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October 23, 2012
Article by Sean Bettam, U of T News
…Professor Joseph Wong, director of the Asian Institute at the Munk School of Global Affairs, who was a leading force in the program’s establishment, believes it is an ideal time for its introduction.
“Attention is increasingly centered on Asia and the rise of Asia. What we are trying to do at the Asian Institute, and in the Contemporary Asian Studies program specifically, is to not simply parrot global conversations about Asia but rather focus the students on the conversations being generated within Asia about the global,” said Wong.
“Modernization across the region has produced a variety of outcomes, with differing approaches to democracy, the distribution of wealth, ethnic diversity, gender dynamics, human rights, and immigration policy,” Wong continued. “By exposing students to current issues and debates in Asia, the program prepares them for careers that involve global affairs and those which specifically focus on Asia.”