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Dr Virginia Bacay Watson of the Daniel K Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (DKI APCSS) delivered a talk on “Regional Security Architecture (RSA)” during a roundtable discussion at the National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP) on February 1, 2018.

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Against the backdrop of security trends in the region, Dr Watson discussed the contending theoretical perspectives on RSA.  She shared her insights on the influence of great-power politics in the shaping of RSA, as well as various geopolitical scenarios that may unfold in the Indo-Asia-Pacific Region.
Points raised include possible institutional changes in the Association of Southeast Asia Nation (ASEAN), role of the government in norm-shaping, and possible courses of action among states in their pursuit of national interests.  Participants also shared insights on the complexity of the regional security landscape and the challenges faced by the Philippines.
The roundtable discussion was attended by NDCP officials, Faculty and Defense Research Officers as well DKI APCSS alumni from various government agencies.
Dr Watson’s areas of interest include Southeast Asia geopolitics among others.  She has worked in various institutions such as the University of Denver, Colorado School of Mines, and University of Colorado in Beijing, China.
DKI APCSS is a Hawaii-based academic organization under the United States Department of Defense (DoD).  Through the years, it has trained defense and security officials from various Asia Pacific countries, including the Philippines, on regional and global security issues.
The NDCP and DKI APCSS had collaborated in several international workshops and fora conducted in Manila.

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