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Europe – Asia Center

Press release: H.E. Mr. Pham Sanh Chau, former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Viet Nam to India and Mrs. Sheila Arora, former Vice Chair of Belgium Hong Kong Society become Vice-Chair


Brussels – Hanoi May 16th, 2023


The Brussels based Europe-Asia Center is delighted to announce the appointments of Vietnamese diplomat H.E. Mr. Pham Sanh Chau (formerly Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Viet Nam to the Republic of India, the Kingdom of Bhutan, and the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Belgium, EU and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg) and Mrs. Sheila Arora, an internationally experienced strategic marketing and communications expert.


As Vice-Chair of the Europe-Asia Center, Ambassador Pham Sanh Chau will lead the center’s developments in Viet Nam as well as projects promoting intercultural dialogue and international cooperation, two areas of great importance for connecting Europe and Asia. With a wealth of experiences in roles at UNESCO, including Secretary -General of the Viet Nam National Commission for UNESCO, special envoy of the Prime Minister of Viet Nam on UNESCO Affairs, a member of UNESCO’s Executive Board and as the 2017 official candidate of the Vietnamese government for the Director General post. With deep understanding of multilateralism, Pham Sanh Chau is well-positioned to help broaden the Center’s presence in South-East Asia.


Mrs. Sheila Arora will focus on the initiation and development of strategic partnerships and initiatives, using cultural diplomacy as the tool for bridging high-level exchanges across the field of governance, commercial and non-for profit sector. With over 30 years of experience in the sphere of soft diplomacy, Mrs Arora is the right partner center’s development of fresh and non-traditional context of engagement.

We are thrilled to welcome Ambassador Pham Sanh Chau and Shelia Arora to the Europe-Asia Center,” said Ambassador (ret.) Piet Steel, Chairman of the Europe-Asia Center. Pham Sanh’s leadership and vast diplomatic experiences combined with understanding of multilateral organizations and Shelia’s business development and strategic communication experience will be invaluable assets for the Center.

As Vice-Chairs of the Europe – Asia Center, Ambassador Pham Sanh Chau and Mrs. Shelia Arora will work closely with the Center to broaden its international partnership and engage with stakeholders across Europe and Asia.


About the Europe-Asia Center


The Europe – Asia Center is an independent, not-for-profit organization promoting Asia-Europe relations by connecting professionals, institutions, organizations and networks across all sectors. Through implementation of projects, including conferences, workshops, cultural events, publications, educational and research programs, the mission of the Europe – Asia Center is to connect people and knowledge across continents.


For press enquiries:


Matic Gajšek, Deputy director Europe – Asia Center

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