Ear to Asia

by Asia Institute, The University of Melbourne

Politics Society & Culture

Season 1

Mulla Sadra: The Persian Islamic Thinker's Take On The Nature Of Reality

Philosopher Dr Muhammad Kamal talks about the writings of preeminent 16th century Muslim philosopher Mulla Sadra, who grappled with concepts of change and constancy. Mulla Sadra, who lived and worked in Persia, sought to answer questions like "Is everything changing continuously?" and "Why do we continue to recognize people and objects as if there were unchanging identities attached to them?". Presented by Clement Paligaru. Transcript available here. More information about this and other episodes of this podcast series is found here. An Asia Institute podcast, produced by Profactual.com.

Fleeing North Korea

Human migration expert Dr Jiyoung Song talks about North Korean citizens who choose to exit their homeland, putting themselves and family members they leave behind at risk. She discusses their arduous journeys across China and Southeast Asia to reach South Korea or countries in the West, how they fare in their new homes, and how their reasons for fleeing have changed over time. Presented by Clement Paligaru. Transcript available here. More information about this and other episodes of this podcast series is found here. An Asia Institute podcast, produced by Profactual.com.

China's Smouldering Volcanoes Of Social Discontent

Veteran China watcher Prof Martin K. Whyte explains why Chinese citizens remain unfazed by the enormous income and wealth disparity created by market-oriented economic reforms that in less than 40 years have made China the world's second largest economy. He also outlines the sorts of social injustices that pose even greater threats to the stability of Chinese society. Presented by Clement Paligaru. Transcript available here. More information about this and other episodes of this podcast series is found here. An Asia Institute podcast, produced by Profactual.com.

Celebrity Chef Adam Liaw On Life At The Intersection Of Nearly Everything

On this episode of Ear to Asia, celebrity chef, author and lawyer Adam Liaw gets behind the microphone to discuss his work, philosophy of life, his love affair with Japan, and how living at the intersection of cultures and nations have shaped him. We recorded this interview with Adam when he was visiting the University of Melbourne to celebrate a century of Japanese language education in Australia. Transcript available here. More information about this and other episodes of this podcast series is found here. An Asia Institute podcast, produced by Profactual.com.

Translation As Performance Art

Professor John Minford is a celebrated specialist in translating Chinese literature into English. On this episode of Ear to Asia, John talks about the practice of translation and how to train others in the art. He shares with us the challenges and triumphs of rendering classic Chinese texts for contemporary Western readers. John Minford is primarily known for his translations of Chinese classics such as The Dream of the Red Chamber, and The Art of War -- as well as their reading companion guides. In November 2016, he was awarded the inaugural Medal for Excellence in Translation by the Australian Academy of Humanities, for his translation of I Ching. Transcript available here. More information about this and other episodes of this podcast series is found here. An Asia Institute podcast, produced by Profactual.com.

Kuwait: Walking The Sunni-Shia Tightrope

In 2015, a lone terrorist from an affiliate of Daesh or Islamic State (often referred to as ISIS) bombed a mosque in Kuwait City where the majority of where the majority of worshippers were from the Shia sect. While the overt motive for this act of terrorism was payback for Kuwait's opposition to Daesh, the attack introduced sectarian violence to a country where the Sunni majority and the rather large Shia minority co-existed in relative harmony. In the wake of the mosque bombing incident, the Kuwaiti government passed several anti-terrorism laws. But some observers like Human Rights Watch claim the laws are designed to suppress political dissent. So how effective are these laws at reducing the risk of terrorist attacks in Kuwait? Are such laws the way to maintaining social harmony in a multicultural, or at least, a bi-sectarian population? Dr Kylie Baxter, a specialist in middle-east and Islamic politics from Asia Institute at the University of Melbourne, answers the above and other questions about the fallout from the Arab Spring. Transcript available here. More information about this and other episodes of this podcast series is found here. An Asia Institute podcast, produced by Profactual.com.

Is It Back To The Drawing Board For Indonesia's Education System?

Despite having more than 3 million teachers, manageable class sizes, and spending on education that amounts to a whopping 20% of national and local budgets, Indonesia continues to seriously lag behind in educational outcomes on a range of international measures. Political economist Professor Andrew Rosser discusses the factors that prevent Indonesia from bringing its children up to par in the education stakes and concludes that significant shifts in Indonesia's politics and society are needed. Transcript available here. More information about this and other episodes of this podcast series is found here. An Asia Institute podcast, produced by Profactual.com.

Saving The Songs Of China's Yangtze Delta

Chinese literature expert Anne McLaren joins Ear to Asia host Clement Paligaru to discuss her research into the folk ecology of the lower Yangtze delta, including the folksongs of this fascinating region. And she explains how these vanishing oral traditions shed light into how people of a bygone era lived. Transcript available here. More information about this and other episodes of this podcast series is found here. An Asia Institute podcast, produced by Profactual.com.

All Under Heaven: China's Often Misunderstood Approach To Sovereignty

Political scientist Dr Sow Keat Tok discusses China's unique view of territorial sovereignty, its creative approaches to sovereignty issues in Hong Kong, Taiwan and the South China Sea, and how it can come into conflict with conventional models of sovereignty originating in the West. Presented by Sen Lam. Transcript available here. More information about this and other episodes of this podcast series is found here. An Asia Institute podcast, produced by Profactual.com.

A Tale Of Two Diasporas: Indians In The Global Workforce

Economist and demographer Professor Binod Khadria joins Ear to Asia host Sen Lam to discuss the huge global movement of skilled and unskilled Indian workers in its surprising diversity, the conditions they work under in destination countries and their persistent ties to Mother India. Transcript available here. More information about this and other episodes of this podcast series is found here. An Asia Institute podcast, produced by Profactual.com.

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