Based on the conversations with IACS other colleagues we would like to suggest that we use the opportunity provided by the Japan Foundation grant to build a functioning network by:

i) Making our research related to different aspects of cultural and creative industries in the particular contexts of our specialisation available to a larger group of researchers who are working on related questions in their own locations. In addition to putting out work in progress on web-based platform, we could also mediate key policy documents and other texts by alerting each other that the issues foregrounded by the context are.

ii) Identifying issues which can be examined within a comparative framework and whether this can be done collaboratively by researchers located in more than on one Asian location

iii) Assembling a project proposal that will involve several institutions and researchers across Asia to support a) research b) student and faculty exchanges and c) summer schools, conferences, etc.

CSCS has been working on two related projects whose findings and materials it will put out to the network: Creative Economy, with specific reference to cities, “traditional” culture and livelihood creation and inter-Asia circulation of Cultural Content produced by Asian industries. We will also be actively engaged in exploring one other Asian context to get a comparative perspective on our largely India-based research.

 The Network:

We would like organize a two-day meeting in August 2012, alongside the IACS Summer School in Bangalore. During the event we invite the members of the network to present what will be the individual components of the larger research project on Asian culture industries. We will be able to support the local hospitality of the participants, and in some cases, a part of the travel cost of the participant.

Cultural and Creative Industries in Asia: Towards a Collaborative Inter-Asia Research Project and Exchange Programme

(Supported by Japan Foundation, New Delhi)

Project Objective:

1. To carry out a collaborative research project involving multiple researchers located in different parts of Asia on Cultural and Creative Industries in the region. The primary focus of the research project will be culture industries and cultural policy in the major Asian economies namely Japan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong SAR, Taiwan and India.

2. To build a network of collaborators that will engage in lively discussions on the questions thrown up by specific Asian locations on a set of research questions shared by the researchers.

3. To facilitate training in research on creative industries as well dissemination of the work of the network in various locations of Asia. This will involve participating in summer schools and international conferences and facilitating student and faculty exchanges.

The Project

The proposed project is aimed at starting a research project on cultural and creative industries in Asia that will be carried out in different locations across Asia by a network of collaborators. Each collaborator will work primarily on a research field with which they have considerable expertise but will attempt to carry out comparative analyses with other locations and engage in sustained conversations with other members of the network in order to produce a body of new research on the broad area of cultural and creative industries.

In disciplinary terms, our project seeks to have a long term impact on Film Studies and Cultural Studies by facilitating long term engagement between scholars and younger researchers of these disciplines with Communications and Media Studies practitioners. Some of the suggested areas of research are:

a) Cultural impenetrability and Asian markets/popular cultures; b) Localization; c) Creation of new subcultures around cultural forms imported from other parts of Asia; d) Underground markets and e) Dispersal across media formats and its aesthetic, social and political implications.

Components of the Project

a) Exchange programme for Students: which supports the two way movement of scholars and younger researchers (MA/PhD students) to other locations in Asia in order to carry out a part of their research. This includes a student fellowship that Japan Foundation will support for the costs of hosting one Asian research student per year at CSCS. Each student can spend up to one year in India doing a part of his/her field work and library work here AND/OR enrol in coursework at CSCS. Simultaneously, one Indian research student will travel to another Asian university/research centre to either carry out his/her research or enrol in a course there. CSCS-Japan Foundation grant supports a part of the cost of the Indian student’s travel and living expenses. A partner institution in Asia is expected to support accommodation and living costs of the Indian student in that institution.

b) Exchange programme for Faculty: Under the exchange programme, the project will 1) support a part of the cost of one Indian faculty member’s travel to another Asian country to carry out a part of his/her research or library work for a period of up to three months and 2) support a part ofthe travel and other costs of one faculty member from another Asian country to spend up to three months in India.

Overall, under the exchange programme, one PhD level student will be hosted in India each year, one PhD level student from India will travel to another Asian university, one Indian researcher will travel to another Asia location for up to three months and one researcher from another Asian country will travel to India.

c) Building a network of researchers: The grant has modest funding to set up a web-based platform for hosting text, audio and video materials—including author versions of publications—and also share news of events, publications etc. The website can be jointly conceived and administered by CSCS and other interested Inter-Asia collaborators.

Cultural and Creative Industries in Asia: Proposal for a Network of Researchers

CSCS proposes to establish a network of researchers from different parts of Asia who are work in the broad area of culture industries in Asia by:

i) Making research carried by collaborating institutions on cultural and creative industries available to a larger group of researchers. In addition to putting out work in progress on web-based platform, we could also mediate key policy documents and other texts by alerting each other that the issues foregrounded by the context are.

ii) Identifying issues which can be examined within a comparative framework and whether this can be done collaboratively by researchers located in more than on one Asian location

iii) Assembling a project proposal that will involve several institutions and researchers across Asia to support a) research b) student and faculty exchanges and c) summer schools, conferences, etc.

CSCS has been working on two related projects whose findings and materials it will put out to the network: Creative Economy, with specific reference to cities, “traditional” culture and livelihood creation and inter-Asia circulation of Cultural Content produced by Asian industries. We will also be actively engaged in exploring one other Asian context to get a comparative perspective on our largely India-based research.

The Network:

We would like organize a two-day meeting on 3-4 August 2012, alongside the Inter-Asia Cultural Studies Summer School in Bangalore. During the event we invite the members of the network to present what will be the individual components of the larger research project on Asian cultural and creative industries.