East-West Center Research

📣 Interested in learning more about current or emerging issues in the Asia Pacific region? Check out these #AsiaPacificIssues analyses published through the East-West Center Research Program so far in 2024! 👉 Decoding Social Media’s Role in Taliban 2.0 and its Implications for Afghan Youth: https://lnkd.in/gzdWkh3J 👉 Revisiting the Cambodia-Thailand Maritime Dispute: International Law, Politics and Nationalism: https://lnkd.in/g4b4NHxe 👉 Smallholder Cash Cropping Expansion and the Privatization of Communal Forestland in Southeast Myanmar: https://lnkd.in/dePAvt37 👉 Commodities and Global Climate Governance: Early Evidence From the EU Deforestation-free Regulation (EUDR): https://lnkd.in/gqNbJHHG 👉 Korea-US Cooperation on Climate Change in the Pacific as Part of the Indo-Pacific Strategy: https://lnkd.in/g2CYt2QV 👉 Drought, Flood, and Rice Security in Central Thailand: https://lnkd.in/gFAGdpMh 👉 Human Rights in Afghanistan: https://lnkd.in/gQbsMj9m Papers in the series address topics of broad interest and significant impact relevant to current and emerging policy debates. These eight-page, peer-reviewed papers are intended to be accessible to readers outside the author's discipline. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gaSdTY_x

Last week, the Pacific Drought Knowledge Exchange (PDKE) team participated in the Technical Advisory Committee meeting with stakeholders in Hilo. East-West Center Research Fellow Dr. Harmony Yomai and UH Researcher Cherryle Heu engaged with farmers from Panaewa Homestead and NOAA: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration collaborators, discussing the impact of climate change on agroforestry practices and community needs. PDKE's role as technical advisors focuses on linking climate variables to specific canoe plants and designing a portal or dashboard to meet community needs.   A key highlight was seeing the community take the lead on the project, reinforcing the importance of co-production in addressing climate change at the local level. Learn more about the PDKE here: https://lnkd.in/g3JEAU6X

The East-West Center and Vietnam National University HCMC An Giang University collaborated to organize an "Academic Writing and Publications Workshop" in An Giang, Vietnam from October 25-29, 2024. This workshop convened the Mekong Delta project teams from EWC, An Giang University (AGU), and the Asian Vision Institute (AVI) in Cambodia as part of EWC's Vulnerable Deltas in Southeast Asia Initiative funded by the Henry Luce Foundation Inc. The workshop was led by EWC Research Fellow Dr. Ming Li Yong and Dr. Thong Tran from The Australian National University, covering the topics of preparing papers for academic journals, developing conceptual frameworks, writing strategies and ethics, and creating outlines and storylines for publications. The teams from AGU and AVI also presented their findings and ideas from their respective research projects carried out through the Luce grant. Please enjoy this video from the workshop, created by AGU participants Oc Van Vo and Phu Thanh Dang! Read more about the Vulnerable Deltas in Southeast Asia Initiative here: https://lnkd.in/gJAt9HAX

In this article "Declining Pax Americana means opportunity for China, hardship for US allies", East-West Center Senior Fellow Denny Roy writes: “The retreat from multilateralism and liberal values mirrors the interwar period’s shift toward unilateralism and autarky, raising concerns that reduced US support for international cooperation may destabilize the global order and embolden aggressive states.” Read Dr. Roy's article here: https://lnkd.in/gJEMFgFK

East-West Center Senior Fellow Denny Roy has published a new article for Asia Times regarding the differing viewpoints of Chinese analysts on the potential impacts of Trump's second term. 👉 Chinese analysts agree on several general points, including the following: Regardless of who is president, Americans widely view China as an economic and political competitor if not an adversary. 👉 Chinese dissident Yuan Hongbing, former Beijing University Law School dean, reports that “a Chinese military think tank” believes the Republican Party wants to appease and befriend Russia and withdraw US military commitments from Europe so America can focus on resisting China. 👉 Optimists, on the other hand, are banking on their beliefs that Trump is averse to getting into a war in Asia, doesn’t care to compete with China for international leadership, will not be able to tolerate the pain of another trade war with China and is willing to make an economic deal that will stabilize bilateral relations, even if he makes fearsome threats to gain leverage. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/dQA59uFj

This past Friday, Nov. 22, members of the Pacific Drought Knowledge Exchange (PDKE) team participated in the Hawaiʻi Cattleman’s Council Annual Meeting on Hawaiʻi Island. At the event, East-West Center Research Fellow Dr. Ryan Longman, Project Specialist Derek Ford, and UH Researcher Cherryle Heu showcased several new decision-support tools designed to help ranchers manage and plan proactively in response to changing environmental conditions. A highlight was the recent upgrade of the Hawaiʻi Rangeland Information Portal (H-RIP) to a mobile-friendly platform, allowing ranchers to access near-real-time climate information from anywhere with cell service. This marks the third consecutive year that the PDKE has attended this event, reinforcing their commitment to supporting the ranching community—a dedication that continues to be appreciated by those they serve. See PDKE project page for more information: https://lnkd.in/g3JEAU6X

In collaboration with professors from Khon Kaen University, Kasetsart University, and Mahidol University, East-West Center Research Fellow Dr. Phanwin Yokying organized and co-led an interactive workshop entitled “Exploring the Fundamentals of Qualitative Research: Climate Variability, Gender, and Agriculture (Phase 1)” at Khon Kaen University from November 4-11, 2024. Funded by the Henry Luce Foundation Inc, and part of EWC's "Vulnerable Deltas in Southeast Asia" initiative, the workshop provided rigorous training on the fundamentals of conducting qualitative research to undergraduate and graduate students from Khon Kaen University. It covered the formulation of research questions, literature reviews, conceptual framework design, sample selection, questionnaire design, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, qualitative data analysis, and research presentation. Five student participants have been selected for Phase 2 of the workshop, where they will apply their knowledge and insights from Phase 1 to conduct their mini qualitative research projects starting December 2024.  Many of the professors who collaborated on this workshop are EWC alumni who know the campus inside out and have made multiple visits to EWC. They have many fond memories from their time as research interns and visiting scholars at EWC, where they were mentored by EWC researchers who helped them get their start in their academic careers. Dr. Yokying says, "It was such a unique experience to have them join my workshop, and they were super happy to reconnect with the Center through this project." Read more about the Vulnerable Deltas in Southeast Asia initiative here: https://lnkd.in/gJAt9HAX

Last Week, the Pacific Drought Knowledge Exchange (PDKE) Stewardship Team gathered in-person for a series of stakeholder engagements on Hawaiʻi Island. Part of this trip included a visit to a Hawaiʻi Mesonet station located in the Puʻu Waʻawaʻa Dry Forest unit of the USDA Forest Service’s Hawaiʻi Experimental Tropical Forest. With support from the Forest Service, this station was established within the Kaiāulu Puʻuwaʻawaʻa Community-Based Subsistence Forest Area, which encompasses the 84 acre summit of the Puʻu, a defining feature of this important geography. The Akaka Foundation for Tropical Forests hosted the visit and shared their excitement about how real-time data from the station can be used to help build community resilience to wildland fire. The PDKE team hopes to continue to build this relationship with community members to co-produce relevant tools and resources to be used to build adaptive capacities. PDKE Stewardship team Pictured (L-R): Dr. Ashley McGuigan (UH &, SWCH), Dr. Christian Giardina (USDA/USFS) , Dr. Ryan Longman (EWC), Dr. Abby Frazier (Clark University), Derek Ford (EWC), Dr. Harmony Yomai (EWC), and Cherryle Heu (UHM). Read more about PDKE on the EWC Project page here: https://lnkd.in/g3JEAU6X and on the project website here: https://lnkd.in/gnknMvMg Learn more about the Hawaiʻi Mesonet here: https://lnkd.in/d7vQJBEb

Doing your research on holiday gift shopping? We have just the event for you! East-West Center Staff and Friends presents its annual 🎄 East-West Center Holiday Craft Fair ☃ on Friday, December 6, 2024 from 10:00am - 2:00pm in front of John A. Burns Hall and in the adjacent courtyard.   🎁 Please join us and complete your holiday shopping! The fair features handmade crafts, jewelry, baked goods, stationery, and much more!   For a complete vendor list, visit the Craft Fair webpage here: https://lnkd.in/gBPabcPb

East-West Center Senior Fellow Denny Roy writes for The Straits Times on the implications of the recent US elections for the US-led order: 👉 It is tempting to see the return of Trump as the confirmation that Pax Americana is over. 👉 The recent US election, however, was not a referendum on the US playing a global leadership role. Nearly half of US voters supported Kamala Harris, who presumably would have continued a foreign policy similar to Biden’s. 👉 The Americans who voted for Trump are generally opposed to “forever wars,” but their main concerns are the cost of living, excessive “wokeness,” and a sense of being ignored by Washington elites, not US alliances in the Asia-Pacific. Read Dr. Roy's article here: https://lnkd.in/gUduMgYQ