Asian Studies

Education

• B.A. Oriel College, Oxford 1985
• M.A. and Ph.D. Harvard University 1996

Dr. Laurence is an Associate Professor of Asian Studies with a joint appointment in the Government department. He teaches courses in Japanese and Asian politics, media and politics, and international political economy. His research concerns the effects of globalization on countries including Japan, Britain and the USA. His first book is "Money Rules: the New Politics of Finance in Britain and Japan" (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2001). He has also written on the "Comfort Women", Japanese gangsters, the Asian currency crisis, Korean unification, and satellite television in Asia. He is currently working on a book project comparing the BBC, PBS, and the Japanese public television service NHK. He worked for several years as a bond trader for the Bank of Tokyo International in London, and when in Japan he volunteers at "Global Village", an environmental non-profit organization near Tokyo.

Dr. Laurence is married to a wonderful New Yorker, Sarah (who blogs), and regular attendees at his lectures are well aware of the antics of their two children. For fun, Dr. Laurence likes to cook, play foosball badly, and reminisce about late 1970s punk bands and his appearance alongside Rob Lowe in the cinematic classic "Oxford Blues".

Details about my book can be found here: MONEY RULES: the New Politics of Finance in Britain and Japan