DGPA Successfully Hosts International Workshop on Area Studies

On 14 September 2024, the Department of Government and Public Administration (DGPA), Faculty of Social Sciences (FSS), University of Macau (UM) successfully hosted an international workshop entitled “Direction of Area Studies”. The event was supported by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation and brought together several distinguished scholars from the Macao SAR, Mainland China, and Japan to engage in in-depth discussions on key issues in area studies.

Prof. Weixing Hu, Dean of FSS, and Prof. Yonghong Wu, Head of DGPA, delivered the opening remarks. Prof. Hu highlighted some of the recent achievements of UM and FSS, expressing hope that the workshop would make a significant contribution to the development of area studies. Prof. Wu provided an overview of the DGPA and wished for all participants to engage in productive discussions.

The half-day workshop featured two panels titled “Conceptualization and Theoretical Development in Area Studies” and “Empirical Studies in Area Studies, Influential Factors.” Eight scholars shared their views and insights on a wide range of relevant topics, including the influence of Lucian W. Pye on the development of Chinese area studies, area studies as a political agenda, bibliometric analysis of China’s Eurasian studies field, and current trends in Southeast Asian studies in Japan. The panel discussions were enriched by the active participation and insights from other attendees, culminating in concluding remarks by Prof. Pan Wei, who also acknowledged the support from Sasakawa Peace Foundation.

This workshop aimed at fostering academic exchange and collaboration among scholars from different backgrounds and research institutions, highlighting its significance in establishing long-term global partnerships and advancing the field of area studies.