About the Conference : The Obama Presidency : One Year On

     In 2008, the Faculty of Political Science at Ubon Ratchathani University and the American Studies Program (ASP) of the Faculty of Political Science at Chulalongkorn University began collaboration, in order to promote the knowledge and understanding of the student and general population of Thai citizens outside of Bangkok, in relation to American politics. The reasoning behind this collaboration stems from the way in which America impacts on both Thai political and social development and discourse.

     In the context of the ability of America to provide a model for democratic representation, popular participation, and civic understanding of the concept of citizenship; many look towards America for ideas and inspiration, and as a model. An improved awareness within Thailand of notions that are of significant importance to Americans including concepts such as citizenship, is intended to advance the level of political understanding of the rural Thai population in relation to issues that impact on the process of democratisation. It is for these reasons, that the Faculty of Political Science at Ubon Ratchathani University and the American Studies Program at Chulalongkorn University, hosted a workshop on the 13th of June 2008 entitled ‘Electing a new President’ at Ubon Ratchathani University. It is with the intention of continuing these dialogues and debates that both institutions have decided to host the academic conference on the topic of ‘The Obama Presidency: One Year On’.

     In addition to a focus on the impact of the Obama administration at a global level with special reference to topical political, economic, and security issues; the conference will also bring into focus discussions that relate to the impact of the ebb and flow of both the U.S. and China’s engagement within the Greater Mekong Sub-region. The role of the U.S. within the GMS declined after the end of the Vietnam War; and the U.S. has only more recently begun to partially re-engage. However in the case of China, although it too was less engaged within the GMS after the cold war; it has been more fully re-engaging over the past 10 years or more, and has arguably stole a march on the U.S. in relation to a contest for influence within the GMS. This contesting over the GMS has straddled a range of fields over the past 50 years; from geo-politics, to economics, to society and culture.