At IAO "the pandemic, and the general crisis it has engendered, has become the main topic of our communication and discussions. [...] A thread has been created on the lab's blog to gather information that concern the countries that we work with," says director Beatrice Jaluzot.

The IAO blog was set up as an immediate response to the ongoing epidemic. The blog gathers essential information on the research areas and disciplines that are impacting societies in the Far East.

Three sections, multilingual resources

To optimize how the information in the blog is categorized, even if it seems arbitrary for the State-parties that drastically control the information concerning their country, this blog offers a classification in 3 sections:

• Official sources
• Press
• Academic resources

Reports are posted in a reverse chronological manner to put the most up-to-date information at the beginning of the news feed. Each report must state the context, the author and who posted the information.

The reporting bodies do not give their opinion on our East Asian Studies laboratory. Information on the blog is based on diverse sources and opinions expressed about and within East Asia.

The resources provided are multilingual.

The fundamental principles of the East Asian Studies laboratory: A multi-disciplinarily and cross-cutting approach

The centralization of information generated by our disciplinary areas and fields is established in accordance with the multi-disciplinarily and transnational approach – in other words, the fundamental principles of our laboratory. This approach enables us to compare the different ways that East Asian countries are using to fight the pandemic, whether in terms of state communication, social practices or emergency measures taken in each society.

Articles giving personal or controversial opinions are not published. However, analyses of state communication, legal and epidemic-eradication practices by states and societies in East Asia are accepted on the IAO blog.