Nelson Mandela Center, Chulalongkorn University

09/10/2026

The Nelson Mandela Centre of Chulalongkorn University presents:
The Forgotten Conflict Lecture Series 2/2026

"Afghanistan: Governance Collapse, Humanitarian Crisis, and Global Inertia"

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This lecture explores Afghanistan’s trajectory from NATO-led intervention and internationally backed state-building after 2001 to the collapse of the Afghan republic in 2021 and the humanitarian and governance crisis that followed. It examines NATO’s evolving role, its partnership with Afghan governments, and the limits of efforts to build durable institutions under conditions of insurgency, corruption, aid dependency, and political fragmentation. The lecture then analyzes Taliban rule since 2021, focusing on human rights, women and girls, minority communities, humanitarian access, and the challenges posed by an unrecognized regime. Finally, it considers Afghanistan’s regional implications and asks why, by 2026, the international community has largely shifted from ambitious intervention to cautious containment, underfunded humanitarianism, and strategic inertia.

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Delivered by: Prof.Michael Sullivan, American University

📅 Thursday, 15 October 2026
🕐 14.00 – 16.00 (Registration opens from 13.30)
📍 Political Science Alumni Association Meeting Room, 12th Floor, Kasem Udyanin Building, Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University

📌 Register now at: https://forms.gle/isyNXrRdCojcvvgz8

01/10/2026

📢✨ ACADEMIC COLLOQUIUM ✨📢

🌏 Across Contested Borders: Displacement, Justice and Political Futures

The Nelson Mandela Centre and the Hanns Seidel Foundation Thailand are pleased to invite you to a one-day academic colloquium. This event will bring together scholars and researchers to explore some of the most pressing questions surrounding displacement, justice, human security and political futures in Myanmar and across the Thai–Myanmar border.

📅 Date: 12 October 2026
⏰ Time: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
📍 Venue: Novotel Chiangmai Nimman Journeyhub, Chiang Mai

💡 The forum will showcase the latest research from displaced and exiled Myanmar scholars, alongside keynote presentations. 🎤, discussant feedback 💬, and open discussion 🤝.

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🌟 KEYNOTE SPEAKERS 🌟

🎤 Dr. Sirada Khemanitthathai — Chiang Mai University
📖 Beyond the Temporary: Displacement, State Responses, and the Paradox of Thai-Myanmar Relations

🎤 Prof. Noel M. Morada — Chulalongkorn University
📖 20 Years of R2P, Norm Cascade and Resistance: Reflections on Myanmar and the Philippines

🎤 Dr. Nyi Nyi Kyaw — King’s College London
📖 War, Survival and Borders: Rethinking Myanmar’s Displacement Crises

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🔎 Research themes throughout the day include:
🌏 Protection and migration among young Myanmar diaspora communities
⚖️ Fair trial standards in interim judicial systems
🤝 Transnational advocacy networks in Thai–Myanmar relations
📝 Atrocity documentation and human rights
🏛️ Bottom-up federalism and self-governance in Kawthoolei
💻 Digital surveillance, survival, agency, and everyday life

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👩‍🎓👨‍🎓 We warmly invite academics, researchers, civil society practitioners, students and anyone interested in Myanmar, displacement, justice, human security and cross-border issues to join us for a day of research, dialogue and exchange.

👉 Either scan the QR code on the event flyer or click the link
https://forms.gle/D2pyTPdoA3gq2eBo6

🗓️ Mark your calendar and join the conversation! 💬🌏🤝

16/09/2026

11 September 2026 - The Nelson Mandela Centre, Chulalongkorn University, organised the first Forgotten Conflict Lecture Series of 2026 under the topic: "Middle East: Frozen and Forever Wars", delivered by Asst.Prof. Dr.Duangyewa Utarasint, visiting assistant professor at New York University, Abu Dhabi.

The lecture draws audiences to explore the causes and breaking points of today's conflict in the Middle East, which could be described as "frozen and forever wars". The area of focus ranges from North Africa to the Persian Gulf, with an emphasis on Iran. From the 1979 Revolution in Iran, the founding of Hezbollah in the 1980s, the development of the political situation in Syria, 9/11, and finally concluding with a diagram of the geopolitical alignment of Middle Eastern countries.

The lecture was attended by students from the Faculty of Political Science, students from other universities, diplomatic officers, and members of the public.

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The Nelson Mandela Centre will organise more lectures in this series. If you are interested in "Forgotten Conflicts" of various regions around the world, please stay tuned to our page for announcements of more lectures to come.

09/09/2026

[Repost]

The Forgotten Conflict Lecture Series
"Middle East: Frozen and Forever Wars"

Lecture by: Asst.Prof. Dr.Duangyewa Utarasint, NYU Abu Dhabi

📅 Friday, 11 September 2026
🕐 13:30 – 15:30 (Registration opens from 13.00)
📍 Singdam Space, G Floor, Kasem Udyanin Building, Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University

📌 Register now at: https://forms.gle/tYn5vEo2mmn4GUDe8

The Nelson Mandela Centre of Chulalongkorn University presents:

The Forgotten Conflict Lecture Series 1/2026
"Middle East: Frozen and Forever Wars"

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The Middle East has long been shaped by what are commonly referred to as “frozen conflicts,” wars and political crises in which large-scale fighting has subsided or paused, but no comprehensive political settlement has been reached. In the post-ISIS, post-Arab Spring Middle East, Yemen, Syria, Gaza, and Lebanon have each exhibited this pattern, where a pause in large-scale fighting masks the presence of unresolved, deeply entrenched conflict that can reignite at any moment. The 2026 US–Iran war has now demonstrated, with devastating force, just how fragile these frozen arrangements were.

This lecture responds to these developments by examining the Middle East’s protracted conflicts through the lens of this war, which has fundamentally altered regional conflict dynamics and the capacity for atrocity prevention. We will examine how these compounding dynamics - the collapse of frozen conflicts, regional power competition, great power instrumentalization, and the erosion of civilian protection norms - shape the prospects for atrocity prevention across the Middle East.

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Delivered by: Asst.Prof. Dr.Duangyewa Utarasint, NYU Abu Dhabi

📅 Friday, 11 September 2026
🕐 13:30 – 15:30 (Registration opens from 13.00)
📍 Singdam Space, G Floor, Kasem Udyanin Building, Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University

📌 Register now at: https://forms.gle/tYn5vEo2mmn4GUDe8

05/09/2026

The Nelson Mandela Centre of Chulalongkorn University presents:

The Forgotten Conflict Lecture Series 1/2026
"Middle East: Frozen and Forever Wars"

------------

The Middle East has long been shaped by what are commonly referred to as “frozen conflicts,” wars and political crises in which large-scale fighting has subsided or paused, but no comprehensive political settlement has been reached. In the post-ISIS, post-Arab Spring Middle East, Yemen, Syria, Gaza, and Lebanon have each exhibited this pattern, where a pause in large-scale fighting masks the presence of unresolved, deeply entrenched conflict that can reignite at any moment. The 2026 US–Iran war has now demonstrated, with devastating force, just how fragile these frozen arrangements were.

This lecture responds to these developments by examining the Middle East’s protracted conflicts through the lens of this war, which has fundamentally altered regional conflict dynamics and the capacity for atrocity prevention. We will examine how these compounding dynamics - the collapse of frozen conflicts, regional power competition, great power instrumentalization, and the erosion of civilian protection norms - shape the prospects for atrocity prevention across the Middle East.

------------

Delivered by: Asst.Prof. Dr.Duangyewa Utarasint, NYU Abu Dhabi

📅 Friday, 11 September 2026
🕐 13:30 – 15:30 (Registration opens from 13.00)
📍 Singdam Space, G Floor, Kasem Udyanin Building, Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University

📌 Register now at: https://forms.gle/tYn5vEo2mmn4GUDe8

03/09/2026

3 September 2026 - The Institute of Security and International Studies (ISIS Thailand), the Nelson Mandela Center for Conflict Resolution, Atrocity Prevention, and Human Security, and the Department of International Relations, Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University (คณะรัฐศาสตร์ จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย), in collaboration with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF Thailand), organised a public academic forum: "Reassessing Thai Foreign Policy" at the Chumbhot-Pantip Conference Room, 4th Floor, Prajadhipok-Rambhaibarni Building, Chulalongkorn University.

Assoc.Prof. Dr.Prakorn Siriprakob, Dean of the Faculty of Political Science, opened the event with a remark in tribute to the late Assoc.Prof. Dr.Kullada Kesboonchoo-Mead, then followed by a keynote address "Thailand’s Foreign Policy Direction: At a Crossroads or at a Dead End?" by Emeritus Prof. Dr.Surachart Bamrungsuk.

Faculty members from the Department of International Relations delivered two panel sessions:

Session 1: "Thailand’s Strategic Choices between Great Powers: Bamboo Still Bending or Already Broken?"
by Assoc.Prof. Dr.Natthanan Kunnamas, Asst.Prof. Dr.Pongphisoot Busbarat, and Asst.Prof. Dr.Teewin Suputtikun; moderated by Asst.Prof. Dr.Kalaya Chareonying.

Session 2: "Thailand’s Regional Policy: The Leader or the Laggard in ASEAN?"
by Prof. Dr.Puangthong Pawakapan, Assoc.Prof. Dr.Kasira Cheeppensook, and Asst.Prof. Dr.Bhanubhatra Jittiang; moderated by Dr. Sorasich Swangsilp.

26/08/2026

ISIS Thailand, Nelson Mandela Center, and the Department of International Relations, Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University, in collaboration with Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF Thailand)

Invite you to join the Public Forum "Reassessing Thai Foreign Policy"

[Conducted in Thai with English Interpretation]

• Assess the changing global and regional strategic environment
• Examine Thailand’s options in responding to major power competition
• Reassess Thailand’s relations with neighboring countries and ASEAN
• Identify practical recommendations for Thailand’s future foreign policy
• Strengthen dialogue between academia and policy practitioners

🕐 3 September 2026, 8.30-12.35
📍At Chumbot-Pantip Conference Room, 4th Floor, Prajadhipok-Rambhai Barni Building, Chulalongkorn University (See map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/LuJEdap4zkiP9gEN8)

Register: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/z8NRApdeKJ

11/08/2026

📢 Join us for a public seminar on Thailand–Myanmar border health policy:

“𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝐄𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞”

The Thailand–Myanmar border is at the intersection of health, migration, displacement, conflict and human security. This seminar will explore how evidence-based policies, institutional cooperation and community-centred approaches can improve access to healthcare and strengthen the protection of migrants, displaced populations and border communities.

🎤 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫: 𝐃𝐫. 𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐲𝐚 𝐋𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐝𝐞𝐞, 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐤𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲
🎙️ 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟. 𝐃𝐫. 𝐍𝐨𝐞𝐥 𝐌. 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐚, 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐤𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲
📅 Thursday, 20 August 2026
🕐 1:00–3:00 PM
📍 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐧𝐢 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐨𝐦, 12th Floor, Kasem Udyanin Building (Building3), 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐤𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲

The seminar is organized by the Hanns Seidel Foundation Thailand and the Nelson Mandela Center for Conflict Resolution, Atrocity Prevention, and Human Security.

🔗 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐨𝐰: https://forms.gle/gZz9ns7utV7GWfAv8

We warmly invite academics, policymakers, healthcare professionals, representatives of civil society organisations and humanitarian agencies, students and all those interested in inclusive border health and human security to join us.

04/08/2026

“𝑭𝑼𝑳𝑳𝒀 𝑭𝑼𝑵𝑫𝑬𝑫 𝑶𝑷𝑷𝑶𝑹𝑻𝑼𝑵𝑰𝑻𝒀: 𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑪𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑯𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝑺𝒆𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒚”

A fully funded opportunity is now open for Myanmar nationals in Thailand to strengthen their skills in human security and civilian protection.

The Nelson Mandela Center at the Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University (คณะรัฐศาสตร์ จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย), and the Hanns Seidel Foundation Thailand are offering a fully funded intensive course on human security, conflict resolution, and human rights documentation from October 05-09, 2026, in Bangkok!

📌 ALL expenses covered - transportation, accommodation, and meals!
🧨 Application deadline: August 21, 2026
👉 Apply now! Scan the QR code or click the link https://forms.gle/YURpniKgTu3rf7TB7

📧 Questions? Contact [email protected]

18/07/2026

Happy Nelson Mandela Day! - It's still in our hands to combat poverty and inequity.



18 July 2026, in celebration of the Nelson Mandela International Day, the Nelson Mandela Centre, Chulalongkorn University, in collaboration with the South African Embassy in Bangkok, UNODC Thailand, Department of Corrections, and Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ), organise the Nelson Mandela International Day Event at the Central Women Correctional Institution, Bangkok. The event was participated by Delegates of African ambassadors in Thailand and representatives, friends of the South African Embassy in Thailand, and Postgraduate students of the Criminology and Criminal Justice Programme, Chulalongkorn University.

H.E. Mr. Darkey Ephraim Africa, Ambassador of the Republic of South Africa to the Kingdom of Thailand, led the congregation to commemorate the life and work of Nelson Mandela, as well as his contribution to the improvement of prisoners' treatment. Then, Dr.Warissara Sirisuttidecha, Director of Rehabilitation Division, delivered a presentation on the implementation of the Nelson Mandela Rules and the Bangkok Rules by the Department of Corrections of Thailand.

Representatives of partner organisations joined the declaration of Intention to implement the Mandela Rules and Bangkok Rules, and the event concluded with a site visit to various parts of the Central Women Correctional Institution, such as the kitchen, library, clinic, nursery, vocational training area, etc.

The event not only showcases the implementation of the Mandela and Bangkok Rules in the treatment of prisoners in Thailand, but also inspires partner organisations to strengthen partnerships to combat poverty and inequity in society by improving prisoners' treatment and transitioning them back into the community.

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วันที่ 18 กรกฎาคม 2569 ศูนย์เนลสัน แมนเดลา เพื่อการแก้ไขความขัดแย้ง การป้องกันความรุนแรง และความมั่นคงของมนุษย์ คณะรัฐศาสตร์ จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย ร่วมกับสถานเอกอัครราชทูตสาธารณรัฐแอฟริกาใต้ประจำประเทศไทย สำนักงานว่าด้วยยาเสพติดและอาชญากรรมแห่งสหประชาชาติ (UNODC) ประจำประเทศไทย กรมราชทัณฑ์ และสถาบันเพื่อการยุติธรรมแห่งประเทศไทย (TIJ) ร่วมจัดงานวันเนลสันแมนเดลาสากล ณ ทัณฑสถานหญิงกลาง กรุงเทพมหานคร โดยมีผู้เข้าร่วมงานได้แก่ คณะทูตกลุ่มประเทศแอฟริกาในประเทศไทย เครือข่ายแอฟริกาใต้ในประเทศไทย และนิสิตบัณฑิตศึกษาหลักสูตรอาชญาวิทยาและการบริหารงานยุติธรรม คณะรัฐศาสตร์ จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย

ฯพณฯ นายดาร์คีย์ เอฟราอิม แอฟริกา เอกอัครราชทูตสาธารณรัฐแอฟริกาใต้ประจำประเทศไทย นำที่ประชุมร่วมรำลึกถึงคุณูปการของนายเนลสัน แมนเดลา โดยเฉพาะการผลักดันให้เกิดมาตรฐานในการปฏิบัติต่อผู้ต้องขัง จากนั้น ดร.วริศรา ศิริสุทธิเดชา ผู้อำนวยการกองพัฒนาพฤตินิสัย กรมราชทัณฑ์ นำเสนอผลดำเนินงานการปฏิบัติตามข้อกำหนดมาตรฐานขั้นต่ำแห่งสหประชาชาติว่าด้วยการปฏิบัติต่อผู้ต้องขัง หรือ "ข้อกำหนดแมนเดลา" โดยกรมราชทัณฑ์

ตัวแทนหน่วยงานเครือข่ายร่วมประกาศเจตนารมณ์การปฏิบัติตามข้อกำหนดแมนเดลาและข้อกำหนดกรุงเทพฯ และรับฟังการนำชมพื้นที่ต่าง ๆ ภายในทัณฑสถานหญิงกลาง ได้แก่ แดนสูทกรรม ห้องสมุดพร้อมปัญญา สถานพยาบาล ห้องแม่และเด็ก และแดนฝึกวิชาชีพ พร้อมร่วมรับประทานอาหารกลางวันจากการฝึกอาชีพผู้ต้องขัง ณ ครัวชวนชม

กิจกรรมที่จัดขึ้นในวันเนลสันแมนเดลาสากลนี้ นอกจากจะเป็นการแสดงให้เห็นถึงความก้าวหน้าในการปฏิบัติต่อผู้ต้องขังตามข้อกำหนดมาตรฐานแมนเดลาและข้อกำหนดกรุงเทพโดยภาครัฐแล้ว ยังเป็นการสนับสนุนให้องค์กรเครือข่ายเล็งเห็นความเป็นไปได้ที่จะเสริมสร้างความร่วมมือระหว่างกันในการต่อสู้กับความยากไร้และความเหลื่อมล้ำในสังคม ผ่านการพัฒนาพฤตินิสัยผู้ต้องขังเพื่อคืนคนดีสู่สังคมต่อไปในอนาคตอีกด้วย