Asia Centre’s year

The current calendar year starts to find its end and before we welcome the new one, we will review what has been done. Let us highlight some of the activities or achievements that have become part of our work this year, have found their form or have simply been finished.  

• We completed projects "Future Relations between Estonia and Asia" and "Tackling Sensitive Topics in the Classroom";  

• We applied for several projects. Managed to be part of the successful consortium with our Horizon project "Reconnect China" that is funded by European Commission and two projects supported by Estonian Research and Development Council. Because of latter, we were able to welcome four research fellows in our team;  

• We started giving out Asia Centre’s scholarship; 

• We organised two conferences. They were "Open and closed societies: historical causes of inequality and contemporary expressions in Japan and Europe" (13-14.10) and "Authority and spirituality in Islam: sources of diversity" (21-22.11); 

• We helped to open the Taiwan Resource Centre for Chinese Studies at the University of Tartu Library; 

• We created several connections and new partnerships. These would include activities towards Indonesia and Singapore. With the latter one, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and in particular the Estonian Embassy in Singapore, have been of great help.   

• University of Tartu became an associate member of the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies. With the help of our summer intern, we recorded two parts on their broadcasting. You can listen to the pocket broadcast here.  

What will the new year bring? 

We will continue our current activities related to commenting and explaining Asia to Estonian society. As well as developing and supporting research and teaching activities within the university and our networks. Among other things, we know that in 2023: 

• we can share the first results of the projects started in 2022;  

• we will host our guest lecturer from Taiwan in the autumn semester;  

• we will give out the Asia Centre’s scholarship, again; 

• the three ongoing book projects get closer to publication; 

• we will develop cooperation opportunities with our current partners and expand the amplitude of focus countries;  

We wish you all lots of rest, time and peace for the rest of the year!