Asia Rising

China's influence in Australia has become controversial. For years there have been reports connecting Chinese money to the funding of political parties, think-tanks, and research institutes. There is investment in business and buildings, and the Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece China Daily struck a deal to be distributed in the Fairfax Media’s newspapers. Less recognised is China’s exercise of soft power through the promotion of its culture and history – festivals, tours, exhibitions,

The Indonesian island of Java has experienced a resurgence of Islam in recent years. Professor Joel Kuipers (Anthropology, George Washington University), presents the striking rise of the use of Arabic names in the island as a way of ethnographically bridging the gap between comparative surveys and in-depth interviews. Presented as a seminar for the Centre for Research on Language Diversity at La Trobe University on 11th May, 2016.

When the democratic government of Nepal was established in 2006 it marked the official end of a decade long civil war and a long drawn-out peace process with heavy involvement from the international community. But did it address the underlying tensions that caused the civil war, or does it remain unresolved? Dr Jasmine-Kim Westendorf (International Relations, La Trobe University) is the author of "Negotiating Insecurity: Why Peace Processes Fail in Civil Wars". This was a guest lecture

How did Japan’s recent election play out for Shinzo Abe, and what can Japan expect from his next term? Professor Nick Bisley (La Trobe Asia) and Assistant Professor Christopher Hobson (School of Political Science and Economics, Waseda University) discuss Japanese politics and the Fukushima disaster. Copyright 2015 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Please contact for permissions.

Narendra Modi won a landslide victory with the BJP in the 2014 Indian election, but what kind of government will India have, and how will it play out on the global stage? Professor Nick Bisley (Executive Director of La Trobe Asia) and Dr Ian Woolford (Head of Hindi and South Asian Studies, La Trobe University) present a wrap-up of the Indian election.