NEWS

2022.06.24

【Report】 The 7th Book Launch was held! Dr. Jinhye LEE introduced her book about the Korean diaspora in Kazakhstan.

On Wednesday, May 22, the 7th book launch was co-hosted online by the Asia-Japan Research Institute (AJI) and the Center for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies (CMEIS), both which are located in Ritsumeikan University. This time, an introductory talk about the book, Living in Two Asias: Ethnic Problems and Acculturation in the Koryo Saram Diaspora in Contemporary Kazakhstan (published in February 2022) , was given by the author, Dr. Jinhye Lee (Senior Researcher of the OIC Research.

Dr. Lee specializes in area and diaspora studies, with a particular focus on the “Koryo Saram” (people from Korea) in Kazakhstan, Central Asia. In this book launch, she talked about the background to its publication, which was quite interesting, because it’s something that can only be learned by reading it. In particular, Dr. Lee, who is from Korea, talked about what brought her to Japan and how she came to study Kazakhstan, as well as her interest in languages and cultures.

This book analyzes how the Koryo Saram lived in Kazakhstan during the transition from the Soviet era to the time of its independence, using a number of materials and field researches. Nine years have passed since Dr. Lee started her life in Japan and her research career, and said that she sometimes feels as if she is also living as a member of a “diaspora”, and attendees of this book launch could hear exclusive stories of her valuable experiences. In the Q&A session, there were academically interesting exchanges of opinions, including her contributions to diaspora studies and her efforts in field research.

Dr. Lee talking about her book

Attendees for this Book Launch