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The world has seen speedy advancement of space technology over the past decades, being led by superpowers. The space race has become a competitive arena between the superpowers in yielding their influence in geopolitics beyond the ground. It is not a new phenomenon. In the 1960s, amidst the intense Cold War, the world has already witnessed the competition between the former Soviet Union and the United States in their race toward putting the man on the moon. In the present days, with more advanced technology, greater investment by the states and private sector, and rising numbers of superpowers, the space race then became even more notable. 

 

What is the geopolitics of the space race? Why is it important? How do superpowers compete in this geopolitical game? What is there to gain from this competition? These questions will be discussed by our experts from the Philippines and Cambodia at the Expert Dialogue co-organized by KAS Cambodia and Institute for International Studies and Public Policy on 16th February 2023. 

 About our distinguished speakers: 

Sophiya Navarro is the Program Manager for Security and Innovation at the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Philippines Office. Prior to working with KAS, Ms. Navarro worked for the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) under the Office of the Director General, and later on, as Senior Science Research Specialist of the Agency’s Space International Cooperation Division, from 2020-2022. During her tenure at PhilSA, Ms. Navarro spearheaded the signing of the Philippines’ cooperation agreements with the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and with the Philippine-American Education Foundation which handles the Fulbright scholarships in the country.

Ms. Navarro also provided technical and policy assistance in the pursuit of international cooperation activities specifically in the peaceful uses of outer space. She is in charge of the overall preparations and is a regular member of the Philippine delegation in various UN bodies related to outer space, in particular, the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) and the Intergovernmental Consultative Committee on the Regional Space Applications Programme for Sustainable Development under the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). Prior to PhilSA, Ms. Navarro was the Program Coordinator and Research Assistant at the Ateneo de Manila University – School of Government from 2018 to 2022, where she handled programs and grants on inclusive democracy and international relations from KAS Philippines, USAID, and the EU, among others.

Ms. Navarro obtained her Bachelor’s degree on Diplomacy and International Relations with specialization in East and Southeast Asian Studies as well as a Minor in Literature (English) from the Ateneo de Manila University in 2018 with honors (Cum Laude). As a professional, her areas of interest are on international and public policy, especially on the intersections of good governance and national security with science, technology, and innovation

Po Sovinda Po Sovinda is a Research and Program Coordinator at the Center for Southeast Asian Studies and a Lecturer in International Relations at the Institute for International Studies and Public Policy (IISPP) of the Royal University of Phnom Penh. He is a PhD Candidate at Griffith University. 

His research agenda evolves the relationship between China and mainland Southeast Asia and the strategic use of militeral institutions by both major powers and small states. His journal articles have appeared in Australian Journal of International Affairs, Asian Studies Review, Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, European Journal of East Asian Studies, Southeast Asian Affairs, Journal of Greater Mekong Studies, Explorations: A Graduate Student Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, and UC Occassional Paper Series. His op-eds have appeared in the Diplomat, East Asia Forum, New Mandala, the Interpreter, ASEAN Focus, IPP Review and Australian Outlook. He is often quoted in the Phnom Penh Post, and the South China Morning Post, and also is interviewed by the Wire (Australia), the Voice of America, and RFA.

 Moderated By: 

Lim Chhay is recently program manager in charge of foreign affairs projects at the Konrad-Adenauer Foundation in Cambodia (KAS). He joined KAS Cambodia since 2020, which formerly served in junior research associate and program officer positions. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in International Studies with an Honour and Distinction thesis award from the Royal University of Phnom Penh in 2020. His thesis project centered on US-China strategic competition and Cambodia’s foreign policy.

Lim Chhay used to serve as an assistant and interpreter to the spokesperson of the Royal Government and later on worked with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in charge of communications and knowledge management under the policy and innovation unit. He was appointed by Peking University as a Representative of ASEAN Delegation to China-ASEAN Youth Summit 2021 and received an award from China’s Foreign Affairs University as Best Delegate and Best Delegation in 2019.

 

How to join this session?

Click here to register!

For more information, please contact Mr. Lim Chhay, Program Manager for Foreign Affairs, KAS Cambodia.