Asia – Transition of a World RegionMilan Matthiesen

ASIEN – Nr. 144 (2017) pp. 152–53

Hamburg, May 16–18, 2017

The international conference “Asia – Transition of a World Region”, jointly prepared by the German Association of Asian Studies (DGA) and the GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies, was held in Hamburg from 16 to 18 May 2017. Scholars from a number of different fields of study presented their research and discussed recent developments in Asia. The conference was organized into four panels: Challenges of Urbanization, Science and Technology in Asia, Climate Change and Social Equity.

Prior to the academic discussion, the 50th anniversary of the DGA was celebrated with a reception in the Hamburg City Hall on May 16. Welcome addresses were given by the First Mayor of Hamburg Olaf Scholz and the Chairman of the DGA Rahul Peter Das, focusing on the contribution of the DGA to the development of Asian Studies. In his keynote speech about “The Future of Asia: Prospects and Challenges”, Chief Economist of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Yasuyuki Sawada, analysed the current growth and income models of Asian countries. He argued that Asian countries will further develop from middle-income into highincome societies if the appropriate policies are implemented going forward.