On April 22, researchers from Millennium Nucleus ICLAC participated in the II Congreso Nacional de ALADAA Chile, titled “Asia y África: Desafíos y oportunidades en una realidad transnacional”, an instance that brought together academics from throughout the country to dialogue around the role these regions occupy in research and university teaching in Latin America.
Francisco Urdinez, director of ICLAC and the UC Asian Studies Center, and Jessica Sequeira, postdoctoral researcher of the same nucleus and executive coordinator of the UC Asian Studies Center, participated in the opening panel of the second day, dedicated to "Academic Studies of Asia in Chile: trajectory and challenges". They shared reflections on the development of Asian studies in Chilean universities and their experiences in the field. The panel was coordinated by Soon Bae Kim and Janice Tapia, and also featured Andrés Bórquez, principal investigator at ICLAC and academic from the Institute of International Studies at the University of Chile.
The congress, organized by ALADAA Chile and the Academia University of Christian Humanism, featured more than 45 presentations and was structured around round tables, discussion panels, and cultural activities. Some of the main topics addressed were geopolitics in Asia, cultural bridges, comparative studies, and studies of Korea, Japan, and China, among others.
ICLAC's participation in this event reaffirms the nucleus's commitment to strengthening Asian studies from a local perspective, connecting global debates with Latin American realities.