\n
Professor Kono has been engaging in research on Southeast Asia for almost forty years and interviewed farmers more than one thousand times. As the director of both Kyoto University\u2019s International Strategy Office and European Center, he also works to build relationships that cross cultural spheres.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Diversity in Research<\/h3>\n\n\n\nWorldwide, it has become harder for scholars to just engage in research as they like. The UK, for example, has established standards for universities with the Research Excellence Framework (REF) and the Concordat to Support Research Integrity. Also, early career researchers in Europe have created Eurodoc, taking the initiative to think about the likes of hiring and research funding.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Kono: Standardization and frameworks look good from the outside. But these alone won\u2019t create changes on the inside. Consider environmental conservation. One shouldn\u2019t infringe on the rights of locals or put them at a disadvantage. Conservation groups have drawn up philosophical and action principles for this. However, problems arise when applying them to specific cases because outside intervention benefits some people and harms others. Frameworks just allow them to justify their activities using standardized records.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yet, looking at Japan, almost no one is working to ensure the quality of university research environments. Kyoto University advocates a free academic style, but sometimes it appears that freedom and diversity are in danger. If we just wait for the government to act for us, universities and scholars might end up entirely subservient.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Kono: That does happen. People on the outside shouldn\u2019t be the ones creating such programs and opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The diversity of scholars is concerning. Universities have become more fluid (less tenure, more people from outside Japanese academia), which has led to less diversity\u2014people don\u2019t try their hand at a variety of things. Early career scholars say that they don\u2019t talk with anyone throughout the day, don\u2019t have a career role model, and don\u2019t want to go anywhere.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Kono: One big reason is the emphasis on publishing articles. When I was around thirty years old, there were multiple people my age researching agriculture and rural livelihoods in Southeast Asia. I\u2019m the only one left. I was able to produce a few more articles, but other people\u2019s research had more breadth. If only people doing narrow research survive, things will become incredibly specialized and just taper out in the next generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As time passes, people develop different ideas about what makes a good scholar. Today, there\u2019s a narrow neoliberal emphasis on performance. Early career scholars are working as hard as they can to produce books and articles while putting off the research they want to do until after tenure.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Kono: As someone in a management position, I must say that the emphasis on publishing articles isn\u2019t going away. Insofar as one is a scholar at a university, one needs to keep on writing. While the hurdle to do so is perhaps becoming higher and higher, this is non-negotiable. With that said, I hope that those who pass this hurdle will have wide perspectives and diverse interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Work with Different People<\/h3>\n\n\n\nHow can one go beyond just writing articles to develop new research?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Kono: Try working with completely different people, people with different fields and interests. This goes for anything, whether it\u2019s developing new research or applications for funding such research. It\u2019s challenging, but your perspective will dramatically expand and new things will become apparent. 1+1 will equal 3 or 5. Try writing funding applications with people in different fields. For this, you must think academically, and you also must appeal to society\u2014you won\u2019t receive funding without doing so. It\u2019s a great opportunity to think hard with others.
A lot of people stick with people who are in similar fields or heading in a similar research direction. However, in this case, 1+1 only becomes 1.3. It\u2019s unquestionably harmful to eliminate differences, as is often done. I think highly of people who are thinking about things that I don\u2019t, who can do things that I can\u2019t. This is only rational.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
People might be afraid or feel threatened.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Kono: It\u2019s not threatening. I can learn a lot by working with someone in philosophy because I don\u2019t know anything about it. Conversely, they won\u2019t know anything about Southeast Asia or agriculture. So I think there\u2019s no problem here. With that said, it is probably hard to find common ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Germinable Ideas and Keeping an Eye Out for Opportunities<\/h3>\n\n\n\nHow can people find common ground and work with completely different people?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Kono: Encounters and common ground come about by chance. However, one has to have ideas: \u201cI want to do this kind of thing.\u201d When you happen to meet someone, you\u2019ll be able to think about connecting these ideas with theirs. If you don\u2019t have anything, you\u2019ll miss your chance.
Also, don\u2019t be picky about people. It\u2019s a waste to think about how someone doesn\u2019t sit right with you\u2014there might be a great opportunity around the corner! Try to look at the other person\u2019s strengths. Also, if you trust someone because you like them, you\u2019ll probably get into hot water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What about confidence? Without it, you can\u2019t take a step forward.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Kono: Everyone\u2019s sizing up each other, which can be intimidating. But remember that everyone starts with no confidence and then acquires it gradually by succeeding. Then they\u2019re able to take a step forward and say, \u201cHey, this is what I do. What about you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Diving into Opportunities and University Culture<\/h3>\n\n\n\nAt Kyoto University and elsewhere, more and more people with experience overseas want to connect researchers from different universities to gather information and do new things. It appears that such people sometimes are uncomfortable with Kyoto University\u2019s lack of cross-pollination.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Kono: Whether it\u2019s research or industry-academic collaboration, in Europe people quickly form communities. In the US, they don\u2019t, but they help each other. At Kyoto University, people do neither. They think it\u2019s important to have their freedom and try to become the ruler of their own ivory tower turret. However, KU\u2019s culture is changing. People are coming together to pool their wisdom. Technology has accelerated this. Personally, I think it\u2019s necessary to change oneself while maintaining what\u2019s good about KU\u2019s traditional academic culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While they might be doing what they like, it appears that few scholars can afford to, as you say, wait for opportunities to appear by chance.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Kono: I think it was the Bugis people in Indonesia\u2014there\u2019s always someone wandering around looking for a sweet, sure-fire opportunity. In short, what\u2019s important is the drive to find interesting stuff. It\u2019s the case for me as well. I have no idea what I\u2019m doing tomorrow: I don\u2019t know what\u2019s going to come my way. However, back in the day, everyone around me was serious, only looking straight ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There aren\u2019t many people with that mindset at our university. With that said, it\u2019d be strange to try to institutionalize such interesting opportunities. This actually reminds of my research on hunter-gatherer people. They don\u2019t worry about tomorrow. They think that nature will give them something, that even if they can\u2019t get something themself, another person will divide up what they get. A deep trust in nature and community members makes it possible to live without constantly having to prepare for tomorrow. If people believed that other scholars will help them if they fail, then their research might change.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Kono: University culture can play a role by affirming this kind of spirit and researchers who are different. I think it\u2019s important for people to give this kind of thing its due recognition\u2014even if such efforts end up being fruitless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
February 6th, 2020
Interviewers: NAKANO Asa, KOIZUMI Miyako; interviewed on 6 February 2020<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
*This article is based on content previously published on \u201cLife as a scholar: Kyoto University and Beyond,\u201d which has since been discontinued. Professor Kono is a Southeast Asia area studies scholar who focuses on agriculture. He also travels around the globe, playing a leading role in Kyoto University\u2019s international strategy. What do these perspectives bring to the table? Professor of Center for Southeast Asian StudiesKono Yasuyuki Professor Kono has been engaging in research on Southeast Asia for almost forty years and interviewed farmers more than one thousand times. As the director of both Kyoto University\u2019s International Strategy Office and European Center, he also works to build relationships that cross cultural\u2025<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_crdt_document":"","exclusive":false,"relatedArticles":[],"footnotes":""},"tags":[75],"class_list":["post-2252","blog","type-blog","status-publish","hentry","tag-next-generation-forum"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"
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