Asian Studies Days 2026
Both the Asia Network and the Centre for East Asian Studies (CEAS), University of Turku, are celebrating milestone anniversaries this year. The 30th anniversary of the Asia Network and the 20th anniversary of CEAS will be celebrated at a joint conference on October 29th!
The program includes presentations, a panel discussion, a ReConnect China workshop, a doctoral seminar, and an alumni event.
Participants will have the opportunity to engage with distinguished scholars in East Asian Studies from around the world, including Professor Jeff Kingston (Temple University, Japan), Professor Myungji Yang (University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, United States) and Professor Bart Dessein (Ghent Univesrity, Belgium) as well as prominent researchers and experts from Finland and across Europe.
We warmly welcome all those interested in contemporary East Asia to join the seminar!
Theme: East Asia Now!
Date and Time: Thursday 29th of October, 10.00 – 17.30
Venue: Educarium, EDU2. Map, building number 12, University of Turku
Format: Onsite event, no streaming.
REGISTER BY Monday 26.10.2026 (link)
Preliminary program:
I Morning session: 10.00 – 11.45
- Opening words
- Professor Lauri Paltemaa, UTU CEAS: “CEAS 20 years”
- Docent Bart Gaens, FIIA: “Beyond the Alliance: Japan’s New Strategic Partnership Diplomacy”
- Docent Yoko Demelius & Docent Kamila Szczepanska, UTU CEAS: “Popularisation of Japan as a subject in the research field of conspiracy theory”
- Research Professor Mikael Mattlin. FIIA: “China’s Political Order” – new publication
Lunch break
II Afternoon session: 12:45 – 14.15
- Professor Jeff Kingston, Temple University Japan: “Gen Z Activism in Asia”
- Professor Myungji Yang, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa: “Reactionary Politics in South Korea: Authoritarian Legacies and Far-Right Mobilization”
Coffee Break
III Late afternoon session:
14:30 – 15.30 CEAS20 panel discussions, with morning and afternoon session speakers
15.30 -17.30 ReConnect China – workshop
Reconnecting China in 2022 and 2026
The project “ReConnect China: Generating independent knowledge for a resilient future with China for Europe and its citizens” received EU Horizon funding in 2022. CEAS is one of the 15 project partners. This workshop examines how Europe’s posture toward China has shifted since the proposal: the debate has moved from talk of de-risking and quasi‑decoupling toward a more cautious, engagement‑seeking stance that nevertheless emphasises resilience and risk management. Given that evolution, what would a contemporary “ReConnect China” funding proposal look like? Specifically, how should Europe pursue reconnection with China through the remainder of the 2020s, and what types of China-related knowledge should the EU prioritise over that period and beyond?
Link to the project website: https://www.reconnect-china.ugent.be/
Speakers:
- Bart Dessein, Scientific Coordinator, ReConnect China; Senior Full Professor, Department of Languages and Cultures, Ghent University, Belgium
– “Changes in China’s domestic policies and how that affects the EU” - Gábor Szüdi, Lead of ReConnect China WP6: Measures to Maximise Impact; PhD, Project Manager and Senior Researcher, Centre for Social Innovation GmbH, Vienna, Austria
– “Research security” - Riccardo Benussi, Partner, Dezan Shira & Associates
– “Still in China, Differently: What European businesses learned (and didn’t) between 2022 and 2026” - Urmas Höbepappel, Contributor, ReConnect China WP3: China’s Domestic Governance; Analyst, Asia Centre, University of Tartu, Estonia
– “ReConnecting with the ‘Other’: culture, politics, and psychology in Europe’s engagement with China”
FRIDAY 30th of October
09.30 – 15.30 ASD Doctoral seminar
14.00 – 16.00 “Meet Our Alumni: A Conversation about Career Paths and Possibilities”
Speakers:
- Tessa Skinner, Program Coordinator, Business Finland
- Heidi Puomisto, Journalist, Helsingin Sanomat
- Hanna-Mari Ylinen, Communication and Event Coordinator, Aalto University
- Ari-Joonas Pitkänen, Postdoctoral Researcher, CEAS
- Ratchada Wannawit, Program Associate, Asia Centre