Conference Archive The 2nd Annual Conference of the Asian Studies
Ireland Association
The 2nd Annual Conference of the Asian Studies Ireland Association was held on November 13, 2009
at UCC. The conference brought together foreign delegates form the Centre of Modern Contemporary
Chinese Study in the University of Le Harve in France, Leiden University in The Netherlands, the
Brussels Institute of Contemporary Chinese Studies in Belgium, University of Kuopio in Finland and
Hainan University in China.
Co-ordinated by University College Cork’s School of Asian Studies and Kemmy Business School
University of Limerick, the conference ran a series of panel based workshops and seminars, which
aimed to focus on the impact of the global economic crisis on the Asian economies, the different
responses of the various Asian governments to the crisis and the different perceptions of the crisis
between European and Asian societies. The event was conclude with a roundtable discussion focusing
on Ireland’s ‘Celtic Tiger’ past and how such issues are relevant to both regions.
Post Beijing 2008: Geopolitics, Sport, Pacific Rim
International Conference/Workshop
The International Conference/Workshop took place in Cork, Ireland on March 18th, 19th and 20th
2009. The Conference/Workshop is organized jointly by the International Journal of the History of
Sport (IJHS) - Routledge, the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), the Irish Institute of Chinese Studies
(IICS) and the Confucius Institute at UCC.
Distinguished academics from Europe, North America, Asia and Australia gathered in Cork, and
discussed the impact of the Beijing Olympics on the geo-political future of the Pacific Rim. For three
days, nearly 20 presentations approached the topic from various perspectives. Inspired by the
presentations, participants discussed the cultural, political, and economical influence of the Beijing
Olympics. Selected papers which presented at the C/W will be published in the forthcoming IJHS and
Sport in the Global Society (SGS) numbers.
This is the first conference/workshop of its kind after the Beijing Olympics. The discussions have
covered themes including politics, economics, culture and sports development in the post Beijing 2008
Era. Scholars from distinguished universities in Europe, Australia, USA, Asia and China presented
their analytic views on the geo-political future of the Pacific Rim after the Beijing Olympics.
The Lord Mayor of Cork City Cllr. Brian Bermingham, the President of UCC Dr. Michael B. Murphy,
Former President of the Gaelic Athletic Association(GAA) and Executive Chairman of the Irish
Institute of Sports Mr. Seán Kelly, all presented at the opening of the conference/workshop. They
expressed their warm welcome, and stressed the importance of the conference/workshop.
IICS Annual Conference 2008
The Rise of Asia and the Challenge for Europe
IICS’s second annual international conference, The Rise of Asia and its Challenge for Europe, was held
by UCC at Jurys Hotel, Western Rd, Cork on 14th November 2008. The aim of the conference was to
bring together academics from Asia and Europe with representatives from Irish government and
business.
The Lord Mayor of Cork, Mr Brian Bermingham along with UCC President, Dr Michael Murphy
officiated at the Opening Ceremony followed by Micheál Martin, TD, Minister for Foreign Affairs who
delivered the Keynote Address. Ambassadors from several Asian countries (People’s Republic of
China, India, Japan, South Korea, and Malaysia) then participated in a roundtable discussion titled
“Ireland in Asia during Challenging Times” and chaired by Dr Tom Hardiman, member of the AsiaEurope Foundation (ASEF) Board of Governors.
In the afternoon, two panel discussions comprising figures from the worlds of academia, business and
journalism were carried out. The first panel, chaired by Professor Paul Giller, Registrar and VicePresident for Academic Affairs, UCC focused on “30 Years of Reform in China”. Participants included
Prof Kjeld Erik Brodsgaard, Asia Centre, Copenhagen Business School, Professor Gary Liu, China
Europe International Business School, Shanghai, Dr Paul Gillespie, Foreign Policy Editor, the Irish
Times, Professor Louis Brennan, Trinity College Dublin, Dr Damien Tobin, S.O.A.S., London and Dr
Chris Connolly, IICS, UCC.
Panel II, chaired by Mr. Peter Ryan, the Director of Intellectual Exchange, ASEF, Singapore, discussed
“The Economics of Asia’s Rise” with participants Professor Badar Alam Iqbal, Aligarh Muslim
University, Aligarh (UP), India, Professor Yeoh Koh Kheng, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Dr
Joern-Carsten Gottwald, IICS, UCC and Professor Bernadette Andreosso-O’Callaghan, University of
Limerick.
The Irish Institute of Chinese Studies held its inaugural international conference from June 6th to 8th,
2007. The conference, entitled "CHINA in the 21st Century: Culture, Politics, Business", aimed to
promote research on China and its relationship with Ireland, Europe and the World. Delegations from
China, UK, South-East Asia, US, and Europe participated in the event at UCC. Ireland was well
represented by delegates from the government and business sectors, as well as from universities.
Special guests at the opening of the conference included: Ambassador of China to Ireland Mr. Zhang
Xinsen; Minister for Enterprise, Trade, and Employment Mr. Michael Martin; former Chinese
Ambassador Mr. Sha Hallin; and the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Michael Ahern.
Minister for Enterprise, Trade, and Employment, Mr. Michael Martin, himself a UCC graduate,
officially opened the conference on June 7th. In his address, he stated that Ireland's links with China
have grown enormously in recent years at political, official and people–to- people levels. The trade
between Ireland and China has continued to grow at a rapid and sustained level, surpassing the Euro
5.5 billion mark in 2006. China, the most vibrant and discerning market in the world, will continue to
be a key target for Irish companies.
Other keynote speakers included: Dr Sha Hailin, former Chinese Ambassador to Ireland and currently a
high-ranking politician in Shanghai; Professor Martin King Whyte from Harvard University; and
Professor Sun Zhongxin from Fudan University in Shanghai.