Session 2
Information, Culture, and Human Mobility in East Asia and Beyond
This session deals with the ways in which existing political, economic, and social orders react to the growing impact of info-communications technologies and increasing cultural and human contact within East Asia and beyond; the recent SARS epidemic provides one interesting instance. The growing movement of natural persons across national borders contributes to the spread of epidemics. Its negative impact on the economy and other activities in the region spread far beyond the epidemic itself: recovering from the damage requires additional thought and effort. One lesson we can learn from this experience is that the control of epidemics requires close coordination and cooperation among nation states in information exchange and sharing of preventive schemes. Such requirements exert tremendous pressure on national governments and intergovernmental organizations such as the WHO to disclose information honestly, efficiently and precisely regarding risks and security hazards to the public. It also highlighted the benefits of "non-contact" means of communication including videoconferencing, conference call and email to stay in touch without physically moving around and meeting people in person.
Public demands for security and protection from various risks arising out of the greater mobility of goods, people, and information - such as epidemics, terrorism, economic crimes, computer viruses and so forth - require not only the delivery of better services from national and international governmental organizations but also invite the better design of information architecture as well as public awareness and community spirit. Otherwise the demand for security may end up with a paradoxical infringement of individual freedom and privacy. Interesting questions for discussion include:
- What kind of public policy lessons can be learnt from the SARS crisis in terms of risk management in the age of globalization? How can we further promote regional cooperation against various security hazards?
- Are there effective uses of ICT that can overcome the negative impact of epidemics and other risks? How are demands for greater public security and the protection of privacy to be reconciled?
Another interesting element of information technology in parts of East Asia is the rapid development of digital contents and applications (particularly visual and mobile ones) and their rapid dissemination throughout the region. The penetration rates of broadband and mobile phones in many East Asian countries are among the highest in the world. Video and online games, i-mode and other mobile contents and services, Manga , Anime , TV and theatrical movies created in this region now all seem to be gaining regional and global popularity. Perhaps this rapid growth of the digital content market is a sign of the creation of a new and more integrated consumer market (entertainment, cosmetics and fashion, tourism, etc) in the region.
It is only recently that market transactions and contracts have come to be enforced through the rule of law. Traditionally, social norms and customs within communities, regions and/or nations played this role, and they still play a complementary role to those played by government-enforced laws. Meanwhile, with trade and investment liberalization and the ICT revolution, goods, services, capital and ideas can now freely move across borders. When traders with different norms, customs and laws transact, how are their contracts and property rights enforced? While transparent and fair enforcement of contract and property rights becomes increasingly desired, as markets expand in the region and beyond, ways of conducting activities - be they business, politics or research - cannot be streamlined in a uniform way, as they are precisely elements that enhance the creation of new ideas and propagate innovation. Issues include:
- What can be a proper definition and enforcement of intellectual property rights for enhancing innovation?
- Is Asian digital and pop culture making different business models from the Hollywood-based entertainment industry? If so, what are the consequences of such phenomena?
- What are the implications of pop culture, digital and mobile contents, tourism, study-abroad programs etc, for Asian market integration?
- Is there still a role for non-legal elements in expanding trade within and beyond national borders?
