Springtime In Asia? An Interview with Nobuo Fukuda

During his presentation on September 17, Senior Scholar Nobuo Fukuda discussed the effects that the Arab Spring movement has had on democratic transitions in Asian countries.  He pointed out that, already, "springtime has been in Asia," and used Indonesia as a case study.  He examined this nation's successful switch from authoritarianism to democracy since President Suharto's resignation in 1998.  Breaking down the different groups who influence the Indonesian government, Fukuda also spoke about some of the challenges that they are still facing.  

Before the event, Fukuda spoke with the Asia Program on several topics, including the effect of Egypt's protests and uprisings on Asian countries including China, and why Indonesia is a good case study for democracy in Asia.  You can view the videos here, and find more information about the presentation on our webpage.  Fukuda will be using this research in his newest book, tentatively titled Asia Spring.