Searching for the Fusion and Dialogue between Academic Disciplines and Regional Studies
Perhaps the same.
After the end of the Cold War, it became possible to proceed the real regional studies and the regional studies has been done actively in the academic society, because now we can visit many areas where we could not visit easily during the Cold War period and the ideology and bias have been already declined. However, the position of regional studies has never secured its academic position in the academic society. One of the reasons is that many regional researchers claim that their areas are special and unique; and the regional studies tend to remain unilateral information dissemination. Certainly, the more you study a certain area, the clearer the distinctiveness of the area become, so it is natural that such a tendency has been strengthen. However, it will end with self-satisfaction of the local researchers, and we cannot expect the development of regional studies.
Therefore, this seminar will try to apply regional studies to more general academic context seeking dialogue and fusion of regional studies and academic disciplines. To give an example, in the case of that you choose regional conflict as the research theme, it would be needed study whole problems such as history, political problems, economics, religion, ethnic problem, social problems, geopolitical problems and so on, in the area, because the reasons of conflicts are really complicated. In addition, trying to generalize by comparing with other cases or regions, applying some disciplines, making general theories and so on would be also important. I would like to stress not to complete regional research by regional research alone, but make it available in a wider academic context, enable dialogue with experts from other regions and researchers of other disciplines, and make academic contributions.
For this aim, we will study general theories or discussions by reading books, and hear and discuss about each students’ research. All students must participate to the reading, make presentation and write term paper or graduate thesis on individual research.
Hirose's regional field is the former USSR, so I can make give the good comments on the regional studies on the former USSR or Yugoslavia, however all students who want to study everywhere are welcome.