The Evolution of Latin American Studies in Asia: New Challenges and Opportunities

Session Submission Type: LASA Section Presentation

Abstract

After the end of the Cold War, Latin America witnessed the growing presence of new actors from outside of the Western Hemisphere like China, India, and Russia to mention a few, in terms of trade, politics, and cultural exchange. At the same time, in these new scenarios, Asian countries with already established trade and political links in the continent like Japan and Korea had to reexamine the way they were dealing with Latin America. These changes did not pass unnoticed in the United States, thus contributing to the evolution of the US foreign policy towards Latin America.

The opening of Latin America to new Asian actors constituted new opportunities, as well as challenges, for the development of Latin American studies in Asia. And yet, despite the growing literature on the topic of new extra-hemispheric actors in the Americas, there have been fewer efforts to examine how the growth of interactions between Asia and the countries in the Western Hemisphere have resulted in the increased academic interest in Asia to study Latin America and the Caribbean, and in the growing demand of decision-makers in these countries for high-quality analysis and expertise. In this context, this panel will focus on two dimensions of the evolution of Latin American studies in Asia. One is the development of the field in Japan, China, Korea, India, and Russia, in terms of the presence of Latin American studies in universities and centers of academic research. The other is to evaluate to what extent and in which way the results of academic research have shaped policy design of Asian countries towards the Americas. The panel will identify common and distinctive characteristics of the evolution of Latin American studies in Asia, to better understand the reasons behind the diversity of interactions between Asia and the Americas.

Sub Track

• Section Presentation

Chair

• Vladimir V Rouvinski, Icesi University

Individual Presentations

• Research for What? Development and Diversification of Latin American Area Studies in Japan - Takahiro Miyachi, Graduate School of Global Studies, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies

• The Evolution of Latin American Studies and Policy Making in China - Yang Zhimin, China Institute of Latin American Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

• The Contemporary Latin American Studies in Russia: Between Academy and Politics - Viktor Kheifets, Saint-Petersburg State University

• Latin American Studies in China: What Role in Foreign Policy Decisionmaking? - Margaret Myers, Inter-American Dialogue

• Financial Globalization and Institutions in Latin America and Asia: What a difference a proper policy could make - Leonardo E Stanley, CEDES

Discussant

• Won-Ho Kim, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies