Dear SSJ-Forum member,
The Department of East Asian Studies - Japanese Studies at the University of Vienna would like to draw your attention to the upcoming hybrid u:japan lecture:

Aimi Muranaka:
"Stay-ing without permanent settlement among Vietnamese IT professionals in Japan"

Date and time: Thursday, December 5, 2024, 18:00~19:30 (CET, UTC +1h)

Location: Onsite @ Campus of the University of Vienna Department of East Asian Studies, Japanese Studies room JAP 1 (2K-EG-21), University Campus Hof 2.4, Spitalgasse 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria
https://japanologie.univie.ac.at/index.php?id=23548#c646040

Online: Join the lecture via Zoom (no registration necessary):
https://univienna.zoom.us/j/67322681056?pwd=Pty4fOOmCE6GbIyH7LqzV1BHpPnBL5.1
Meeting-ID: 673 2268 1056 | Passcode: 878295

Abstract: Numerous countries around the world are interested in recruiting international skilled migrants to stay economically competitive in the region, including an emerging immigration regime like Japan. Skilled migrants have often been touted as mobile with few obstacles. However, they do not necessarily undergo smooth or linear upward socio-economic, social and career mobilities. Pressured by the severe labour shortage, Japan seeks to recruit foreign skilled professionals, while simultaneously maintaining strong resistance in introducing an official migration policy. Despite the resistance, the number of foreign residents has continued to increase over the past decade, and Vietnamese-nationals, including those working as skilled migrants in the IT sector, are one of the growing groups of migrant workers in Japan. The current multi-year research project focuses on the socio-economic, career and transnational (im)mobilities of Vietnamese IT professionals in Japan.

The study by Aimi Muranaka (University of Duisburg-Essen, DE) is based on offline and online ethnographic fieldwork in Japan and Vietnam since 2021, including over 70 interviews. Despite differences in entry channels to the country and work contracts in the Japanese labour market, some of Vietnamese IT professionals are able to opt for job mobilities driven by the strong labour demand. Nevertheless, after several job changes, they cannot project further upward career mobility. Although their working life may not be necessarily fulfilling, their staying process in the host society is heavily shaped by social and family factors that often prevent and/or postpone their further mobility/return. The study presents the process of how Vietnamese IT professionals in Japan end up prologuing their stay-ing, not necessarily projecting a permanent settlement.

For more information on the speaker and future events at u:japan, please follow the link below:
https://japanologie.univie.ac.at/ujapanlectures/

We look forward to your participation!
Christopher Kummer, Florian Purkarthofer, Elisabeth Semmler, Astrid Unger and Ralf Windhab

PS: If you missed a lecture or want to review, head to our recorded lectures section:
https://japanologie.univie.ac.at/ujapanlectures/records/

u:japan lectures
Department of East Asian Studies / Japanese Studies at the University of Vienna
E-mail: ujapanlectures.ostasien@univie.ac.at

Kindly sponsored by the Toshiba International Foundation:
https://www.toshibafoundation.com/