The thesis provides a comparative analysis of the evolving regulatory frameworks in China's fintech sector, with a specific focus on Peer-to-Peer (P2P) lending and crowdfunding. It explores how...Show moreThe thesis provides a comparative analysis of the evolving regulatory frameworks in China's fintech sector, with a specific focus on Peer-to-Peer (P2P) lending and crowdfunding. It explores how these frameworks have adapted to technological innovations and assesses their impact on the development and stability of the fintech sector. The study reveals a transition from initial regulatory leniency to increased oversight in P2P lending and details the evolving regulatory environment of crowdfunding. By examining these sectors, the thesis sheds light on the interplay between regulation, technological innovation, and the broader economic and political context, contributing to both academic research and practical policy-making in the fintech field.Show less
This thesis explores Bollywood's homogenizing potential through the lens of "soft power," positing Bollywood as a national conduit that obscures the hegemonic tendencies of the BJP and Prime...Show moreThis thesis explores Bollywood's homogenizing potential through the lens of "soft power," positing Bollywood as a national conduit that obscures the hegemonic tendencies of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The analysis is focused on the function of Bollywood as a platform for promoting and perpetuating dominant national narratives and cultural norms, thereby discrediting minority considerations. In addition, this research shall expand its scope to explore developments in celebrity discourses and the growing politicization of social media. Through these inquiries, the thesis aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted influence of Bollywood on Indian society and politics.Show less
South Korea, Japan, and China are struggling with loneliness in their respective societies. As prolonged feelings of loneliness can have large and lasting consequences for one’s health, it should...Show moreSouth Korea, Japan, and China are struggling with loneliness in their respective societies. As prolonged feelings of loneliness can have large and lasting consequences for one’s health, it should be avoided at all costs. People found solace in watching livestreams; the streams are very personal and it feels like the hosts are in the room with you. In South Korea, mukbangs became popular as more and more people are living in single-person households and therefore more frequently eat alone as well. VTubers made it possible for Japanese people to interact with anime characters, giving life to large communities as a growing number of people are looking at technology to fulfill their social needs. Nǚ zhǔ bō streams provided young Chinese men that are unable to find real girlfriends a virtual girlfriend experience. Livestreaming is a breeding ground for parasocial relationships, as the relationship between streamer and viewer feels very intimate and real. Ideally would viewers find comfort in the company not of the streamers, but in the community as a whole, in which actual meaningful relationships can be formed.Show less
Using hitherto unexplored archival materials, this study explores the extended negotiations leading to the 1972 Dutch-Sino joint communique in which the exchange of embassies was settled. It...Show moreUsing hitherto unexplored archival materials, this study explores the extended negotiations leading to the 1972 Dutch-Sino joint communique in which the exchange of embassies was settled. It identifies two accelerators and hurdles in the process. Richard Nixon's 1971 visit announcement initiated talks between the Netherlands and the PRC, while the PRC’s admission to the UN removed an important difficulty in their bilateral ties. Hurdles arose during discussions on how to communicate the elevation of bilateral ties to the ambassadorial level and on the formal language regarding Taiwan in the joint communique. The addition of the 'anti-Brezhnev doctrine' showcased the Netherlands' departure from the Brezhnev Doctrine, emphasizing peaceful coexistence. Beyond the negotiation intricacies, the study highlights the agency of smaller states. The Netherlands intentionally deviated from U.S. foreign policy in the UN-vote on Chinese representation and included discussions with Romania on European security and limiting superpower actions in its negotiations with China.Show less
The Korean peninsula knows a long history of book culture, and attention to it has ranged from the earliest known texts to the recently growing interest in modern Korean literature that came with...Show moreThe Korean peninsula knows a long history of book culture, and attention to it has ranged from the earliest known texts to the recently growing interest in modern Korean literature that came with the ‘Korean wave’. Many of the now canonical works find their roots in the colonial era in Korea (1910-1945) and various aspects pertaining to textual production during this era have been researched by scholars. However, an often-overlooked history is that of the printers and printshops in colonial Korea who had a significant influence over book production. With this loss of primary source material directly stemming from these printshops, the only other source indicating the printer of a text is the included colophon. This colophon is often damaged or simply missing in older books, and to this date there is no efficient method to recover this lost information. Thereby preventing any sizeable quantitative study of printshops in colonial Korea. This MA Thesis will examine the possibility of using convolutional neural networks (ConvNet) to identify the printshop of a given text dating to colonial Korea in order to allow large- scale quantitative research into colonial Korean printshops, which has been impossible thus far It will do this through a case study approach that aims to successfully classify books of four colonial Korean printshops, namely, the Hansŏng Tosŏ Chusik Hoesa (漢城圖書株式會社), Taedong inswaeso (大東印刷所), Sinmungwan (新文館), and Chosŏn inswae chusik hoesa (朝鮮印刷株 式會社). The findings here can be applied to a more extensive set of printers, given enough data and time. Therefore, this research is of high importance to the field of Korean history, as it is an essential step in charting the history of colonial Korean printers. Additionally, the benefits gained from this study are also helpful in the field of digital humanities, as this study will not only focus on the production and performance of a model but also include dataset construction and model explainability. The latter is a vital part and often missing in other DH scholarly work related to ConvNets. Hence, this paper is highly relevant to Korean historical research, and its methodology can be used far beyond the context of colonial-era printshops.Show less
Image building within and about China-Africa relations play as major role in the way this growing international engagement is understood. Despite recognition for its important role in high level...Show moreImage building within and about China-Africa relations play as major role in the way this growing international engagement is understood. Despite recognition for its important role in high level dialogue and policy creation, non-media platforms, such as the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, are often overlooked as an important image-building medium. Therefore, by questioning how Chinese and African officials frame their own relationship through official FOCAC-discourse, this thesis seeks to add to contemporary framing theory on China-Africa relations. Three case studies on written and visual framing processes within important FOCAC policy documents, photographs and speeches highlight the multiplicity of frameworks that contribute to the creation of a relational self-image. These analyses reveal how images of China-Africa relations are built on co-existing, but contrasting discourses, and how different framing mechanisms influence each other to shape a multiplicity of images.Show less
This thesis examines the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale (ETAT) and the Setouchi Triennale (ST), two of the largest and best-known Art Triennale in (and outside) Japan, and considers how these art...Show moreThis thesis examines the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale (ETAT) and the Setouchi Triennale (ST), two of the largest and best-known Art Triennale in (and outside) Japan, and considers how these art festivals intend to provide a solution to the continuing ageing population and declining birthrate in Japanese rural areas. Japan contains the largest proportion of elderly people in the world and its population continues to decline since 2004. Yet, this decrease is especially severe in rural areas because the majority of the population consist of elderly people. The Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale (ETAT) and the Setouchi Triennale (ST), have been established as strategies to tackle Japan’s increasingly ageing population. The former was established by Kitagawa Fram (1946-present) whereas the latter was co-founded in 2010 by Kitagawa Fram and Fukutake Sōichirō (1945/46-present). The common aim of the ETAT and ST initially seems to be the restoration of these economically declining rural areas through contemporary art projects. Yet, this thesis claims that Kitagawa’s and Fukutake’s idealistic views about the countryside and ‘traditional’ countryside lifestyles resulted into their attempt to reshape Japanese society by reidentifying neglected rural areas through contemporary art. This is because both men’s strong partnership and their active involvement in both Triennale shape these art festivals according to their own convictions and objectives. Therefore, this thesis demonstrates that the ETAT and ST’s purpose exceeds rural revitalization and is actually about the creation of a ‘new’ society which is brought together by the art festivals.Show less
