Event Tag Archives: Institute of Asian Research

Multipolarity and Globalization: Incompatible Pairing?

About the talk: What growing multipolarity will mean for investors and for Emerging Markets such as China and India in 2015 Investors are going to have to become aware of how geopolitics and economics intersects in the post-Cold War era. A central theme of this era is the rise of global multipolarity. Multipolarity implies that the […]

Oil price drops to $50: What is the Impact on Asian Economies?

IAR Asia Pacific Forum Presents Oil price drops to $50: What is the Impact on Asian Economies? We are looking forward to a stimulating discussion on the cross-disciplinary topic of the falling oil prices and how it will effect the economies of Asia in particular, and the entire globe in general. Please join us and […]

2015 Lunar New Year Festival

  Celebrate the Lunar New Year with the Institute of Asian Research at the C.K. Choi Building. Welcome the year of the sheep with music, food and entertainment! Program Schedule: 12:30pm – 12:45pm (Main Entrance) and 1:00pm – 1:15pm (Room 120) Lion dance performance by the UBC Kung Fu Association 11:30am – 2:30pm (IAR Lobby) […]

Public Lecture by Professor Edmund Terence Gomez

Dr EDMUND TERENCE GOMEZ is Professor of Political Economy at the Faculty of Economics and Administration, University of Malaya. Between 2005 and 2008, he served as Research Coordinator at the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), in Geneva, Switzerland. He has held Visiting Professorships at Kobe University (Japan), the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, […]

The Scope of Foreign Engagement in the DPRK, 1995-2012

The Centre for Korean Research is pleased to present “The Scope of Foreign Engagement in the DPRK, 1995-2012” by Andrew Yeo (Catholic University of America). Abstract: What is the scope of foreign engagement inside the DPRK? What are the potential benefits and risks of engagement for various organizations operating inside the DPRK on one hand, and […]

The Challenges and Opportunities of Doing Business with China

The Institute of Asian Research is proud to invite Christopher Maclean, Counsellor (Commercial) and Senior Trade Commissioner at the Canadian Embassy in Beijing on Tuesday March 3rd, 2015 from 12:30-2:00pm. A light lunch will be served.  ABSTRACT: The rapid changes occurring in China present constantly evolving challenges and opportunities in terms of doing business with China. […]

Dialogue: Identities – Traditional Festivals | 對話：對身份的探討──傳統節日

*確認出席請務必註冊。註冊截止於3月4日（週三）中午12點。 RSVP is required to attend before the noon of March 4th, 2015: http://goo.gl/forms/TAlMVGLRlA 藉此元宵佳節到來之際，誠邀兩岸四地及海外華人學生 聽懂別人，聽懂自己。 傾聽、尊重、分享 Listen, Respect and Share 第四次對話的主題：傳統節日 Theme of the fourth Dialogue event: Traditional Festivals 形式：破冰遊戲，學生主導小組＋大組討論－傳統節日如何影響我們對多元身份的探討 Format: Ice breaking game, Student-led small + big group discussion – How do traditional festivals shape our identities? 語言：你最為熟悉的語言（包含普通話/國語、粵語及英語） Use the language that you […]

Special Events to Mark the 3.11 Disaster in Japan

Special Events to Mark the 3.11 Disaster in Japan Presented By The Centre for Japanese Research, UBC EVENT #1 12pm to 2pm – Lunchtime Presentations “The ‘Triple Disaster’ in Japan on March 11 2011 – Four Years Later” CK Choi Building, Room 120, 1855 West Mall, UBC Affected Communities in Northern Japan Struggle for Recovery […]

Canada’s Reawakening: Military, economic and diplomatic vision for the Asia Pacific

 IAR Asia Pacific Forum Presents Canada’s Reawakening: Military, economic and diplomatic vision for the Asia Pacific Please join us for our final APF discussion of the season, which will address Canada’s involvement in the Asia Pacific region today and look at future prospects in the field of: Military and Security: Dr. Brian Job, Liu Institute […]

«50 Ans d’action Diplomatique Française en Chine: Qu’en Retenir?» 50 Years of French Diplomacy in China: What Did We Learn?

Résumé: Depuis l’acte historique de la reconnaissance de la Chine Populaire en janvier 1964, la diplomatie française a été aux premières loges des relations de la Chine avec le monde occidental ; la révolution culturelle, le 3e plénum et le mur de la démocratie, les réformes des années 80, les trois « T » (Tiananmen, […]

Fixing China’s “Airpocalypse”: Roundtable Discussion on Under The Dome

Made by former China Central Television newscaster Chai Jing, “Under the Dome”, the 104-minute, TED-style film drew more than 150 million viewers in the first days after Chai posted it online. In three weeks, Chai’s film has gone from Internet sensation, to being blocked by government censors, to being the subject of a question to […]

Book Launch: “Middle Power, Middle Kingdom: What Canada Needs to Know about China in the 21st Century”

Chair: Brian Job, Associate Director, Institute of Asian Research Discussant: Yuen Pau Woo, Senior Fellow in Public Policy, Institute of Asian Research China’s rise is having a direct impact on our prosperity, our health and well-being, and our security here in Canada. The road to achieving many of our middle-power aspirations now runs through the […]

Social Movements and the Political Polarization of South Korea and Taiwan

There has been a widespread perception that politics in South Korea and Taiwan have become increasingly polarized in recent elections. Are the electorates in both countries also polarized, and if so, what are the sources of this polarization? Visiting Scholar Hyunji Lee will briefly discuss some common causes of the recent social movements in both […]

India’s New Globality: Modi’s Visits to Canada and China

More details coming soon. View PDF poster here. Please RSVP asimup@gmail.com Sponsor: Centre for India and South Asia Research, Institute of Asian Research By: Stewart Beck, CEO, Asia Pacific Foundation; Professor Yves Tiberghien, Director, Institute of Asian Research; Sukesh Kumar, KPMG; Professor Brian Job, Associate Director, Institute of Asian Research Type: Event Time: 12:00-1:00pm (Lunch), 1:00-2:30pm […]

Buddhism and the Ecological Challenge

Buddhism, like many forms of “spirituality,” tends to be divorced from the needs for collective social transformation. As Buddhism interacts with democratic societies, there is an opportunity for an integration of personal and public via the traditional technologies of “waking up.” David argues that there is an important parallel between what Buddhism says about our […]

In Conversation: Frances Wood and Tim Brook

Republic of China Chair and China historian, Dr. Timothy Brook, will be interviewing Dr. Wood on their shared experience as students in China during the Cultural Revolution. About the Event Republic of China Chair and China historian, Dr. Timothy Brook, in an extended interview of Dr. Frances Wood on their shared experience as students in […]

Panel Discussion: Nepal’s Earthquake 2015

Two major earthquakes, one 7.8 magnitude on April 25 and another 7.4 magnitudes on May 12, struck Nepal, killing more than 8,600 people, injuring over 18,000 others, and displacing more than half a million families. The disaster is expected to worsen with landslides that have started to occur in the Himalayan nation and the monsoon […]

The Rise of Xi Jinping and the Closing of the Chinese Mind

Renowned for his coverage of China’s elite politics and leadership transitions, sinologist and veteran China journalist Willy Wo-Lap Lam is the author of five books analyzing China’s political front figure since Zhao Ziyang. His most recent book, “The Rise of Xi Jinping and the Closing of the Chinese Mind”, explores how a relatively undistinguished regional […]

The Impact of China’s New Free Trade Zones on Chinese Reform Path and Financial Liberalization

China’s President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang have emphasized several times that the Shanghai free trade zone (FTZ) should accelerate reforms, especially financial reforms, and replicate them elsewhere in China as soon as possible. Thus, the undergoing reforms in Shanghai FTZ are indeed the future macroeconomic policies in China. As a senior government consultant, […]

Dr. Noel Johnston: ‘How Taking from Foreigners Affects Domestic Human Rights’

David Hume and the founders of the modern economy argued that it is critical for a government to protect the property rights of its citizens. It is unclear, however, if this applies to foreign-owned property as well: government leaders often attest that expropriations increase public welfare and, by international law, an expropriation is only legal […]

Global Development & Economic Governance: A Discussion with Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz

**Note: The event location has been changed to The Dodson Room in the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre.** Columbia University economist Joseph Stiglitz is a leading scholar on the causes of inequality and a strong advocate for political and economic reform to address its consequences. He is a former senior vice president and chief economist of […]

Paper, Print and Cyberspace: The Perspective of a Global Network for the Multimedia and Interdisciplinary Studies of East Asian Religions

http://www.ddmba.ca/ddmba/upcoming_special.php?id=92 This academic workshop, co-sponsored by Dharma Drum Vancouver Center and the UBC Buddhist Studies Forum and supported by the Centre of Japanese Research, brings together scholars to discuss Buddhism and other East Asian religions from a variety of perspectives. Free of charge and open to the public. Sponsor: UBC Buddhist Studies Forum, Dharma Drum […]

Talk: Can the Yuan Challenge the Dollar for Monetary Supremacy?

Abstract: The US dollar has long been the dominant currency in the international monetary system, providing great geopolitical advantages to the United States. Today, many observers predict that China’s yuan is destined to surpass America’s greenback, perhaps even before the end of the present decade. Benjamin Cohen, however, disagrees. A look back over the last […]

Special Lecture: The South China Sea, The View from the Philippines

A panel of experts will gather to discuss the issues around the international dispute over the South China Sea. This event features a presentation by Justice Antonio T. Carpio, Senior Associate Justice of the Philippines Supreme Court. What are the implications of China’s recent buildup in these waters? What should the Philippine response be? And […]

Centre for the Study of Historical Consciousness – Visiting Scholars Program with the support of the Centre for Japanese Research, the Department of History, and the Department of Language and Literacy Education   Nobuyoshi Takashima University of the Ryukyus, Japan “The Threat of Revisionism to Japanese History Textbooks: State Intervention and Citizen Resistance”   Wednesday 14 […]

China’s Civil War: A Social History, 1945-1949

Abstract China’s Civil War is a social history of the 1945-9 civil war that brought the Chinese Communist Party to power.  It integrates history and memory to help to understand a period of intense upheaval. Drawing from biographies, memoirs, illustrations and oral histories the book gives voice to those who experienced the war at first […]

Seventy Years after the Asia Pacific War: Interrogating Japan’s War Responsibility

Centre for Japanese Research, Public lecture by Nobuyoshi Takashima – University of the Ryukyus “Seventy Years after the Asia Pacific War: Interrogating Japan’s War Responsibility” 「アジア太平洋戦争終結７０年：問われ続ける日本の戦争責任」 Commentator: Hyung-Gu Lynn – UBC Institute of Asian Research Thursday, October 15, 2015 4:00 – 5:30 pm (Reception follows) Conference Room, C.K. Choi Building Supported by: Institute for Asian Research, Department […]

Lunchtime Lecture Series: Professor Nakano Kiwa on “How Do People Reconstruct Former Disaster Areas? The Case of Genkai Island”

Lunchtime Lecture Series featuring Professor Nakano Kiwa (Daito Bunka University; visiting scholar, Department of Anthropology) How Do People Reconstruct Former Disaster Areas? －The Case of Genkai Island : Fukuoka Prefecture Western Offshore Earthquake－   ABSTRACT After the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011, rebuilding the devastated area became a major challenge. Many areas […]

China’s Age of Irreverence: Christopher Rea in Conversation with Timothy Brook

Abstract China’s entry in modernity was not just traumatic, but uproarious. As its last dynasty fell and was replaced by a republic, political and cultural discussion erupted into invective, with critics gleefully jeering and deriding rivals in public. Farceurs drew followings in the popular press, promoting a culture of practical joking and buffoonery. These various […]

The Maiden at Dojoji Temple: A Lecture and Demonstration on the Art of Kabuki

The Maiden at Dōjōji Temple: Performance Interpretations A Lecture and Demonstration on the Art of Kabuki 6:00 – 7:30 pm Thursday, October 22 Frederic Wood Theatre (6354 Crescent Road, University of British Columbia) Free of charge   Nakamura Gankyō was born and raised in Southern California. He is the first non-Japanese citizen to become a professional Kabuki actor, […]

The Birth of Nishikawa Sukenobu’s Shunpon: “Sex” and Publishing Culture

The Birth of Nishikawa Sukenobu’s Shunpon: “Sex” and Publishing Culture Professor Takashi Nakajima (Waseda University) Illustrated three-volume works by Nishikawa Sukenobu—said even to be the cause of the government’s publishing restrictions of the Kyōhō era—were revolutionary shunpon (pornographic books) because of a particular rich aesthetic consciousness. Iro hiinagata (1711) and Nasake hiinagata (1712), written by […]

Glossolalia, Cacophony, Intensity

This seminar discusses glossolalia (“speaking in tongues”) and cacophony in settings of fervent group prayer among Protestant Christians in Seoul. Ethnographic field data on prayer, preaching, music, and other features of Christian worship reveal how processes of semiotic intensification and the production of unintelligible speech contribute to collective experiences of spiritual contact. The analysis develops […]

The Inaugural Session of ‘Ming and More: Classical Chinese/Wenyan/Hanmun/Kanbun Reading Group’

You’re welcome to join us whatever your background or interest in Classical/Literary texts. We will be reading primary sources, generally connected to the participants’ research interests, with a center of gravity in the Ming but by no means exclusive to that period (hence the name). The goal is to work together on language skills, to […]

Documentary Screening of “Minako: Last Geisha of the Yoshiwara”

Minako: Last Geisha of the Yoshiwara Documentary movie on the last living geisha of the Yoshiwara district Brief presentations on geisha and Edo culture by director Makoto Yasuhara and Edo specialist Kenji Watanabe, followed by a screening of Minako   Minako: Last Geisha of the Yoshiwara Director Makoto Yasuhara spent six years getting to know […]

Andy Lau and the Popular Presentation of Cultural Identity

In this talk, Dr. Christensen will argue that the placement of celebrities within a nationalist discourse, whilst hardly a new phenomenon, is an approach deserving of re-evaluation in light of the recent recognition of transnational cultural flows within film theory as well as the particular complexities of Hong Kong’s historical position and the rising power […]

Japan’s International Contribution through Innovation in the Field of International Health

Abstract While development of innovation brings about major changes to our daily life, issues such as the spread of infectious diseases as well as malnutrition and poverty in developing countries still remain unresolved. As a result, the gap between developed and developing countries continues to widen. The same can be said for post-war Japan when […]

Mending Cracks: Trauma and Art Practice

Join us on Friday, November 13th, for a deeper look into the role of art in times of disaster, featuring Raghavendra Rao, an incredibly talented CISAR Research Associate. Raghavendra Rao is an artist from Bangalore living in Vancouver, Canada since 2012. He graduated from Ken School of Art; Bangalore in 1990 and over the last […]

Myanmar’s Historic Elections: A Turning Point?

Speaker: Dr. Kate Frieson (Royal Roads University); Dr. Yves Tiberghien (UBC); Dr. Robert Hanlon (Thompson Rivers University); Mr. Larry Dohrs (Texas Christian University); Dr. Kai Ostwald (UBC); Dr. Rick Barichello (UBC) Myanmar’s national elections on Nov 8, 2015 will have important consequences for the country’s complex political, economic, and peace transitions. How will the roughly […]

馬習團: The Ma Ying-jeou – Xi Jinping Meeting: More than Just a Political Show?

A ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION About the Event On November 7, 2015, Ma Ying-jeou and Xi Jinping met in Singapore. The meeting was duly recognized as being historic: it was the first time that the political leaders of China and Taiwan had ever met. It was also acknowledged as an event of global importance: the world has […]

Lunchtime Lecture Series: Textual Representations of Sexual Violence in Heian and Kamakura Monogatari and Beyond

Abstract: Readers and scholars of monogatari—court tales written between the ninth and the early twelfth century (during the Heian and Kamakura periods)—have generally agreed that much of their focus is on amorous encounters. They have, however, rarely addressed the question of whether these encounters are mutually desirable or, on the contrary, uninvited and therefore aggressive. […]

Challenges of the Nascent Democracy in Bhutan

Dr. Bhaskar Chakrabarti will grace CISAR with his presence to present his research on Bhutan, a relatively mysterious and unique nation within South Asia. Bhaskar Chakrabarti is a Professor of Public Policy & Management at the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta works in the area of local democracy, environment, and everyday politics.  Bhutan oscillates between […]

70 Years of Division for the Korean Peninsula: Implications for Peace and Unification

The Centre for Korean Research, UBC and the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea are pleased to present: 70 Years of Division of the Korean Peninsula: Implications for Peace and Unification Date: Friday, November 20, 2015 Time: 3-5 p.m. Location: Room 120, C.K. Choi Building Speakers: Mr. Kie-Cheon Lee (Consul General, the Consulate General of […]

The Problem of Legitimacy in Peacebuilding: Linking Research with Policy Practice

Dr. Daisaku Higashi Deputy Director, Research Center of Sustainable Peace, Institute of Advanced Global Studies, Associate Professor. University of Tokyo. Registration: Click to RSVP Abstract Post-conflict peacebuilding is a critical issue in world politics. Surprisingly, however, there has not been a full examination of concrete policies and implementation strategies to generate legitimacy in “host states” […]

Tax Incentives & Credit Claiming in Single-Party Regimes: Vietnam, China & Russia

Tax Incentives & Credit Claiming in Single-Party Regimes: Vietnam, China & Russia By: Dr. Eddy Malesky, associate professor of political economy at Duke University. Sponsor: Centre for Southeast Asia Research, Centre for Chinese Research, Liu Institute for Global Issues About the Event Both countries and sub-national governments commonly engage in competition for mobile capital, offering […]

On the Selection of Leaders in a Political Meritocracy: The Case of China

Abstract: In his talk, drawing on his new book The China Model: Political Meritocracy and the Limits of Democracy (Princeton University Press), Daniel A. Bell will make the following assumptions: (1) it is good for a political community to be governed by high-quality leaders; (2) China’s one-party political system is not about to collapse; (3) […]

Chinese Models and Chinese Dreams: Myths and Realities of Political Governance in Contemporary China

“The China Dream” (Zhongguo meng), which Chinese President Xi Jinping invoked in a March 2013 speech, has since become the signature ideology of the Xi administration. China should be aspirational. Like Hu Jintao’s “Harmonious Society” (hexie shehui), the phrase has been actively promoted by the Chinese Party-state as a means to unify the populace with […]

Democracy at Last in Myanmar?: the November elections and the aftermath

Myanmar’s historic 2015 elections have fulfilled a promise made to the population of Myanmar 25 years ago to end decades of military rule through a peaceful, democratic transition. The results, predicted by very few inside or outside of Myanmar, produced a landslide victory for Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy, not only in […]

Who benefits? Canada and the TPP, a discussion with federal Cabinet Minister Chrystia Freeland

Who benefits? Canada and the TPP, a discussion with federal Cabinet Minister Chrystia Freeland Please join us for a panel discussion on the TPP with The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of International Trade and MP for University-Rosedale. This is part of a national consultation tour. Date: 6:30pm, Tuesday, January 12th Venue: Liu Institute for Global […]

The Complexity of Dark Tourism: Packaging ‘Edutainment’ of War Tourism in Japan

Abstract: Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and Park and the Nagasaki Peace Park are internationally recognized war-related tourist destinations. While these ‘A-bomb’ sites have been often criticized for relying on “victim consciousness”, the discussion of interpretation and presentation of these sites has become extremely complex. Comparing two war-related destinations of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, this talk discusses […]

Making and Defending Sacred Space: Parasols in Dunhuang Buddhist Rituals

About the Event The author investigated all manuscripts concerning parasols, mainly focusing on “Liturgies for Installing Parasols” 安傘文 from Dunhuang. He argues that parasols served as special ritual instruments for guarding the local community. The sacred power of parasols was based on the apotheosis of their practical function of shielding and protecting and was enhanced by the […]

Shareholder Primacy in Japan: Layoff, Dividend Cuts and Corporate Governance

Abstract: Top managers in large Japanese firms are considered to focus on the interests of stakeholders rather than on those of shareholders. We examine employment reduction and dividend cut behaviour and find a significant shift in firm behaviour. Since 2000, firms have been more likely to reduce employees and less likely to reduce dividends. We also […]

IMAGinE Mongolia Outreach

IMAGinE Mongolia Outreach You are invited to learn about the “Integrated Management and Governance in Extractives (IMAGinE) Mongolia” project from the Canadian International Resources and Development Institute (CIRDI). Project lead, Dr. Julian Dierkes (Institute of Asian Research, UBC), will introduce the planned activities and invite collaboration from graduate students and colleagues who are focused on […]

Digital Diplomacy Strategy: Are Canadians Engaged?

Many Canadian missions abroad maintain a presence on social media. Likewise, many foreign missions in Ottawa are represented as well. Yet, in a recent survey of Global Affairs’ digital diplomacy, Julian Dierkes and students in his Master of Public Policy and Global Affairs course found that Global Affairs’ communications seem to be aimed almost entirely […]

Buddhist Art: A Fragile Inheritance

        By: Professor David Park The spread of Buddhism from India throughout Asia has left a legacy of truly great art. This sumptuous new film by award-winning filmmakers Mark Stewart Productions tells the story of that fragile inheritance through the treasures of Bhutan and Ladakh in the Himalayas and the Dunhuang Grottoes on the […]

The Belt and Road Initiative: China’s New Grand Strategy for the 21st Century?

By: Dr. Yong Wang (Peking University, UBC) Event Abstract: Since 2013, China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has attracted much attention, but has also caused different explanations. This presentation will try to answer key questions about the Initiative such as: How do we define the nature of the BRI? What factors drove the formulation of […]

Adapting in the Dust: Lessons Learned from Canada’s War in Afghanistan

About the Speaker Stephen Saideman holds the Paterson Chair in International Affairs at Carleton University’s Norman Paterson School of International Affairs. He has written four books: The Ties That Divide: Ethnic Politics, Foreign Policy and International Conflict; For Kin or Country: Xenophobia, Nationalism and War (with R. William Ayres); NATO in Afghanistan: Fighting Together, Fighting […]

Japan’s Post-TPP Trade Policy

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) was broadly agreed in Atlanta in October 2015 and signed by the 12 members in February 2016, which is good for Abenomics. I first review Japan’s trade and investment activities primarily in the Asian region. I show that Asia is the most profitable region for Japanese multinational corporations. Next I discuss […]

COP21 in Paris – Why was an Agreement Possible?

Join a discussion with French Ambassador HE Mr. Chapuis on the COP21 Paris agreement, with a focus on the France-China relationship. Students, faculty, staff, and community members are warmly invited to attend. Bio: Mr. Nicolas Chapuis is the Ambassador of France to Canada. He has held successive posts in Peking, Boston, Singapore, Shanghai (as Consul […]

The 2011 March 11th (3.11) Disaster and Nuclear Power Plant Accident in Tohoku, Japan: Five Years On.

Part 1: Time: March 9 12:00-2:00 @ IAR Room 120: Lunchtime Workshop (Refreshments will be served): -Millie Creighton (Anthropology, UBC), “Community Recovery in Tohoku after 3.11” -Noritsugu Fujimoto (Symbiotic Systems Science, Fukushima University), “3.11 and Manga: The Oishinbo Nosebleed Issue” -Kiwa Nakano (Business Management, Daito Bunka University), “Recovery from the Disaster in Onagawa, Japan” Moderated […]

Elusive Sarasvati

Dr. Elizabeth Rohlman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Calgary. Dr. Rohlman’s research considers the role of narrative literature in articulating and constructing religious identity in pre-modern South Asia. For this seminar, Dr. Rohlm an focuses on Sarasvati and her role in Hindu lore. It has been argued […]

Pakistan as an Alternative to the Idea of an Impossible India

By: Atiya Singh (PhD Candidate, University of Chicago) According to popular perceptions, Pakistan came into being as a result of a specific vision of the Muslim League shaped in the political milieu of the 1940s. Yet this perspective ignores the role played by the Communist-Left in India not only in articulating the idea of Pakistan, […]

Sikkimese Public Culture: Reconstructing Ethno-Cultural Histories through Visuality

By: Mr. Aadil Brar, Anthropology Aadil Brar is an Anthropology student who spent 3 months in Sikkim (India), conducting ethnographic research funded by MITACS Globalinks Research Award. This project explored the history of Buddhist thangka art in Sikkim from a visual anthropological perspective, but the broader aim was to visualize the Sikimese identity, cultural history, and […]

King of Beasts: White Tiger Lore in the Ritual Culture of South China

About: “Even though the archive and the repertoire exist in a constant state of interaction, the tendency has been to banish the repertoire to the past.” – Diana Taylor As the “king of beasts,” the white tiger is widely known across South China as a ferocious spirit to be ritually worshipped for its apotropaic powers […]

Mapping Modern Chinese Intellectual Life: A Roundtable Conversation with Tim Cheek

By: Dr. Timothy Cheek (UBC), Dr. Josephine Chiu-Duke (UBC), Dr. Timothy Brook (UBC), Dr. Jeremy Brown (SFU), Dr. Christopher Rea (Chair) Mapping Modern Chinese Intellectual Life: A Roundtable Conversation with Tim Cheek Book launch of The Intellectual in Modern Chinese History  About the Event This narrative history of Chinese intellectuals and public life provides a guide […]

Confucian Role Ethics and the “Casting” of Persons

Abstract In the introduction of Chinese philosophy and culture into the Western academy, we have tended to theorize and conceptualize this antique tradition by appeal to familiar Western categories. Confucian role ethics is an attempt to articulate a sui generis moral philosophy that allows this tradition to have its own voice. I will use the […]

IMAGinE Mongolia Outreach

By: Dr. Julian Dierkes (UBC) You are invited to learn about the “Integrated Management and Governance in Extractives (IMAGinE) Mongolia” project from the Canadian International Resources and Development Institute (CIRDI). Project lead, Dr. Julian Dierkes (Institute of Asian Research, UBC), will introduce the planned activities and invite collaboration from graduate students and colleagues who are […]

Do Rewards Work to Maintain and Increase Tax Compliance? Evidence from the Randomization of Public Goods

Abstract: Do citizens react to positive inducements? Are the effects long lasting? Are prizes an appropriate incentive for rewarding good behavior? What types of rewards help to crowd in moral incentives? These questions are common in the behavioral economics literature but have been hardly looked at in the empirical tax compliance literature. In this paper, […]

Research, Field Experiments, and Policy Outcomes

About the Speaker Carlos Scartascini is Principal Economist at the Research Department of the Inter-American Development Bank. His areas of expertise include Political Economy and Public Finance. His current research focuses on uncovering the determinants of tax compliance in Latin America (through the use of natural and field experiments), explaining the political economy of tax […]

Discourses and Networks of North Korean Defector-Activists

Abstract The article aims to explain the evolutionary patterns of international discourses on North Korean human rights and the roles of ‘defector-activists’ played in the process. It analyses how individuals (North Koreans) build their professional networks in the new political environment (in South Korea) and connect with other international state- and non-state actors to constitute […]

Fifty Years Later in Indonesia: The Violence of 1965-66 in Historical Perspective

By: John Roosa, Ayu Ratih, Earl Drake It has been 50 years since the traumatic and large-scale mass killings of alleged communists in Indonesia. What do we know about these events now? How does the world see them, and how are they seen in Indonesia? These and other questions will be discussed by three leading voices […]

Weaker States under the Shadow of Sino-US Great Power Competition: Myanmar and Thailand’s Foreign Policy Choices

 Abstract The rise of China in the recent decades has generated tremendous amount of strategic anxiety among myriads of concerned parties. In the case of the United States, concerned with losing its primacy in the East Asian region to China, has undertaken a series of actions aiming at strengthening its existing security alliances while building […]

The (Non) Strategic Thinking of Japan’s Decision-makers for World War II

Why did Japan undertake a war from 1937 to 1945 that it had no chance of winning? Moreover, why did it undertake the war when prominent political leaders and journalists, most notably seven time finance minister Takahashi Korekiyo and economic journalist Ishibashi Tanzan, had been publicly stating for over a quarter of a century that […]

A Revolution in Global North-South Politics? Evidence from Trade-Environment Negotiations

The UBC Department of Political Science’s Distinguished Speaker Series and the Master of Public Policy and Global Affairs at the UBC Institute for Asian Research present a talk by Prof. Tana Johnson Duke University “A Revolution in Global North-South Politics? Evidence from Trade-Environment Negotiations” Friday, April 8 12:15 – 1:45pm C.K. Choi Building (Room #120) Lunch available at […]

What Would Aristotle Think? A Japanese Production of the Greek Tragedy Medea

Miyagi Satoshi has directed several productions of Euripides’ tragedy “Medea”, using a number of conventions found in traditional Japanese theatre, in particular the use of a narrator speaking for a moving actor. Miyagi thinks that Meiji period Japan in which his play is set and Athens of the 5th century BCE were similar in a […]

CSEARching for Southeast Asia: The Inaugural Graduate Student Conference for Southeast Asia Research

The UBC Southeast Asia Graduate Student Network would like to invite you to its inaugural Graduate Student Conference for Southeast Asia Research at the University of British Columbia. Held in collaboration with the UBC Center for Southeast Asian Research in the UBC Institute of Asian Research, the conference will be the first of its kind […]

Global Real Estate Investment: The Vancouver-China Nexus

By: Richard Koss (Director, IMF), Shaolong Li (President, Modern International Holding and Green Mountain Jade), Douglas Todd (Journalist, Vancouver Sun), Tsur Somerville (UBC), Christopher Rea (UBC) This panel discussion will focus on the following issues: What are the most important factors driving current trends in global real estate investment? How are capital flows and human […]

Japan’s Ratification of the Hague Convention on Child Abduction and Its Implications

Abstract: When one parent returns back to Japan with his/her child after divorce without consent of the other parent, this conduct could be viewed as child abduction. Until recently, however, there was no way to force the child to return back to his/her original place of residence once the child entered Japan. Now with the […]

(Re)Viewing China Today

Abstract Recent developments in China invite interest and inquiry among both specialist and generalist observers.  The 13th Five Year Plan offers a blueprint for further economic reform, even while questions about the success of reform efforts to date abound.  The anti-corruption campaign and other political reform efforts associated with Xi Jinping have seen significant achievements […]

The Democratic Transition in Nepal

Sponsor: Centre for India and South Asia Research, Himalaya Program, Faculty of Arts Speaker Fund By: Professor Chaitanya Mishra (Department of Sociology, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal) What are the causes and correlates of democracy? The presentation will begin by reviewing key theories of democracy, corresponding to the three waves of democratization in world history. It […]

Changing Experience and Interpretation of Menstruation in Nepal: An Intergenerational Perspective

Sponsor: Centre for India and South Asia Research, Himalaya Program, Faculty of Arts Speaker Fund By: Professor Mira Mishra (Department of Women’s Studies, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal) This presentation seeks to explore changes in the lives of women in Nepal, including women’s self image, gender role and the relations between women and men during the […]

CISAR / IAR Conference: Challenges of Urbanization

By: Dr. Pratap Bhanu Mehta (President, Center for Policy Research, New Delhi), Dr. Amartya Lahiri (UBC), additional speakers TBA Type: Conference University of British Columbia Center for India and South Asia Research and Institute for Asian Research Conference: Challenges of Urbanization Friday, April 29, 2016 Venue: Choi 120, IAR PROGRAM 9.30 am:          Welcome and opening […]

How Realistic are the Chances of India Maintaining an Annual Growth Rate of 8% or more?

**UPDATE: Due to the amount of interest expressed in this event, the location has now moved to Room 120 at the Institute of Asian Research (C.K. Choi Building)** About Vijay Mahajan Vijay Mahajan turned 18 in 1972, the year India celebrated its 25th Independence Day. Troubled by India’s poverty, and inspired by a number of pioneers from […]

CROSSCURRENT 長江圖: Film Screening and A Conversation with Director Yang Chao

  Type: Film Screening and Discussion Speaker: Yang Chao (director of the Silver Bear award winner at this year’s Berlin Film Festival and the latest work, CROSSCURRENT長江圖) “The core of the film is surreal, almost supernatural—a man and a woman from a different time and space travel against each other, progressively and retrogressively at the same.” – […]

The Female Chieftain’s Tribute

During the long history of encounters between the Han and non-Han people, the Han writers produced many texts that represent the non-Han as the other. These texts are in the genres of local gazetteers, travelogues and miscellaneous notes, and they narrate about the geographical, institutional and social traits of the non-Han regions and people. Among […]

At Home in the Green Mountains – Bhutanese Resettlement in Vermont

In a time of controversy, conflict, and urgency regarding forced migration and refugee populations worldwide, the resettlement of Bhutanese Lhotshampa over the past decade stands as a success story. A large proportion of the refugees in the camps in Nepal has relocated to new homes in North America, Europe and Oceania. While the arrival of the […]

Japan’s Vision for the East Asian Security Border

About the speaker:  Dr. Ryo Sahashi is an associate professor of International Politics and associate dean, Faculty of Law at Kanagawa University, Yokohama, and a research fellow at the Japan Center for International Exchange. He is a specialist in international politics of East Asia. He has several publications on US-China relations, Taiwan, East Asian security order, […]

Radical Inequalities: China’s Welfare State in Comparative Perspective

Abstract: The Chinese communist welfare state was established with the goal of eradicating income inequality. Paradoxically, it widened the income gap between workers and peasants in the Mao era.  To explain this ironic outcome, this talk places the Chinese case in the context of the globalization of welfare policies in the 20th century.  The mismatch […]

Unevenly Distributed: China and the Future of Work in Southeast Asia

2018 UBC CHINA STUDIES FORUM SERIES  Speaker: Dr. Stephen J. McGurk Special Advisor to the President Former Vice-President, International Development Research Centre   Abstract This presentation reviews the findings of a series of International Development Research Centre papers on the Future of Work. Digitization of ever-more connected and networked value chains permits faster, simpler, and cheaper trade […]

Treaty Porters, or, How Do You Solve a Problem like Charlie?

When Shanghai fell to communist forces in late May 1949 the city’s Tianlanqiao Prison held one British inmate. In this talk, I’ll introduce the man, his family networks and their reach, and the diverse range of sources I’ve been assembling. It will explore how he got there, where he came from, and where he went next, and also […]