On February 2022, H.E. Ambassador (p) Gheorghe Savuica, President & Founder of IRSEA, has been appointed as a member of the Advisory Board of the Centre for Strategic Perspectives (CSP) at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI).
The appointment reflects Ambassador (p) Savuica’s continuous support, commitment and consistent efforts toward a more robust interaction between Europe and Asia.
As a career diplomat with over four decades of diplomatic service, a specialist on Southeast Asia and ASEAN, speaker of Bahasa Indonesia, Ambassador (p) Savuica has represented Romania as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Indonesia and Pakistan and Chief of Mission in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, the Philippines, Cyprus, Finland and Estonia.
He is a former Director of the Asia Pacific Division and former Director General of the Asia Pacific, Near and Middle East, Africa and Latin America Department of the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ambassador (p) Savuica also published multiple articles and thought-pieces, reflecting his views on current developments in International Affairs and authored several chapters in edited volumes published by the Romanian Academy.
In 2008, Ambassador (p) Savuica founded IRSEA, the oldest Romanian institute specifically established to raise awareness on the cooperation between Europe and Asia. Since its foundation, IRSEA has been organising multiple round-tables on pertinent matters related to Area Studies and invited numerous diplomats, senior professionals, academics and pundits to deliver lectures. IRSEA has been the first Central and Eastern European think-tank to join the European Alliance for Asian Studies (EAAS) and also a partner of Bucharest University of Economic Studies (ASE) and University of Bucharest (UB).
In 2011, Ambassador (p) Savuica received the "Grigore Gafencu" Award on behalf of the Academy of Romanian Scholars (Academia Oamenilor de Ştiinţă din România). He is also a lifetime member of the Society of Asian Civilisations, Islamabad, and Institute for Maritime and Strategic Studies, Jakarta.
Established in 1973, the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) is an autonomous, non-profit research and analysis organisation. It is devoted to provide an in-depth understanding and objective analysis of regional and global strategic issues, affecting international peace and security. The Institute also promotes a broad-based and informed public understanding of vital issues affecting Pakistan and the international community as a whole.
ISSI’s Center for Strategic Perspectives (CSP) has been formally launched on June 3rd, 2021, and inaugurated by the Defence Secretary Lt. Gen. Mian Hilal Hussain (Retd.)
CSP’s mandated areas of research include Pakistan's relations with major powers (US, Russia, EU), Multilateralism, Political Economy, and Non-Traditional Security Challenges (food, energy, water security, climate change, environment protection, and population growth).
ISSI has been a partner of IRSEA since its foundation in 2008.