Former Irish PM Dr Garret FitzGerald Visits NZ

On Thursday, September 9th, former Prime Minister of Ireland Dr Garret FitzGerald will deliver the keynote address for the "Outside Looking In" conference hosted by the National Centre for Research on Europe (NCRE).

The keynote speech will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Hurst Seager room at the Christchurch Arts Centre.

Dr. FitzGerald will discuss the origins of the international relations differences between the US and Europe.

Division at both the state and popular level is due to a largely unnoticed divergence in international relations that emerged during the second half of the last century, he argues.

"During this period, Europe was reacting constructively in no fewer than seven different ways against centuries of attempts by one or other of its states to dominate the Continent -- whereas the US was responding to a quite different contemporary challenge: that of finding itself a super-power."

Dr. FitzGerald served as Prime Minister of Ireland during the 1980s and now chairs the Future of Europe Committee of the Institute of European Affairs. He is also a member of the International Affairs Committee of the Royal Irish Academy.

This conference is the 2nd meeting of the Asia-Pacific EU Studies Association (the inaugural conference was held in Seoul in May 2003).

The Asia-Pacific EU Studies Association brings together ECSA/EUSA associations across the region -- from India in the west to China and Japan in the east and Australia and New Zealand in the south. The conference is sponsored by EUSA-New Zealand, the NCRE and the European Commission.

The "Outside Looking In" theme is intended to stimulate debate and research within the Asia-Pacific region on EU topics. The process of European integration may take on different characteristics and dynamics when viewed externally. The objective is to identify these perspectives and develop a wider research agenda for EU scholars in the area.

Web links

Conference:

http://www.europe.canterbury.ac.nz/conferences/apeu2004/apeu2004.shtml

Dr FitzGerald:

>http://www.europe.canterbury.ac.nz/conferences/apeu2004/GFG%20Formal%20Resume.doc

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The National Centre for Research on Europe at the University of Canterbury is the only dedicated European research centre in New Zealand. It is a multi-disciplinary Centre of Academic Excellence and Expertise that operates nationally, uniting students and scholars from a wide range of fields to research and study European issues.

The Centre has significant responsibility for the European Union's outreach efforts within New Zealand and the Pacific. Raising a critical awareness of the EU, informing government, the media and public opinion are all equally important aspects of the NCRE's core function.

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