What would happen if a crisis in the Taiwan Strait forced large numbers of people in Japan to flee their homes? How prepared is the Japanese government to protect and support them, and what can Europe learn from this?
On 27 January, LAC Asia Academy welcomes Mina Pollmann, Japan Research Fellow at the Leiden Asia Centre and a regular contributor to The Diplomat. Drawing on her recent report Preparing for the Actual Worst: Supporting Japanese Internally Displaced Persons in a Taiwan Strait Contingency, she will examine how Japan is planning for a possible evacuation from Okinawa in the event of conflict, where those plans fall short, and what governments can do to better support displaced populations in long term crises.
The lecture will be followed by a response from Thomas Kavadias, Policy Officer for East Asia at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who will reflect on the policy implications for the Netherlands and Europe.
This one-hour lecture is part of the LAC Asia Academy series, which brings together academic, business and government experts to deepen public understanding of contemporary developments in East, South and Southeast Asia. The event is open to everyone and offers a unique opportunity to engage directly with leading specialists on one of the most important geopolitical challenges of our time.
