Dear SSJ-Forum Members:


This is just a reminder of an upcoming lecture at GSAPS at Waseda that may be of interest to you, your colleagues, and students; please feel free to forward this to them. The talk is open to the public and we welcome your participation. The talk will end by 1:30 p.m.


Best wishes,


David Leheny



Upcoming Lecture at Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies (GSAPS)

"Territorial Disputes-Related Activism in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan"

June 27, 12:10 p.m. Waseda University

Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies

Nishi-Waseda Bldg., Room 710

Dr. Alexander Bukh

(Political Science and International Relations Programme, Victoria University of Wellington)

Co-sponsored by WIAPS and the Memory and History Research Group



This talk focuses on territorial disputes related activism in Northeast Asia. In Japan, Korea, and Taiwan numerous civic groups and other non-state actors engage in activism related to islands disputed by Japan and its neighbors, demanding their return or firmer protection. In this talk, I will discuss the causes of activism related to the Northern Territories and Dokdo/Takeshima in Japan, the 'protect Dokdo' movement in South Korea and the 'protect Diaoyutai' movement in Taiwan. While the actions and the slogans of these activists are almost identical, I will argue that the socio-political, ideological, and economic transformations that spurred this activism differ from one case to another, and often have little to do with the actual disputes. I will argue that the demands to recover or protect the disputed territory were more of a rhetorical resource utilized by the activists rather than the actual goal of their activism.



Alexander Bukh is Senior Lecturer School of History, Philosophy, Political Science & International Relations at Victoria University of Wellington. After earning his PhD at the London School of Economics, he taught at Tsukuba University before taking his current position, where he researchers and teaches on Japan's foreign policy and domestic politics, Russia's foreign policy and politics, and territorial disputes in Northeast Asia. This talk draws from his major research project on territorial issues in Asia, from which he has published several papers.



For further information, contact David Leheny (dleheny@waseda.jp <mailto:dleheny@waseda.jp>).



David Leheny

Professor

Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies

dleheny@waseda.jp <mailto:dleheny@waseda.jp>