/ Forschung
Interview with Rainer Buschmann
Iberian visions of the Pacific is the topic of a research project by Visiting Fellow Rainer Buschmann, which he introduces in this interview. Rainer Buschman is Professor of History at the California State University Channel Islands, USA.
Welcome to the Institute for European Global Studies, Professor Rainer Buschmann! What kind of research project will you pursue during your stay in Basel?
During my stay in Basel, I intend to continue my study on the Iberian visions of the Pacific. I am currently in the process of finishing a book on the Spanish Lake for a new Pacific series issued by Palgrave Macmillan. This past fall semester, I spent three month in Lisbon, where I extended my research to Portugal. The result of this investigation is a collaborative project with my colleague Ricardo Roque (ICS-UL), an expert on East Timor, tentatively entitled Imagined Wealth: Portugal and the Pacific. Both Ricardo and I believe that the Iberian perspective on the Pacific contrasts sharply with the accepted Anglo-French views on this largest geographical feature on earth. Basel’s excellent scholarly and collegial environment will assist me in furthering my investigation. It is my hope to produce important draft chapters for the Portugal monograph.
Why did you choose this specific topic?
My interest in the Pacific stems from my graduate education at the University of Hawaii. While at this institution, I developed a keen interest in the peoples and cultures of the Pacific Islands. At the same time I realized that, unlike the Atlantic and the Indian oceans, the Pacific was not a fixture among historians focusing on world history. Studying European visions on the region (German, Portuguese, and Spanish) allowed me to return a global flavor to the historical studies of the Pacific. My studies now figure as an integral part of the emerging interest in “Pacific Worlds.”
How does the topic relate to European Global Studies?
Geographer Oskar Spate once wrote that the Pacific was a European “artifact.” Although scholars focusing on indigenous affairs tend to balk at this definition, Spate simply meant that Europeans provided the Pacific region, for better or worse, with a global integration it did not possess prior to the sixteenth century. Studying the European penetration of and its legacy in the Pacific is very revealing of the region’s influence on European cultural, intellectual, and even economic thoughts. Likewise, such studies underscore the lingering European influences on the Asia-Pacific region.
The Portuguese case illustrates this interrelationship well. The prolonged Portuguese presence in Timor (Timor-Leste) led not only to a rocky road to independence of this country but also to a very tragic Indonesian involvement in the island. Similarly, Portuguese Macau represented the last European foothold in the People’s Republic of China. Macau’s special status differs greatly from that of formerly British-held Hong Kong and opens up interesting avenues for comparisons. For instance, Macau as a gambling metropole now brings in close to seven times the revenue of Las Vegas. This number will only go on the increase with the collapse of the “Eurovegas” project outside the Spanish capital of Madrid.
What are you most excited about regarding your stay in Basel?
There are a number of personal and professional reasons that attract me to the residence in Basel. Having had the chance to read over the Europainstitut’s website carefully, I am struck by the vibrant intellectual environment emanating from this institution. It main mission to place Europe in a global context is very much aligned with my own academic efforts over the past 15 years. It is my hope to engage further, through lectures, symposia, and publication, in the Europainstitut’s opportunities for collaborations. I am particularly interested in contributing to your emerging PhD program, since I have much experience in curriculum and program development.
On a more personal level, I must confess that I have never spent much time in Switzerland. As an avid hiker, I would like to set out on foot to experience some of Basel’s natural wonders as well as those located in the immediate vicinity.
Thank you for the interview, Professor Buschmann.