The students belonged to various programs from the Department of East Asian Studies as well as other Departments of the University. The class gave the opportunity for participants to learn about the South China Sea dispute, by giving them the chance to enact a series of highly realistic bilateral and multilateral negotiations as part of a country group. The represented countries were China, the United States, the Philippines, Vietnam and Japan. The objective was for students to aim at resolving an oilrig dispute between China and Vietnam and the disappearance of a Chinese “civilian” vessel in the South China Sea.
The participants also discussed the underlying reasons for the ongoing disputes, i.e. the unresolved territorial claims. The multilateral discussions in the ASEAN Regional Forum were well moderated by the ASEAN chairpersons. The course was convened by Alfred Gerstl and Josef Falko Loher with support from Katharina Menz.