Conference
MA Asian Studies Graduate Student Conference 2027: Asia at Crossroads? Development in an Era of Disruption [submit your abstracts by 25 January]
- Date
- Wednesday 24 March 2027
- Time
- Serie
- Asian Studies events
- Address
-
Herta Mohr
Witte Singel 27A
2311 BG Leiden - Room
- 0.02
Asia is arguably the most dynamic and rapidly developing economic region in the world. This economic dynamism has unfolded alongside a complex civilisational and colonial past, diverse postcolonial trajectories, and a wide spectrum of political systems—from democratic to authoritarian and monarchical. At the same time, the region continues to grapple with persistent challenges such as poverty and inequality. Together, these features give rise to political-economic dynamics that are both highly diverse and distinctly “Asian.” The region encompasses a broad range of development models: advanced economies such as Japan and South Korea; China, with its distinctive state-led yet market-oriented system; Southeast Asian nations propelled by foreign direct investment; and South Asian economies often characterised by service-led and consumption-driven growth. The so-called “East Asian miracle,” marked by rapid post–World War II recovery and expansion, has long been seen as emblematic of the region’s economic success. Yet today, Asia faces a new set of interconnected challenges, including rising inequality, environmental degradation, shifting labour markets, and growing social and political tensions.
In an increasingly uncertain global landscape, geopolitical disruptions are intensifying. The Western bloc is undergoing strategic realignments and internal frictions, while great power rivalry—particularly between China and the United States—carries profound implications for the Asian region and beyond. What do these transformations mean for Asia? How will countries in the region navigate competing pressures and sustain development? Can regional disputes be managed effectively? And ultimately, is a new development paradigm—or a distinct “Asian way”—emerging?
We invite the submission of conference papers by MA students on the following themes:
- Asian political economic and developmental models
- Asia’s role in a shifting global economic order
- Growth, inequality and demographic pressures
- Development and democratisation
- Innovation sectors in the Asian economy
- Gender and labour
- Environmental challenges
- Infrastructure, connectivity and global production network
- Regionalisation, south-south cooperation and power rivalries within Asia
Submit your abstract of 300 words using the form below by 25 January 2027.
An information session on how to submit an abstract and present will be held on 29 October at 15:30 in Huizinga 0.26.