Overview of the Awards Ceremony for 23rd Asia Pacific Research Prize

Overview of the Prize and Selection Process

The Asia Pacific Research Prize was established in 2001 to reward outstanding dissertations written in the field of humanities or social sciences about the Asia Pacific region. The dissertations are written by Japanese, international students and others who have completed post-graduate studies and received doctorates from Japanese graduate schools. This year we invited students who received their doctorates after March 2019 to compete for the prize. This includes students who completed their coursework without degree after March 2019, and then received their doctorates afterward. As a result of the strict selection process conducted by the Selection Committee on the theses recommended and gathered from graduate schools all over Japan, Dr. Wen Qiuying's dissertation, “A Cultural History of the Acceptance of the Chinese Language through ‘Voices’: Seeking Another Language of Culture in Modern Japan” was selected for a main prize. In addition, Dr. Pattajit Tangsinmunkong's dissertation, “Uprooting the Bamboo: Thai Diplomatic History Revisited”, Dr. Natsuko Miyokawa's dissertation, “The ‘Two Chinas’ and Liberal Democratic Party Politics: Informal Channels in Postwar Japan-Taiwan Relations”, and Dr. Junyi Yang's dissertation, “Fisheries Knowledge Beyond the Sea: Fisheries Personnel and Their Activities in Modern China” were selected for a Commendation.

Overview of the Awards Ceremony

At the Awards Ceremony on August 1, 2024, the prizes were bestowed on the winners by Awaji Conference Representative Director Minoru Makimura, and the prize winners received an award certificate as well as prize money. After each winner gave a speech, the Chairman of the Selection Committee, Dr. Yutaka Katayama explained how and why the selections were made.