1. With the Republic of Korea assuming chairmanship of MIKTA this year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with the Korean Association of International Studies, held the “MIKTA Academic Dialogue” online in real time from 10:00-15:00, September 18 (Korea Standard Time).

2. The seminar to which experts from home and abroad were invited in a virtual format was held under the theme “Post COVID-19 Global Orders and MIKTA’s Role as a Middle Power Partnership,” and consisted of presentations and discussions on the importance of MIKTA in post-COVID-19 global orders and ways to work together in promoting multilateralism and global health security, as well as a live Q&A session.

3. In his opening remarks at the virtual seminar, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Lee Taeho said that the spirit of global solidarity and cooperation for global health security is now called for more keenly than ever amid the global crisis of COVID-19, and stressed the importance of the role of consultative mechanisms among middle power countries, including MIKTA, in further boosting multilateral cooperation.

o President of the Korean Association of International Studies Lee Sang-hwan assessed that the seminar served as a useful opportunity to discuss ways to strengthen middle-power diplomacy as well as ways for MIKTA to contribute to resolving economic, social, and health issues caused by COVID-19.

o In his concluding remarks, Ambassador for Public Diplomacy of the Foreign Ministry Chang Jae-bok noted that the seminar served as an opportunity to facilitate academic exchanges among MIKTA members, and hoped to continue expanding the horizons of the MIKTA partnership.

4. At the event, experts from MIKTA countries discussed post-COVID-19 global orders and prospects for change in dynamics among countries with a focus on MIKTA, and exchanged views on ways for MIKTA to contribute to promoting multilateralism for resilient global health security.

o In Session 1 held under the theme “Prospects for Post COVID-19 Global Orders and MIKTA,” Associate Professor of Yonsei University Jeffrey Robertson (Australia) and Professor of the Center for Research and Teaching in Economics Jorge Schiavon (Mexico) made presentations, and Professor of the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security Kang Seonjou (ROK), Executive Director of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies Philips Vermonte (Indonesia), and Associate Professor of Gaziantep University Funda Karadeniz (Turkey) participated as panelists.

o In Session 2 held under the theme “COVID-19 and Promoting Multilateralism and Global Health Security,” Associate Professor of Universitas Indonesia Evi Fitriani (Indonesia) and Professor of Marmara University Emel Parlar Dal (Turkey) made presentations, and Associate Professor of Kyung Hee University Choi Hyunjin (ROK), Professor of Griffith University Caitlin Byrne (Australia), and Visiting Professor and Researcher of the International Studies Division of the Center for Research and Teaching in Economics Erika Ruiz Sandoval (Mexico) participated as panelists.

5. The MIKTA Academic Dialogue, held amid growing interest in the need to strengthen multilateralism based on solidarity and cooperation to overcome COVID-19 and promote health security, is seen to have laid the foundation for bolstering cooperation among competent middle power countries in providing global public goods. In addition, the seminar is expected to revitalize exchanges and cooperation among key researchers from five MIKTA countries by providing an opportunity to resume the MIKTA Academic Network, a forum for academic exchanges among think tanks of MIKTA countries that has been suspended since its third meeting in 2017.

6. The seminar was live streamed through YouTube (https://youtu.be/UjQJoF58glg), and a video containing main content of the event will be posted later on the YouTube channel of the Foreign Ministry’s Public Diplomacy and Cultural Affairs Bureau, “Korea Public Diplomacy.” (https://www.youtube.com/user/pdpmofa)