Ear to Asia

by Asia Institute, The University of Melbourne

Politics Society & Culture

Season 1

The demand for sand, and its impact in Asia

Ambitious construction programs for infrastructure and housing in Asia and elsewhere are leading to skyrocketing use of concrete, of which sand is a key ingredient. Mining of sand, a surprisingly high-stakes enterprise, comes with considerable human and environmental costs. Development researchers Associate Professor Melissa Marschke and Dr Vanessa Lamb join host Peter Clarke to pick the winners and losers in the often murky business of sand extraction in Asia. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by Profactual - the Podcasting Specialists. Music by audionautix.com.

Power, privilege and race in Singapore

Is the playing field truly level in Singapore, which touts itself as the ultimate meritocracy? Or are the ethnic Chinese making up the majority privileged over the other sizeable ethnic groups? Seasoned Asia watchers Assoc Prof Michael Barr and Dr Lewis Mayo join host Ali Moore to examine the politics of race in Singapore. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by Profactual - the Podcasting Specialists. Music by audionautix.com

The push to end violence against women in the Asia Pacific

Violence against women is at epidemic proportions in the Asia Pacific. The region’s governments, if they are to find ways of preventing domestic violence and support its victims, need reliable data, but getting the numbers is a difficult undertaking. Public health researchers Dr Henriette Jansen and Dr Kristin Diemer join host Ali Moore to discuss the quest to understand the dimensions of violence against women, and programs aimed at bringing about lasting change. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by Profactual - the Podcasting Specialists. Music by audionautix.com

Freedom of thought under fire in China

As several leading universities scrub freedom of thought from their charters and formalise allegiance to Chinese Communist Party doctrine, we ask just how far academia in China will bend to politics in the era of Xi Jinping? Seasoned China watchers Dr Delia Lin and Dr Sow Keat Tok join host Ali Moore to examine the new authoritarian tilt on China’s campuses. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced by Profactual - the Podcasting Specialists. Music by audionautix.com.

What drives Australia-Indonesia relations?

Australia’s relationship with Indonesia is complex, often fluid but sometimes fraught. How do these two nations regard each other, and how can Australia strengthen its ties with its populous neighbour? Veteran Indonesia watcher Prof Richard Robison takes us into the web of contemporary Australia-Indonesia relations. Presented by Ali Moore. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced by Profactual - the Podcasting Specialists. Music by audionautix.com.

LGBT rights in Japan in the lead up to the Tokyo Olympics

Although Japan doesn't prohibit same-sex relations, its laws do little to protect the rights of the LGBT community. With Tokyo maniacally preparing to host the 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, how is Japan set to meets its obligations to the International Olympic Committee to ensure a Games free of discrimination against LGBT athletes and event visitors? Japan queer studies experts Prof Akiko Shimizu and Dr Claire Maree join host Ali Moore to discuss. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced by Profactual - the Podcasting Specialists. Music by audionautix.com.

Empowering women in Indonesia's villages

Improving the lot of Indonesia's rural women is no easy task. Yet the recently passed Village Law provides a unique opportunity for civil society organizations, government and village leadership to give women a stronger voice in decision making. Indonesia researchers Dr Rachael Diprose and Dr Amalinda Savirani examine the challenges faced by rural women and the programs being developed to help overcome them. Presented by Peter Clarke. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced by Profactual - the Podcasting Specialists. Music by audionautix.com.

Who's afraid of China?

While China's trade war with the US and its treatment of domestic discontents make the news headlines, its economic and military resurgence has truly spooked the West. But do China's ambitions to regain its pre-19th century glory constitute a threat? What’s driving that fear in the US and Australia? Seasoned China watchers Dr Sow Keat Tok and Dr Pradeep Taneja (Twitter: @PradeepKTaneja) examine the nature of this unease with host Ali Moore. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced by Profactual - the Podcasting Specialists. Music by audionautix.com.

The rise, fall and future of Turkey's Gülen movement

Followers of the Gülen movement, some 10 million strong and active in 160 countries, remain to this day the target of relentless persecution by the Turkish government of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who was once founder Fethullah Gulen’s political and ideological partner. Turkish affairs watchers Dr David Tittensor and Dr Tezcan Gümüş unpick a complex rise-and-fall story with both deep religious roots and brutal contemporary political realities. Presented by Ali Moore. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced by Profactual - the Podcasting Specialists. Music by audionautix.com.

The road to Uyghur repression in China

China has been cracking down hard on Uyghur and other Muslim groups in its far northwestern region of Xinjiang. But what’s the real history of the Uyghur people? How do they view themselves culturally and politically alongside the dominant Han Chinese nation? China watchers Dr David Brophy and Dr Lewis Mayo join host Ali Moore to discuss the long and evolving relations between the Uyghurs and Chinese authorities. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced by Profactual - the Podcasting Specialists. Music by audionautix.com.

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