Asia Rising

The mountains of the Himalaya are instantly recognisable, and they play a critical role in Asia’s climate, hydrology, ecology, and geopolitics. Despite their regional and global importance, they face multiple, severe, and intersecting threats that do not receive the attention they deserve.

Speakers:

An Indian launch of the La Trobe Asia Brief Issue 3, held in partnership with the anthropology department of Sikkim University on 22 November, 2019.

Japan’s national security is rapidly changing. Asia is shifting from an era of prosperity and peace to one of contestation and rivalry between powerful leaders. North Korea has grown emboldened and appears no closer to denuclearisation than when Kim Jong Un embraced dialogue with US President, Donald Trump, in 2017. Xi Jinping’s China is more confident, assertive and nationalistic than ever, and there is fresh uncertainty about Japan’s security partner, the United States.

In this challenging security environment, Japan has signalled a desire to change its foreign and defence policy to secure greater regional and global influence. What role is it seeking to play in Prime Minister Abe’s vision of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific? How will it establish and maintain space for itself in the region? What are the prospects for closer security cooperation between Australia and Japan?

In conversation:

- Associate Professor Tsuruoka Michito (Graduate School of Media and Governance at Keio University, formerly Senior Research Fellow at the National Institute for Defense Studies, Tokyo).

A La Trobe Asia event supported by the Consulate General of Japan in Melbourne

Recorded at State Library of Victoria on 11 November 2019.

When Tibet was invaded by China in the 1950s the Dalai Lama and many Tibetans left, finding a new home in India. Over the years this population has grown, now overseen by a Central Tibetan authority which has never been formally integrated into India.

While this has allowed Tibetans to retain their culture and religion, it’s added challenges when it comes to citizenship.

Guest:

Recorded 26 June, 2019.

Australian universities rely heavily on China for both students and research investment, but engagement brings considerable risk. Technology theft is common, and awareness of how research is being applied is necessary for institutional security.

Guest:

Recorded on 24 October, 2019.

The snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas are instantly recognisable, but the critical role these mountains play in Asia’s climate, hydrology, ecology and geopolitics is mostly underplayed.

Despite this importance, or perhaps because of them, there are a number of threats to the environment, many of which intersect, and the Himalayas will need careful management and thoughtful intervention if they are to survive both as a natural environment and a resource.

In this event, a panel of experts discuss the problems with managing the Himalayas and potential solutions.

Speakers:

Recorded at the launch of the third issue of the La Trobe Asia Brief on 23 October 2019 at the City Campus of La Trobe University.

The ice-capped peaks of the Himalaya are instantly recognisable and play a critical role in Asia's climate, hydrology, ecology and geopolitics.

Despite this importance the mountains are also the site of international border disputes, ethnic unrest, competitive development and ongoing environmental and cultural destruction.

Guest:

Recorded on 26 September, 2019.

A traditional Tibetan proverb tells that every valley has its river and every village has its own language. These languages are an important part of the Tibetan identity, and and there is much debate among the wider Tibetan diaspora as to how to teach and preserve them.

Guest:

Recorded on 2 July, 2019.

In October 2019 the People's Republic of China celebrated its 70th anniversary with pomp, parades and pageantry. This lecture Asia examines the highs and lows, the failures and its successes of the PRC through the 27 Mao Zedong years and the 43 years since then, of Deng Xiaoping's reform-and-opening followed by Xi Jinping's New Era for "socialism with Chinese characteristics."

A China Studies Research Centre / La Trobe Asia event

Speakers:

Recorded on 1 October 2019 at the La Trobe University City Campus.

Thae Yong-ho is a former North Korean diplomat to the United Kingdom who defected to South Korea in 2016. As the highest ranking North Korean official to defect, he has a unique perspective on North Korean politics, reunification with South Korea, and the Kim regime.

Guest: That Yong-Ho (North Korean Defector, former North Korean deputy ambassador to the UK).

Recorded on 4 September, 2019.

The decision to defect from North Korea is not undertaken lightly, but for those in prominent positions it can be particularly fraught. The fates of Kim’s half-brother, Kim Jong Nam, and uncle, Jang Song Thaek underline the risks of disloyalty to the regime.

In this special in-conversation event Thae Yong Ho, a prominent North Korean defector and former North Korean deputy ambassador to the United Kingdom, shares rare insights based on his experience and knowledge of the Kim regime.

Speakers:

A La Trobe Asia event in association with the Asia Institute, University of Melbourne.

Recorded on 4 September, 2019.