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Statement for the International
Conference on south Asia at Jodhpur, India
Teh-Kuang Chang
Chairman of Research Committee on Asian and Pacific Studies Of
International Political Science Association I. I welcome you all to
the International Conference on South Asia in Global Perspective:
Democracy, Human Rights and Nation Building, jointly organized by the
Department of Political Science of Jai Narain Vyas University and the
Research Committee on Asian and Pacific Studies of the International
Political Science Association.
I thank Jai Narain Vyas University to sponsor the first International
conference in South Asia.
I appreciate Dr. Meena Bardia to organize this conference. I have been
deeply impressed by Dr. Bardia’s ability of leadership and her quality
of scholarship since she participated in the 22nd World Congress of
IPSA in Madrid in 2012, particularly today, her tremendous efforts for
the success of this conference.
I also thank for the assistance of Dr. Bardia’s colleagues in the Jai
Narain Vyas University, and all of you to join this conference. From
now on you are my friends in the great nation of India.
II. The human civilization is derived from the different regions of
the world. Since the globe is divided by the East and West, the
development of civilization is varied. The West has advanced in
science and technology, and the East has contributed in religion and
philosophy.
Samuel P. Huntington interpreted the interaction between the different
regions as the “Crash of Civilization.” But I would like to emphasize
on the interlace from interactions toward cooperation for the global
civilization.
In the development of world civilization, Asia in the East has
contributed the birth of religion, such as Judaism, Christianity,
Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Taoism, Shintoism and
Shamanism. The development of philosophy in Asia started from
Confucius in ancient time to Mohandas K. Gandhi in modern era. The
contribution of Confucius philosophy is in the humanity for the
harmony of human relations from individual, family, society, nation
and world, to strive for endless knowledge to achieve the eternal
peace of the world, based on his Great Doctrine.
Gandhi’s idea of “non-violence” has contributed to the movement for
peace from the nation to the world. It is Gandhi’s approach that ended
the colonization in India, and inspired Martin Luther King’s peaceful
movement for civil rights in the U.S.A. and Mandella’s success to
terminate the apartheid in South Africa. The civilization of Asia has
contributed for the world civilization for peace is not based on power
of politics but based on justice of morality which was adopted in the
United Nations Charter.
III. In the academic development, the 20th Century was described as
“the Century of Social Science.” The UNESCO set up a Social Science
Department, which started the establishment of International Political
Science Association.
The International Political Science Association (IPSA) was established
in 1949 in Paris, to consist of three categories of membership. The
“collective members” are the national political science associations.
The “associate members” and the research institutions and the
universities. The “individual members” are the scholars.
When the IPSA was established in 1949, there were only four collective
members, U.S.A., France, Canada and India.
India became the representative nation of Asia as the founding
collective member of IPSA.
The IPSA holds World Congress every three years from 1949 to 2012. The
first World Congress was held in Zurich, Switzerland and the 22nd
World Congress was held in Madrid, Spain. Since then, it changed to
hold the World Congress every two years starting in 2014 in Montreal,
Canada.
From the first World Congress in Zurich to the 8th World Congress in
Munich, all the IPSA World Congress’ meetings were held in Europe. The
participants were mostly western scholars. The issues in the
conference focused mainly on the West, seldom on Asian studies.
In 1970 when the 8th World Congress of IPSA was held in Munich,
Germany, I was the only scholar with Asian origin to present a paper
on Asian Studies.
Thus, in 1976, when the IPSA held the 10th World Congress in
Edinburgh, United Kingdom, I made a proposal to establish the “Asian
Study Program” in IPSA, with 23 participants to co-sign my proposal.
My proposal was to expand the IPSA to study Asian issues and to
encourage the Asian scholars to participate in the IPSA.
My proposal was approved by the IPSA to establish the “Asian Study
Group” in IPSA, and I was elected as the chairman.
In 1977, the Asian Study Group held its first International Roundtable
Conference in Chicago. The paper-givers included Robert Scalapino of
the University of California-Berkley and Franz Michael of George
Washington University, and Professor Nathan of Johns Hopkins
University.
In July, 1979, the 11th World congress of IPSA was held in Moscow,
USSR. This is the first time that IPSA held the World congress in a
Communist State. I organized a panel on “Asian Security” in the World
Congress which was well received.
In December, 1979, the Indian Political Science Association held its
annual conference in Calcutta, India. I was invited to present a paper
on “The Development of Political Science in China.”
After the Moscow World Congress, IPSA elevated the status of the Asian
Studies Group to Asian Studies Committee. I appointed Dr. Sicat, who
was a Professor of the University of the Philippines and the President
of the Political Science Association of the Philippine as the
Secretary of the Asian Studies Committee. She devoted herself for the
committee. She passed away a few years ago. Professor Scalapino also
passed away. I feel sorry for the loss of these two outstanding Asian
scholars and their support of our Asian Studies Committee.
In 1980, the First International Conference in Asia was held in Tokyo,
Japan, with the UNESCO Grant. The participants included Political
Scientists from India, Japan, Korea, U.S.A., and China. The conference
theme was “The Development of Political Science in Asia.” The
President of the Chinese Political Science Association, Dr. Han Lih-Wu
made a presentation on “The Development of Politics of 50 Years in
China.” Since he was the Minister of Education of China, he had
established friendship with Jawahar Lal Nehru of India and Syngman
Rhee of Korea. Thus, he received the respect of the participants as he
was an outstanding Political Scientist in Asia.
Since then Asian Studies Committee held International Roundtable
Conferences in Brazil (1982), Paris (1985) and Washington, DC (1988).
In the 1991 World Congress, IPSA expanded the Asian Studies Committee
to become Asian and pacific Studies Committee and listed as RC-18 of
IPSA.
In the 2012 World Congress of IPSA in Madrid, Spain, I was elected as
Chairman. Dr. Angelin Chang was elected as Co-Chairman. I selected 24
Board Members which included Dr. Meena Bardia. I am so glad to see
that Dr. Bardia is the first Board Member to organize International
conference in South Asia.
I would like to introduce the Co-Chairman, Dr. Angelin Chang. She
started to participate in the IPSA World Congress in 1985 .
Since then, she has participated in the IPSA World Congress
consistently. She performed piano concert for the World Congress of
IPSA in Argentina, South Africa, Japan, Chile ,Spain, and will be in
Canada at the 2014 World Congress in Montreal.
She received two doctoral degrees: Dr. of Music and Dr. of Law, and
she is a Professor of both Music and Law at Cleveland State
University, Ohio, U.S.A.
She is a Grammy winner and she was awarded the World Outstanding Youth
by International Junior Chamber of Commerce. She was invited to New
Delhi in 2008 to receive the award. Today is her second time to visit
India.
She will perform a piano concert for this conference. I hope that you
will enjoy her melody of music.
The future plan of RC-18 is that we will hold the celebration of the
40th anniversary of the Research Committee on Asian and Pacific
Studies IPSA in 2016 World Congress in Istanbul, Turkey.
We plan to establish the IPSA Asian and Pacific Studies Foundation to
raise fund for RC-18 to set up an award for outstanding Asian Studies
Scholar and to provide travel grant for junior scholars to participate
in the IPSA World Congress.
In conclusion, the Research Committee on Asian and Pacific Studies of
IPSA is open for all intelligent scholars. We welcome you to
participate in the Conference, to become a member and to join in
future conferences for our common purpose for the development of
global civilization.
Thank you very much and best wishes to all of you. |
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