Activities In Asia Research Articles

‘The Dog, the Guard, the Horses and the Maid’: Diverse Casting at the Royal Shakespeare Company

This article takes as its starting point a quotation from the British East Asian actor Paul Courtenay Hyu concerning casting practice at the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC): ‘They have an all-black Julius Caesar and an all-Indian Much Ado, but when they decide to do the Chinese Hamlet, they cast fourteen out of seventeen actors and all of the major parts as non-Chinese. In the 21st century, that’s unbelievable.’ Hyu raises many issues including diversity policies, politics of ethnic minority casting, and cultural representation, all of which were contested following the casting choices made by the RSC in 2012. I use the American scholar Ayanna Thompson’s theories concerning ‘non-traditional’ casting policies as a lens through which to analyse contemporary British theatrical practices. The concepts of ‘colour-blind’ and ‘cross-cultural’ casting are examined in the context of the World Shakespeare Festival where the ethos of celebrating Britain’s ‘unique internationalism’ and diversity was championed. As the Olympic year drew to a close, there were clear tensions between celebration and condemnation, expectation and disappointment, visibility and invisibility, regarding the representation of performers from ethnic minority backgrounds appearing on stage at the RSC. Through an examination of Much Ado About Nothing directed by Iqbal Khan, and Julius Caesar and The Orphan of Zhao, both directed by Gregory Doran, this article seeks to address the complexities involved in different approaches to casting, and the impact these evolving practices have on the cultural representation of diverse communities in contemporary Britain.

Paulus in Philippi: Ethik und Theologie

Abstract During his missionary activities in Asia Minor and Greece, Paul is continuously confronted with the ‘Gods of Others’. Interestingly enough, he is quite reluctant in reacting against his ‘pagan surroundings’-as Luke is in his portrayal of Paul (esp. Acts 16-17). On the basis of reconstructing Paul’s missionary activities in Philippi- a city which was most obviously characterized by ‘Romaness’ (romanitas)-and analyzing Phil 2:6-11-a core piece of Paul’s proclamation of ‘Christ’ -, this article argues that Paul was neither interested in anti-imperial polemics nor in the mythical construct of a ‘Christ-cult’. In order to react on his pagan surroundings in Macedonia and to make the ekklesia of Christ-believers attractive to its sympathizers, he rather uses a myth-historical text by which he teaches the ethos of Christ’s ‘Statusverzicht’ as a moral paradigm (exemplum): In pagan surroundings, Pauline theology thus finds its actual vanishing point in the discourse on ethics and ‘moral progress’.

Cartilage Repair in Asia: Selected Reports on Research and Clinical Trials

Cartilage Repair in Asia: Selected Reports on Research and Clinical Trials

Influence of monsoon system on α‐HCH fate in Asia: A model study from 1948 to 2008

AbstractThe Chinese Gridded Pesticide Emission and Residue Model was applied to simulate long‐term environmental fate of α‐hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) in Asia spanning 1948 to 2008. The simulation identifies the southern Tibetan Plateau and the margin of the Asian monsoon regime from the northeast area of the Tibetan Plateau to the Northeast China as sink areas. This spatial pattern of sink distribution is closely related to the summer monsoon activities in Asia. Wet deposition associated with the summer monsoon (June to August) is responsible for at least half of the α‐HCH mass entering into the sink areas. After deposition, relatively low temperature and high soil organic matter in the sink areas are favorable for α‐HCH detention. Chinese and Indian sources are the major contributors to α‐HCH contamination over the monsoon margin and the Tibetan Plateau, driven by the East Asian summer monsoon and South Asian summer monsoon, respectively.

Rethinking Early Western Buddhists: Beachcombers, ‘Going Native’ and Dissident Orientalism

Recent research on the life of U Dhammaloka and other early western Buddhists in Asia has interesting implications in relation to class, ethnicity and politics. ‘Beachcomber Buddhists’ highlight the wider situation of ‘poor whites’ in Asia—needed by empire but prone to defect from elite standards of behaviour designed to maintain imperial and racial power. ‘Going native’, exemplified by the European bhikkhu, highlights the difficulties faced by empire in policing these racial boundaries and the role of Asian agency in early ‘western’ Buddhism. Finally, such ‘dissident Orientalism’ has political implications, as with specifically Irish forms of solidarity with Asian anti-colonial movements. Within the limits imposed by the data, this article rethinks ‘early western Buddhism’ in Asia as a creative response to colonialism, shaped by Asian actors, marked by cross-racial solidarity and oriented to alternative possible futures beyond empire.

Human resource management in Asian subsidiaries: comparison of French and Japanese MNCs

European and Japanese multinational corporations (MNCs) have expanded their activities in Asia, usually through massive mobilization of various human resources from head offices, whether expatriated or on short-term assignments, and a reliance on diverse categories of local employees. Because expatriation is costly, difficult and often limited in its results, MNCs have developed localization strategies for management positions to support their regional development. This contribution addresses such a scenario by comparing Japanese and French MNCs in eight Asian countries, based on 53 interviews across subsidiaries of 17 MNCs. We find that Japanese MNCs have not localized management positions as much as French MNCs, but they have grown more willing to do so. To compensate for the lack of local capabilities without sending more expatriates, both French and Japanese MNCs frequently send experts on short-term assignments. Finally, though human resource practices vary widely across countries, even for a given MNC, some harmonizing principles have been introduced to regional HRM strategies recently.

Exploiting globalization while being exploited by it:Insights from post-Soviet education reforms in Central Asia

Building on an examination of comparative and international literature and their research and development experiences, the authors highlight a number of continuities, changes, and issues between Soviet and post-Soviet, international and Central Asian experiences of borrowing and lending of education reforms. Even though Central Asian actors and institutions are not totally helpless victims and though international experts and NGOs appear well-meaning in these globalizing education transfers, the processes are leading toward reproducing global and local dependencies and inequalities.The trajectory of education reforms in Central Asia echo those of other developing countries. In response, the authors urge local policy makers and comparative educators to join in a critical and reflexive strategic venture of re-encountering and reshaping the global and neoliberal offers to serve the needs of interconnected local and global justice.

“Executive Compensation – An Internationl Perspective”

Executive Compensation has become a matter of hot debate and discussion in the industrial, business and academic arena. It has invariably attracted the attention of the industrialists, academicians and the policy makers all over the world. The recessionary trend experienced in the USA and the European Union and the slowing down of economic activity in Asia has intensified the review of executive compensation awarded to the top management in general and the CEOs in particulars. The present study is an earnest attempt on the part authors to present an international perspective of executive pay trends. The study aims to review the trends in executive compensation in the USA, the UK and in Asia. The study is significant in the sense that it will be helpful to understand the rationale behind hefty executive compensation, the repercussions of excessive compensation and the remedial measures recommended. I. Introduction The growing presence of transnational and global companies across the world has brought into focus the top management that steer the fortune of such companies and the compensation awarded to the directors and the chief executive officers (CEOs) of the companies. The recessionary trend experienced in the USA and the European Union and the slowing down of the economic activity in Asia has triggered a critical review of the executive compensation. In this backdrop, this paper is an earnest attempt on the part of the authors to present an international perspective of the executive pay trends.

Borneo in Fragments: Geology, Biota, and Contraband in Trans-national Circuits

AbstractIn the second half of the nineteenth century, Borneo – supposedly one of the most isolated islands on the planet – became a trans-national site of growing importance. Instead of being imagined as a site of endless forests, inaccessible mountains, and undisturbed nature, Borneo became a place to extract and move objects, many of them spinning off into international circuits. The British and Dutch, who became the dual colonial overlords of the island, became the primary actors in facilitating these movements. Yet Asian actors – such as the Chinese, Malays, and various Dayak peoples – also were heavily involved in these transits. The first part of this essay looks at the role of geology and minerals in effecting these transitions. The second part of the paper examines the movement of biota, especiallyvis-a-visChinese networks, in connecting Borneo to other shores. Finally, the third part of the essay looks at contraband cargoes of diverse origins in also facilitating these connections. I argue that far from being an isolated and ‘off-the-beaten-track’ locale, Borneo became central to new ideas of trans-national connection in Southeast Asia, linking people, commodities, and trade circuits into an ever-tightening embrace.

The Korean Wave: An Asian Reaction to Western-Dominated Globalization

AbstractIn this article I analyze “the Korean Wave (hallyu),” the term coined by Chinese media towards the end of the last millennium to describe the meteoric rise in the popularity of Korean pop culture in Asian countries. It has attracted the attention of not only the general public, but also academic and other researchers because of the far-reaching ramifications in terms of the Korean national economy and the cultural unity and exchange among the Asian peoples.The world of popular entertainment has seen a high degree of globalization with Hollywood as its utopia. However, Hollywood has proved to be a dystopia to the peoples of Asia, in that it is dominated by non-Asians, and underpinned by the contemporary Western ethos, i.e. individualism, commercialism and sensationalism. Scenes containing unadulterated sex and violence, which offend the sensitivities of the Asian general public, are almost an integral part of many a commercially successful film. Opportunities for big roles are almost non-existent to ethnic Asian actors. Romantic heroes and heroines are very rarely played by Asian actors, who usually appear as weird villains or, very rarely, wizards with supernatural powers.In contemporary Korean cinemas, TV dramas and pop music, globalization is also evident. The stars follow the world trend in performance, presentation and fashion, and emulate their Western compatriots. English is often used as lyrics in songs. However, the big difference is that the performers have distinct Asian physical features, and the dramas reflect the traditional Asian values and ethos, which helps to make the Asian fans feel at home. The “Asian-ness” is no longer something weird or marginal, but takes center stage. Therefore there is a sense in which the Korean Wave is a reaction of the Asian people to the West-dominated globalization in popular culture. But what distinguishes the Korean Wave from other similar phenomena, such as Bollywood and Nollywood, is the juxtaposition of globalized and traditional Korean cultures.

“In Search of the Orphan”: Intercultural Theatre, Multi-Ethnic Casting, and the Representation of Chineseness on European and North American Stages.

In May 2012, La Jolla Playhouse in the United States staged a musical adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's “The Nightingale”. Four months later, the Royal Shakespeare Company announced its upcoming production of a “new adaptation” of the late thirteenth-century Chinese play “The Orphan of Zhao”. Both plays were severely criticized for the decidedly poor quota of East Asian actors in their multi-ethnic casts, and the discrepancies present in the portrayal of “Ancient” and “imaginary” Chinas. Each production draws on plays and stories that are part of a history of one-directional cross-cultural appropriation by European artists. Despite the change in mentalities over the past century, and the attempts at diversifying the British and American theatre industries through multi-ethnic casting and intercultural performance, the legacy of the imperialist appropriation of supposedly “exotic” art-forms resurfaces in such productions. This article aims to assess the pitfalls of Western-led intercultural performance and multi-ethnic casting, the representations of Chinese stage stereotypes, and the state of racial relations in the entertainment industry.

Global Health Governance and the Rise of Asia

AbstractA rising Asia brings to the global arena a new set of increasingly influential players with their own values, histories and strategic considerations. It remains to be seen if these shifts will lead to a clash or convergence in the management of global issues. The critical issues include Asian actors’ treatment of sovereignty, their preferences on institutional design, and conceptions of their role in global governance. Global health is fraught with a whole range of collective action problems, which we are failing to address effectively with existing institutional arrangements. This is in part because these institutions are embedded in an anachronistic world order in which Asia is governed rather than governing. Bridging this disconnect will require multiple adjustments. Existing actors involved in setting global health rules will need to adjust to take into account opportunities, constraints and perspectives from the Asian region that may have thus far been neglected. At the same time, Asian state and nonstate actors need to be engaged as co‐shapers of the global order – not just in terms of material contributions to existing initiatives, but also in terms of leadership and ideas for reforming and strengthening current institutions.Policy Implications Sovereignty is asserted in a variety of ways across different global health issues, and policy responses should therefore be similarly diverse, tailored to the specific factors present in each context. Governance structures at the global level are not only shaped by state actors, but can be shaped in part by bottom‐up policy processes. This is a reflection of the degree to which domestic environments allow for non‐state actor participation, as well as how these local actors are connected to transnational networks and discourses. The implementation of global rules remains dependent on local capacity and political will. As such, more donor attention (including Asian donors) could be called to the institutional weaknesses in the Asian region. While regional organizations remain focused on maintaining stability, the FCTC experience has shown that regional distrust can be overcome in the presence of leadership and with inclusive national‐level policy processes. Emerging multipolarity threatens to deepen strategic competition between powerful and rising states, thereby further fragmenting efforts to govern global health. Such competition could be mitigated by empowering a greater range of actors in Asia with interests in advancing health needs. Asian state and non‐state actors have an opportunity to play a bigger role in reforming existing global health governance institutions. One way to facilitate this stronger governance role is to foster inclusive dialogue and constructive debate on the importance of global health governance in the region.

Issues from South Asian Politics: Some Postcolonial Reflections

Making U.S. Foreign Policy Toward South Asia: Regional Imperatives and the Imperial Presidency. Edited by Lloyd I. Rudolph, Susanne H. Rudolph. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 2008. 448 pp., $24.95 paperback (ISBN 978-0-253-22000-4). South Asia's Cold War: Nuclear Weapons and Conflict in Comparative Perspective. By Rajesh M. Basrur. New York: Routledge, 2008. 172 pp., $39.95 paperback (ISBN 978-0-415-39194-8). South Asia's Weak States: Understanding the Regional Insecurity Predicament. Edited by Thaza Varkey Paul. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, 2010. 352 pp., $27.95 paperback (ISBN 978-0-804-76221-2). The reviewed books address South Asia's predicaments pertaining to the region's state capacity, nuclear security, and foreign policy relations with the United States. South Asia's Weak States, edited by T.V. Paul, explains the multifaceted insecurities of South Asia by identifying the presence of weak states and weak cooperative interstate norms in the region. South Asia's Cold War, by drawing on the general characteristics of the US–USSR, US–China, USSR–China, and US–North Korea Cold Wars, studies the Cold War in South Asia (between India and Pakistan) and the possibilities of thawing this war. Making US Foreign Policy Towards South Asia remains an analysis of US foreign policy toward South Asia since the Nixon era with emphasis on the Bush era after 9/11. Barring some excessively descriptive chapters (in Lloyd I. Rudolph and Susanne Hoeber Rudolf), the three books constitute a valuable source of information for scholars, graduate students, and policy practitioners interested in International Relations (IR)/Security, South Asian nuclear security, and issues of US–South Asian foreign policymaking. Rudolph and Rudolph's book is particularly helpful for policy practitioners. Nonetheless, these books (with the exception of some chapters that are mentioned below), and to some extent Basrur's book, explain issues of South Asian security from a conventional/empirical framework of politics. Thus, they preclude the interrogation of how interpretive factors/processes such as the power of discourse, ideology, articulation of identities, international hierarchy, and voices/concerns of the South Asian actors that are vital (when considering politics of the postcolonial world) may implicate South Asian security, state capacities, and US–South Asian foreign policy affairs. Below, I comparatively delineate the core theses, theoretical frameworks, methodologies, and the contributions of these three scholarships. However, considering South Asia's postcolonial location, its colonial experience, and its presence in a hierarchical world of IR, suggest that a more critical line of analysis, …

Transformational learning experiences of international development volunteers in the Asia-Pacific: The case of a multinational NGO

While most MNE activity in Asia and the Pacific focuses on rapidly developing and newly industrialized economies, multinational NGOs have for decades provided important financial, human and social capital to poorer nations in the region. Our study examines the learning experiences of a sample of expatriate volunteer workers deployed by the Asia-Pacific's largest international volunteer agency. Our field research shows that, when compared to a control group, the expatriates’ learning was unique in terms of context, process and outcomes. Notably, expatriates experienced learning outcomes that were more frequently transformational, involving fundamental changes to their values, perspectives or assumptions.

Taiwan's MICE visitors: business, leisure and education dimensions

PurposeThis study seeks to examine the motivational and socio‐demographic characteristics of meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) visitors to Taiwan in order to identify salient market subgroups or segments. The aim is to establish results with relevance to Asian destinations and with some more general applicability.Design/methodology/approachBased on the literature and expert input a questionnaire was designed and pretested. Using convenience sampling, data were collected from MICE visitors to Taipei (Taiwan). Principal components, hierarchical cluster, K‐means, chi‐square and ANOVA analyses of the data provide information about MICE visitors and their segments.FindingsThree motivation‐based MICE segments are identified. Variable values suggest the following segment names – value seekers, no‐value seekers, and education seekers. Significant socio‐demographic differences are found between the segments. Results provide insight into MICE visitor decision making showing the role of business, education and leisure‐related motives. Discussion focuses attention on implications of the results for the development of tourism strategies.Originality/valueThe findings enhance understanding of the motivations of MICE visitors. The information adds to the knowledge that destination marketers can consider in developing a competitive edge. Since Taipei's MICE visitors should be similar to those of Asian competitors, results contribute to a better understanding of MICE business, education and leisure‐related motives and activities in Asia.

International conference on human biomonitoring, Berlin 2010

International conference on human biomonitoring, Berlin 2010

Repatriation of overseas Chinese stars in post-1997 Hong Kong cinema: Daniel Wu, a case study

ABSTRACTThis article studies Asian actors from North America and their response to the recent repatriation of overseas Chinese in post-1997 Hong Kong. The focus is on the casting, characterization and shifting star persona of the Asian American action star Daniel Wu. Although Wu is an American of mainland Chinese descent, he was initially marketed as an overseas Chinese actor and return migrant to Hong Kong. Over the course of his career, he became increasingly localized and subsequently integrated into ge-ying-shi (music-film-TV)—the intermedial star system of Hong Kong—through his increased proficiency in Cantonese, award-winning performances in high-profile action films and transnational promotion of the local (popular) culture of Hong Kong. This paper argues that there is a shift in Wu's star persona from an ideal returnee—i.e. a young overseas Chinese actor and sex symbol—to a mature, local(ized) and marquee star of the action cinema. The changes in Wu's representation arguably serve as a model for the return migration of overseas Chinese and their incorporation into post-1997 Hong Kong.

Investment regionalism in Asia: new directions in law and policy?

AbstractAlthough Asian regionalism has commanded much attention from academics and policymakers, it has largely been restricted to the trade and financial realms. This paper focuses specifically on the scope and limits of ‘investment regionalism’ involving Asia. A combination of regional foreign direct investment (FDI) stakes and international socialization patterns has led Asian actors to mark investments as a key issue in their regionalism strategy overall. As elsewhere, they too have moved toward a mode of governance favoring the formal legalization of investments in terms of the precision, obligation, and delegation of rules. Already the endeavors of both the middle and dominant economies in the region have shifted from just concluding Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) and investment-related chapters in Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) to designing region-wide investment agreements and initiatives by-and-for Asian countries. Although the legal effectiveness of this rule-making change will play out in the long run in and across Asian societies, the more immediate policy implication relates to its potential impact on the evolution of Asian regionalism as a whole.

Patterns and levels of illicit drug use among men who have sex with men in Asia

Background The emergence of gay communities in Asia may predispose men who have sex with men (MSM) to drug use. We describe patterns and levels of illicit drug use, and characteristics of stimulant drug users among MSM in Asia. Methods A cross-sectional Internet-based survey was conducted among 10,861 participants recruited through online methods. Pearson's chi-square tests were used to compare patterns of drug use by participants’ HIV status. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify significant correlates of stimulant drug use. Results Overall, 16.7% of participants reported recreational drug use in the past 6 months. Ecstasy (8.1%) and Viagra (7.9%) were the most prevalent drugs being used. HIV-positive MSM reported significantly higher levels of individual drug use and polydrug use compared to HIV-negative/unknown MSM. Being gay (AOR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.28, 2.05), having casual male partners only or having both casual and regular partners (AOR = 2.05, 95% CI: 1.66, 2.53; AOR = 2.97, 95% CI: 2.39, 3.69), HIV-positive status (AOR = 4.54, 95% CI: 3.63, 5.69), sex work (AOR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.19, 1.93), and having more gay friends (“Some” vs. “A few/None” AOR = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.62, 2.43; “Most/All” vs. “A few/None” AOR = 4.59, 95% CI: 3.77, 5.59) were independently associated with stimulant drug use. Conclusions Our findings point to the urgency of incorporating substance use prevention and treatment into current HIV prevention activities in Asia, which must use a harm reduction approach and galvanize dignity.

So Great a Proffit: How the East Indies Trade Transformed Anglo-American Capitalism (review)

So Great a Proffit: How East Trade 'Transformed Anglo-American Capitalism. By James R. Fichter. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2010. Pp. 400. Cloth, $35.00.)Reviewed by Rachel Tamar VanA common critique made of works on early American commerce with Asia is that trade never lived up to hype. Fables of oriental luxuries and millions of consumers belied paucity of actual exchange, leading scholars themselves to overvalue trade's history.If this dismissal ever held weight, James Fichter's impressive new book, So Great a Profst, puts it to rest. In considering impact of American trade in East on Anglo-American capitalism during years 1783 to 1815, Fichter demonstrates that American mercantile activity in Asia contributed to liberalization of British trade and empire at a pivotal moment and generated profits (and hence capital) for a budding class of American industrial entrepreneurs. By shifting emphasis from trade to capital, Fichter makes a distinction with a difference. Scholars too often focus on industrialization as an explanation for North Atlantic political and economic power in nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Focusing on capital, however, places both trade and industry in a larger trajectory of reorganization of finance.In its barest sketches, So Great a Profst tells a familiar story. As Douglass North wrote in 1961, European wars emerging out of French Revolution created an opening for neutral powers - especially Americans - to profit from markets otherwise monopolized by French, British, Dutch, and Spanish. The re-export trade enabled by 1793 to 1815 wars in turn allowed a nascent investor-capital class of merchants to finance American industrialization. The book is thus organized around French Revolutionary Wars: The first two chapters examine American- East Indian trade prior to French Revolution and chapters 3 to 8 during French Wars, with final two chapters turning to consequences of trade for British and American economies in wars' aftermath. In practice, however, this book pushes us beyond North's thesis into new and exciting territory.First, this is a work of breathtaking scope. While historians recognize that early Americans conceptualized the East Indies as a single region, few tackle such a range of international repositories and literatures. Fichter's enviable language skills and historiographical reach manifest repeatedly in nuance with which he handles issues of global scope, such as chapter 6's contention that American trade shored up European colonialism in Batavia, Capetown, Mascarenes, and Manila during French Wars.This scope especially pays off in Fichter's analysis of American trade in Indian Ocean littoral. In 1938, Holden Furber suggested that much-maligned Jay Treaty did better than John Jay himself had ever intended by allowing Americans to operate out of British East India Company ports. Surprisingly, Americanists have been slow to build upon Furber's thesis. Fichter illuminates how Americans used this opportunity combined with their wartime neutrality to play ports off each other. Anywhere Company vessels could go Americans could follow, but many ports that welcomed American neutrals barred British vessels. If British attempted to curtail competitors carrying goods between Bengal and London, Americans stopped off at Danish port of Serampore en route. …