Europe - Asia Podcast Europe - Asia Center

Exploring the topic of interreligious dialogue and the role it plays in bridging ongoing geopolitical complexities, we are thrilled to welcome Venerable Man Chien as a guest in the new episode of Europe – Asia Podcast. Venerable Man Chien is currently the Director of Fo Guang Shan International Supervisory Council, Deputy-Secretary General of BLIA (Europe) as well as the Director of Fo Guang Shan Board of Directors and Abbess of Fo Guang Shan Taipei Vihara. She continues to travel worldwide to advocate Humanistic Buddhism, promoting messages of peace, tolerance, cultural understanding and inter-religious dialogue. Venerable Man Chien has taken part in the historic events highlighting interreligious dialogue, including the 2011 Prayer for Peace in Vatican, representing Master Hsing Yun and the 2016 Environmental and spiritual preservation summit, with Pope Francis.

Exploring the topics of sustainable investments, green transition and international cooperation, the Europe – Asia Podcast’s featuring guest is former United Nation's Under-secretary General and Executive director of UN Environmental Programme H.E. Erik Solheim. Excellency Solheim is renowned Norwegian diplomat and former politician, holding posts of Minister of International Development and Minister of the Environment between 2005 and 2012. From 2013 to 2016 he was the chair of the OECD Development Assistance Committee in Paris, followed by the 2016 election to position of Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

The Europe – Asia Podcast aims at deepening the mutual understanding and building stronger relations between Europe and Asia. Through the narrative driven conversations featuring high-level guests, we embark on the exploration of the complexities and nuances of our time.

Podcast is presented by the Brussel's based Europe – Asia Center and hosted by Amb. (ret.) Piet Steel, center's Chairman and Matic Gajsek, center's Deputy director.
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With the 2020 adoptation of the European Green Deal, European Commission has set a strategic course for Europe’s post-pandemic recovery and most importantly, approach to tackle the existential treat of climate change and environmental degradation. Exploring the topic of Sustainable development and Digital transition, the Europe – Asia Podcast’s featuring guest is former EU Commissioner for Transport and Mobility H.E. Violeta Bulc (the Junker Commission, 2014 – 2019). Excellency Bulc has as a Commissioner prioritized digitalisation, decarbonisation and innovation in the transport sector, and furthermore as a pro-actor, promoter and role model championed empowerement of women within Transport and Mobility.

The universal values of excellence, friendship and mutual respect are the foundations of the Olympic movement, defined in the modern manifesto of Baron Pierre de Coubertin in 1892. With only hours left until the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, the Europe – Asia Podcast will be exploring the values that shape the modern Olympic movement and continue inspiring millions across the globe. Featuring guest of the first podcast episode is the winter sports royalty Tina Maze (Slovenia) and ambassador (ret.) Piet Steel (Belgium), who together with host Matic Gajsek reflect on the importance of sports diplomacy for building international dialogue and Ms Maze’s personal journey to the winning of 4 Olympic medals.