Correction: This article was updated to reflect the fact Jinhee Lee organized the event, while Brian Mann came up with the idea to have a panel. The News regrets the error.

Discussions on President Donald Trump’s policies on the Middle East and East Asia will be held from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Monday at Booth Library in the 4440 Conference Room.

History professor Jinhee Lee, chair of Asian Studies, along with finance professor Candra Chahyadi and history professor Brian Mann will be leading the discussions as part of Asian Heritage Month.

“I think it is critical for our students to have awareness of the current U.S. policies toward the outside world and their implications and practical consequences, especially toward Asian and Middle Eastern countries,” Lee said.

The panel will provide a venue where our university community members can come together and share their knowledge and views on this important topic, according to Lee.

Lee organized the event and Mann had the idea to have a panel.

She said Mann has done a lot of studying on Iran and the Middle East.

Chahyadi will inform the audience members about the implications of Trump’s policies on international finance and economy, with a focus on Asia.

As a professor of Asian studies, Lee will discuss policies on Korea and East Asia.

Mann plans to discuss the history of some of the conflict that is going on in the Middle East today.

“The Trump administration has faced challenges and will continue to face them as it tries to formulate some sort of coherent foreign policy in the region,” Mann said. “It is a difficult task for any administration, but more so this one because of the fact that no one involved in foreign policy stays for more than a few months in the administration, before being fired or resigning.”

Mann said two of the worst humanitarian disasters going on in the world today are the conflicts in Syria and Yemen.

“In Syria, close to 10 million people are refugees or have been internally displaced,” Mann said. “Moreover, we are again seeing the use of chemical weapons on civilians there.”

According to Mann, 22 million people in Yemen are in desperate need of food, water, medicine and/or shelter.

“These conflicts are very complex, with confusing historical roots and puzzling present-day realities,” Mann said. “My hope is my participation on the panel, and being there to answer questions, will help the audience understand the roots of these conflicts, and the difficulties the current administration faces when trying to figure out what to do.”

Andrew Paisley can be reached at 581-2812 or at abpaisley@eiu.edu.