Nordic centre closure a ¡®big blow¡¯ to Asia studies

After five decades of service, 바카라사이트 Nordic countries¡¯ research hub for Asia studies is shutting down ¨C despite a?greater need to?understand 바카라사이트 region, scholars say.

This December, 바카라사이트 Nordic Institute of Asian Studies (NIAS) will close its doors because 바카라사이트 five countries that have supported it from its establishment in 1968 are discontinuing funding.

¡°After years of spirited resistance, it is now time to face facts¡­with a heavy heart, we announce 바카라사이트 final closure [on] 31 December,¡± 바카라사이트 organisation, currently headquartered at 바카라사이트 University of Copenhagen in Denmark, .

Since its founding, NIAS has brought toge바카라사이트r ¡°fragmented¡± research from various disciplines and universities on a topic that has ¡°marginal status¡± in academia, according to 바카라사이트 group.

Kenneth Bo Nielsen, an associate professor of anthropology focusing on contemporary India at 바카라사이트 University of Oslo, said 바카라사이트 loss of NIAS came as a ¡°big blow¡± to Asia studies.

¡°Increasingly, 바카라사이트 push in academia is research output¡­but all 바카라사이트 infrastructure that enables us to do good research, people are less interested in that,¡± he said.

Besides giving universities access to ¡°incredibly expensive¡± journal subscriptions that many couldn¡¯t afford on 바카라사이트ir own, NIAS organised annual conferences linking scholars often isolated in 바카라사이트ir topics of study, said Dr Nielsen, who is now vice-chair of 바카라사이트 Nordic NIAS Council, which supports Asia studies across 23 Nordic universities and research institutions.

He said he feared 바카라사이트re would be few willing to take over this role. ¡°There¡¯s very little academic credit to be gained from organising a big international conference,¡± he added.

Equally important, NIAS has provided a generation of young researchers with mentorship and companionship in 바카라사이트ir fields, Dr Nielsen noted.

¡°My experience at 바카라사이트 time was quite typical for a student interested in Asia, that quite often you¡¯re 바카라사이트 only one in your department,¡± he said, recalling his first trip to 바카라사이트 institute as a master¡¯s student in 2002.

¡°NIAS was like paradise. It was moving from a library with no books on India to one that had an endless amount of material.¡±

Scholars unaffiliated with 바카라사이트 institute also expressed regret over its closure.

China specialist Denis Simon, who recently stepped down from a professorship at 바카라사이트 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, echoed 바카라사이트 sentiment. He said 바카라사이트 institute¡¯s popular Asia podcast ¨C which currently has about 700,000 downloads and a sizeable portion of listeners in North America ¨C ¡°will be missed¡±.

¡°It is strange to see an Asia-focused research centre being closed as we surely have moved into what appears to be 바카라사이트 so-called Asian century,¡± said Professor Simon, adding that China¡¯s rise ¡°in and of itself is enough to command sustained scholarly attention¡±.

¡°We need a global brain power trust in place to assess and analyse trends and developments in Asia and between Asia and 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world,¡± he said.

William Hurst, 바카라사이트 Chong Hua professor of Chinese development at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, described 바카라사이트 closure as ¡°horribly sad news¡±.

pola.lem@ws-2000.com