Institute of Asian Research

Founded in 1978, the Institute of Asian Research (IAR) is the premier Asia-focused research institute and think tank in Canada, serving as an active hub for research, teaching, policy support, and community engagement. From its home in the C. K. Choi Building on the University of British Columbia’s Vancouver campus, the Institute seeks to build knowledge and networks to support effective policy action on a wide range of domestic, regional, and global issues centred on Asia.

 
 

News

Fostering Dialogue, Cultural Exchange and Community at the Centre for Japanese Research: Highlights from 2024-25

  Takahashi Yoshiaki (Consul General of Japan) sharing remarks at the Shinnenkai New Year Celebration, January 2025 (image credits: Si Ming Zheng) As the 2024–2025 academic year draws to a close, the UBC Centre for Japanese Research (CJR) is proud to reflect on a year rich with dialogue,...

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“Intiha”: CISAR hosts Conversation with Pakistani-American Musician Ali Sethi

  The Centre for India and South Asia Research (CISAR) held a variety of talks, lectures, and screenings in the 2024-25  academic year—with themes ranging from Hindustani Classical music to media freedom in South Asia. One of the highlights of the programming this year was an event featuring...

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Thinking through Southeast Asia: Community Conversations at the Centre for Southeast Asian Research, 2024-25

Cindy Ewing examines the complicated relationship between the 1947 Asian Relations Conference and the Indochinese anti-colonial guerilla forces. (image credits: Quinton Huang) What does it mean to think through a region? As the Centre for Southeast Asian Research (CSEAR) marked a year of...

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Exploring Chinese History, Ideology, and Film: Highlights from the Centre for Chinese Research 2024-25

Since its founding in 1992, the Centre for Chinese Research (CCR) at SPPGA has been a key hub for Chinese studies at UBC. This academic year the Centre continued its mission to foster interdisciplinary understandings of China, Chinese culture, and Chineseness. In October 2024, CCR hosted the...

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Leading Research on Korea at UBC: Highlights from the Centre for Korean Research 2024-25

The Centre for Korean Research at SPPGA arranged a wide array of activities and events during the 2024-25 academic year—including five major talks. These events manifested CKR’s dedication to advance, coordinate, and facilitate research on Korean and Canada-Korean issues at the University of...

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Nuclear Energy and Power-Hungry AI: Faculty Expert Opinion

With the power-hungry tech industry looking to nuclear energy to meet the rising demands of Artificial Intelligence (AI), SPPGA Director Allison Macfarlane and Prof. M. V. Ramana provide expert opinion about its risks, costs, and long-term sustainability. AI’s Energy Demands and Nuclear’s...

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