LEAM 2013
The 9th Lodz East Asia Meeting, organised by the Department of East Asian Studies at the Faculty of International and Political Studies of the University of Lodz, was held on the 6th to 7th of June 2013. The main theme of this latest instalment was Central Europe and East Asia, and once again, conducted solely in English.
The keynote address to open the conference was presented by ambassador Bogdan Góralczyk, whose service in the diplomatic core has seen him posted to Thailand, the Philippines and Burma. His inaugurating speech, regarding the Rise of China, was a perfect introduction to the 9th Lodz East Asia Meeting. Although China’s rise on the global platform has dominated many conferences, it was not the main emphasis of the meeting. The conference was divided into topic specific panels, whose main thematic focuses were centred around economic, political, military and cultural interactions and their implications between Central Europe and East Asia.
After the inaugurating speech, the first day kicked off with simultaneous panels regarding East Asian Countries Trade Relationships and China’s Foreign Policy and its Implications. The former panel aired papers regarding the Free Trade Agreements between East Asian countries and Europe, as well as Turkey, while also discussing US-Chinese Economic and Trade Relations. The latter, focused on China’s Foreign Policy, examined China”s energy problems due to its economic rise, security challenges, and Sino-Russian relations.
The following panels that ran through the day focused on the Central Europe and East Asia Nexus, China’s Domestic Development, China-ASEAN Relations, the China-US Relationship, and a special panel dedicated to South Asia in Global Politics. The special panel highlighted India’s role in our ever-changing world, and the impact of India’s rise.
Following up, the panels on the 7th of June continued to expand upon the previously discussed topic of Central Europe and the East Asia Nexus. Furthermore the controversial topic of Territorial Disputes in the East Asia Region, East Asia and Global Governance, and New Dimensions in EU-East Asia relations were also aired. The 7th of June saw two additional, unique panels. The first of which was a student panel that showcased the University of Lodz master’s students research concerning China and South-East Asia. The second panel was dedicated to North Korea and Security Dimensions in East Asia, which discussed the Korean Peninsula’s security dilemmas and Northeast Asian Regionalism.
The 9th edition of the conference saw attendees and academics representing universities and institutions from around the world, hailing from China, Japan, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Italy, Spain, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and of course, Poland.
The conference was also an ideal podium for the Department of East Asian Studies to announce its newest international initiative, LEAM Plus. This innovative forum is dedicated to scholars whose area of interest revolves around the East Asia region, and is an ideal place for scholars to exchange ideas and post their own reports, analyses, and opinions about the ever-changing region that is Asia. For more information about LEAM Plus, or if you would like to participate in the online discussions, please feel free to check it here.
