Eunsook Yang  (Complutense University of Madrid). Silk Road heritage in Korea

As the term "Silk Road" suggests, this was a trade route. At the time, silk weaving technology was only just beginning to develop in China. This fabric, brought to China via Persia, the midpoint between Asia and Europe, aroused great fascination and affection among European aristocrats. Over time, the commercial Silk Road developed, connecting China, Mongolia, Korea, India, Persia, Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Europe. Korea, thanks to its geographical location, served as the final overland destination for Arab merchants. As early as the Three Kingdoms period (57 B.C-668) of ancient Korea, Muslim traders had travelled from Turkey to Tang China and established contact with Shilla, one of the Three Kingdoms.  While trade was flourishing, the cultural exchange and its influence was expanding in Korea through the Silk Road. The English name Korea was given by Arab merchants who arrived during the Koryo Dynasty period (935-1392). In modern time, Korea is taking again an important role in the New Silk Road, just as it participated actively during the splendid periods of the Unified Silla and the Koryo Dynasty.

Bio

PhD in International Relations with a title "Unification of Korea and its Impact on Security in Northeast Asia", Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain. Master´s Degree in International Relations from the Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium.  BA in Political Science from the University of Maryland, USA. Eunsook Yang holds a degree in Korean language and culture from Korea University and Kyonghee University. Her research focuses on developing specific competencies for understanding Korean cultural, historical, political, and economic relations from a multidisciplinary perspective.  Regarding her research, she has published a book that serves as a reference text for culture and history classes, and over 30 articles in high-quality, indexed journals, including national, national, and international edited volumes. As a researcher, between 2001 and 2007 she collaborated with UNISCI (Research Unit on Security and International Cooperation) and CEIC (Spanish Center for Korean Research) and between 2007 and 2010 she was a member of the Panel of Experts of the Observatory of Foreign Policy of Spain, and with the Elcano Institute in the project “How to improve the image of Spain in Korea” between 2013 and 2016.   Between 2015 and 2019, she collaborated with the CEAO (Center for East Asian Studies at the Autonomous University of Madrid). She was the Principal Investigator for several projects from 2012 to 2020: the KSPS (Korean Studies Promotion Service) “Seed Program” project, first at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) and then from 2015 to 2018 at the UAM; as well as the Strengthening Korean Studies project at the ICEI (Complutense Institute of International Studies) at the UCM from 2013 to 2019. She participated innumerous conferences and seminars, both as an organizer and as a speaker, on various topics related to the language, literature, history, politics, and culture of Korea

eunyang@ucm.es

Mario Esteban (Autonomous University of Madrid).

China in the Current International Order

This lecture examines the aims, capabilities, and strategic toolkit of Chinese foreign policy as Beijing navigates a contested global system. It outlines Xi Jinping’s proposed vision of global governance, highlighting its appeal promises of stability, development, and respect for sovereignty alongside more troubling features, including instrumental multilateralism, reduced space for liberal norms, and asymmetric dependence. The talk then explores pathways by which other actors might engage this neo-Westphalian project, which is often wrapped in a liberal-sounding narrative, in a context where the liberal international order faces increasingly explicit challenges from both Russia and the United States. Finally, it assesses whether China is primarily leveraging this turbulence to consolidate a regional sphere of influence, or whether it could help deliver a more inclusive and effective multilateralism.

Bio

Dr. Mario Esteban Rodriguez is Full Professor at the Autonomous University of Madrid, where he is the Director of the Centre for East Asian Studies. He is also Senior Fellow at the Elcano Royal Institute. He has a Ph.D. in Political Science and International Relations (UAM) and a MSc in Asian Politics (SOAS). He was the President of the Spanish Association for East Asian Studies (2020-24) and has served as external expert for the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence of Spain. He has also been visiting professor at the Beijing Foreign Studies University and visiting researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Chengchi National University in Taipei. Among his most recent books are China’s Vertical Multilateralism and the Global South: Narratives, Networks, and Money (Routledge, 2025), Introducción a la China actual (Alianza, 2024), and China and International Norms (Routledge, 2023).

Funded by:

• Eurasia Foundation (from Asia)

In partnership with:

• Vicerectorat d’Internacionalització i Multilingüisme de la Universitat de València
• Departament de Teoria dels Llenguatges i Ciències de la Comunicació
• Institut Universitari de la Creativitat i Innovacions Educatives (IUCIE)
• Unitat d’Investigació Japón -Universitat de València (UIJ-UV)