International Symposium: The State of Democracy in Asia
Event Date
Event Venue
December 7, 2019
We are pleased to announce that an international symposium will be held as follows.
Date: December 7, 2019 (Saturday)
Place: Keio University (Mita Campus) East Research Bldg., G-Lab
Admission: Free
Registration: Not required (open to the public)
Democracy is said to be at risk in many parts of the world. What about in Asia? Are democracies in Asia advancing or backsliding? Are Asian autocracies becoming more democratic, or strengthening their grip? What factors contribute to changes being observed? What interventions are possible to protect people from undesirable political development? This one-day international symposium brings together academics and practitioners from various parts of the world to explore these and other related issues. This event coincides with the launch of the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Regional Center for East Asia.
Program
10:00-10:05 Welcome Remarks Yuko Kasuya (Keio University)
10:05-10:50 Keynote Speech 1
Marianne Kneuer (President, International Political Science Association/University of Hildesheim)
Autocratization and its Challenges for Comparative Research
--Coffee Break--
11:10-12:55 Panel 1 Assessing the State of Democracy
Chair Julio C. Teehankee (De La Salle University)
Paper Presenters
Kota Mori (V-Dem East Asia Regional Center Research Fellow) & Yuko Kasuya*
Visualizing the State of Democracy in Asia through V-Dem
Yuko Kasuya & Benjamin Reilly* (University of Western Australia)
The Shift from Majoritarian to Consensual Democracy in Asia
Yi-Ting Wang* (National Cheng Kung University), Szu-Ning Ping (National Cheng Kung University), Wen-Yang Chang (National Chengchi University)
The Effects of China's Foreign Aid on Political Accountability
Discussant Yoshikuni Ono (Tohoku University)
--Lunch break --
14:00-14:45 Keynote Speech 2 Staffan I. Lindberg (Director, V-Dem Institute/ Gothenburg University)
The Varieties of Democracy Approach, and Democracy Promotion in a New World of Autocratization
--Coffee Break--
15:15-17:00 Panel 2 Can Democracy be Promoted?
Chair Taehee Whang (Yonsei University)
Paper Presenters
Vasu Mohan (International Foundation for Electoral Systems, U.S.A.)
Global Threats to Democracy and the Role of Democratic Donor Nations in Countering these Threats
Hiroaki Shiga (JICA Research Institute)
Uniquely Asian Way of Democracy Promotion? Constitutional democracy promotion by Japan and India
Lahpai Seng Raw (Metta Development Foundation, Myanmar)
Transformation of an Entrenched Political System: The Need for International Responsibility
Discussant Marie Lall (University College London)
17:00 - 17:05 Closing Remarks Yuko Kasuya
* paper presenter
Inquiries: Yuko Kasuya ykasuya[at]law.keio.ac.jp
(Please replace [at] with @ when sending an email.)
This symposium is supported by grants from Keio University's Keio Gijuku Academic Development Funds (Graduate School Allotment), its SGU funds, and its Keio Gijuku Koizumi Memorial Fund for the Advancement of Education and Research, as well as from the Nomura Foundation, the Murata Science Foundation, and a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) for "Historical Origins of Autocracy and Democracy in Asia."