Best Asia S Developing Future Podcasts (2024)

1
Why Taiwan Matters: A Short History of a Small Island That Will Dictate Our Future 17:31

5d ago17:31

17:31

Why should we focus on Taiwan to understand the future risks facing the world? Professor Kerry Brown, Professor of Chinese Studies and Director of the Lau China Institute at King's College London, presents a compelling case for this in his latest book, Why Taiwan Matters: A Short History of a Small Island That Will Dictate Our Future, published by …

1
Can Ukraine Keep Up with Russia's Military Development? 54:11

8d ago54:11

54:11

In this conversation, Pyotr is joined by (ret) Colonel Bob Hamilton and now Head of Eurasia Research at FPRI to discuss the current situation in Ukraine, focusing on Zelensky's victory plan, public sentiment regarding the war, military strategies, and the implications of foreign support. We explore the complexities of defining victory, the role of …

1
Civil Society in China: How Society Speaks to the State 32:58

19d ago32:58

32:58

What skills and strategies enable civil society to be effective under authoritarian rule? Dr. Runya Qiaoan, assistant professor and senior researcher at Palacky University in the Czech Republic, explores this question in her book Civil Society in China: How Society Speaks to the State (Routledge, 2021). The book highlights the ways NGOs and activis…

1
Tone Bleie, "A New Testament: Scandinavian Missionaries and Santal Chiefs from Company and British Crown Rule to Independence" (Solum Bokvennen, 2023) 43:47

1M ago43:47

43:47

In this episode, we are joined by the anthropologist Tone Bleie for a discussion of her book A New Testament: Scandinavian Missionaries and Santal Chiefs from Company and British Crown Rule to Independence (Solum Bokvennen, 2023), a pioneering piece of scholarship that innovatively rethinks the economic, legal, and social history of the power-laden…

1
The Relations of Estonia and Japan from the 19th Century to the early-21st Century 38:19

2M ago38:19

38:19

Is there much to say about historical ties between two countries that are 8000 kilometres apart from each other? Actually, yes. In this episode Ene Selart, Junior Lecturer at University of Tartu, talks about her new book The Relations of Estonia and Japan from the 19th Century to the early-21st Century (Tartu Ülikooli Kirjastus, 2024) which explore…

1
Sir Lawrence Freedman: How the Ukraine Conflict is Transforming Modern Warfare 1:01:17

2M ago1:01:17

1:01:17

Pyotr is joined by the esteemed Sir Lawrence Freedman, Emeritus Professor of War Studies, King's College London. We focus on the war in Ukraine and the conditions for a negotiated settlement and the challenges in reaching any such agreement. We debate motivations behind Putin's actions and the implications for the use of military force in internati…

1
The Dragon and the Nguzunguzu 18:23

2M ago18:23

18:23

Nguzunguzu is the traditional figurehead which was formerly affixed to canoes in the Solomon Islands. In this episode, Julie Yu-Wen Chen talks to Rodolfo Maggio, a senior researcher at the University of Helsinki about his book project on the dragon and the nguzunguzu, namely the relationship between China and the Soloman Islands. The dragon and the…

1
Could Cyprus Become Two Separate Nations? 33:40

3M ago33:40

33:40

Cyprus marked the 50th anniversary of Turkey's invasion to the north of the island on July 20th 1974. Since Cyprus and the Cypriot people have remained divided by a United Nations buffer zone to prevent further conflict, including the only remaining split capital city Nicosia. Despite diplomatic efforts between Cyprus, Greece, Turkey and even the U…

1
The Dragonbear in the Geopolitics of the 21st Century 28:28

3M ago28:28

28:28

What is the “dragonbear”? It is a metaphor of an emerging strategic alliance between Russia and China. In this episdoe, Julie Yu-Wen Chen talks to geostrategist Velina Tchakarova about the dragonbear in the geopolitics of the 21st century. What does the Dragonbear really aim to achieve in global affairs? First and foremost, it is about counterbalan…

1
Could Israel & Hezbollah Actually Go to War? 38:39

3M ago38:39

38:39

Israel and Hezbollah are on the brink of full-scale as the President Benjamin Netanyahu seriously considers sending the IDF into Lebanon. However, Hezbollah is not Hamas, being far more powerful and the flagship proxy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which could threaten escalating the war across the Middle East as the Ayatollah's don't want to los…

1
Sino-Pacific Relations: A Discussion with Rodolfo Maggio 25:19

4M ago25:19

25:19

The 2024 Solomon Islands elections were surprisingly peaceful. The deepening economic inequalities, widespread corruption, rogue demagogues manipulating the mob, and other aspects such as the heated debate about the increasing presence and influence of China, did not result in the kind of riots that hit this Pacific Island country twice in the prev…

1
Souvik Mukherjee, "Videogames in the Indian Subcontinent: Development, Culture(s) and Representations" (Bloomsbury, 2022) 25:09

4M ago25:09

25:09

While there has been considerable research on digital cultures in the Indian Subcontinent, video games have received scant attention so far. Yet, they are hugely influential. Globally, India is perceived as a ‘sleeping giant’ of the video game industry with immense untapped potential, and Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan also have …

1
Living with Digital Surveillance in China 31:10

4M ago31:10

31:10

How do Chinese citizens make sense of digital surveillance and live with it? What narratives do they come up with to deal with the daily and all-encompassing reality of life in China? What mental tactics do they apply to dissociate themselves from surveillance? Ariane Ollier-Malaterre explores these questions in her book Living with Digital Surveil…

1
The Religious Landscape of Taiwan: A Discussion with Yushuang Yao 55:40

5M ago55:40

55:40

How is Buddhism seen and practiced in Taiwan? And how do neighbouring countries influence Taiwanese Buddhism? In this episode we explore the religious landscape of Taiwan in conversation with Dr. Yushuang Yao, a leading expert on religion in contemporary Taiwan. Yushuang Yao is an Associate Professor at Fo Guang University, Taiwan, specializing in …

1
Manisha Anantharaman, "Recycling Class: The Contradictions of Inclusion in Urban Sustainability" (MIT Press, 2024) 40:28

5M ago40:28

40:28

What types of coalitions can deliver social justice within sustainability initiatives? And how can we avoid reproducing unjust distributions of risk and responsibility in urban sustainability efforts? In this episode, Kenneth Bo Nielsen, Arve Hansen, and Manisha Anantharaman discuss these questions by engaging with Anantharaman’s new book Recycling…

1
If we're in a New Cold War, does the USA need a new grand strategy for China? 57:31

5M ago57:31

57:31

China thinks 'its their historical right to be' the world's foremost power, and the US 'doesn't have a moment to waste' in adequately preparing or responding to the flashpoint that could bring the 21st centuries largest powers to war: War over Taiwan. We truly are in a Cold War II and its time we stop kidding ourselves. That's according to Dmitri A…

1
Asian Soft Power in Estonia: A Discussion with Agnieszka Nitza-Makowska 26:41

6M ago26:41

26:41

How do Asian nations exercise soft power in the Baltics? Soft power is a political strategy to influence other international relations actors by using a variety of political, economic, and cultural instruments. The rise of Asia aligns with its growing economic, political, and cultural influences worldwide, including in geographically distant Centra…

1
What has the Russia-Ukraine War Done to Human Rights, War Crimes & the Law of War? 32:36

6M ago32:36

32:36

Thanks to all who support my work on Patreon - you make this possible If you'd like bonus content, your own questions put to guests, and appreciate my efforts to bring diverse, nuanced conversations consider joining as a patron too or buying me a one-off coffee. Due to being MIA for so long - here is another episode! Normal service of the show will…

1
South Korea after the 2024 Parliamentary Elections 23:23

6M ago23:23

23:23

How do election campaigns in South Korea look like? Why have satellite parties become an important instrument of power politics? What do the election results mean for the Yoon government’s ability to implement its policy agenda? In April 2024, South Koreans went to the polls to elect a new parliament but many regarded the elections also as a refere…

1
Have the Iran-Israel Clashes put the Middle East in a New Permacrisis? 34:49

6M ago34:49

34:49

Israel and Iran’s clashes over April 2024 has left the Middle East in state of permacrisis. While immediate threat of war escalation seems to have subsided, the long term geopolitical implications are unprecedented. Many consider this to be a new reality for the region and how we interpret developments. To explain why, Bilal Saab - professor at Geo…

1
India Votes 2024 33:18

6M ago33:18

33:18

What is at stake at the 2024 Indian national elections? And, what can we expect if the incumbent prime minister Narendra Modi wins another five years in office? From April to June 2024, close to one billion Indian voters can cast their ballot at what is set to be the largest democratic exercise in world history. India is often spoken about as the w…

1
Miss Tibet: Representing Tibet through Beauty Pageants 22:27

7M ago22:27

22:27

What does the Miss Tibet beauty pageant tell us about what it means to be Tibetan in a globalized world? And what understandings of Tibetan culture does it convey? In this episode, Kenneth Bo Nielsen talks to Pema Choedon about representations of Tibet and Tibetan culture on the global stage from the vantage point of the Miss Tibet beauty pageant. …

1
India’s Waste Problem: A Discussion with Pamela Das 30:42

7M ago30:42

30:42

How is India tackling its persistent wage management problems? And, are new infrastructural solutions the way forward? In this episode, Kenneth Bo Nielsen talks to Pamela Das about the new infrastructures that are increasingly being put in place to help Indian cities confront the problem of waste and how to handle it. Estimate suggests that by 2025…

1
Amber Worlds: The Global Amber Trade in the China-Myanmar Borderlands 34:24

8M ago34:24

34:24

What role do China and other Asian countries play in the global amber trade? And, what can we learn about the big challenges of our time by studying amber? In this episode, Kenneth Bo Nielsen talks to Alessandro Rippa about the global flows and significance of this seemingly inconspicuous lump of fossilized tree resin, a material that is at the hea…

1
Who owns Khadi? 31:09

8M ago31:09

31:09

Why did khadi become so central to India’s freedom struggle? How did it evolve into an international trademark – and what does khadi signify in India today? In this episode, Kenneth Bo Nielsen talks to Subhadeep Chowdhury about the political, cultural, and economic importance of khadi, the famous handspun and woven natural fiber cloth that we often…

1
Risks of US-China Geoeconomic Rivalry 18:33

9M ago18:33

18:33

What happens if the geoeconomic risks of great power rivalry materialise? What can be done to prevent these potential dangers from unfolding in small open economies, such as Finland and Sweden? More specifically, how can small state preparedness be enhanced to tackle the risks of foreign ownership, supply disruptions and high tech dependencies? How…

1
Kiribati in the Chinese Pacific: A Discussion with Rodolfo Maggio 25:48

9M ago25:48

25:48

Is Kiribati in the American lake, Indo-Pacific or Chinese Pacific? In this Episode, Julie Yu-Wen Chen talks to Rodolfo Maggio, a senior researcher at the University of Helsinki to conceptualize Kiribati as an interstitial island in the Chinese Pacific. Rodolfo Maggio is a social anthropologist of moral and economic values in the Asia-Pacific region…

1
Cross-Cultural Research on Gaming and “Gaming Disorder” 26:52

10M ago26:52

26:52

In 1998 the phrase “internet addiction” was first used to describe problematic prolonged internet use, and encompassed a wide range of online activities including reading news, connecting in chat rooms, viewing pornography, and gambling. Since then, particular focus has been placed on internet gaming, and in 2022 the World Health Organization’s Int…

1
Are the Houthis in Yemen permanently reshaping global commercial shipping? 50:48

10M ago50:48

50:48

Since Oct 7th the world has been rocked by the Israel-Hamas War. That has caused a series if escalations, including the ongoing Houthi disruptions to maritime security and global commercial shipping. Its so severe, the US and UK have initiated airstrikes in Yemen, but has made little difference and if anything only emboldens the Houthis more and wh…

1
China’s Environmental Footprint in Ghana: Non-State Responses 30:35

10M ago30:35

30:35

Musicians and community activists in Ghana have raised their voices to increase awareness of the environmental impact of Chinese activities in the country. The chart-topping song “Greedy men” by Stonebwoy directly criticizes Chinese illegal gold mining in the region. On a separate occasion, a community movement compelled the Ghanaian Minister of En…

1
South Asia: A region in Good or Bad Condition? 51:02

10M ago51:02

51:02

South Asia - or the Indian subcontinent to others - is going through a concentrated set of shifts. Three of the main players - Bangladesh, Pakistan and India, all have major elections next year with each proposing potentially different directions - but which? Returning guest, Michael Kugelman, Director of the South Asia Program at the Wilson Centre…

1
Grammar, Identity, and Ideology in Early 20th-Century Japan 22:50

10M ago22:50

22:50

Have you ever felt that the grammar of Asian languages does not fit with the framework that we use to describe them? In the late 19th century, Asian grammarians began adapting the European-based grammatical frameworks describing their languages, but this application was not straightforward. In Japan, the question of grammar eventually became entang…

1
Reading the Stars: When Divination Meets Politics in Thailand 27:23

11M ago27:23

27:23

What does astrology, palm-reading and fortune telling have to do with politics in Thailand, and how can we make sense of these divination practices and their use in Thai politics? Listen to Edoardo Siani and Petra Alderman in this episode of the Nordic Asia Podcast to learn more about divination and the way it was used during the recent student-led…

1
Between Jesus and Krishna: Christian Encounters with South Indian Temple Dance 32:18

11M ago32:18

32:18

One of the eight national dances of India, bharatanatyam, partly originates from the area around Tranquebar. During the time that Tranquebar was a Danish colony, devadasis, women who did service at temples through dance, were patronized by the Thanjavur royal court. In 1623, a Danish–Icelandic soldier routinely observed the devadasis dancing outsid…

1
Humanitarian Issues of Immigration in Japan: From Historical Background to Current Policies 27:28

11M ago27:28

27:28

Japan has historically maintained extended periods of isolationist policies and continues to uphold some of the strictest immigration laws in the world today. The country has also long had a tumultuous relationship with non-ethnic Japanese residents, including Taiwanese and Korean nationals who were first forced to become Japanese citizens under im…

1
Can the UN's COP28 deliver on Climate Change? 22:30

11M ago22:30

22:30

The United Nations Climate Change Conference - known to most as COP - and in this case, COP28, is the highest-level of international engagement and gathering to find collective solutions to the globe's greatest collective challenge. Yet, COPs have poor reputations, with little tangible products or outcomes occurring - other than an agreement of ina…

1
Life after NIAS: A Conversation on the Closure of the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies 53:53

11M ago53:53

53:53

In December 2023, more than five decades of institutionalized Nordic collaboration in the field of Asian studies will come to an end with the closure of NIAS, the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies. What has been the impact of NIAS on Nordic research on Asia? What legacy will NIAS leave behind? And how will the closure of the institute impact the sc…

1
Is the BRICS bloc Overhyped or Underestimated? 30:34

12M ago30:34

30:34

2023 was a big year for multinational, multi-forum events, ranging from the G20 to BRICS to the annual UN General Assembly. But of these, the concept and symbolism of BRICS is often the one that captures the minds of people, especially those who tend to have anti-Western sentiments and desire for a multipolar order. But why this fascination, arguab…

1
Sauna Culture in Japan 26:56

12M ago26:56

26:56

In 2020, Finland’s sauna culture was added to the List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Sauna culture is an integral part of the lives of the majority of the Finnish population. Interestingly, the Finnish style of sauna-going has inspired quite a few i…

1
Understanding Narendra Modi: The Poetry of a Populist Leader 27:17

1y ago27:17

27:17

Why do politicians write poems? And what does a politician’s poetry tell us about their leadership? In this episode, a collective of researchers from the University of Oslo discuss these questions by focusing on India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. Modi has a highly visible and extremely complex public image. He often appears as a firm and decisi…

1
What is Israel's long-term military objective in Gaza? 58:01

1y ago58:01

58:01

Since the Oct 7th, the world has been rocked by events that many have always agonised and speculated - escalation and war between Israel and Gaza, specifically Hamas. From there, we have witnessed continued intensification, with a growing fear over the possibility of a regional war. Much of this rests on the near-inevitable ground operation the Isr…

1
Cleric, Cadre, Businessman: China’s Development Strategy in Sri Lanka 32:53

1y ago32:53

32:53

What does Buddhism have to do with harbors? Find out how China is leveraging religion in its foreign policy and why it is a vital part of China's soft power strategy, aligned closely with domestic policies. Learn how Sri Lanka's reception and reproduction of narratives can impact the country's foreign relations and domestic dynamics. Tabita Rosenda…

1
Can the UK Salvage Brexit or is 'Bregret' Permanent? 37:38

1y ago37:38

37:38

Context Since June 24th 2016, the UK has had its entire economy, society and political environment largely defined by a singular issue - Brexit. The word itself, before diving into anything at all, is a source of contention. Yet, very little to many, including myself, has changed. Certainly not in terms of improvements. Merely a country that is suf…

1
India, Asia, and the Global South 23:58

1y ago23:58

23:58

How should we understand the emergence of the Global South as a political actor? What is the role of India within this framework? Which challenges and tensions arise from China’s assertiveness in Asia, and how is it reshaping regional dynamics? How is the Indo-Pacific region emerging as a new geopolitical structure with the potential to redefine re…

1
Globalisation and Glocalisation of Bubble Tea 22:39

1y ago22:39

22:39

Bubble tea, also known as pearl milk tea, boba or tapioca milk tea is a popular drink in Asia. Wherever there is Asian diaspora, such as in the USA, one can find bubble tea as well. Bubble tea is becoming increasingly visible even in European countries where there are relatively smaller Asian communities compared with the situation in the USA. One …

1
Rahul Ranjan, "The Political Life of Memory: Birsa Munda in Contemporary India" (Cambridge UP, 2023) 33:12

1y ago33:12

33:12

How do affective sites such as memorials and statues produce political visions, emotions, and opportunities? And how are they used strategically to further particular political projects? In this episode, we discuss these questions with Rahul Ranjan with specific reference to his new book The Political Life of Memory: Birsa Munda in Contemporary Ind…

1
Development and Migration in Contemporary Asia 27:59

1y ago27:59

27:59

Is migration good or bad for development? How does migration affect those who leave and those who stay behind? How are rural and urban livelihoods interconnected in Asian cities? What are the likely main migration trends in Asia the coming decade? And what can you learn from studying the same village for decades? To discuss these diverse questions,…

1
Tingting Hu, "Victims, Perpetrators and Professionals: The Representation of Women in Chinese Crime Films" (Liverpool UP, 2021) 33:07

1y ago33:07

33:07

How are women represented in Chinese crime films? In what ways do the representation reflect traditional Chinese values and contemporary Chinese social-cultural norms? How did boys’ love culture emerge in China? What is the role of the Chinese state in queer media production and queer culture in China? In a conversation with Joanne Kuai, PhD candid…

1
Digital Repression in Thailand 34:18

1y ago34:18

34:18

How serious an issue is digital repression in Thailand? Who is behind it? And what effects does it have on Thai people? Listen to Janjira Sombatpoonsiri as she talks to Petra Alderman about this issue in the context of contemporary Thailand and the 2020-2021 student-led protests. Janjira Sombatpoonsiri is an Assistant Professor and Project Leader a…

1
How bad is the Niger Coup & Could it lead to Regional War? 48:01

1y ago48:01

48:01

In late-July 2023, the country of Niger - a critical Western ally in Africa, and against the threats of Islamic Jihadism, experienced its 7th coup since WWII. The democratically elected President Bazoum was ousted, and there have been many claiming the role of Wagner/Russia or that this is positive for greater independence, autonomy from former col…

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