What’s in it for Sweden? Third Annual Conference on Swedish East Asia Research

ISDP is happy to announce the third conference in the annual series on East Asia research in Sweden, coorganized with Stockholm’s University’s Department of Asian, Middle Eastern and Turkish Studies.

The conference is the third in three years and aims to bring Sweden-based East Asia researchers toward greater innovation and cooperative structures in research on the politically, economically and culturally most expansive geographical area in the world. This year’s installment focuses on identifying a common denominator among Swedish East Asia researchers in the humanities and social sciences, as well as on the practical problems shared in the field, and possible solutions to the same.  

Attendance at the conference is free of charge, and there is funding available for travel within Sweden for students and early-career researchers. To apply, please send an email with your CV to eisaksson@isdp.eu. This conference is made possible through financial support from the Swedish Foundation for Humanities and Social Sciences.

Find the conference reports from 2018 and 2017 here.

Below follows a tentative agenda for the day.

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09:15-09:45 Coffee with sandwich and pastry

09:45-10:00: Welcoming words by Niklas Swanström, Executive Director of ISDP and Alberto Tiscornia, Head of Department at Stockholm University’s Department of Asian, Middle Eastern and Turkish Studies

10:00-11:30 Where is Swedish East Asia research now?

Last year’s conference focused on the why, how, and whether there should be a shared agenda for Swedish East Asia research. This panel takes a broad look again at these questions as a starting point for the conference and takes stock of the current landscape in Swedish East Asia research, based on the participants’ individual experiences.

Participants: Bert Edström, ISDP; Nina Krickel, Stockholm University/Swedish Institute of International Affairs (UI); Ernils Larsson, Uppsala University; Lars Vargö, ISDP

11:30-12:45 Lunch

12:45-14:15 What is Swedish East Asia research?

This panel delves into the question of what Sweden-based East Asia researchers have as their common denominator and how that denominator can be utilized? What does it mean to be involved in East Asia research, and what aims are shared between institutions and researchers in Sweden?

Participants: Claes-Göran Alvstam, University of Gothenburg; Tony Fang, SU/ISDP; Gabriel Jonsson, SU; Sangsoo Lee, ISDP; Nicholas Olczak, SU/UI; Patrik Ström, Stockholm School of Economics

14:15-14:45 Coffee break with pastry

14:45-16:15 What issues are researchers faced with in Swedish East Asia research, and how do we solve them?

This panel aims to consider solutions to current issues facing Sweden-based East Asia researchers. Among these are lack of funding; time to dedicate to research; and potentially also diverging aims between researchers, policymakers, and private industry. Should and can these aims be reconciled, and would that be a solution to other resource issues?

Participants: Mats Engman, ISDP; Sonja Häussler, SU; Gunnar Linder, SU; Torbjörn Lodén, SU/ISDP

16:15-16:30 Closing words

16:30 Mingle with finger food