Gyeongnam National University Holds 'Peace Forum' with Japan's Soka University and Taiwan's Chinese Culture University

Gyeongnam National University held the ‘2023 Peace Forum’ jointly with Japan’s Soka University and Taiwan’s Chinese Culture University at the Soka University Global Square on the 25th.

Gyeongnam National University held a peace forum with Soka University in Japan and Chinese Culture University in Taiwan.

Before the event, President Park Jae-gyu met with Soka University President Suzuki Masashi to discuss ▲the development direction of the Peace Forum ▲friendly cooperation among the three universities ▲and the establishment of peace in East Asia amid changes in the Northeast Asian geopolitical situation.

This Peace Forum was held under the main theme, ‘Ways to Promote Cooperation and Coexistence: Beyond Power and Interdependence.’

At the opening ceremony, President Park emphasized, “As conflicts deepen in the international community, it is necessary to discuss ways in which interdependence can develop into complementary cooperation and coexistence,” adding, “This Peace Forum will provide a good opportunity to discuss this.”

In the first session, Professor Jonathan Luckhurst of Soka University delivered a keynote speech on ‘Cooperation, Coexistence, and Competitive Pluralism in Global Politics,’ followed by a panel discussion with Professor Hartmut Lenz of Soka University, Professor Wang Shun-Wen of Chinese Culture University, and Professor Lee Byung-chul of Gyeongnam National University’s Institute of Far Eastern Studies.

In his keynote, Professor Luckhurst stated, “While 21st-century international politics shows a trend of moving away from interdependence toward competitive pluralism, leading to fragmentation of existing multilateralism and global governance, there remains potential for cooperation, coexistence, and interdependence due to the increasing influence of Asian countries.”

In the second session, ‘Ways to Promote Cooperation and Coexistence,’ Professor Kim Jung of the University of North Korean Studies presented on ‘Democratic Cooperation Against the Weaponization of Economic Interdependence.’ Professor Kim mentioned, “If South Korea weaponizes economic interdependence to protect its ‘core interests,’ cooperation among similar democratic countries, based on the U.S.’s network power, will strengthen, forming an anti-China containment network with economic collective deterrence.”

Following this, Professor Kuo Jing-houng of Chinese Culture University presented survey results on interpersonal relationships, social support, and mental health of youth in Taiwan, Macau, and China in the post-pandemic era under the theme ‘Youth Crisis and Opportunities in Taiwan, Macau, and China in the Post-Pandemic Era.’

After the presentations, a discussion was held among session participants, including Professor Ulv Hanssen of Soka University and Professor Kim Sang-beom of Gyeongnam National University’s Institute of Far Eastern Studies.

Gyeongnam National University, Soka University, and Chinese Culture University have been holding the ‘Peace Forum’ annually since 2017 to promote East Asian peace research and enhance academic exchanges among the three countries. In 2022, the forum was held in Jeju Island under the main theme ‘The U.S.-China Strategic Competition and Its Impact,’ featuring three sessions from the perspectives of Korea, Japan, and Taiwan.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.