The Conference
ASIA ENCOUNTERS THE OCCIDENT - DIALOGUE OF THE FUTURE
March 6 – 9, 2008
The European Conference of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJ) takes place in a different European country every two years. It is the major and most prestigious event of the HUJ in Europe. The conference provides a meeting place for the vibrant exchange of ideas between the worlds of scholarship, science, politics and business on a highly significant theme, as well as the opportunity for the conference participants to encounter the University's scholars and its European Friends in a stimulating and inspiring environment. The next European Conference of the HUJ takes place on March 6 - 9, 2008, in Prague, the Czech Republic, on the topic: "Asia Encounters the Occident - Dialogue of the Future". Internationally renowned experts from around the world, including HUJ-scholars, will deal with the cultural, political and economic aspects of the relationship between Asia and the Western World.
The conference will address the following questions:
1) What is the place of South, East and Southeast Asia in the emerging global system? Does the future lie with the great economic powers of Japan, China, Korea and India?
2) What are the lessons that we can learn from the rise of Asian countries, as major players in the economic world, compared to the lower economic performance of countries in Africa, Latin America, and parts of the Middle East, that are still regarded as "less developed"? Is the "Asian miracle" a result of smart government policies or should it be attributed to some cultural determinants? Are the economic policies the same in the various advanced countries of Asia? Do these countries share common cultural traits? Is there such a cultural entity that can be called "Asia"? Are the future political and economic rivalries of the world going to be between East and West, or are they going to remain rivalries between different Easts and different Wests?
3) Are there modes of political activity that are unique to Asia, that might serve as models for Western states?
4) What are the points of congruence between the religions of India, Tibet, China, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia on the one hand and the Judeo-Christian-Islamic systems of belief on the other?
5) Has the Gandhian ideal of non-violent protest gone out of fashion in the Indian subcontinent, or does it still retain something of its emotional, motivating power? Might it have implications for peace work in other parts of the world?
6) Could Israel play any role in mediating and stimulating the developing conversation between East and West?
Why the Hebrew University of Jerusalem?
Israel is placed at the meeting point of East and West, and is uniquely open to both worlds. The Jewish people have for many centuries excelled in understanding different cultures and in acting in a multicultural environment. Jewish scholars have played a remarkable role in the study of Eastern civilizations, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem today is a vibrant area for Asian studies and one of the world's academic leading centers in this field. We regard the upcoming European Conference as an important catalyst for promoting further understanding and continued rapprochement between Asia and the Western World, as well as an opportunity for representatives of the academic, the political and the business communities from many different countries to meet and exchange ideas on this significant subject.
