Our Academic Head of the International Research and Consulting Center (IRCC), Dr Soeren Keil went to Thailand to engage in in-country activities related to our ongoing support for federalism reforms in Myanmar. He engaged in intense discussions with the alumni of the Myanmar Federalism Leadership Programme (MFLP). Participants addressed variety of topics, including the current situation in Myanmar, as well as who the main actors are, what their positions are and where we can identify differences and similarities. During the second day, Dr Soeren Keil highlighted under which circumstances federalism can contribute to conflict resolution and what is needed in Myanmar to move the federalism debate forward.

During the 20th and 21st of July, the IRCC met various partners in Chiang Mai to develop a plan for a variety of activities for 2022 and 2023. In particular, they laid the foundations for a continuation of existing projects, including MFLP alumni events and Federalism Leadership Programme for 2023.

Finally, Dr Soeren Keil participated at the International Conference on International Relations and Development at Chiang Mai University. On the 22nd of July, he attended two panels on Myanmar, one focusing on new research avenues and the second assessing the impact of Covid-19 on the situation in the country. He engaged in debates with local and international experts and contributed to an evaluation of how Covid-19 may have contributed to the coup in February 2022. He also spoke as part of a roundtable on the future of federalism in Myanmar.