NIAS - Nordic Institute of Asian Studies

📣 New Episode of the out today!

In this episode, Stine Simonsen Puri in conversation with Marianne Tykesson, explores history and practice of the Indian temple dance called bharatanatyam through a focus on cultural encounters with the dance from both a Hindu and a Christian perspective. Being a board member of the Nordic Center India, part of the Faculty of Modern India and South Asian Studies as well as Teaching Associate Professor at the Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional studies, Stine shares her expertise on Indian’s socio-cultural issues. Her knowledge especially stems from her extensive fieldwork at a bharatanatyam Dance School in New Delhi as well as her research part of the Tranquebar Initiative.

Marianne Tykesson is a student assistant as the Nordic Institute of Asia Studies and a Cross-Cultural Studies Student at the University of Copenhagen with a particular interest in the research of social injustice and cross-national encounters.

The Nordic Asia Podcast is a collaboration sharing expertise on Asia across the Nordic region, brought to you by the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies (NIAS) based at the University of Copenhagen, along with our academic partners: the Centre for East Asian Studies at the University of Turku, and Asianettverket at the University of Oslo.
We aim to produce timely, topical and well-edited discussions of new research and developments about Asia.

Listen on Apple Podcasts:
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📣 New Episode of the out today!

🇯🇵 Japan has historically maintained extended periods of isolationist policies and continues to uphold some of the strictest immigration laws in the world today. The country has also long had a tumultuous relationship with non-ethnic Japanese residents, including Taiwanese and Korean nationals who were first forced to become Japanese citizens under imperialist rule, only to be deprived of their statuses after Japan formally lost its colonies. More recently, foreign nationals seeking employment and residency have been effectively disallowed from acquiring long-term working visas, while many others have unsuccessfully sought asylum, with tragic consequences. Listen to Dr. Sara Park and Dr. Yoko Demelius discuss the historical background and current developments that have shaped the current state of immigration policies in Japan. While difficulties faced by the diverse group of non-ethnic Japanese immigrants and residents vary, the researchers make clear that they are treated with a persistent and pervasive lack of humanitarian consideration by the Japanese state.

Dr. Yoko Demelius is a senior researcher at the Centre for East Asian Studies at the University of Turku.
Dr. Sara Park is a university lecturer at the Department of Cultures in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Helsinki.

🎞 The film mentioned in the episode is “We are Humans!” (2022) directed by Ko Chan-yoo.

The Nordic Asia Podcast is a collaboration sharing expertise on Asia across the Nordic region, brought to you by the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies (NIAS) based at the University of Copenhagen, along with our academic partners: the Centre for East Asian Studies at the University of Turku, and Asianettverket at the University of Oslo.
We aim to produce timely, topical and well-edited discussions of new research and developments about Asia.

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📣 New Episode of the

"Life after NIAS: A Conversation on the Closure of the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies"

In December 2023, more than five decades of institutionalized Nordic collaboration in the field of Asian studies will come to an end with the closure of NIAS, the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies. What has been the impact of NIAS on Nordic research on Asia? What legacy will NIAS leave behind? And how will the closure of the institute impact the scope and quality of Nordic research collaborations in studying Asia, at a conjuncture where the global importance of Asia is increasingly evident? We discuss these issue in this episode where we are joined by a series of guests with a long personal and professional investment in NIAS. With us are former directors if the institute Jørgen Delman, Geir Helgesen, and Duncan McCargo; NIAS librarian Inga-Lill Blomkvist; and editor-in-chief of NIAS Press, Gerald Jackson.

Kenneth Bo Nielsen is an Associate Professor at the Department of Social Anthropology at the University of Oslo and one of the leaders of the Norwegian Network for Asian Studies.

The Nordic Asia Podcast is a collaboration sharing expertise on Asia across the Nordic region, brought to you by the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies (NIAS) based at the University of Copenhagen, along with our academic partners: the Centre for East Asian Studies at the University of Turku, the University of Helsinki and Asianettverket at the University of Oslo.

We aim to produce timely, topical and well-edited discussions of new research and developments about Asia.

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Future Cities, Future Islands: Envisioning Human Migration from the Futures

Will human migration alter and challenge current landlocked-based territories and borders? What might the future of human migration look like when we focus on development, cities, and/or islands? Join us for thought-provoking and pioneering talks on development, islands, cities, and migration, where diverse 'futures' meet the present.

More Info:
https://globalhealth.ku.dk/events/2023/future-cities-future-islands/

Program:

13:00-13:05 Welcome

13:05-13:20 Tim Bunnell Islands of urban relocation: Migration and future capital development in Southeast Asia

13:20-13:35 Ilan Kelman Climate Change, Islanders, and Migration

13:35-13:50 Adam Grydehøj Earthwork: The history and future of human-engineered coasts in a changing world

13:50-14:05 Dosol Nissi Lee Moving Lands: (Reverberating) Future of Human Migration in Asia

14:05-14:25 Panel discussion

14:25-14:30 Concluding remarks

📣 New Episode of the

♨️ Keep warm with Julie Yu-Wen Chen and Eetu-Antti Hartikainen as they discuss the Japanese localization of the traditionally Finnish sauna culture.

🇫🇮 In 2020, Finland’s sauna culture was added to the List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Sauna culture is an integral part of the lives of the majority of the Finnish population. Interestingly, the Finnish style of sauna-going has inspired quite a few individuals in Japan to travel to Finland to learn more about sauna as a lifestyle. It seems that there is active interest in investigating foreign bathing habits in Japan.

🇯🇵 In this episode, Julie Yu-Wen Chen talks to Eetu-Antti Hartikainen, a Finnish research student at Hokkaido University to understand the sauna boom and the localization of sauna culture in Japan. Eetu-Antti also shares his research of how Japanese sauna enthusiasts form some commonly shared values to differentiate themselves from others. However, sauna enthusiasts are very diverse as a group, which is seen in the contrasting opinions and assumptions concerning how sauna space should be utilized for enjoyment.

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📻 New Episode of the !

🤔 Why do politicians write poems, and what does a politician’s poetry tell us about their leadership?

✒️Understanding Narendra Modi: The Poetry of a Populist Leader

In this episode, a collective of researchers from the University of Oslo discuss these questions by focusing on India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. Modi has a highly visible and extremely complex public image. He often appears as a firm and decisive defender of the nation, intent on taking India to new global heights. At other times he may emerge as the humble son of a teaseller, who has made it to the top despite all odds. And, at yet other times he may appear almost as a sagacious Hindu holy man and kingly ruler. What is less well known is that Modi is also a poet, with several published collections of poetry to his credit, in both Indian languages and in English translation. What does Modi’s poetry reveal about India’s Prime Minister? What are we to make of a man who is both a staunch Hindu nationalist, a populist, and a self-professed poetic soul? Indeed, what is the relationship between Modi the poet and Modi the politician?

Niladri Chatterjee is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Centre for Development and the Environment, University of Oslo.
Deva Nandan Harikrishnan is a Doctoral Student at the Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages, University of Oslo.
Arild Engelsen Ruud is Professor of South Asia Studies at the University of Oslo.
G**o Samuelsen is an independent researcher with a PhD in South Asia Studies from the University of Oslo.
Our host, Kenneth Bo Nielsen, is Associate Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Oslo, and one of the leaders of the Norwegian Network for Asian Studies.

The Nordic Asia Podcast is a collaboration sharing expertise on Asia across the Nordic region, brought to you by the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies (NIAS) based at the University of Copenhagen, along with our academic partners: the Centre for East Asian Studies at the University of Turku, and Asianettverket at the University of Oslo.

We aim to produce timely, topical and well-edited discussions of new research and developments about Asia.

Listen on Apple Podcasts:
https://lnkd.in/dUiNRw4e...
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🧑‍🏫 Upcoming event at UCPH, Department of Cross-Cultural & Regional Studies: "An Invented Q***r Tradition: Tongzhi literature in Taiwan"

📆 2 Nov. 2023, 14:00-16:00
📍 South Campus, auditorium 22.0.49

📚 In this presentation, Chi Ta-wei situates his award­ winning novella 'The Membranes' (1996)*, in the context of Taiwanese tongzhi literature with examples from his massive research monograph 'A Q***r Invention in Taiwan: A History of Tongzhi literature' (2017).

Chi Ta-Wei suggests that it is reductionist to interpret tongzhi literature as a mere variant of q***r or LGBTQ literature and argues instead, with Eric Hobsbawm's The Invention of Tradition, that it can be seen as a local invention. Chi's work speaks to a lack of attention to non-heteronormative sentiments and lives in studies of Chinese-language literature and non-Western societies in anglophone LGBTQ studies.

The Event is orgnanized by UCPH China Studies, Asian Dynamics lnitiative, and Books from Taiwan.

🚀 New Episode of the !

🤔 What do harbors have to do with Buddhism?

🧠 Join us in exploring China's fascinating use of religion in foreign policy and its vital role in China's soft power strategy. Tabita Rosendal Ebbesen unravels Chinese Development policy, governance practices and the use of Buddhism in diplomatic and public diplomacy efforts in Sri Lanka in conversation with Frode Hübbe.

📄 Mentioned in the article is Tabita’s great article China’s Buddhist Strategic Narratives in Sri Lanka – Benefits and Buddhism? Which is accessible open source:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09512748.2022.2120063

Tabita Rosendal Ebbesen is a Doctoral student at the Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies, Lund University. Her research focuses on contemporary Chinese governance practices on the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, part of the Belt and Road Initiative. Aiming to fill knowledge gaps on port projects, Tabita has conducted fieldwork in Sri Lanka, interviewing key stakeholders.

Frode is a student assistant as the Nordic Institute of Asia Studies and a China Studies Student at the University of Copenhagen.

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📣 Listen to the latest episode of the

🧠 A discussion about India, Asia and the Global South 🇮🇳

🤔How should we understand the emergence of the Global South as a political actor? What is the role of India within this framework? Which challenges and tensions arise from China’s assertiveness in Asia, and how is it reshaping regional dynamics? How is the Indo-Pacific region emerging as a new geopolitical structure with the potential to redefine regional alliances and relationships?

Ravinder Kaur is joined by leading foreign policy expert on India, Raja Mohan to discuss these questions. Drawing on decades of experience, Mohan lays out India’s relationship with the Global South as an increasingly consequential political actor, examining the factors that have pushed this concept to the forefront of today’s geopolitical stage. Professor Mohan provides valuable insights into the contrasting nature of Asia's political terrain compared to Europe’s, underscoring the pivotal role played by mini-lateralism – an intricate network of overlapping alliances and cooperative endeavors between nations. Tune in to the newest episode of the Nordic Asia Podcast to learn more…

Professor Raja Mohan is a renowned commentator on world affairs and a distinguished policy fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute in Mumbai. As a leading analyst of India’s foreign policy, Mohan is also an expert on South Asian security, great-power relations in Asia, and arms control. He is the foreign affairs columnist for the Indian Express, and a visiting research professor at the Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore.

Our host, Ravinder Kaur is an associate professor of Modern India and South Asian Studies at the Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies, University of Copenhagen. Kaur works across the disciplines of history, anthropology, and international politics. Her long-term research has focused on two critical transformations in the history of modern India.

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💥New Blog Post Out - How India’s crackdown on NGOs is serving Hindu nationalism

In the latest contribution to our InFocus Blog, Lisa Kirchgatterer (MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion and Society) explores how the Indian government has systematically cracked down on dissenting, secular, and minority non-governmental organizations (NGOs) by limiting their access to funding.

Read the full article here 👇
https://www.asiaportal.info/how-indias-crackdown-on-ngos-is-serving-hindu-nationalism/

📣 New Episode of the

🌏 Globalisation and Glocalisation of Bubble Tea 🧋

🤔💭 Bubble tea, also known as pearl milk tea, boba or tapioca milk tea is a popular drink in Asia. Wherever there is Asian diaspora, such as in the USA, one can find bubble tea as well. Bubble tea is becoming increasingly visible even in European countries where there are relatively smaller Asian communities compared with the situation in the USA. One can find various versions of bubble tea in urban areas such as Helsinki, Vienna, and London.
📻 In this episode, Julie Yu-Wen Chen (University of Helsinki) talks to Stella Zhang about her doctoral research at the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Helsinki. Stella is interested in the globalisation of food, East-Asian migration and youth culture. Her work investigates how Asia-originated bubble tea, and the wider culture surrounding it, is developing in greater Helsinki, why is it taking off, which sorts of people are involved, how bubble tea is altered – practically and symbolically – as it is made to work in the Helsinki context, and what the implications may be for wider Finnish cultural life.

🧠 Julie Yu-Wen Chen is Professor of Chinese Studies at the Department of Cultures at the University of Helsinki (Finland). Dr. Chen serves as one of the editors of the Journal of Chinese Political Science (Springer, SSCI). Formerly, she was chair of Nordic Association of China Studies (NACS) and Editor-in-Chief of Asian Ethnicity (Taylor & Francis). You can find her on University of Helsinki Chinese Studies’ website, Youtube, and her personal Twitter.

🎙🔗:
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🚀 New Episode of the

🤔 How do affective sites such as memorials and statues produce political visions, emotions, and opportunities? And how are they used strategically to further particular political projects? 💭

🧠 In this episode, we discuss these questions with Rahul Ranjan with specific reference to his new book The Political Life of Memory: Birsa Munda in Contemporary India. Published in 2023, the book engages these issues by examining representations of Birsa Munda’s political life and the making of anticolonialism in contemporary Jharkhand. By highlighting contrasting features of political imaginations deployed in developing memorial landscapes, Ranjan shows how both the state and Adivasi use memory as a political tool to lay claims to the past of the Birsa Movement.

Rahul Ranjan is an interdisciplinary scholar with a key interest in environmental anthropology and humanities, political ecology and social justice. He is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway.
Kenneth Bo Nielsen is an Associate Professor at the Department of Social Anthropology at the University of Oslo and one of the leaders of the Norwegian Network for Asian Studies.

The Nordic Asia Podcast is a collaboration sharing expertise on Asia across the Nordic region, brought to you by the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies (NIAS) based at the University of Copenhagen, along with our academic partners: the Centre for East Asian Studies at the University of Turku, and Asianettverket at the University of Oslo.
We aim to produce timely, topical and well-edited discussions of new research and developments about Asia.

🎙🔗:
Listen on Apple Podcasts:
https://lnkd.in/dUiNRw4e...
Listen on Spotify:
https://lnkd.in/exzxBAE8...
Listen on Google Podcasts:
https://lnkd.in/eENrS5ye