Institutions & Partners

COAST

Chaired by Prof Niki Alsford, The Centre of Austronesia Studies (COAST) aims to facilitate research exchange among Austronesian speaking nations as an ethnolinguistic group of peoples. COAST promotes mutual understanding, respect and appreciation of cultures across the Asia Pacific region through increasing interdisciplinary modes of communication and education.

Current project and research topics include:

• Climate Change in the Asia Pacific: Contact Prof Niki Alsford (NJPAlsford@uclan.ac.uk)
• Early Spanish literature on Formosa and the Philippines: Contact Simon Green (SGreen25@uclan.ac.uk)
• Missionary movements in the Asia Pacific: Contact Prof Niki Alsford (NJPAlsford@uclan.ac.uk)

IKSU

Established in 2014, the International Institute of Korean Studies at UCLan (IKSU), works as a multidisciplinary research, teaching, and public policy hub, working on the two Koreas. The IKSU is home to teaching from undergraduate degrees through to doctoral work and provides innovative research and insight from the fields of humanities and social sciences.

Current project and research topics include:

• Marshall-Like Plan for North Korea: Contact NJPAlsford@uclan.ac.uk or Slim4@uclan.ac.uk.
• Role of British Media on North Korea: Contact NJPAlsford@uclan.ac.uk.
• Building Accountable Institutions in North Korea: Contact Slim4@uclan.ac.uk

The IKSU is offering MA scholarships in North Korean Studies and PhD scholarships in Korean Studies. Please visit their website for more information.

[ Teachers’ Resource Book for EPQ on Korea ] – please find it here.

NEPCAP

The Northern England Policy Centre for the Asia Pacific (NEPCAP), established in 2018, is a policy orientated institute with a focus on the Asia Pacific. Its aim is to play the role of maximising research impact into policy and practice, in various fields of studies related to the issues in the Asia Pacific region.

Current project and research topics include:

• Social media and democratic processes in Asia: Contact Dr Moises de Souza (MLopesDeSouza@uclan.ac.uk)
• Asia Pacific in the age of surveillance capitalism: Contact Dr Moises de Souza (MLopesDeSouza@uclan.ac.uk)
• Taiwanese People’s perceptions on maritime disputes: Contact Dr Moises de Souza (MLopesDeSouza@uclan.ac.uk)

NorITS

Established in June 2018, the Northern Institute of Taiwan Studies (NorITS) is an interdisciplinary hub of teaching, research, public policy and cultural activities, whose main aim is to promote the development of academic study on Taiwan and take part in social and cultural exchanges between the British world and Taiwan. Research within NorITS locates Taiwan as a centre from which the Austronesian people expanded their cultural and linguistic influence throughout the Asia Pacific throughout history, and as a hub between local, regional and global socio-political dynamics in contemporary times.

From 2021, NorITS launched ‘Taiwan on Air 空中直播台灣’, a podcast series, featuring Taiwan specialists, book writers, artists, directors, and professionals from, or with, an interest in Taiwan. Listen to it on Sportify.

Current project and research topics include:

• Taiwan historical anthropology: Contact Prof Niki Alsford (NJPAlsford@uclan.ac.uk)
• Climate change and environment in Taiwan and the Pacific Islands: Contact Prof Niki Alsford (NJPAlsford@uclan.ac.uk)
• Taiwan media, popular culture, nation branding and citizen diplomacy: Contact Dr Adina Zemanek (ASZemanek@uclan.ac.uk)
• Postcolonial literature and Environmental humanities in Taiwan and in the wider Asia Pacific: Contact Dr Ti-han Chang (TChang2@uclan.ac.uk)
• Issues related to gender and migration, social media and democracy, new public diplomacy in Taiwan, China and the wider Asia Pacific Region: Contact Dr Lara Momesso (LMomesso@uclan.ac.uk)
• Taiwan foreign policy and maritime disputes, social media and democracy in Taiwan and the wider Asia Pacific Region: Contact Dr Moises De Souza (MLopesDeSouza@uclan.ac.uk)

IJS

Current project and research topics include: