Asian Studies

The paper attempts to outline the urban visions and architectural ideas and vocabulary behind the formation of the large urban conglomeration in Japan, South Korea and China, and how the seeds of Western planning theories and architectural design practice have helped shaping and building the contemporary cites along the vast regions of Asia Pacific Region, and frame a local language in envisioning the city of the future.
Reflecting on the contributions from East Asia to the discourse of planning and design a city for the future as promoted by single actors, larger cultural movements and national elites fostering economic ambitions and political agendas of autocratic forces (e.g. from the experimental cities by the Metabolists in Japan, to the more “pragmatic” urban development projects fostered by local and national governments in South Korea and China), the paper tries to explain the key socio-economic factors and engines which have dramatically and radically transformed the skylines of the most dynamic and growing influential area of the world at the dawn of 21st century; it also aims at describe the origins of the various forms and elements of the modern built environments which have been shaped and molded by these same forces, and how/whether these urban forms embodies a true genuine East Asian vision of the city of the future, and what is the current trend in terms of new urban forms and architectural design research at the beginning of 21st century.

Religion and Orientalism in Asian Studies analyzes the role of religion in past and present understandings of Asia. Religion, and the history of its study in the modern academy, has exercised massive influence over Asian Studies fields in the past century. Asian Studies has in turn affected, and is increasingly shaping, the study of religion. Religion and Orientalism in Asian Studies looks into this symbiotic relationship - both in current practice, and in the modern histories of both Orientalism and Area Studies

The Venerable Cheng-yen is an unassuming Taiwanese Buddhist nun who leads a worldwide social welfare movement with five million devotees in over thirty countries—with its largest branch in the United States. Tzu-Chi (Compassion Relief) began as a tiny, grassroots women’s charitable group; today in Taiwan it runs three state-of-the-art hospitals, a television channel, and a university. Cheng-yen, who has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, is a leader in Buddhist peace activism and has garnered recognition by Business Week as an entrepreneurial star.

Based on extensive fieldwork in Taiwan, Malaysia, Japan, and the United States, this book explores the transformation of Tzu-Chi. C. Julia Huang offers a vivid ethnography that examines the movement’s organization, its relationship with NGOs and humanitarian organizations, and the nature of its Buddhist transnationalism, which is global in scope and local in practice. Tzu-Chi’s identity is intimately tied to its leader, and Huang illuminates Cheng-yen’s successful blending of charisma and compassion and the personal relationship between leader and devotee that defines the movement.

This important book sheds new light on religion and cultural identity and contributes to our understanding of the nature of charisma and the role of faith-based organizations.

Asya Türk kültür ve turizm coğrafyasında birlikte ve barış içinde yaşayabilmek için ortak bir kültür ve turizm zemini oluşturmak önemlidir. Bu ortak zemini oluşturmak için de kurulmuş ortak teşkilatlar mevcuttur. Bunlardan biri de Uluslararası Türk Kültürü Teşkilatı (TÜRKSOY)’dır.TÜRKSOY, Türk dili konuşan ülkeler ve halkların birbirlerini daha iyi anlamala-rını, tanımalarını ve diyalog kurmalarını sağlamak, kültür ve gönül birlikteliğini ve kardeşliğini güçlendirmek, ortak Türk kültürünü ve sanatını korumak, yeniden canlandırmak, gelişmesini sağlamak, nesilden nesile aktarmak, yaşatmak ve karşılıklı dosta¬ne temaslar sağlamak amacıyla kurulmuş uluslararası ortak bir Türk kültürü teşkilatıdır. İnsanlararası kültürel diplomasi ve turizm için uygun bir zemin oluşturabilmek için de TÜRKSOY, üye ülkeler arasında kültürel ve sivil diplomasiyi desteklemek, resmî diplomatik kurumlar yanı sıra, kültürel diplomasi yürüten sivil toplum ve turizm kuruluşlarını desteklemek ve turizmin kültürel zeminini oluşturmak açısından önem arz etmektedir.Bu çalışmada Asya Türk Coğrafyası turizmi açısından TÜRKSOY’un ortak kültür ve turizm mirasının ortaya çıkarılması, tanınması, görülmesi, yaygınlaştırılması için önemli bir aktör olduğu ve nasıl bir rol oynaması gerektiği ortaya konmaya çalışılmıştır.

THE PLACE AND IMPORTANCE OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION OF TURKIC CULTURE (TÜRKSOY) IN THE CULTURE AND TOURISM OF THE TURKISH LANGUAGE SPEAKING COUNTRIES

Formation of a joint cultural and tourism base is important for living together in peace in the geography of culture and tourism of Central Asia. There are a number of organisations for building up such a joint base. International Organisation of Turkic Culture (TÜRKSOY) is one of them. TÜRKSOY, an international Turkish cultural organisation, was founded to realise better understanding, recognising and developing dialogue; strengthening kinship, common cultural and emotional values; preserving, reviving and developing joint Turkish culture and art;  and passing all these on future generations in order for their existence and establishment of friendly mutual ties. TÜRKSOY, in order to provide a common base for cultural diplomacy and tourism among individuals, is of great value to support official and private cultural and civil diplomacy, and their organisations between member countries. This work tries to reveal that TÜRKSOY is an important actor for bringing out and recognizing the joint heritage of culture and tourism in Central Asia, and what kind of roles it should play in those endeavours.

En este texto se destaca la presencia de Guadalupe Nettel en la narrativa mexicana como una voz que experimenta con los imaginarios geográficos de China, Japón y México. En este texto se destaca la presencia de Guadalupe Nettel en la narrativa mexicana como una voz que experimenta con los imaginarios geográficos de China, Japón y México.  Se posiciona la figura de Nettel como una escritora que consolida una estética producto del intercambio literario con Oriente y América Latina.

Portugal in the Sea of Oman - Religion and Politics is an editorial achievement, which is unique in the Arab World. In cooperation with the Ministry of Religious Affairs of Oman, the University of Aachen and the Centro de Estudos Históricos (Universidade Nova de Lisboa), more than one thousand documents, ranging from 1504 to 1697, from the Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo (Lisbon), are published in a trilingual edition (original portuguese, translation into English and Arabic). Thus, invaluable primary sources are now available for scientists all over the world and a new scholarly dialogue about this essential period for the Arabian History can ensue.

The New Global Politics of the Asia Pacific: Conflict and Cooperation in the Asian Century, 3rd Edition
©2017 Routledge: London & New York. 341pp. + x. Link: https://www.routledge.com/The-New-Global-Politics-of-the-Asia-Pacific-Conflict-and-Cooperation-in/Connors-Davison-Dosch/p/book/9781138647022

Now in its new and fully updated third edition, The New Global Politics of the Asia Pacific continues to provide a compelling analysis of a region undergoing dramatic changes. Based on new research and offering fresh interpretation, this edition evaluates the prospects for continuing US dominance in the ‘Asian Century’. Whilst presenting evidence for a multifaceted ‘Beijing Strategy’, which aims to counter the US by building an alternative regional order, it also explains Japan’s definitive departure from its limited military role. Key content includes:
- Intra-regional conflicts in the South China Sea and the Korean peninsula,
- The different responses within the Asia Pacific to globalisation and western ideas of democracy and political economy,
- The underappreciated success of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in building a regional identity
- The European Union’s soft power in the region.
A highly topical account, which offers an overview of the main actors, institutions and contemporary issues in the Asia Pacific, the book will be essential reading for students of Asian Studies, International Politics, and anyone interested in the region.

Michael K. Connors teaches at the University of Nottingham, Malaysia Campus and is a Visiting Fellow at the Institute of Asian Studies, Chulalongkorn University. He is the co-editor of Thai Politics in Translation: Monarchy, Democracy, Constitution (forthcoming).
Remy Davison holds the Jean Monnet Chair in Politics and Economics at Monash University. He is the author of The Political Economy of Single Market Europe (2011).
Jörn Dosch is Professor of International Politics and Development Cooperation at the University of Rostock, Germany, and Adjunct Professor at Monash University Malaysia. His recent publications include Malaysia Post-Mahathir: A Decade of Change (2015).

In Philip J. Ivanhoe’s introduction to his Readings from the Lu-Wang School of Neo-Confucianism, he argues convincingly that the Ming-era Neo-Confucian philosopher Wang Yang-ming (1472–1529) was much more influenced by Buddhism (especially Zen’s Platform Sutra) than has generally been recognized. In light of this influence, and the centrality of questions of selfhood in Buddhism, in this article I will explore the theme of selfhood in Wang’s Neo-Confucianism. Put as a mantra, for Wang “self-awareness is world-awareness.” My central image for this mantra is the entire cosmos anthropomorphized as a doctor engaged in constant self-diagnosis, in which effort s/he is assisted by an entire staff of the nerves/nurses—individual humans enlightened as Wangian sages. In short, I will argue that the world for Wang could be meaningfully understood as a mindful, self-healing body within which humans are the sensitive nerves, using our mindful awareness to direct attention to the affected areas when injury or disease occurs. We are, and must thus recognize that we are, the bold but sensitive nervous system of the cosmos, sharing (like neurons) our loving excitement, carrying out (like a medical nurse) the doctor’s orders for the self-care of our cosmic body/medical corps.

This article deals with an important festival in Tibet dedicated to the future Buddha Maitreya. It was held on three days in summer when three giant thangkas showing Buddhas Amitābha, Śākyamuni and Maitreya were put on public display. Introduced in the seventeenth century, it became a defining feature of the monastic life in the Dge lugs monastery of Bkra shis lhun po, the seat of the Panchen Lamas. It attained a supra-regional importance, which even extended to Mongolia. Based on a number of textual sources, this essay examines various aspects of this festival, how it was funded, who participated, and which rituals and ceremonies were conducted. It also analyses the history and iconography of the three giant textile thangkas by discussing in detail the contributions made during the reign of each respective Panchen Lama from the past to the present. In sum, the article argues that this festival has to be seen in the context of a special bond the Dge lugs school of Tibetan Buddhism maintained to have with the future Buddha Maitreya

Kalacakra Tantra is  the culmination of thousand years of refinement of  Indian tradition of knowledge in both dimensions- inner engineering  and outer phenomena.  Dehmadhye Samastam (देहमध्ये समस्तं) or Everything is contained within the Body -  is the root essence of the text. The body itself is the universal text and the universal knowledge, on the other hand,  is visualized as a body- the Vajra-Deha.
Time( Kala- काल) governs the  individual body as well as the cosmic body.  Time is the universal monarch.  To understand  temporality, one ought to understand the structure of phenomena both within body and outside body and the correlation between the two dimensions.

Selepas Era perang dunia ke-dua,Negara-negara Asia Tenggara yang  telah mencapai kemerdekaan telah bersepakat menubuhkan ‘The Association of Southeast Asia ‘ ( ASA ) di Bangkok . Tujuan penubuhan ini adalah untuk mengadakan kerjasama dari segi ekonomi , politik dan keselamatan Negara serantau .ASA ini diaggotai oleh Malaysia , Filipina dan Thailand . Penubuhan ASA ini telah gagal  dan membawa pula kepada  penubuhan Maphilindo iaitu dari gabungan Negara Malaysia , Filipina , dan Indonesia pada awal tahun 1960 . Penubuhan Maphilindo ini juga turut gagal dan kegagalan ini telah membawa kepada penubuhan ASEAN . ASEAN mula ditubuhkan pada 8 ogos iaitu pada tahun 1967 apabila menteri-menteri luar dari lima Negara iaitu Indonesia , Malaysia , Filipina Singapura dan Thailand berjumpa di kementeriaan hubungan luar Thailand di Bangkok untuk menandatangani Deklarasi ASEAN

The Stanford website 'humanitieslab' is out of order but copies can be retrieved using the Wayback Machine internet archive at this url http://web.archive.org/web/20151002235517/http://humanitieslab.stanford.edu:80/117/Home
I have also uploaded a .pdf of the book which can be viewed with your browser to  navigate the links.
This was never meant to be a print book, I chose to publish it as an online resource because of the videos and links. However, it can be rather difficult when websites are closed down, so I am glad there is a .pdf record of it
(added 29/05/2017)

MARTIN, Fran. “Japanese homoerotic manga in Taiwan: Same-sex love and utopian imagination,” in Women’s Manga in Asia and Beyond: Uniting Different Cultures and Identities, edited by Fusami Ogi, Rebecca Suter, Kazumi Nagaike and John A. Lent. Palgrave MacMillan, Palgrave Studies in Comics and Graphic Novels series (2019): 5-23.

ASRIE Association of Studies, Research and Internationalization in Eurasia and Africa
Il ruolo geopolitico di Singapore-ASRIE Geopolitical Report Vol 3/2019  pag 67-76

Abstract in English
In a brief time, Singapore became one of the main economic-financial centres of southeast Asia and today the City-State of Singapore aspires to play a decisive geopolitical role in the international and Asian chess boards maintaining its diplomatic independence to avoid taking sides in the China-US dispute. The Singaporean military force makes it a significant regional actor; aware of an Asian chessboard that is seeing the Chinese economic ascent, Singapore understands that to make Beijing desist from possible diplomatic pressure must keep an efficient war device. The role of Singapore in the strategic area of the Strait of Malacca is well understood in international chancelleries, this role determines the diplomatic actions of Singapore in the geopolitical chessboard of the Asian continent.

Abstract in Italiano
Divenuta in poco tempo una delle principali piazze economico-finanziarie del sud-est asiatico e dell'Asia, oggi la Città-Stato di Singapore ambisce a ricoprire un ruolo geopolitico determinante nello scacchiere internazionale e quello asiatico, mantenendo una sua indipendenza diplomatica per evitare di schierarsi nella contesa Cina-USA. La forza militare singaporiana la rende un attore regionale significativo; conscia di uno scacchiere asiatico che sta assistendo all'ascesa economica cinese, Singapore comprende che per far desistere Pechino da possibili pressioni diplomatiche deve mantenere un efficiente dispositivo bellico. Il ruolo di Singapore nella zona strategica dello Stretto di Malacca è ben compreso nelle cancellerie internazionali, questo ruolo determina le azioni diplomatiche di Singapore nello scacchiere geopolitico del continente asiatico.

Die Nationalmannschaft Katars hat zum ersten Mail die Asienmeisterschaft gewonnen. Zuvor hat sie bei neun Teilnahmen an dem Turnier insgesamt nur sechs Spiele gewonnen. Hinter dem Aufstieg steht unter anderem eine intensive Nachwuchsförderung. Bei der WM 2022 im eigenen Land wollen die jungen Spieler ihren Zenit erreichen.

The following is an extended version of my article for The News Lens International Edition, “What Baseball Says about Taiwanese Culture and Identity,” published on November 5, 2020.
https://international.thenewslens.com/article/142896
TNL is Taiwan’s highest-quality English news source and I’m grateful to them for affording me an opportunity to contribute. Due to space limitations, a lot of detail and the last section on Confucian and Japanese influences were sacrificed. They suggested I focus on the other three issues, and rightly so. I would add that the excised segment is not even an “issue,” yet adds to our understanding of Taiwanese culture. This paper contains the last point from the original while retaining the economy the TNL editors provided.

Agency has been the recurrent subtext in this book, weaving a rich thread through the diverse reflections on the warping of urban space-time in Asia. A conclusion cannot possibly do justice to the depth and breadth of the essays. In any case, we reject the idea of a unitary urban Asia or an identifiable Asian urbanism. But neither do we want to offer many urban Asias or Asian urbanisms, like so many colorful trajectories making for a splendid Orient. Thus, my purpose here is less to draw conclusions about existing and coming realities and more to plot the lines of consciousness that are emerging from the cities and urbanities discussed in the essays.

Taiwan’s influence on popular music and culture in the Sinophone world is significant. This lecture series will introduce Taiwan’s popular music— with a particular focus on popular music after the 1970s to recently— to the students while examining the social, political and cultural influences on the production and consumption of music, as well as how popular music shapes society, locally, regionally and transnationally. Every lecture will include at least one case study of artists or groups to enhance the student’s understanding of Taiwan’s popular music scenes.

"Le port de Shanghai et le commerce: l'exemple de 1901 et 1907", From Underground to End - Users, Global Monetary History in Scientific Context, Meeting at the University of the Pacific, San Francisco, Stockton, 16 - 22 May 2016, G. Depeyrot & D. O. Flynn, ed., Collection Moneta, 194, Wetteren, 2016 (coll. A. Tricoche et J. Cavero), p. 61-78.