The IIAS Annual Lectures: Exchanging knowledge and forging links

Each year IIAS organises an Annual Lecture that is presented by a distinguished international expert on some aspect of Asia and Asian Studies, or the relationship between Asia and Europe. In this way IIAS actively contributes to the exchange of knowledge and scholarship between the Netherlands and the rest of the world. The audiences attending these lectures are always very varied, and certainly not limited to academics. They include diplomats, journalists, representatives of the business community and NGOs, as well as members of the cultural world. The age of the audience is as diverse as the people themselves, from the young to the more mature, which is important for the future of Asian Studies in the Netherlands. It is also attended by the IIAS fellows and graduate and undergraduate students of Leiden University and academic institutions outside of Leiden. It is a unique opportunity for Asia scholars in the Netherlands, and for others with an interest in Asia and Asian affairs, to meet and discuss ongoing issues, especially at the well-attended reception enjoyed after the lecture. It also allows for networking among the participants in general. And networking is an essential core activity of the International Institute for Asian Studies.

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