LOREA – LUISS Observatory of relations with East Asia

 LOREA is a research observatory focused on the study about political, social, economic and cultural developments in East Asian societies, bilateral relations of East Asian states with one another, trilateral and regional arrangements in East Asia, East Asia in the context of the changing geo-political landscape globally, as well as relations between East Asia and Europe, and with Italy in particular. One particular focus of the observatory is on the connectivity agenda between East Asia and Europe, taking into account important developments such as the Belt and Road Initiative, the EU Connectivity Strategy, the Free and Open Indo-Pacific, and other such initiatives. These developments, occurring in the context of a wider global realignment challenging multilateral institutions and global governance, make it important to study the sustainability of connections between Europe and East Asia. The work of LOREA aims to contribute to debates about the strategic, economic, societal and culture value of Euro-Asia connectivity, about the sustainability of related policies and infrastructures, and about the governance arrangements of related institutions.

Research Coordinators

Thomas Christiansen joined Luiss Guido Carli University as a Professor in the Political Science Department in September 2019. He previously held positions at Maastricht University, at the European Institute of Public Administration, at Aberystwyth University of Wales and at Essex University. He is Executive Editor of the Journal of European Integration (Taylor and Francis) and co-editor (with Sophie Vanhoonacker) of the ‘European Administration Governance’ book series at Palgrave Macmillan. He has published widely on different aspects of European Union politics and European governance. In recent years his research has focused in particular on EU relations with Asia. Prof. Christiansen is currently coordinating the EU-funded research project EAST (see http://east-jmn.eu/ for details) which involves the cooperation of seven universities and think tanks across three continents. In the context of this project he is also the co-editor of The European Union’s Security Relations with Asian Partners (London: Routledge, forthcoming in 2021) in which the findings of the project will be published.

Silvia Menegazzi teaches International Relations and Asian Studies in the Department of Political Science at Luiss Guido Carli University. She is a founding member of the Study Centre on Contemporary China (CSCC). Dr. Menegazzi has been Visiting Research Scholar at China Foreign Affairs University and at the University of Warwick. She holds a PhD in Political Theory (Luiss), an MSc in International Politics (SOAS University of London) and an MA in East Asian Studies (La Sapienza). She speaks Chinese fluently and has spent long periods of time in China (Nankai University, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Renmin University, East China Normal University). Dr. Menegazzi is also Adjunct Faculty in the Political Science Department of Roma Tre University. Her research interests cut across global governance and Asian studies with a focus on non-governmental actors.

Youngah Guahk joined the Department of Business and Management (DIM) at Luiss University as a Lecturer in Asian Affairs in September 2020. Originally from South Korea, Dr Guahk has pursued an international career, having studies and also worked in Switzerland, the United States, the Netherlands, UK, Germany, and also South Korea, before coming to Italy. This has involved attending degree programs as well as teaching appointments at various universities and work experience in the private sector. She received her PhD from the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany. In her research, Dr Guahk has focused on urban governance and sustainable development in East Asia, with particular focus on the politics and policy-making regarding eco city projects in South Korea. As a native of South Korea, Dr Guahk also speaks Japanese fluently and hope to contribute further research on the area of comparative aspects of Korean and Japanese urban governance and sustainable development.   At DIM, Dr Guahk teaches courses on “Hotel Management” and “Tourism Management”, while also contributing to the curriculum of the Department of Political Science with a course on “Asian Culture & Politics”. In addition, she is a founding member and research associate at the Luiss Observatory for Relations with East Asia (LOREA).

Activities and Publications

Thomas Christiansen, Emil Kirchner and Uwe Wissenbach, The European Union and China (London: Palgrave, 2019)

Thomas Christiansen, Emil Kirchner and Han Dorussen Security Relations between China and the European Union (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2016).

Silvia Menegazzi, Rethinking Think Tanks in Contemporary China, (Palgrave, 2017)

Silvia Menegazzi (with Matteo Dian), New Regional Initiatives in Chinese Foreign Policy: the Incoming Pluralism of Global Governance, (Palgrave, 2018)

Silvia Menegazzi (with Raffaele Marchetti), Post Western World Orders and East Asia Future’, East Asia Review, Vol. 18, pp. 187-216 (2019)

Silvia Menegazzi, ‘The Chinese perspective on cyber cooperation/challenges in EU-China relations’, EU-China Observer, Vol. 4, (2019), College of Europe

Forthcoming events:

November 12/13: International Conference: ‘The Como Process and Beyond: Towards a New Horizon on the Korean Peninsula?’ – Waldorf Astoria Hotel, Roma