From December 5 to 7, 2024, Princeton University hosted the 16th Five-University Conference, an annual academic forum established in 2009 by the international relations departments of Peking University, Princeton University, the University of Tokyo, Korea University, and the National University of Singapore. This year’s conference, themed “East Asia and the World: Navigating Challenges in an Era of Disorder,” brought together nearly 30 scholars from the five participating institutions for in-depth discussions on pressing global issues.

The Peking University delegation was led by teachers Jia Qingguo, Yu Tiejun, Jie Dalei, Chen Changwei, and Dong Zhaohua from the School of International Studies (SIS), accompanied by doctoral students Li Saining and Sui Xuemeng who participated in the graduate forum.

Over the course of two days, the conference examined critical topics including the implications of the 2024 U.S. presidential election on American foreign policy and East Asia strategy, evolving security dynamics in Ukraine and the Middle East, the geopolitical and economic impacts of technological competition, the changing roles of Japan, Korea and ASEAN in regional order, and collaborative approaches to global challenges such as climate change and nuclear proliferation. The discussions particularly focused on how these issues affect East Asia’s strategic landscape and the potential for multilateral cooperation.

A dedicated graduate forum provided student representatives the opportunity to present research on subjects ranging from security dynamics among China, Japan and Korea to NATO’s evolving Indo-Pacific strategy and ASEAN’s regional centrality.

Participants reviewed the significant achievements of this long-standing academic collaboration and unanimously affirmed the value of maintaining this important platform for intellectual exchange. The conference concluded with expressions of anticipation for the 17th Five-University Conference to be held next year.

Written by Sui Xuemeng
Edited by Dong Zhaohua