This series invites specialists in various fields to talk about timely issues and issues for Japanese society as seen through comparison between Japan and other countries. The theme of lectures will be varied, such as politics, economy, diplomacy, and culture. In principle, each lecture is held in either English or Japanese without interpretation.
[I-House Lecture]
Realizing the “Asian Century”: Challenges and Promise for the Leading Economies
- This event now concluded.
- Lecturer: John West (Executive Director, Asian Century Institute)
- Date: Wednesday, June 19, 2019, 7:00 pm (Doors open at 6:30 pm)
- Venue: Lecture Hall, International House of Japan
- Language: English (without Japanese interpretation)
- Admission: 1,000 yen (students: 500 yen, IHJ members: free)
- Seating: 100 (reservations required)
According to conventional wisdom, the 21st century belongs to Asia, and indeed the international landscape is becoming increasingly dominated by Asia’s emerging giants such as China, India, and Indonesia. Prof. West, author of the book Asian Century … on a Knife-edge (Palgrave Macmillan, 2018), however, argues that these countries are fragile superpowers whose power derives mainly from their enormous populations. In this lecture, he will discuss seven challenges for realizing an “Asian Century,” including the rise of strategic competition between an increasingly distracted US and a growingly assertive China. In addition to the many potential sources of economic, social and political crisis in Asia’s leading economies and Japan’s great challenges in adapting to this new strategic environment, he will examine ways for Asia to overcome such obstacles.
John West (Executive Director, Asian Century Institute)
Prof. West has had a long career as an educator, journalist, researcher, and policy-maker. He currently teaches Asia’s economic development at Sophia University. He is a contributing editor for FDI-Intelligence and the Financial Times, and is also executive director of the Asian Century Institute. These current positions follow major stints at the Australian Treasury as director of balance of payments (1980–86), the OECD as head of public affairs and director of the OECD Forum (1986–2008) and at the Asian Development Bank Institute as senior consultant for capacity-building and training (2009–11). He is an Australian national with a master's degree in economics from the University of New South Wales.
Prof. West has had a long career as an educator, journalist, researcher, and policy-maker. He currently teaches Asia’s economic development at Sophia University. He is a contributing editor for FDI-Intelligence and the Financial Times, and is also executive director of the Asian Century Institute. These current positions follow major stints at the Australian Treasury as director of balance of payments (1980–86), the OECD as head of public affairs and director of the OECD Forum (1986–2008) and at the Asian Development Bank Institute as senior consultant for capacity-building and training (2009–11). He is an Australian national with a master's degree in economics from the University of New South Wales.
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