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 wil be celebrated at a joint conference on October 29th!
Preliminary program:
Theme: East Asia Now!
The program brings together leading names in East Asian Studies from the world, with presentations by distinguished scholars Professor Jeff Kingston (Temple University, Japan), and Professor Myungji Yang (University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa) as well as leading researchers from Finland and Europe.
Date and Time: Thursday 29th of October, 10.00 – 17.15
Venue: Educarium, EDU2. Map, building number 12, University of Turku
Format: Onsite event, no streaming.
REGISTER BY Monday 26.10.2026 (link)
I Morning session: 10.00 – 11.45
- Opening words
- Professor Julie Chen, University of Helsinki: “Global Knowledge Production about China”
- 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”
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 all speakers
15.30 -17.15 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 of the ReConnect China – project. Senior full professor at the Department of Languages and Cultures of Ghent University, Belgium.
– changes in China’s domestic policies and how that affects the EU
Gábor Szüdi, Leads the ReConnect China WP6: Measures to maximise the impact.
PhD , Project Manager/ Senior Researcher, Centre for Social Innovation GmbH, Vienna, Austria
– research security
Riccardo Benussi, Dezan Shira & Associates, Partner
– EU-China business relations (to be confirmed)
Urmas Höbepappel, Contributor to the WP3: China’s domestic governance.
Analyst at the Asia Center, 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 – 16 CEAS Alumni meet Students