NEWS
2023.09.14
【Report】Ritsumeikan/Northwestern University Joint Workshop: “Facing the Challenges of International Coexistence in Asia Today”
On July 13, 2023, a workshop titled “Facing the Challenges of International Coexistence in Asia Today” was held. The workshop was jointly organized by the Asia-Japan Research Institute, Ritsumeikan University (AJI) and the Institute for Advanced Study in the Global South, Northwestern University, Qatar. The entire session was moderated by Dr. Toshiyuki Takeda, Associate Professor of the AJI. Professor Yasushi Kosugi, Director of the AJI, provided the opening remarks, while Dr. Clovis Bergère, Assistant Director for Research Institute for Advanced Study, Northwestern University in Qatar, delivered the closing remarks.
The workshop began with a keynote address by Dr. Hasan Mahmud, Assistant Professor in the Liberal Arts Program at Northwestern University in Qatar. Dr. Mahmud discussed “Personal Troubles, Public Issues: A Sociological Approach towards Migration Studies” which showed an overview of postcolonial and sociological approaches to migration research and how they have discussed personal and public issues among Bangladeshi Muslims.
Dr. Mahmud delivering his speech
Additionally, four faculty members, postdoctoral researchers, and doctoral students reported on the workshop.
Dr. Lee Jinhye, an Assistant Professor at Kinugasa Research Organization, Ritsumeikan University, delivered a presentation titled “Diasporic Mobility and Belonging: A Chronicle of Koryo Saram’s Transborder, Forced Migration, and Return Experiences.” She discussed the historical migration and establishment of the Korean diaspora, Koryo Saram, in the former Soviet Union, highlighted the latest trends in their return migration to Korea, mainly focusing on their changing legal status. During the presentation, participants posed questions regarding the sociological perspective of assimilating or integrating the immigrant community into the host society, and also about the current situation of the Koryo Saram settlement in Korea.
Dr. Jinhye Lee making her presentation
Next, Associate Professor Viktoriya Kim from Ritsumeikan University’s College of International Relations made a presentation on the social integration of marriage migrants in Japan. Her presentation titled “Integration of Marriage Migrants in Japan: Processes, Conflicts and Crises” covered the history and concrete processes of immigrants choosing to move to Japan. She introduced social conflicts and problems that they experienced in the host society and discussed the challenges of social integration for immigrants who get married. The participants raised questions about the problems women in Soviet international marriages face with regard to race, as women in international marriages from the former Soviet republics were found to be less likely to become familiar with Japanese culture than Filipino women, who were expected to know Japanese culture well. They were more likely to preserve Russian customs and traditions in their homes.
Associate Professor Kim delivering her presentation
Dr. Aoi Mochizuki, a Postdoctoral Fellow of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, presented on “Japan's Humanitarian Response to the Syrian Refugee Crisis: Cultural Coexistence vs Refugees’ Belongingness.” Her presentation examined the Japanese government’s approach to the Syrian refugee crisis with a focus on Japan’s humanitarian aid to Jordan and a comparison with the recent Ukrainian refugee problem. During the Q&A session, participants actively discussed the evolution of Japan’s concepts of human security and multicultural coexistence.
Dr. Mochizuki making her presentation
The final presenter, Ms. Tokiko Asai, a Ph.D. candidate from the Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies at Kyoto University, gave a presentation titled “Emplacement of Muslim Internally Displaced Persons in Sri Lanka: Focusing on Social Relations among Women.” Her interesting presentation discussed the connection between Muslim internally displaced people and their homes in Sri Lanka, based on women’s narratives from her long-term field study. The Q&A session following the presentation included a lively discussion on field research techniques, including the impact of the researcher’s attributes on surveys.
Ms. Asai delivering her presentation
During the closing session, Dr. Clovis Bergère emphasized the significance of the term "belonging" in the workshop presentation. The workshop saw active discussions on the relationship between the experiences and sense of belonging of diaspora, migrants, refugees, and internally displaced persons, as well as the different processes for coexisting with migrants in host societies.
Participants discussing in this workshop
This workshop was also held in conjunction with the “Asian Diasporas” Unit as one of the research units in the AJI. We hope that this workshop will lead to opportunities to broaden the scope of interaction with researchers, build research networks, and collaborate in diverse ways in the future.
Commemorative photo (From the left: Dr. Jinhye Lee, Associate Professor Toshiyuki Takeda, Dr. Hasan Mahmud, Ms. Tokiko Asai, Dr. Clovis Bargère, and Dr. Aoi Mochizuki)