On 13 March 2025, our team, composed by Kristina Kironska and Federica Cidale met with Prof Chosein Yamahata (Graduate School of Policy Studies, Aichi Gakuin University), Assoc Prof Makiko Takeda (Faculty of Policy Studies, Aichi Gakuin University), Prof Sueo Sudo (Adjunct Professor, Aichi Gakuin University), and PhD candidate Yatana Yamahata (Graduate School of International Development, Nagoya University) at the Aichi Gakuin Nisshin campus.
The discussions were very insightful, with the hosts presenting their research on Myanmar and the Indo-Pacific region through their books and academic articles. Chosein Yamahata’s research spans democratization, human security, international development, and social transformation in Myanmar and ASEAN, and their influence on regional dynamics in the Indo-Pacific. Makiko Takeda explores the evolving roles of women in Myanmar and their contributions to grassroots peacebuilding and investigates the potential of plurilingualism to promote equality and social cohesion in divided societies, particularly in Myanmar. Sueo Sudo researches the foreign policy of Japan, the role of ASEAN in regional security architecture, and the development of regionalism in the Indo-Pacific. Yatana Yamahata’s PhD research focuses on the challenge of establishing civilian control during Myanmar’s democratic transition, with reference to parallel and divergent experiences in other Southeast Asian countries.
We had a pleasant exchange of ideas that highlighted shared academic interests and potential avenues for collaboration between our Myanmar Studies Center and their institutions. One particularly exciting prospect is the promotion of writing in Burmese and ethnic languages through Burmawave, an initiative dedicated to amplifying voices from Myanmar’s pro-democracy movement and offering alternative perspectives to mainstream narratives. Though the website is currently being restructured, we are eager to contribute to and support the platform once it restarts.
Moreover, our hosts provided us with books on Myanmar to add to our Myanmar Studies Center’s library, enriching our collection and providing further resources for our research community. You can now find them in our library in Olomouc.
