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Previous events organized by the UCD Centre for Asia-Pacific Research

Ireland-China Relations

The UCD Centre for Asia-Pacific Research and the the University of Notre Dame’s (opens in a new window)Clingen Family Center for the Study of Modern Ireland collaborated to hold an event on May 23, 2024 called Ireland’s Relations with China: Navigating Values and Interests Amid Great Power Competition.

The event brought expert speakers from around the world to discuss Ireland’s relations with China both in a bilaterial and comparative context.  In addition to a keynote talk by (opens in a new window)Demetri Sevastopulo, the US-China correspondent for the Financial Times and himself a native of Ireland, the event featured four panel discussions on Ireland-China bilateral relations, Europe-China relations, Ireland-China in the Transatlantic relationship, and comparative perspectives of other small states dealing with a newly assertive China.

The event received coverage in the Irish Times ((opens in a new window)here and (opens in a new window)here) and was attended by a number of policymakers and opinion leaders. 

            Speakers and panellists at the conference included:

  • Alexander Dukalskis, UCD
  • Joshua Eisenman, University of Notre Dame
  • Julia Bader, University of Amsterdam
  • Finbarr Bermingham, South China Morning Post 
  • Una Berzina-Cerenkova, Riga Stradins University
  • Julie Chen, University of Helsinki
  • Alexander Davey, Mercator Institute for China Studies
  • Theresa Fallon, Centre for Russia, Europe and Asia Studies
  • Gerlinde Groitl, University of Regensburg
  • Victoria Hui, University of Notre Dame 
  • Isabella Jackson, Trinity College Dublin
  • Yvonne Murray, RTÉ
  • Demetri Sevastopulo, Financial Times
  • David Shullman, Atlantic Council
  • Li-Chen Sim, Khalifa University, UAE
  • Andrew Cottey, University College Cork
  • Velina Tchakarova, FACE (For A Conscious Experience)
  • Ben Tonra, UCD
  • Steve Tsang, SOAS, University of London
  • Richard Turcsanyi, Palacky University Olomouc

The Chinese Communist Party's Global Outreach: Insights from Data on Party-to-Party Exchanges

Event poster

(opens in a new window)Julia Bader, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Amsterdam
  • When: Wednesday, September 20th, 12:00-13:00
  • Format: in person
  • Where: UCD Newman F301

Abstract. This presentation addressed a largely overlooked actor in China's foreign relations, the International Department of the Communist Party of China (ID-CPC). Using publicly available documentation, the presentation systematically analyzed the patterns of the CPC's external relations since the early 2000s. Building on an intense travel diplomacy, the ID-CPC maintains a widely stretched network to political elites across the globe. The ID-CPC's engagement is not new; but since Xi Jinping took office, the CPC has bolstered its efforts to reach out to other parties. The authors find that party relations not only serve as an additional channel to advance China's foreign policy interests. Since President Xi has come to power, party relations also emerged as a key instrument to promote China's vision for reforming the global order. The presentation was based on previously published co-authored work by the author in International Studies Quarterly and was supplemented by new insights and developments since publication.  

Myanmar Two Years On From the Coup

March 27, 2023, 13:00-14:00 (on Zoom)

Summary: In February 2021 a junta, led by General Min Aung Hlaing took control of Myanmar, precipitating mass protests and widespread civil war. However, these recent events have been largely ignored in popular media. This panel, bringing together academics, activists, and witnesses, will provide an update on the current state of politics in Myanmar: discussing the suppression of democracy, the National League for Democracy and Aung San Suu Kyi; the outbreak of civil war following the 'Spring Revolution'; and the impact of the conflict on the country's ethnic minorities, particularly the Karen ethnic group, who are under regular attack by military forces.

Bios

Alex Dukalskis is associate professor in the School of Politics & International Relations at University College Dublin and director of the UCD Centre for Asia-Pacific Research. His research and teaching cover authoritarian politics, human rights, and Asian politics. His most recent book is Making the World Safe for Dictatorship and was published by Oxford University Press in 2021.

Zoya Phan is from the Karen ethnic group in Burma, and is a human rights activist, author, and campaign manager for the Burma Campaign UK who has worked tirelessly to expose the junta’s human rights violations. In 2009, she published her autobiography, “Little Daughter: A Memoir of Survival in Burma and the West”. She has been recognized as a TEDGlobal Fellow, a Women’s Forum Rising Talent, and a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader.

Declan Stokle is a junior doctor based in Sunderland, UK, who volunteers regularly with the American charity, Free Burma Rangers. While last in Burma in November 2022, Stokle witnessed an attack on medical facilities and innocent civilians by the Burmese junta, and is joining the call via a pre-recorded interview to recount his experiences.

Treasa De Loughry (chair) is an Ad Astra fellow and assistant professor in world literature in the School of English, Drama and Film at UCD. She has a long-standing interest in the literature and culture of South East Asia, and the human rights abuses being committed by the Burmese junta against ethnic minority groups.

This event is sponsored by the UCD Centre for Asia-Pacific Research. Learn more about us at: https://www.ucd.ie/AsiaPacificResearch/ and follow us on Twitter @AsiaUCD

9 March 2023, 12-1pm, "All the World's a Stage? Reflections on Historical Methods and Global Asia"
{{{ In-person event, recording not available }}}
This talk takes a look behind the scenes of the monograph "Opium's Long Shadow: From Asian Revolt to Global Drug Control" (Harvard University Press, 2018) to offer insight into how historians of Asia think and write books. Historians who combine area studies and global history do not usually forward interpretations that reflect a ready-made recipe or toolkit. Instead, historical research on global Asia scrutinizes the multi-archival richness of primary sources in the region. It engages multiple historiographies. It draws and depends on institutional support with a thematic commitment to area studies. Most monographs on global Asia reflect these realities and alert us to the potential of universities as generators of knowledge."

5 December 2022, 1-2pm, "Evaluating China-Russia Relations Nine Months After the Invasion of Ukraine"

{{{ Watch the event on YouTube here: (opens in a new window)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTDw_pNqbgY }}}

 Poster for Event

Russia's invasion of Ukraine beginning February 24th, 2022 had wide-ranging ramifications for global politics. In this talk, Una Aleksandra Bērziņa-Čerenkova will focus on the relationship between China and Russia in the aftermath of the invasion. She will reflect on continuation and changes as well as underlying motivations driving the relationship. Plenty of time will be left for Q&A, which will be moderated by Alexander Dukalskis, Director of the UCD Centre for Asia-Pacific Research.

Dr Bērziņa-Čerenkova is Head of the Political Science PhD programme and China Studies Centre at Riga Stradins University, Head of the Asia Programme at the Latvian Institute of International Affairs, a member of CHERN and European Think-tank Network on China (ETNC). She has held fellowships at King's College London, Fudan University, and Stanford University. She is the author of Perfect Imbalance: China and Russia, published by World Scientific in 2022.

24 October 2022, 1-2pm "Dispatches from Asia: Irish Journalists on the Future of Reporting in the Region"

{{{ Watch the event on YouTube here: (opens in a new window)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuvixxptPKg&t=47s }}}

When: October 24, 2022 13:00 – 14:00 Irish time

This unique event, organized by the UCD Centre for Asia-Pacific Research, will feature three Irish journalists who have spent their careers reporting on important developments in Asia for Irish and European readers.

They will reflect on their own career paths in journalism, major stories that they have covered, and the future role of foreign correspondents in Asia. They will also share advice for students who may be interested in pursuing a career in journalism.

The event is open to the public and plenty of time will be left for Q&A with the panelists.

Featuring:

Finbarr Bermingham reports on Europe-China relations for the South China Morning Post. After a decade on the trade beat in London and Hong Kong, he took up the role of Europe Correspondent, moving to Brussels to report on China in Europe. Having hosted the US-China Trade War Update, a weekly podcast, since 2019, he is the current host of the China Geopolitics Podcast.

Yvonne Murray reported for RTÉ News and Channel 4 on Chinese affairs from Beijing from 2018 to 2021 and then for one year from Taiwan. She previously worked for the BBC and is currently working in New York where she continues to report for RTE News and Current Affairs.

David McNeill teaches communications at the University of the Sacred Heart, Tokyo, Japan. He has been writing for The Irish Times for two decades and was also a correspondent with The Economist, The Independent and The Chronicle of Higher Education.

19 September 2022, 12-1pm "Indelible City: Dispossession and Defiance in Hong Kong"

{{{{ Watch the event on YouTube here: (opens in a new window)https://youtu.be/53UgJunQipM }}}}

The UCD Centre for Asia-Pacific Research welcomed award-winning journalist Louisa Lim, who discussed her new book Indelible City: Dispossession and Defiance in Hong Kong.

Lim reported from China for a decade for NPR and the BBC. Her first book, The People's Republic of Amnesia: Tiananmen Revisited , was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing and the Helen Bernstein Prize for Excellence in Journalism. She co-hosts The Little Red Podcast, an award-winning podcast on China. She works as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Melbourne, teaching audio journalism and podcasting, and has a PhD in journalism studies.

5 October 2021, 3-4pm “China's "wolf warrior" diplomats”

{{{ Watch the event on YouTube here: (opens in a new window)https://youtu.be/YeJpPPthAx0 }}}

APReN Webinar Series and UCD School of Politics and International Relations

Speaker: Professor Peter Martin (Defense Policy & Intelligence Reporter at Bloomberg)

7 October 2021, 1-2pm “Digital disruption, political pressure and new opportunities: the future of mass media and its impact on Japan”

UCD Centre for Japanese Studies & PSU Centre for Japanese Studies 2nd Joint Seminar

Speaker: Mr Bill Emmott (Former Editor in Chief of The Economist & Chair of the Japan Society of the UK)

21 October 2021, 6-7pm “Saving Muslim Women: Orientalist feminism in post-colonial Hong Kong”

{{{Watch the event on YouTube here: (opens in a new window)https://youtu.be/DxKKSWwjn9k}}}

APReN Webinar Series and UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice

Speaker: Dr Raees Baig (Chinese University of Hong Kong & Visiting Assistant Professor UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work & Social Justice)

11 November 2021, 1-2pm “ Imagining Globality: Japan and China’s approach to liberal internationalism compared”

UCD Centre for Japanese Studies & the Irish Institute of Japanese Studies with UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice

Speaker: Prof. Kiri Paramore (Professor of Asian Studies, University College Cork)

May 2021

13 May 2021, 6-7pm “Tremulous Images: visualising sound a memory of place & conflict in Okinawa”

APReN Webinar Series

Speaker: Professor Rupert Cox (Granada Centre for Visual Anthropology, University of Manchester)

April 2021

15 April 2021, 5-6:30pm “Global US-China Relations in the Biden Xi Era”

{{{Watch the event on YouTube here: (opens in a new window)https://youtu.be/FHX2ZJch7ZQ }}}

APReN Webinar Series

Speaker: Professor Robert Daly (Kissinger Institute on China and the United States at the Woodrow Wilson Center)

(opens in a new window)Click Here to Watch this Seminar

8 April 2021, 1-2pm “Japan in the Age of Fraying International Order”

PSU Center for Japanese Studies & UCD Centre for Japanese Studies Joint Webinar Series

Speaker: Professor Ken Endo (Hokkaido University, Japan & European University Institute, Italy)

March 2021

25 March 2021, 6-7pm “Inculcating Internationalism: The Student YWCA in Republican China, 1918-1949”

APReN Webinar Series

Speaker: Assistant Lecturer Jenny Bond (UCD School of History)

February 2021

18 February 2021, 6-7pm “Asia through Irish eyes: an Irish Buddhist hobo in Myanmar”

{{{ Watch the event on YouTube here: (opens in a new window)https://youtu.be/TcTh5egc74s }}}

APReN Webinar Series

Speaker: Associate Professor Laurence Cox (Department of Sociology, Maynooth University) 

16 February 2021, 9-10am (partly pre-recorded, live Q&As) “Why Women Leaders?”

UCD Centre for Japanese Studies Launch Webinar Series

Speaker: Chancellor Prof. Mariko Bando (Chancellor, Showa Women’s University), with Prof. Gerardine Doyle (Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School) and Prof. Christina Davis (Director of the Program on U.S.-Japan Relations & Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University), UCD Centre for Japanese Studies

12 February 2021, 1-2pm (live) “Why Japan Matters”

UCD Centre for Japanese Studies Launch Webinar Series

Speaker: H.E. Mr Mitsuru Kitano (Ambassador of Japan to Ireland), with Prof. John Neary (School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice) & Dr Declan Downey (School of History), UCD Centre for Japanese Studies.

(opens in a new window)Click Here to Watch this Seminar

APReN Launch Event: ‘Korea Story’

1 April 2019

Speaker: South Korean Ambassador to Ireland, H.E. Mr Woon-ki Lyeo

Jointly organised with the School of Politics and International Relations (SPIRe)

Seminar: ‘The rise of LGBT movement in Vietnam: state & society relations in an authoritarian context’

23 April 2019

Speaker: Dr Phạm Quỳnh Phương, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS)

Jointly organised with the School of Geography

Seminar: ‘Theorizing Mixed Race from a Japanese Perspective’

Speaker: Professor Yasuko Takezawa, Kyoto University

Jointly organised with and sponsored by the UCD Centre for Japanese Studies (UCD-JaSt)

Research Forum 2, May 2018

Organised by William Mulligan (History) 

Lightning presentations of post-graduate/ post-doctoral Asia-Pacific projects in literature, linguistics, translation, street-food culture etc.

Research Forum 1, October 2017

Organised by Kathleen James-Chakraborty (Art History) and Phil Entwistle (Languages/Cultures)

Lightning presentations by faculty researchers from 6 schools (Art History and Cultural Policy, Music, Languages, Cultures and Linguistics, Social Policy, History, Law).