Bandung 1955 was a historical marker that broke the ground for third-world internationalism to develop against the logic of cold-war geopolitical monopoly. It preceded the non-aligned movement that expanded Asian-African solidarity to Latin America. 70 years on, where are we today concerning the legacies of Bandung, from decolonization to ‘the five principles of peaceful coexistence’? This seminar brings speakers from different parts of Asia to reflect on the trajectory and its regional and global lessons. Is the ‘Bandung spirit’ alive anymore? What is the ‘third world’ then and the ‘global south’ now? Where might we redefine visions for a tri-continental project in the enduring struggles against imperialism, colonialism, and variants of neoliberal globalization? How can we engage such a project critically and intellectually in a world of multiple crises?
Symposium Schedule
10am-10:10am: Opening remarks from Prof John Sidel, Director of SEAC
10:10am-11:25am: The Bandung legacy: Third World or Global South?
Chair: Professor Bingchun Meng
Speakers: Kuan Hsing Chen, Professor of Cultural Studies, National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan; Noer Rachman, Universitas Padjadjaran, Indonesia; Hilmar Farid, Jarkata Institute of Arts, Indonesia
11:25am-11:40am: Break
11:40am-12:55pm: The global history of Bandung
Chair: Dr Qingfei Yin
Speakers: Su Lin Lewis, Professor of Global and Asian History, University of Bristol, UK; John Munro, Lecturer in U.S. History, University of Birmingham, UK; Jesook Song, Professor of Social Anthropology, University of Tonronto
1-2pm: Break
2:05-3:35pm: Decolonisation and socialist internationalism
Chair: Professor Hyun Bang Shin
Speakers: Priyamvada Gopal, Professor of Postcolonial Studies, University of Cambridge, UK; Ashwani Sharma, Senior Lecturer in Media Studies, Univerisy Arts London, UK; Ling Zhang, Associate Professor of Cinema Studies, State University of New York, US; Zhiguang Yin, Professor of International Relations, Fudan University, China
3:35-4pm: Closing plenary session
This event is part of the Inter-Asia Seminar Series. It was generously funded by the SEAC Seminar Series and Networking Grant.
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