The Centre's work report for 2024
Overview
During the year, the Centre organised a range of events, including public lectures and workshops. It also hosted four visiting PhD students and welcomed one postdoctoral fellow, one new lecturer, one researcher and two PhD students. 32 new MA students were enrolled and 25 graduated from the programme during the year. Three new BA courses were offered during the year.
Staff changes and developments
Dr. Macario Lacbawan started his three-year postdoctoral fellowship on 1 February 2024, and Dr. Youngeun Koo started her position as senior associate lecturer on 1 August. Dr Karin Zackari started her position as a researcher within the EUVIP project on 1 July. Two new PhD students were hired and started their positions on 1 September, namely Ning Ao and Julia Olsson.
Public lectures, events and workshops/conferences
In 2024, the Centre organised a total of 23 public lectures and other events; three online. 13 public lectures (three co-financed by the Graduate School) were organised within the series Perspective Asia on a variety of topics. Seven other public lectures were organised by the Graduate School and in addition four other public lectures were held. The Centre also organised one book launch, and a Korea day that gathered scholars from the Nordic countries and an audience of some 60 people. The Centre also organised an alumni webinar with three previous MA students who talked about their work experiences and careers. The Graduate School organised five PhD workshops on, respectively, Agenda 2030, digital methods, presentation skills, podcast production, and international relations in the Indo-Pacific. In addition, a writing retreat and a career event/retreat was also organised that gathered some 12 PhD students at each event. Within the EUVIP project a three-day workshop and network meeting was organised with partners. In addition one workshop on Japan and one on Myanmar with external funding were organised.
Networking and participation at other events in Lund
One of the Centre’s staff gave a lecture on Japan for UPF. Several of the Centre staff are also part of the recently established Human Rights Profile Area at Lund University, and one in the Open Access network.
Visiting researchers at the Centre
During the spring semester, the Centre hosted a PhD student from China and through the Graduate School in Asian Studies mobility programme one PhD student from Stockholm University. In addition, two PhD students from Palacký University visited during two weeks in the fall as part of the EUVIP project.
Research projects, outputs and grants
During the year individual researchers were active in different research projects (see www.ace.lu.se). They published a total of eight journal articles, five book chapters, three edited volume, seven media articles and other publications, four book reviews and three podcasts.
During the year regular research seminars have been held where staff have presented their current research and new project ideas.
Several staff got smaller grants for fieldwork and conference participation and organization. The Centre is member of the Horizon Europe Programme, Twinning Call, EU in the Volatile Indo-Pacific Region (EUVIP) coordinated by Palacký University, and several staff members are paid within this project. A recent project in commissioned education with funding from USAid started in October, and two staff members, Paul O’Shea and Astrid Norén Nilsson, got funding from Riksbankens Jubileumsfond for sabbaticals that will take place in the second half of 2025 and during 2026.
Conference participation and participation in university committees, professional associations, and other contributions to the academic community
Several staff members serve as editors or as board members of different journals. Staff took part in several conferences such as those organised by the European Association of Chinese Studies and the European Association of South-East Asian Studies during the year. Marina Svensson is a member of the advisory board of the Swedish National China Centre and the Nordic Centre at Fudan University, Shanghai.
Education
The fall semester saw 32 new students begin the MA programme in Asian Studies. During the year six BA courses were also given. Including a new course on contemporary Korean society, one on Global China, and one on social and political movements in East and South-East Asia. The Centre has organised several student ‘fika’, one alumni event, and its annual MA graduation ceremony. A total of 11 MA students spent a semester abroad and in addition several students attended the fieldwork courses organised by Waseda University, Thammasat University and Fudan University. During the fall semester, a former MA student, Lisa Sihvonen, worked as an intern at the Centre, taking the internship course, and contributed with organising one alumni event, a workshop on Japan, a cultural event, Kulturnatten, as well as worked on Nordic Asia podcasts and with social media.
Visibility
During the year, the Centre published newsletters and maintained its social media presence on Facebook and Instagram. The Centre was also visible through Nicholas Loubere’s co-editorship of the Made in China Journal, which was also co-financed by the Centre. The Asia in Focus Journal funded and published at the Centre came out with its second issue (issue no. 10) and closed a call for contributions for issue no. 11. The Centre also started to contribute to the Nordic Asia Podcast and produced three episodes.
Several of the staff have written or have been interviewed about their research and current affairs in newspapers and on podcasts. Staff from the Centre has also held public talks outside of the university and been invited to give lectures at other universities or for government agencies and other actors.
Financial report
The financial result for 2024 is estimated to be a surplus of around 1 million SEK. The total accumulated surplus will then be around 5 million SEK. The Centre is estimated to run a planned minus of around 500 000 SEK in 2025. Part of the surplus capital is used to finance three Ph.D. students and different public events.