BIFD Lizhou Wang + BIFD Jinwon Lee

Institutionalizing Knowledge Diplomacy in Northeast Asia: Universities, Scholars, and Academic Cooperation Governance

by Lizhou Wang

As geopolitical tensions increasingly reshape international academic relations, how can universities sustain cooperation across political and national divides? This talk examines the institutionalization of knowledge diplomacy in Northeast Asia, focusing on the roles of universities, scholars, and regional cooperation mechanisms in maintaining cross-border academic ties. Drawing on examples from China, Japan, and South Korea, it explores how academic actors navigate tensions between national interests, geopolitical pressures, and the norms of reciprocity and mutual benefit that underpin durable cooperation. The talk considers when academic cooperation can move beyond individual relationships and short-term initiatives to become institutionally embedded and resilient to political change. By examining Northeast Asia as a region characterized by both deep knowledge interdependence and persistent geopolitical tensions, the talk also reflects on the broader potential—and limits—of universities and scholars as actors in knowledge diplomacy.

Bio

Lizhou Wang studies the politics and governance of global knowledge relations, with a particular focus on higher education and research cooperation in East Asia. Her research examines how geopolitical tensions, power asymmetries, and institutional interests shape the production and circulation of knowledge across borders.
She is particularly interested in knowledge diplomacy and the role of universities as actors in international and regional cooperation. Her current work explores how cross-border academic collaboration is negotiated and sustained amid growing geopolitical fragmentation.

From Security Institution to Political Symbol: Political Polarization and the U.S.–South Korea Alliance: How has recent political polarization transformed existing interpretations of the U.S.–ROK alliance into competing political identities?

How has recent political polarization transformed interpretations of the U.S.–South Korea alliance into competing political identities? While the U.S.–South Korea alliance has long been regarded as a cornerstone of South Korea’s security policy, growing political polarization has altered the way it is understood and debated. In recent years, transnational conservative networks, digital media, and the diffusion of American political narratives have increasingly linked support for the alliance to broader ideological identities, including pro-Trump politics, conservative Christian activism, and anti-China sentiment. As a result, the alliance is no longer interpreted solely as a security institution but has also become a politically contested symbol. This study argues that the transformation lies not in the alliance itself, but in the social meanings attached to it. Drawing on discourse analysis of political speeches, media content, and public debates, as well as original survey evidence from South Korea, the study examines how political polarization has reshaped the symbolic meaning of the U.S.–South Korea alliance and transformed competing policy preferences into identity-based narratives. By analyzing the alliance as both a security institution and a political symbol, the project contributes to research on alliance politics, political polarization, and the domestic construction of foreign policy identities.

Bio

Jinwon Lee is an assistant professor at Waseda University. She received a PhD of Political Science, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. She served as a researcher at the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy and a research associate at the Korea Institute for National Unification. She received her B.A. in political science and an M.A. in international peace and security from Korea University. Her research focuses broadly on international security and alliance politics.
Specifically, she analyzes the dynamics between patrons and protégés in military alliances. Her research agenda includes examining how protégés respond to patrons’ military commitments and policy decisions, the interaction between a patron’s military commitments and non-proliferation policies affecting its protégé, and the credibility of nuclear extended deterrence. She has investigated these topics using original large-N data and conducting archival research for in-depth case studies on the U.S.–South Korea and China-North Korea alliances and their intra-alliance relations.
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