NEWS

On November 30 and December 1, 2019, the Ritsumeikan Center for Asia Pacific Studies (RCAPS) hosted the 17th Asia Pacific Conference at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU). This year’s conference attracted about 200 researchers from institutions in roughly 20 countries and regions, who presented their research findings.

The Asia Pacific Conference has been held since 2003. Each year, the conference invites well-known researchers and other prominent individuals to give keynote speeches, and its panel sessions feature presentations on a broad range of topics. It is one of the largest conferences held in English in Japan, with a focus on humanities and social sciences.

This year, Renato Cruz De Castro, Professor at the International Studies Department of De La Salle University and member of the Board of Trustees of the Albert Del Rosario Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ADRI) , was invited to deliver the keynote speech on “The Challenge of Pursuing International Governance in a Changing Indo-Pacific Region .” Professor De Castro talked about the difficulties of building international governance in an Indo-Pacific Region that is changing against the backdrop of disputes between the US and China.

Following the keynote speech, the two-day conference focused on the overarching theme of “Governance in the Asia Pacific: Politics, Economics, Business and Environment,” and 42 panel sessions were held on a broad range of topics such as education, international relations, tourism, language education, international business, and Asia Pacific studies. The conference drew a large audience, and a total of 850 presenters and audience members participated in the various panel sessions. The participants came from 60 research institutions, including Japanese universities such as Hokkaido University, Kyoto University, and Kobe University, as well as overseas universities such as Australian National University, Korea University, and Stockholm University.

In addition, to celebrate APU’s 20th Anniversary, the Center for Inclusive Leadership (CIL) held a special panel session. Established as an RCAPS-affiliated research center in April 2019, CIL pursues research in inclusive leadership and conducts initiatives that aim to raise corresponding social awareness. Tsuda University President TAKAHASHI Yuko and Ritsumeikan University Professor NAGASE Osamu were invited as speakers for the special panel session, and they presented on the “Tsuda Vision 2030,” “Inclusive Leadership Research,” and “The Rights of Persons with Disabilities,” respectively. Furthermore, the six members of CIL (all of whom are faculty members at APU) each presented on their own research topics.
Over the two days, researchers, lecturers, audience members, and APU undergraduate and graduate students in attendance gained new insights on a range of challenges facing the Asia Pacific region through the various panel sessions.

The 18th Asia Pacific Conference is scheduled to be held on November 14 and 15, 2020, and will explore the theme of “Asia Pacific and Beyond: A Pursuit for Inclusion and Innovation.”