Podcast
Asia Rising
Hosted by La Trobe Asia · EN
Asia Rising, the podcast of La Trobe Asia which takes a critical look at the key issues facing Asia's states and societies.
36episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
#256: Blue Security in the Indo-Pacific
Jan 2100:24:22Tap to summarizeThe Indo-Pacific is often described as a maritime region, but the oceans here are far more than geography. They are trade corridors, food sources, energy highways, and increasingly, sites of strategic competition. How states think about security at sea—what some now call blue security—is becoming central to regional order. Dr Troy Lee-Brown (Research Fellow, University of Western Australia Defence and Security Institute, and Project Manager of the Blue Security Program) Recorded on 19th January, 2026.
Transcribe →#255: Is Russia Turning East?
Jan 700:29:27Tap to summarizeRussia has long imagined itself as a great power looking westward while sitting firmly in the east. That tension—between geography and identity, ambition and capability—shapes the way it approaches Asia. Guest: Dr Ian Storey (Senior Fellow at the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore)
Transcribe →#254: China's Evolving Role in Latin America
Dec 1000:20:38Tap to summarizeChina’s presence in Latin America has expanded rapidly over the past two decades, reshaping the region’s economies, politics, and strategic landscape. From major infrastructure projects and digital ecosystems to shifting patterns of trade, finance, and influence, Beijing’s role is becoming both more complex and more contested. Guest: Margaret Myers (Managing Director, Institute for America, China, and the Future of Global Affairs, Johns Hopkins SAIS; Senior Advisor, Inter-American Dialogue) Recorded 19th November, 2025
Transcribe →Putin's Asia Strategy
Nov 2700:45:31Tap to summarizeRussia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has upended global geopolitics — and its ripple effects have reached deep into Southeast Asia. How has the Kremlin’s “pivot to Asia” evolved under Vladimir Putin and has Russia been able to advance its economic and geopolitical interests in Southeast Asia? How did regional states react to Russian aggression against Ukraine and what explains their differing responses to the invasion? In this book launch event, Dr Ian Storey discusses his new book Putin’s Russia and Southeast Asia: The Kremlin’s Pivot to Asia and the Impact of the Russia-Ukraine War, exploring Russia’s strategic aims, energy diplomacy, and defence ties in the region. How resilient are these relationships in the face of war, sanctions, and shifting alliances? And what does this mean for Southeast Asia’s future place in a fragmenting world order? Recorded on 25th November, 2025.
Transcribe →Conflict Prevention in the Indo-Pacific
Nov 2101:02:26Tap to summarizeAcross the Indo-Pacific rising geopolitical tensions, democratic backsliding, and climate-related instability are increasing the risk of violent conflict. Yet far less attention — and funding — is devoted to preventing crises before they occur. Early-warning, multi-track diplomacy, locally grounded peacebuilding, and whole-of-government coherence are all strategies that can be employed to develop a more effective approach. How can governments, aid agencies, and regional bodies work together to spot risks early and build resilience? What part should Australia play in linking diplomacy, aid, and security? And how can prevention be woven into regional cooperation across Southeast Asia and the Pacific? Panel: William Leben (Senior Analyst, Development Intelligence Lab) Assoc. Professor Jasmine Westendorf (Co-Director of Initiative for Peacebuilding, University of Melbourne) Dr Natalie Sambhi (Executive Director, Verve Research) Professor Bec Strating (Director, La Trobe Asia) Recorded on 20th November, 2025.
Transcribe →#253: How Ancient India Transformed the World
Nov 1800:24:21Tap to summarizeFor more than a thousand years, India stood at the heart of the ancient world — a confident exporter of ideas, art, religion, science, and philosophy that travelled from the Red Sea to the Pacific. In his new book, "The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World", respected historian and author William Dalrymple traces this extraordinary flow of culture and knowledge, showing how Indian civilisation shaped everything from Roman trade to Chinese Buddhism and even the numbers we use today — reminding us of India’s remarkable role as the engine of global culture. Guest: William Dalrymple Recorded 11th November, 2025.
Transcribe →#233: Gender Inequality for Women in Japan
Dec 11, 202400:24:35Tap to summarizeMany countries struggle with gender inequality, but in Japan the problem is pronounced. The gender pay gap is at 22%, and women face a number of related issues, including precarious and subordinate positions in the labour market, and the sexual exploitation in the entertainment industry. Voices from the Contemporary Japanese Feminist Movement by Emma Dalton and Caroline Norma (Palgrave Macmillan, 2022) Guest: Dr Caroline Norma (Senior Lecturer, Interpreting and Translating, RMIT) Host: Dr Emma Dalton (Senior Lecturer, Japanese Studies, La Trobe University) Recorded on 11th December, 2024.
Transcribe →#232: Indigenous Knowledge in Tibetan Education
Nov 29, 202400:23:16Tap to summarizeTibet and the Tibetan Plateau are well-known as the home of an important religious and philosophical tradition, Tibetan Buddhism. However, we tend to pay less attention to the lived experiences and llfeways of the Indigenous peoples who live with this singular environment and their achievements and challenges. So how does the state education address Indigenous knowledge and that which the people get from the land itself? Guest: Dr Tashi Dekyid Monet (School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia) Host: Assoc Professor Ruth Gamble (Deputy Director, La Trobe Asia) Recorded on 30th October, 2024.
Transcribe →Book Launch: The Politics of Language Oppression in Tibet
Nov 21, 202401:03:58Tap to summarizeThere are dozens of minority languages spoken in Tibet, but that number is currently collapsing under assimilatory state policies. An increasing number of families in these communities are now passing on Tibetan or Chinese, in the hope of accessing better opportunities in education and employment. What are the systems at work that restrict and devalue minority languages in Tibet? How can global advocacy networks acknowledge the issue, and what radical changes are needed to address this crisis? The launch of The Politics of Language Oppression in Tibet by Gerald Roche, published by Cornell University Press. Panel: Associate Professor Gerald Roche (Department of Politics, Media, and Philosophy, La Trobe University) Associate Professor Sonika Gupta (Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras) Dr Anna Belew (Executive Director, Endangered Languages Project, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa) Associate Professor Ruth Gamble (Deputy Director, La Trobe Asia, La Trobe University)(chair) Professor Bec Strating (Director, La Trobe Asia, La Trobe University)(introduction) Recorded on 15th November, 2024
Transcribe →#231: What the New Trump Presidency Means for Asia
Nov 13, 202400:34:47Tap to summarizeDonald Trump has won the 2024 Unites States election. So what will his return to the White House mean for the Asian region? Guest: Professor Bec Strating (Director, La Trobe Asia) Recorded on 11th November, 2024.
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