IV-9. “Looking Back on 30 Years of the Look East Policy: Evaluation of the Social Impact of Industry, Government and Academia Networks in East Asia through the Exchange of Education and Research” (H24-25 FY2012-2013)


  • Project Leader : Kaneko Yoshiki (Dokkyo University, Faculty of Foreign Languages)
  • Collaborators : Anzawa Makoto (Otaru University of Commerce, Department of Commerce)
  • : Ishikawa Noboru (Kyoto University, Center for Southeast Asian Studies)
  • : Kuroda Keiko (Kagoshima University, Faculty of Law, Economics & Humanities)
  • : Tamura Keiko(University of Kitakyushu, The Graduate School of Social System
    Studies)
  • : Tawada Hiroshi (Osaka City University, Graduate School of Literature and Human Sciences)
  • : Tomizawa Hisao (University of Shizuoka, Faculty of International Relations)
  • : Mautani Satoshi (Rikkyo University, College of Tourism)
  • : Yoshimura Mako (Hosei University, Faculty of Social Science)
  • : Yamamoto Hiroyuki (Kyoto University, Center for Integrated Area Studies)
  • : Kawabata Takeshi (Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa)
  • : Shiozaki Yuuki (Doshisha University, School of Theology)
  • : Suzuki Ayame (Fukuoka Women’s University, International College of Arts and Sciences)
  • : Ono Mayumi (Chiba University, Center for International Research and Education)
  • : Nasrudin Akhir(University of Malaya, Department of East Asian Studies)
  • : Alias bin Abdullah (University of Malaya, Department of East Asian Studies)
  • : Asmadi Hassan(University of Malaya, Department of East Asian Studies)

Outline of Research

The project will examine the impact of the transnational interchange of education and research such as studying abroad and receiving technical training, dispatching and inviting scholars, and the holding of international conferences towards a regional industry-government-academia network. The project takes the case of the Look East Policy, introduced in Malaysia in 1982 to learn about the work ethics and group mentality of Japan and Korea, and evaluate its impact on Malaysian society 30 years after its implementation. The project also intends to deliver recommendations to the Malaysian government to further enhancement policy from an academic standpoint through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Japan.

Description

The following three conferences were held in Malaysia and Japan. (1) Symposium on “30th Anniversary of Look East Policy,” organized by Centre for Foundation Studies in Science, University of Malaya, held in Malaysia on 23rd June 2012. (2) Panel on “Thirty Years of Malaysia’s ‘Look East’ Policy: Review of the Policies and Recommendations” held at Kwansei Gakuin University on 14th October 2012 for the annual conference for Japan Association for Asian Studies (JAAS). (3) Conference on “Look East Policy: 30 Years and Beyond” held at Rikkyo University on 16th December 2012 for the annual conference of Japan Association for Malaysian Studies (JAMS). A director of MOFA Japan and an ex-student of the Look East Policy were invited to the December conference as panelists and discussed the evaluation and recommendation on the policy. The achievement and impact of the Look East Policy is evaluated not only from the standpoint of human resources development, but also from that of of social and cultural aspects. The research outcome will be presented for further discussion at a conference to be held at University of Malaya in March 2013. The findings and recommendation will be published as a discussion paper and will be delivered to Malaysian government through MOFA Japan.


Lecturing on Malaysia to Japanese guides at Malaysian National Museum

Voters in Bornean states had a significant role to play in the 13th general election of Malaysia in May 2013