East Asia after the Second World War: the Revenge of Rice Civilizations?

Andrei Lankov lectures on East Asia’s modernization, economic transformation and social costs. In Russian, followed by questions and answers.

Historian and East Asia specialist Andrei Lankov explores how a largely agrarian region in the mid-20th century became a major centre of the global economy, technology and culture. The lecture considers development strategies, rice cultivation, work ethics and Confucian values.

It compares the “white” modernization of South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore with the “red” modernization of China and Vietnam, examining authoritarianism, the social costs of growth and current challenges. A question-and-answer session follows. Lankov is a professor at Kookmin University in Seoul and an expert on North Korea.