Engaging asia iias annual rEporT 2011

37 Pages·2012·4.24 MB·English

1 | Title
Engaging asia
iias annual rEporT
2011
2 | Title
The international institute
for asian studies (iias) is a
research and exchange platform
based in the university city
of leiden, the netherlands.
iias encourages the multi-
disciplinary and comparative
study of asia and promotes
national and international
cooperation. it acts as an
interface between academic
and non-academic partners
including cultural, social and
policy organisations.

2 | Title IIAS Annual Report 2011 | 3
TABLE OF CONTENTS DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
2011 was a very productive year. It saw the IIAS fully
3 DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
HIGHLIGHTS OF 2011
implement its new strategy to structure its activities and
8 THEMATIC RESEARCH CLUSTERS
fellowship programme around the three thematic clusters:
10 ASIAN CITIES
14 GLOBAL ASIA
‘Asian Cities’, ‘Global Asia’ and ‘Asian Heritages’. | Within
18 ASIAN HERITAGES
23 OPEN CLUSTER
the Asian Cities cluster, we were successful in obtaining
26 VISITING RESEARCHERS AND PROFESSORS
a € 1.25 million grant from Brussels to support the new
27 FELLOW PORTRAITS
30 LIST OF FELLOWS 2011
IIAS-led worldwide network ‘Urban Knowledge Network
34 COOPERATION AND NETWORK
Asia’ (UKNA). Notable events included the international
40 EVENTS
roundtable on climate change and its impact on national
41 OVERVIEW OF ACADEMIC EVENTS IN 2011
46 OVERVIEW OF OUTREACH ACTIVITIES IN 2011
cities which took place in Palembang, Indonesia. | From
50 PUBLICATIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS
our Global Asia cluster we ran two key events. Firstly the
50 PUBLICATIONS SERIES
51 THE NEWSLETTER
roundtable ‘Science and nature in Europe and Asia:
53 DIGITAL COMMUNICATION
54 COMMUNICATION SURVEy
scientific traditions and new technologies’, which was held
58 FINANCIAL REPORT
in Singapore in November and co-organised with Nanyang
60 ORGANISATION
Technology University (NTU). Then in December, IIAS led
62 COLOPHON
the closing event of the ‘EUforAsia’ programme, entitled
‘Re-engaging Europe with Asia’, which focused on assisting
the EU in framing its strategy towards Asia.
HIGHLIGHTS Urban Knowledge Network Asia Palembang roundtable
OF 2011 This new IIAS-led programme consists of a network Involving government and municipal officials
of 102 researchers from 13 partner institutes from as well as a multi-sector organisation the Pacific
Europe, China, India and the United States. Rim Council on Urban Development (PRCUD), the
Palembang roundtable reflects IIAS’ new vision to
serve as an effective conduit between the policy
making and social sciences communities.
UKNA
To express the breadth of Asia’s rich cultural diversity, our Annual Report is illustrated
with images inspired by the theme of ‘dress’.
Front cover photo credits, numbered from left to right , top to bottom: receives € 1.25 million funding
1. Dave Watts, 2. Kevin Schoenmakers, 3. Local Japan Times, 4. Leyo, 5. Kevin Schoenmakers,
6. Joost Kolkman – Collection Textile Research Centre, Leiden, 7. Erwin Karim, 8. Adraude,
9. Peretzp, 10. Abhiomkar Mehndi, 11. Jeroen, 12. Honey Bee, 13. Michel, 14. Tom Spender,
15. Leo Uehara, 16. Stuck in Customs. Except for image 6, all courtesy of flickr.com.
Reproduced under a Creative Commons licence. See the ‘Asian Cities’ cluster page 12 See the ‘Asian Cities’ cluster page 13
4 | DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT IIAS Annual Report 2011 | 5
Under the aegis of Asian Heritages we ran the highly To further promote public understanding of Asian
successful Summer Programme, ‘Heritage conserved and societies, we introduced our national outreach programme,
contested: Asian and European perspectives’, which followed encompassing Asian cinema, literature and the arts,
on from an idea born out of the IIAS-ASEF roundtable on organised in cooperation with specialised institutes from
heritages in 2010. The burning issue of post-colonial identity the Amsterdam area. | In July, IIAS launched its brand
was examined during a roundtable co-organised with new website. Built around our thematic clusters, it presents
SEPHIS, the South South Exchange Programme for Research related research programmes, visiting fellows and other
on the History of Development, in November. IIAS intends affiliated researchers, as well as events, newly published
to continue to explore the ground-breaking topic of heritage books and articles. Furthermore, with an expanding
studies and what it means in terms of social agency in coverage and new editorial features, IIAS’ quarterly
Asia and beyond. | Outside the scope of the clusters the publication The Newsletter saw its central position
7th International Convention of Asia Scholars (ICAS) proved reinforced as Asian studies’ most unique periodical of
yet again to be very successful and popular. A truly global its kind. | After the launch of our website we undertook
event, it took place in 2011 in Hawai’i running four days a large-scale survey to gauge our audiences’ perception
from 31 March to 3 April in collaboration with the American of IIAS and its activities. It yielded 1,500 responses.
Association for Asian Studies (AAS). We were pleased to read the variety of extremely
appreciative comments, which we take as encouragement
to continue and expand our work and vision.
PHILIPPE PEyCAM, DIRECTOR IIAS
Roundtable ‘Science and nature’ Re-engaging Europe with Asia Summer Programme ‘Heritage AAS-ICAS joint conference in Honolulu
19 scholars from Europe, Asia and the US addressed the During the ‘EUforAsia’ conserved and contested: ICAS 7 drew in over 5,000 participants from 65 countries
long-standing interactions existing between the different closing event, topics Asian and European perspectives’ and featured 770 panels on a wide range of topics.
scientific traditions of the Eurasian continent – from explored included economic The programme brought together To this day it is the largest gathering of Asian specialists
Europe to East Asia – including traditions from South and integration, regional security, 24 MA and PhD students, from ever organised.
Southeast Asia, the Middle East and the Mediterranean. energy and cooperation more than 200 applicants, for
in higher education. IIAS six intensive days of discussion,
ensured that social scientists under the inspiring co-direction 5000+
and humanities scholars were of Professor Michael Herzfeld Summer
given a chance to directly from Harvard University and Programme
engage the often hermetic Professor Nira Wickramasinghe,
participants
world of policy makers. from Leiden University.
See the ‘Global Asia’ cluster page 15 See the ‘Global Asia’ cluster page 15 See the ‘Asian Heritages’ cluster page 19 See ‘Cooperation and network’ page 36-37
6 | IIAS Annual Report 2011 | 7
CAMBODIA TIBET
HEADDRESS
MyANMAR KyRGyzSTAN
INDONESIA THAILAND
‘Clothes maketh the man’
All over the world men, women and children use headdresses to emphasise who they are and what they are doing.
Headdresses vary from a simple square of cloth to elaborate gold with precious stone constructions.
Some are light, some are heavy. But they all carry the message: “This is who I am”.
-
Photo credits, numbered from left to right, top to bottom:
1. Stuck in Customs, 2. Pondspider, 3. Damienhr, 4. Peretzp, 5. Drriss, 6. Aswhelan, 7. Jack zalium, 8. Matthew Wilkinson.
INDIA VIETNAM All images courtesy of flickr.com. Reproduced under a Creative Commons licence.
8 | IIAS Annual Report 2011 | 9
THEMATIC RESEARCH CLUSTERS
The scope of IIAS research is naturally broad and we welcome
and encourage research proposals dealing with a wide variety
of topics. To provide focus within such a broad remit, IIAS
organises the majority of its research and activities around
three thematic clusters, namely ‘Asian Cities’, ‘Global Asia’
and ‘Asian Heritages’. Each addresses questions relevant to
present-day Asian societies while paying attention to long
term historical trends. | The purpose of this approach is
to cultivate synergy and coherence between people and
projects; individual researchers working on related topics
are brought into contact with each other to share information
and identify new challenges. The objective is to encourage
not only a multi-disciplinary approach to the study of Asia,
but also to generate more interaction with Asian societies,
bringing scholars and non-scholars together and facilitating
the sharing of ideas and information across societal sectors.
AWARENESS
OF IIAS
RESEARCH CLUSTERS
10% N/A
33% Unaware
46% Aware
11% Very aware
IIAS Communication
Survey 2011
10 | IIAS Annual Report 2011 | 11
ASIAN CITIES RESEARCH PROGRAMME
Asia is experiencing a process of increasing social The postcolonial global city
concentration built upon ancient urban traditions at
THIS RESEARCH PROJECT examines the – The multi-disciplinary approach of the IIAS and the Delft School of
post-colonial cities of South, East and Southeast Design is not only a hugely valuable breakthrough for those interested
a pace never before encountered. This unprecedented
Asia, and how some of them have made the in the urban environments of Asia, but is a potential testing ground
successful transition from nodes in formerly for a more multi-faceted approach to urban studies in general.
process brings with it tremendous transformations
colonial networks, to global cities in their own Gregory Bracken
right. This is intended to be an inter-disciplinary
framing new expressions of social, cultural and political
approach bringing together architects and
urbanists, geographers, sociologists and political
modernity. | With a special eye on contemporary
scientists, as well as historians, linguists and
anyone else involved in the field of Asian studies.
developments, the cluster aims to explore the long-
A key factor in the research is architectural
typology. Architecture is examined to see how
standing Asian urban ‘tradition’, by discussing the origins
it can create identity and ethos and how in the
postcolonial era these building typologies have
of urbanism and urban culture in different parts of Asia,
been superseded by the office building, the
skyscraper and the shopping centre, all of which
and by linking the various elements of city cultures and
are rapidly altering the older urban fabric of the
city. Sponsored by IIAS and the Delft School
societies, from ancient to modern (colonial and post-
of Design.
colonial) times. | Through an international knowledge-
Gregory Bracken
Coordinator and main researcher,
network of experts, research institutes and cities,
Delft School of Design and IIAS
it seeks to encourage social scientists and scholars in the
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humanities to interact with contemporary actors such Fli
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as artists, activists, planners and architects, educators, neJ
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Right: Chinese tourists in Shanghai Ic
and policy makers.
ARTICLE
Designing colonial cities: the making of modern town planning
in the Dutch East Indies and Indonesia (1905-1950)
IN HER ARTICLE, which appeared in The Newsletter issue 57,
Pauline van Roosmalen talks about the setting for the making
of modern town planning in the Dutch Indies in the first half of the
twentieth century: far reaching socio-economic changes caused
by burgeoning private enterprise in combination with new insights
and demands in terms of hygiene, infrastructure, architecture
and town planning; emerging anti-sentiments among growing
numbers of indigenous inhabitants; and the direct confrontation
of administrators with local issues.
Pauline van Roosmalen
IIAS fellow
Left: Kebajoran Baru: building plan (1949). (Central) Planning Bureau/M. Soesilo.
Designing colonial cities: download complete article at www.iias.nl/designing-colonial-cities
12 | ASIAN CITES IIAS Annual Report 2011 | 13
NETWORK SEMINAR ROUNDTABLE
Urban Knowledge The city and public space in Asia Palembang roundtable on urban planning and climate change
Network Asia
INTERVIEW WITH GREGORy BRACKEN
The Seminar was held in the Hong Kong University Shanghai Study Centre,
26 - 27 April 2011 and hosted by Gregory Bracken (Delft School of Design
kr and IIAS) and Jonathan D. Solomon (Hong Kong University).
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uv What was the reason for the seminar?
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M This is the 3rd annual seminar of a workshop series
on Asian Cities organised by the Delft School of
THE ONLy GLOBAL NETWORK of its kind, Urban Design and IIAS. These are multi-disciplinary events
Knowledge Network Asia (UKNA) brings together during which scholars from all over the world can
102 researchers from 13 partner institutes present their on-going research. I organised this
in Europe, China, India and the United States. seminar in conjunction with Jonathan Solomon from Hong Kong
Its key objective is the nurturing of contextualised University. By going to such a seminar you not only get to witness
and policy-relevant knowledge on Asian cities. cutting edge research but also have the chance to impact upon it.
This is done via a series of research staff exchanges WITH THE SUPPORT of the ‘EUforAsia’ programme and under
starting in April 2012, and specifically targeted What is meant by the term ‘public space’? the auspices of IIAS, the 11th PRCUD roundtable on urban planning
case-study-based research, all of which relates There isn’t really one definition. It isn’t just big squares and shopping and climate change was held in Palembang from 24-27 July 2011.
to the network’s three main themes of Housing, areas, it can also be Shanghai alley houses or the elevated walkways In partnership with the Indonesian National Planning Agency
Heritage, and the Environment. in Hong Kong. Weijen Wang for example looks at how parks in (Bappenas), the Pacific Rim Council on Urban Development
Hong Kong are used for all sorts of private activities such as taiji or (PRCUD) and seven Indonesian municipalities, the roundtable
In 2011 IIAS was awarded a € 1.25 million reading the newspaper. Jonathan Solomon and his students tested the led to recommendations for urban development strategies in the
grant by the Marie Curie Actions ‘International atmosphere of certain open spaces in Hong Kong, taking temperatures context of mitigation and adaptation of climate-related threats.
Research Staff Exchange Scheme’ (IRSES) of the and wind directions across the space, and correlating this to where
European Union, to enable and coordinate the people sat. His students went on to apply their findings directly into – The added-value of the roundtable format was the direct and
staff exchanges. their designs. My own topic, the Shanghai alleyway house, forms part informal interaction between diverse professionals, including academics,
of the traditional neigbourhood block crisscrossed by narrow alley- government officials from local and central levels, business people,
UKNA PARTNER INSTITUTES ways. It’s not so much the actual houses that are worth preserving, and members of civil society.
International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS) but rather the dynamism of the community they have served to create. Paul Rabé, Director Urban Land Advisory Services
Faculty of Architecture, Technical University Delft (TUD),
Delft, The Netherlands What is done with the outcomes? Above and below: Palembang field-trip
Ecole Nationale Superieure d’Architecture Next year’s spring issue of Footprint will be dedicated to the topic
de Paris-Belleville (ENSAPB), Paris, France of public spheres in Asia’s cities, with contributions from the seminar’s
Development and Planning Unit (DPU), participants. It is a journal on architecture theory, but this issue will PUBLICATION
University College London, London, UK be much wider, with public space explained by experts in their specific
Singapore in global history
College of Architecture and Urban Planning (CAUP), discipline such as social science, anthropology, history, economy and
Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, China urban design. The 2010 seminar led to the publication of the book
School of Architecture, Tianjin University (Tianjin), ‘Aspects of Urbanisation in China’. The spin-offs of these seminars and DEREK HENG, SyED MUHD KHAIRUDIN ALJUNIED
Tianjin, China publications can be huge. We receive many reactions out of the blue, ICAS PUBLICATION SERIES, JULy 2011
Centre for Urban and Regional Studies (CURS), expanding the network and its knowledge. Just as with public space,
Shanghai Academy for Social Sciences, Shanghai, China you know something will happen, you just don’t know exactly what. THIS IMPORTANT OVERVIEW explores the connections between
China Academy of Urban Planning and Design (CAUPD), Singapore’s past with historical developments worldwide until the
Beijing, China Below: Elevated walkway (left) and Wetland Park (right), Hong Kong present day. The contributors analyse Singapore as a city-state seek-
Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS), ing to provide an interdisciplinary perspective to
Bengaluru, India the study of the global dimensions contributing to
Ambedkar University (AUD), New Delhi, India Singapore’s growth. The book’s global perspective
Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology demonstrates that many of the discussions of
(CEPT), Ahmedabad, India kr Singapore as a city-state have relevance and
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University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA. C R in imperial history, business history and networks.
For further information on the Urban Knowledge Network Asia go to www.ukna.asia Download final PRCUD report at http://sites.google.com/site/prcudweb
14 | IIAS Annual Report 2011 | 15
GLOBAL ASIA ROUNDTABLE
Today Asia is reclaiming its historic economic prominence Science and nature in Europe and Asia
and asserting its geopolitical influence at a global level.
The various ways in which Asia is connected to other regions
in the world, including Europe, must be considered within
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addresses contemporary issues related to transnational ckr nt B
interactions within the Asian region itself, as well as n Design/fli Developme
Asia’s projection into the world through the movement of Delfry Asian
goods, people, ideas, knowledge, ideologies and so forth.
– All kinds of associations come ‘SCIENCE AND NATURE IN EUROPE AND ASIA: Scientific traditions and new technologies’
to mind when talking about was organised as part of the Europe-Asia Policy Forum (EUforAsia), and co-sponsored
Past and present trends are addressed. | The cluster wishes
science and nature in Europe by the Faculty of Humanities of Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. It took
and Asia. The roundtable explored place in Leiden in October 2011. It aimed to investigate the causes and consequences
to contribute to a better academic understanding of the
these images and associations of the growing public skepticism about science and technology, and to identify
and identified common interests ways to address these societal concerns. By bringing together 19 Asian and European
phenomenon by acknowledging the central role of Asia as
between researchers of various scholars from different academic disciplines, the roundtable intended to highlight
academic institutions in Europe different perspectives on the ‘public mistrust in science problem’.
an agent of global transformations (and challenging the
and Asia.
Extract from the final Report: The roundtable focused on four interrelated themes: natural disasters; food
Euro-centricity of much of the current literature).
Jan van der Ploeg, Gerard Persoon production; nature conservation; medicine. The discussions led to the formulation
and Hong Liu, Leiden University and of recommendations that could be taken up by scientists, policy makers and the
Nanyang Technological University
media. The participants of the roundtable also agreed upon drafting joint project
proposals to be submitted to various grant-giving organisations. A possible follow-up
activity will be the organisation of a workshop at Nanyang Technological University
in Singapore in 2012/2013.
CONFERENCE
Re-engaging Europe with Asia
THE FINAL CONFERENCE of the Europe-Asia Policy Forum, entitled ‘Re-Engaging
Europe with Asia’, aimed at assisting the EU in framing its strategy towards Asia,
and was held at the Netherlands Institute of International Relations ‘Clingendael’,
The Hague in December 2011. The conference was attended by more than 40 European
and Asian experts and opinion leaders, from academia and think tanks, who discussed
contemporary global and regional economic, political and security issues of common
concern. Four main issues were discussed, namely: the impact of the financial crisis on
regional economic integration; the relevance of new security dialogues in Asia for the
EU; cooperation in higher education; cooperation in energy policy and sustainability.
The event was co-organised by IIAS. IIAS ensured that a variety of voices were heard and
that social scientists and humanities scholars were offered a chance to directly engage ckr
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the often hermetic world of policy makers. The IIAS-led ‘Europe-Asia Policy Forum’, Art/
which ran from 2009 until the end of 2011, was designed to target relevant stakeholders nk
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in Asia-Europe affairs with information on contemporary issues regarding EU-Asia. Fr
Download final ‘Science and nature in Europe and Asia’ report at www.iias.nl/science-and-nature