ASEAN, in turn, helped shape the idea of Southeast Asia as a cohesive region with its own identity. Moderators: Andrew J. Nathan, Class of 1919 Professor of Political Science, Department of Political Science, Columbia University; Alexander Cooley, Vice Provost for Research, Libraries, and Academic Centers, Barnard College; Claire Tow Professor of Political Science, Barnard College; Harriman Institute, Columbia University. Hosted by the Weatherhead East Asian Institute and the Harriman Institute, and co-sponsored by China and the World Program at Columbia University.