Asia Rising

Once confined to academic foreign policy discussions, in recent years the term ‘Indo-Pacific’ has gained widespread political and public acceptance. What is behind the rise in prominence of this term? What actors are pushing it? Does it have a clear and agreed upon meaning? Has it replaced the ‘Asia-Pacific’ and, if so, why? Panel: Professor Nick Bisley (Head of Humanities and Social Sciences, La...

For more than two decades, Australia has been riding the wave of the ‘Asian Century’. But to increase our ongoing prosperity and security, we need to forge stronger bonds with our Indo-Pacific neighbours. Chief among these is India, whose economy is now the world’s fastest growing and presents a myriad of opportunities, yet our linkages with the subcontinent remain distinctly underdeveloped. Speak...

La Trobe University's incoming Chancellor explains his views on the importance of engaging Asia, and China in particular. Australia and China enjoy a strong relationship in trade and education. Does this present any conflicts with the authoritarian nature of China’s regime, and our alliance with the United States, given the growing antagonism between Washington and Beijing? Guest: John Brumby (Cha...

Australia and India are at a key moment in their relationship. Both countries will have elections this year. India is poised to become the third largest economy in the world, and there are opportunities for both countries in broader co-operation in areas such as security and research. A report released by Australia’s Ministry for Trade, Tourism and Investment judged that no single market over the...

China’s Belt and Road strategy is acknowledged to be the most ambitious geopolitical initiative of the age. Covering almost seventy countries by land and sea, It symbolises a new phase in China’s ambitions as a superpower: to remake the world economy and crown Beijing as the new centre of capitalism and globalisation. Guest: Bruno Maçães (Senior advisor at Flint Global and a senior fellow at Renmi...

The global geopolitical landscape is shifting towards Asia. It can be seen in China’s bold infrastructure project reopening the historic Silk Road and in the maritime success of port cities like Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore. Asia is rising but so are its connections to Central Asia, Turkey and Europe. Perhaps the best word to capture the emerging global order is 'Eurasian'. At the Melbourne l...

A second summit between the United States and North Korea has been cut short, with Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un walking away from the table suddenly with empty hands. Is denuclearisation of North Korea realistic, and what does it mean for regional stability as a whole? Guest: Dr Euan Graham (Executive Director, La Trobe Asia) Follow Euan Graham on Twitter: www.twitter.com/graham_euan Follow La Tro...

The Kingdom of Bhutan, on the eastern edge of the Himalayas, is a country rarely visited by tourists. Entry is by application and extremely limited, assuring that only a select number of most dedicated tourists meet the criteria. Guest: Paul Strickland (Program Director and Lecturer in Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management in the La Trobe Business School). Follow La Trobe Asia on Twitter: www....

In the Chinese region of Xinjiang, tens of thousands of ethnic Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities have been detained inside enormous extrajudicial ‘re-education camps’. China faces mounting pressure from international human rights groups, governments, and academics to end these practices, but will anything help the Uyghurs? Guests: Nury Turkel (Uyghur Human Rights Project) Associate Professor Jam...

The South China Seas is a region in hot contestation, and is important to many surrounding countries in terms of territory, resources and trade routes. Who controls the South China Seas? Spoiler alert… it’s probably China. Guests: Professor Nick Bisley (Head of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, La Trobe University) Dr Rebecca Strating, (Lecturer in Politics, La Trobe University) Follow...

China and India share a 4000km long border, and it’s been a relationship that has had its tense moments. This situation is made all the more complicated by the Brahmaputra river - rivers recognise no borders, and its resources are always in high demand. Guest: Dr Ruth Gamble (David Myers Research Fellow, La Trobe University) Follow Ruth Gamble on Twitter: www.twitter.com/waterthe_planet Follow La...

For most defectors the decision to leave North Korea is never an easy one, and there are major difficulties in addressing the refugee crisis. Those crossing into China risk arrest and deportation, and the safety of those left behind is often in question. Hyeonseo Lee defected from North Korea in 1997, and has since become an activist for human rights. Her memoir, The Girl with Seven Names, is a Ne...

When Narendra Modi and the BJP won the 2014 election in India they did so under the slogan 'Achhe din aane waale hain' - Good days are coming. With an impending election, we give Modi's progress a report card. Have good days come to India? Guest: Emeritus Professor Robin Jeffrey (Politics, La Trobe University)

In the Chinese region of Xinjiang, tens of thousands of ethnic Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities have been detained inside enormous extrajudicial ‘re-education camps’. China claims the region faces a serious threat from Islamist militants and separatists, stirring up tensions between the mostly Muslim Uyghur minority and the ethnic Han majority. After months of denial, the Chinese government now...

There are 22 official languages in India, but more than 780 have been recognised. It can be a challenge to communicate across the country, and while the most common language is Hindi there’s communication of all sorts in a variety of dialects and scripts. Guest: Emeritus Professor Robin Jeffrey (Politics, La Trobe University) Dr Ian Woolford (Lecturer in Hindi, La Trobe University)

Religion and caste divides Indians in many ways - religion primarily between Hindu and Muslim, with Hindu further divided by a complex caste system which can influence how they work, how they live and even who they marry. While laws and social initiatives have tried to to counteract inequality and discrimination, it does still happen. Guest: Emeritus Professor Robin Jeffrey (Politics, La Trobe Uni...

With a fast-growing population and aspirations to join the throwaway prosperity of the developed world, India generates vast quantities of waste, sewerage and pollution. How does it live with and deal with the problem? Guest: Emeritus Professor Robin Jeffrey (Politics, La Trobe University) Assoc. Professor Assa Doron (College of Asia and the Pacific. Australian National University)

The Indian National Congress party in India has mostly looked to the Nehru-Gandhi family for leadership, making them powerful figures in India’s political landscape. Four members of the family have been Prime Minister of the country, but does the current leader, Rahul Gandhi, have what it takes? Guest: Emeritus Professor Robin Jeffrey (Politics, La Trobe University).

India goes to the polls in 2019, and the popular incumbent Narendra Modi is currently favoured to retain his position. With close to a billion people eligible to vote elections in India promises to be a busy time and an organisational quagmire. Guest: Emeritus Professor Robin Jeffrey (Politics, La Trobe University).

The vibrant fashion styles of Tokyo are notable for their colour and playfullness, and the shojo culture (girls) draw on anime, manga, literature, film and cosplay. The distinctive fashion movement has evolved to embrace culture and identity, and in this panel we will hear from four experts about shojo and kawaii (cute) studies. - Dr Lucy Fraser is a specialist on Japanese fairy tales and girl cul...

In 2017 India celebrated 70 years of independence from British rule. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the country, calling for the people to set aside their differences. "India is about peace, unity and goodwill," said Modi. "We have to take the country ahead with the determination of creating a new India." Can a new India emerge from the old? How has it been shaped by its years in the Briti...

India will soon be unveiling the world’s tallest statue, the Statue of Unity. At 182m tall it towers over its nearest competitor by more than 50m. The statue in the Narmada district of Gujarat is of independence leader Vallabhbhai Patel. The project has been championed by India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and is not without controversy. Guest: Dr Alexander Davis (New Generation Network Postdoc...

The Bund, or Wai Tan in Chinese, is a waterfront strip in central Shanghai. It is within the former Shanghai International Settlement, and so all the buildings there have a grand colonial feeling, right across the river from the Pudong district, with some of the most modern and radical skyscrapers you’ll see. Guest: Associate Professor James Leibold (Department of Politics and Philosophy, La Trobe...

Asia is at a dangerous moment. China is rising fast, North Korea may be assembling more nuclear weapons, Japan is building up its military and The United States, for so long a stabilising presence in Asia, is behaving erratically. What can the world’s major powers can do to avoid an eruption of war? Guest: Associate Professor Brendan Taylor (Strategic Studies at the Australian National University,...

In recent months there has been intense speculation in the media and in policy forums about China’s involvement in the Pacific. In turn, this has raised questions about the Australia’s historical and continuing role in the region, as well as evolving issues around sovereignty and neo-colonialism. Is the sovereignty of Pacific nations under threat? Or is China really providing aid only in order to...