Marjorie Vanbaelinghem, acting director of IRSEM, is in the Philippines to meet with the National Defense College of the Philippines - NDCP - an institute that trains officers and conducts research, to discuss security challenges for the Indo-Pacific countries.

The importance of the role of research, higher military education and possible cooperation between the Institute and the Philippines were also discussed.

During this mission, Marjorie Vanbaelinghem also met with the Ateneo de Manila University team, notably its School of Government, which has launched research projects on Southeast Asia (Imelda Deinla), information warfare and the blue economy.