Student Research on Women and Women’s Movements in East Asia Discussed at a Roundtable

On March 11, 2026, the Institute for Asian and African Studies hosted an online roundtable titled “Women and Women’s Movements in East Asia.” The programme featured student presentations focusing on gender issues in China, Korea, and Japan.

Из личного архива Удавихиной М.А.

The Institute for Asian and African Studies hosted an online roundtable titled “Women and Women’s Movements in East Asia,” held in connection with International Women’s Day. The event brought together faculty members and students presenting research on gender issues in China, Korea, and Japan.

Opening the roundtable, Maria Udavikhina noted that the discussion focused on three key countries of the region - China, Korea, and Japan - and emphasized that the format of the event enabled students not only to present their work but also to engage in substantive academic discussion. Natalia Kim, Chair of the Organizing Committee, highlighted in her welcoming remarks that gender studies remain an important and actively developing field of research, with student interest in the topic continuing to grow.

The programme began with a presentation by Ksenia Piven (4th-year student), titled “Feminism in South Korea: An Analysis of the 4B Movement.” The presentation set the tone for the subsequent discussion, addressing radical forms of contemporary Korean feminism, the role of the digital environment as a space for expression, and the influence of socio-economic conditions and demographic policies on individual life strategies.

The Korean segment continued with a presentation by Veronika Yurchenko (5th-year student), “The Formation of Childfree Discourse in the Republic of Korea in the 21st Century (Based on Women’s Literary Texts).” Drawing on literary sources, she demonstrated how the personal choice to forgo motherhood becomes part of a broader public discourse in South Korea and acquires cultural significance.

 

The Chinese segment shifted the discussion into a historical perspective. Ekaterina Volosanova (2nd-year student) examined the role of women in the development of education in China through the example of Zeng Baosun, illustrating how a new model of women’s education emerged in the context of modernization. Elena Lapochkina (2nd-year student), in her presentation on Xiang Jingyu, showed how ideas of women’s emancipation evolved within the framework of political struggle and revolutionary transformations.

The Japanese segment was particularly diverse in its research approaches. Varvara Chertykovtseva (3rd-year student), in her presentation “Vegetarianism in the Republic of Korea and Japan through the Lens of the Women’s Movement: A Comparative Analysis,” offered an unconventional perspective by linking gender issues with everyday practices and cultural choices. Daria Savelyeva addressed the topic of female digital identity in the Japanese language, demonstrating how online communication reshapes linguistic self-presentation. The roundtable concluded with a presentation by Anastasia Shevchenko on the impact of feminist movements on changes in Japanese legislation.

Each presentation was followed by questions and comments from faculty members, and the discussion often extended beyond the specific topics of the reports—from national specificities of women’s movements to comparisons with global trends. As a result, the roundtable evolved not only into a series of presentations but also into a dynamic academic discussion.

The event clearly demonstrated the diversity of research topics already at the undergraduate level. Each presentation reflected independent work, engagement with sources, and an effort to articulate an individual research perspective. Such formats make it especially evident how the learning process gradually develops into research and becomes an integral part of the Institute’s academic life.