Penn Center For East Asian Studies Newsletter

1. University of Pennsylvania East Asia Events
   
2. Regional East Asia Events
   
3. Employment and Internship Opportunities
   
4. Fellowship and Award Opportunities
   
5. East Asia Study Opportunities and Queries
   
6. Conferences and Workshops

Featured Event

Thursday, February 19, 5:00PM, Stiteler B26 , Kano Sansetsu and The Song of Everlasting Sorrow

Matthew McKelway, Atsumi Associate Professor of Japanese Art, Columbia University

The Chôgonka emaki (Scrolls of the Song of Everlasting Sorrow), a set of two handscrolls by Kano Sansetsu (1590-1651) in the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin, survives as the most complete visual depiction of the Tang Dynasty poet Bai Juyi's ballad about the tragic romance of Emperor Minghuang and Yang Guifei. A work produced late in Sansetsu's career, the Chôgonka scrolls build upon a long tradition in Japanese art of depictions of Bai Juyi's poem, and yet depart from that tradition in important ways. The lecture will provide an overview of Japanese paintings of the "Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and will seek to elucidate the circumstances in which Sansetsu produced his work and the motivations behind his unusual depiction.

Humanities Colloquium

Penn China Student Connection: Summer Culture Trip 2009

Info Sessions

TUES Feb 17 @ 5PM JMHH F50
WED Feb 18 @ 8PM JMHH G92

Locations Include:
Beijing
Shanghai
Suzhou
Hangzhou
Nanjing
YellowMountain

For more info please email penn.china@gmail.com

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Wednesday, February 18, 12:00PM, Huntsman Hall 255, Elite Politics and Monetary Swings in China : Then and Now

Victor Shih, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Northwestern University

Co-Sponsored by the Center for East Asian Studies, The Joseph H. Lauder Institute of Management & International Studies, and the Penn-Lauder CIBER

PLEASE NOTE: The time and room for this event have changed.

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Thursday, February 19, 4:30PM, Goddard Lab 101 , Young Korean students' study abroad to English-speaking countries and its impact on national language policy

Kathleen Lee & Jiyoon Lee, Graduate Students in the Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania

In the past decade, the number of “goose families” or young Korean students that temporarily migrate overseas with their mothers to learn English has grown dramatically. We investigate the resources available to these families who move abroad and analyze the impact of study abroad experiences on language policy in Korea .

Korean Studies Colloquium

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Thursday, February 19, 5:00PM, Stiteler B26 , Kano Sansetsu and The Song of Everlasting Sorrow

Matthew McKelway, Atsumi Associate Professor of Japanese Art, Columbia University

The Chôgonka emaki (Scrolls of the Song of Everlasting Sorrow), a set of two handscrolls by Kano Sansetsu (1590-1651) in the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin, survives as the most complete visual depiction of the Tang Dynasty poet Bai Juyi's ballad about the tragic romance of Emperor Minghuang and Yang Guifei. A work produced late in Sansetsu's career, the Chôgonka scrolls build upon a long tradition in Japanese art of depictions of Bai Juyi's poem, and yet depart from that tradition in important ways. The lecture will provide an overview of Japanese paintings of the "Song of Everlasting Sorrow" and will seek to elucidate the circumstances in which Sansetsu produced his work and the motivations behind his unusual depiction.

Humanities Colloquium

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Thursday, February 19, 7:00PM, Cohen Hall 402 , Pop Icons of Japan Film Series

Screening of Ultra Man 2006 - Introduction by Frank Chance, Associate Director, Center for East Asian Studies

Sponsored by the Friends of the Japanese House and Garden and the Center for East Asian Studies

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Friday, February 20, 11:00AM, Shotel Dubin Auditorium, Penn Hillel, Steinhardt Hall, 215 South 39th St. , Jews in China : legends, history, and perspectives

Prof. Guang PAN, Walter & Seena Fair Professor of Jewish Studies, Dean of Center of Jewish Studies Shanghai (CJSS), Director of the Shanghai Center for International Studies

Co-Sponsored by Jewish Studies and Penn Hillel

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Wednesday, February 25, 6pm, Room 109
Annenberg School, 3620 Walnut Street

"China and the Urbanism of Ambition"

Prof. Thomas Campanella, University of North Carolina, Author of The Concrete Dragon: China’s Urban Revolution and What it Means
for the World

Sponsored by the
Provosts Interdisciplinary Seminar Fund
Part of the University seminar “Historical Memory Hits the Front Page: The role of
the past in contemporary political debates”

A collaboration of the:
Graduate Program in Historic Preservation, School of Design
Department of History, School of Arts and Sciences
Department of Anthropology, School of Arts and Sciences
Annenberg School of Communications
For more information, contact Prof. Randy Mason
(rfmason@design.upenn.edu).

This event is followed by a seminar with Prof. Campanella the next day (Thursday, 2/26, 2-4pm), on the topic "Mimesis and Memory on China's Suburban Frontier."  This seminar is closed to the public. If you'd like to participate, please contact Prof. randy mason at (rfmason@design.upenn.edu).

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Thursday, February 26, 7:00PM, Cohen Hall 402 , Pop Icons of Japan Film Series

Screening of Kamikaze Girls - Introduction by Fred Dickinson, Associate Professor of Japanese History, University of Pennsylvania

Sponsored by the Friends of the Japanese House and Garden and the Center for East Asian Studies

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Monday, March 2

Noboru YAMAGUCHI, Lieutenant General JGSDF (Ret.)

Details TBA

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Wednesday, March 4, 5:00PM, ARCH Building, Crest Room, 3601 Locust Walk , Immigrant Children and Education: The role of educators, parents, and the law
Fernando Chang-Muy JD

Fernando Chang-Muy, JD is the Thomas A. O'Boyle Lecturer in Law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He teaches Immigration Law, Refugee Law, and Law and Social Work in U Penn's Law School and also in the Graduate School of Social Policy and Practice Work. He was the founding director of the Liberty Center for Survivors of Torture, a federally funded project to raise awareness about survivors of torture and to provide survivors with health and legal case management. Formerly he was a program officer at The Philadelphia Foundation and coordinator of the Emma Lazarus Collaborative-a collaborative of foundations that supported service and advocacy for immigrants and refugees. He is the past co-chair of the Philadelphia Bar Association's International Human Rights Committee and served as legal officer with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. He earned a bachelor's at Loyola, a master's at Georgetown , a juris doctorate at Antioch , and completed Harvard Law School 's Negotiation Project.
http://www.law.upenn.edu/cf/faculty/fchang/

Co-sponsored by the African Studies Center and the Center for East Asian Studies

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Thursday, March 5, 4:30PM, Goddard Lab 101, Three types of “poor” in Korea

Tae Kim, Graduate Student in the School of Social Policy & Practice, University of Pennsylvania

Previous literature dealing with poverty issues mainly focuses on “the poor” as a uniform category. Recent debates on poverty have highlighted different aspects of the poor population in terms of number of poverty spells and poverty duration. However, there has been no systematic and empirical research which has outlined the characteristics of different types of the poor. To fill this research gap, this study identifies a typology of the poor and discusses their socio-economic and demographic characteristics. This study used the 8-year longitudinal data (1997-2004) from the Korean Labor & Income Panel Study (KLIPS). The findings of the study revealed that there are significant differences between the poor which need to be taken into account for effective policy implementation. As such, this research encourages policy makers in designing evidence-based anti-poverty policies in Korea and other developed countries. This study also provides new insight regarding Korean poverty problem during Asian economic crisi and post crisis period.

Korean Studies Colloquium

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Wednesday, March 18, 7:00PM , Houston Hall – Hall of Flags

Please join us for a performance by Isaburo Hanayagi, followed by a detailed explanation of kabuki makeup and costume as he transforms our male volunteer into a beautiful kabuki character.

Isaburoh Hanayagi is currently a Professor of Performing Arts at Tamagawa University in Tokyo , Japan .

Trained as a kabuki performer in the Hanayagi School , Isaburoh made his stage debut at age three under the tutelage of his father, Yoshigosaburoh Hanayagi. The Hanayagi School is the largest school of kabuki dance in Japan , with over 200,000 members. Isaburoh is known as a unique dancer and choreographer among them, and in addition to teaching kabuki dance classes, he also instructs in subjects such as Creative Japanese Folkloric Dances and Comparative Study of Western and Eastern Dances. Isaburoh's personal repertoire of kabuki dance includes more than 150 pieces.

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Thursday, March 19, 4:30PM, Goddard Lab 101, Fitting into the Global Meritocracy: The Multigenerational Project of Kirogi Families in the U.S.

Seung-kyung Kim, Associate Professor of Women's Studies, University of Maryland

As Korean families compete to position their children in a social environment that is rapidly changing through globalization, education is considered to be the key to their success. The options for education have expanded in the last few decades, and Korean families have been zealous and innovative in their pursuit of the best opportunities for their children. A combination of factors including dissatisfaction with Korean public education, English as the hegemonic language of the global economy, the increased access to educational opportunities overseas, and increased wealth of families in Korea have led to the efflorescence of education projects such as private schools, after school private tutoring (kwaoe), and early study abroad (chogi yuhak).

To facilitate early study abroad, Korean families have developed a new family pattern that has come to be called wild geese families (kirogi kajok). The wild geese or kirogi family is a split-household transnational family with the mother and children moving to an English speaking country for education and the father staying behind in Korea to work and support the family. Kirogi families are engaged in a long term project that can last a decade or more, and often requires considerable flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances. The projects of kirogi families often include brief episodes of short term migration of the entire family; sending children to stay with relatives abroad; or sending children to boarding school. Kirogi families are deeply traditional, in that they seek to maintain or improve family status through education, and assume a traditional Korean family structure with an indissoluble marriage and the strongest bonds being between a mother and her children, however, the entire project is innovative, transformative and future-oriented in that it seeks to maximize children's opportunities for the 21st century.

Based on interviews with members of kirogi families, our paper examines the lived experiences of these families in order to understand their pursuit of success through education in the global arena. We see this transnational, education-motivated family as engaged in a process of positioning their younger generation within the global meritocracy. In examining the dynamics of kirogi families, we want to show how their project requires them to continually rework ideas of family, nation, individual within the context of their own lives.

Korean Studies Colloquium

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Saturday, March 21, 2009 9:00am - 3:00pm

Konnichiwa Japan !

Penn Museum , Classroom 2

Spend a day exploring Japanese culture, history and society. Discussions with University of Pennsylvania scholars, demonstrations of traditional arts, and a private tour of the museum's Japanese collection will give new insight and exposure to pre-modern and contemporary Japan . A Japanese lunch is included to help participants fully internalize the experience. Designed as a workshop for teachers but open to all inquiring minds, “Konnichiwa Japan !” will be a memorable visit to the Far East, right here in Philadelphia . Fee- $30 lunch included

Cosponsored by the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia , Center for East Asian Studies at the University of Pennsylvania and Camden County College

Receive professional development credits for Pennsylvania and New Jersey .

For more information please contact - Prema Deshmukh 215-898-4065 or deshmukh@sas.upenn.edu

Penn Museum , 3260 South Street , Philadelphia , PA 19104

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Wednesday, March 25, 12:00PM, Cohen Hall 203, The Varieties of Health Care in Eleventh-century China

Nathan Sivin, Professor Emeritus of Chinese Culture and of the History of Science

Previous work on Chinese medical history has studied only the classical tradition. The great majority of Chinese before modern time “rural, illiterate, and poor” had no access to its elite practitioners. Most depended on local healers, or on masters of the popular religion, or of Buddhist or Daoist movements, whose therapies were mainly ritual.

Sivin's current research will describe spectrum from self-therapy and family therapy through popular healing to classical medicine, and study their interactions.

Humanities Colloquium

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Tuesday, March 31, 6:00PM, Penn Museum , Rainey Auditorium

Kabuki, the classical Japanese dance-drama, is the topic of this presentation, offered by world-renowned Kabuki performer, and Professor of Performing Arts at Tamagawa University in Tokyo , Japan , Isaburoh Hanayagi.   Professor Ayako Kano, Associate Professor, Department of East Asian languages and Civilizations, will interview and interpret Professor Hanayagi's work and discuss the history of Kabuki and its place in current Japanese society and the world. Following the discussion, Isaburoh Hanayagi transforms a Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia volunteer with the elaborate makeup of a Kabuki dancer—a fascinating process! Co-sponsored by International Classroom program of Penn Museum 's Education Department, the Center for East Asian Studies of the University of Pennsylvania , the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia, and Camden County College .  $5 general admission; free to Penn Museum members.  Registration recommended: 215/573-4203, or nriley@sas.upenn.edu .

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Tuesday, April 7, 4:30PM, DRL A7, Imperial Korea 's New Capital: Pyongyang on the Eve of the Russo-Japanese War

Eugene Park, University of Pennsylvania

From the perspective of international relations, outcome of the Russo-Japanese War sealed the fate of the independent Korean Empire (1897-1910). Rather than dismissing her as the tail end of precolonial Korean history, a growing body of studies is elucidating various dimensions of a modernizing Korea . In this presentation, I shall argue that while the official rhetoric of an empire needing two capitals gives us a good sense of imperial Korea 's understanding of her place in the civilized world of the past, present, and future, the circumstances wherein the Pyongyang construction project began and then came to a sudden halt raises questions about her geopolitical concerns.

Korean Studies Colloquium

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Thursday, April 9, 4:30PM, College Hall 200, Trafficking with the (Organs) Traffickers: Global Justice and the Traffic in Humans for Transplant 

Nancy Scheper-Hughes, Chancellor's Professor, Anthropology, UC Berkeley  

What journalists benignly call ‘transplant tourism' involves more than consenting individuals engaged in intimate bodily exchanges and backdoor transplants that are privately arranged. Each illicit transplant involves an extensive and highly organized criminal network of well-placed intermediaries with access to  willing transplant surgeons, excellent public and private hospitals, laboratories, offshore bank accounts, police protection and even the tacit approval or  blessing of government and/or health  officials. Nonetheless, this is a dangerous game and the high risk players in the global ‘transplant mafia', who think they are invincible and above the law, can suddenly find themselves shoved up against a wall  and handcuffs slapped on their wrists. Surgeons have been pulled out of operating rooms, and transplant  patients carried out  on stretchers and taken to nearby public hospitals. In Durban , South Africa , the final trigger in a police sting of a private clinic at St. Augustine 's Hospital was the madcap escape down a back door of  the  clinic  of a trafficked kidney donor for an  Israeli transplant tourist. Most of the foreign  kidney sellers were Brazilians  (from the slums of Recife )  and  Moldovans ( from collapsed agricultural  villages) who were recruited and trafficked to South Africa by transplant brokers. My paper, based on fieldwork in Recife , Durban , and Jerusalem , explores the following  questions: What kind of moral worlds do  kidney hunters and  organs traffickers  and their clients inhabit? How do they justify their actions?   These intimate exchanges of  life-giving body parts concern more than medical necessity and individual life-saving. In the case under study they entail complicated histories of  debt  peonage on the one hand ( Brazil ) , and of genocide, race hatred,  and mass death ( Israel )  on the other. Gaddy Tauber,  the Brazilian- based Israeli  broker and bag man  for   this particular  organs trafficking scheme far more was  at stake then  large sums of money.   \Greed, yes, but  also revenge, restitution and even  reparation for the Holocaust played   a role in  these unconventional transnational transplant proceedings.  Redemption, resurrection, and reparations on the one hand, organ stealing, blood libels, and seething  resentment on the other  make the global traffic in humans for  organs a unique,  unstable and  particularly  dangerous proposition, a political tragedy in the making  of truly  epic and Shakespearean dimensions.

Global Distinguished Lecturer – Sponsored by the Center for East Asian Studies, South Asia Center , Middle East Center and African Studies Center

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Thursday, April 16, 4:30PM, Claudia Cohen Hall Auditorium, Korean Buddhist Journeys to Lands Worldly and Otherworldly

Robert Buswell, Professor; Director of the Center for Buddhist Studies , UCLA

Philip Jaisohn Distinguished Lecturer

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Thursday, April 23, 4:30PM, Goddard Lab 101, Migration, Immigration and the Myth of Korean Uniqueness

Timothy Lim, Professor of Political Science, CSU , LA

There is still a strong tendency among Koreans—and many outside observers, including scholars—to assume that South Korea is particularly resistant, if not immune, to the types of socio-economic, political, and especially cultural changes other countries and societies have undergone in response to industrialization and other macro-level processes. Nowhere is this more evident than in views toward immigration or permanent settlement: for the most part, Korean policymakers have operated on the presumption that, unlike most other countries, Korea will never have to accept large numbers of “foreigners” as a permanent part of Korean society. Recent trends have not only demonstrated that this presumption is wrong, but that South Korean society is surprisingly adaptable.

Korean Studies Colloquium

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Saturday, May 9, 9-5PM, Rainey Auditorium, University of Pennsylvania Museum

On Saturday, May 9, 2009, the University of Pennsylvania will host a conference on Uygur Archaeology. The conference will explore Uygur remains, especially in the context of Tang China and as they relate to material evidence of other nomadic peoples of East and Central Asia , particularly Turk and Kitan.

The conference is sponsored by the Center for East Asian Studies and the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology of the University of Pennsylvania .

Speakers include: Christopher Atwood, Jan Bemmann, Gwen Bennett, Zsuzsanna Gulasci, Tigran Mkrtychev, Tsulten Odbataar, Lilla Russell-Smith, Nancy Steinhardt, and Joshua Wright.

Admission is free, but pre-registration is required.

For further information, e-mail Bryan Miller millerbk@sas.upenn.edu

To register e-mail Miki Morita mimorita@sas.upenn.edu

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Monday, May 11, Time TBA, Location TBA , Title TBA

Toru Funayama, Institute for Research in Humanities, Kyoto University

Humanities Colloquium

The Institute for Corean American Studies Presents:

February 18, 2009 Wednesday 2:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Rayburn House Office Building Room B 318
United States House of Representatives
Capitol Hill, Washington, DC 20515

Humanity, Peace and Security

The Korean Peninsula Issues

For more information, please visit: http://www.icasinc.org/
On-Line Registration
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*Music from China@Haverford, Feb. 20th and 21st:

MUSIC FROM CHINA, performers of traditional and contemporary Chinese
music, comes to Haverford College on February 20th and 21st, 2009. On
Friday, February 20th at 7:30 p.m., they will present a workshop sharing
their expertise on Chinese music through demonstration of their
instruments and performance techniques. On Saturday, February 21st at 3:00
p.m. they will perform a concert of classical and contemporary Chinese
music, joined by students from Haverford's Department of Music for two
collaborative works, followed by a reception.  These events, which are
free and open to the public, will be held in Roberts Hall, Marshall
Auditorium. For more information, call (610)896-1011 or email:
nmerriam@haverford.edu .

************

More Inormation
Workshop
For the Friday, February 20th workshop at 7:30 p.m., the musicians of
Music From China will share their expertise on Chinese music through
demonstration
of instruments and performance techniques. The rich sonorities and
compelling melodies of Chinese music are invoked by four musicians
performing on string instruments consisting of the erhu and related
2-string fiddles, pipa (lute), zheng (long, plucked zither), ruan (moon
guitar) and yangqin (hammered dulcimer). Their playing will be woven into
a discussion
encompassing Chinese musicology, aesthetics, philosophical thinking,
cultural and historical context, folk life and contemporary society.

The Concert
On Saturday, February 21st at 3:00 p.m. they
will perform a concert of classical and contemporary Chinese music from
the traditional repertoire consisting of classical compositions and
regional folk music with an array of stylistic variations, timbral colors,
and programmatic content.

The program includes the immortal classical composition "Ambush on Ten
Sides," which is a powerful re-creation of a 3rd century battle, and the
romance with nature of "A Moonlit River in Spring." Folk music selections
span China's broad landscape, from the urban sophistication of Shanghai
and Guangdong (Canton) to the open grasslands of the Mongolian steppes and
rural villages of northern China.

The concert features an East meets West component when Haverford-Bryn Mawr
College students Hally Cody, violin; Inez Suhardjo, violin; Emily Marcyk,
viola; Evan McGonagill, cello; Michelle Kim, piano; and Anna Moir,
clarinet, join the Chinese musicians in two collaborative works. Artistic
Director Wang Guowei's "Lullaby," inspired by a northeast Chinese folk
song and written for a trio of erhu, clarinet and piano, will be given its
world premiere performance. A Western string quartet combines with the
Chinese quartet in the Chinese Folk Songs Suite where timbral colors and
musical textures are greatly enriched by the mixed instrumentation.

"Music From China"'s visit is sponsored by the John B. Hurford '60
Humanities Center, the Departments of East Asian Studies and Music. The
residency is made possible by the Kessinger Family Fund for Asian
Performing Arts.  Started by former Haverford President Tom Kessinger and
his wife Varyam, the fund supports performances and residencies dedicated
to the rich artistic heritage of South Asia, East Asia, and Indonesia. The
fund is administered by the John B. Hurford '60 Humanities Center.

Music From China celebrates twenty-five years of performing Chinese
classical and folk masterpieces as well as new music by living composers
to audiences throughout the U.S. and abroad. The ensemble was founded in
1984 by Director Susan Cheng and is under the artistic direction of erhu
virtuoso Wang Guowei. They have made concert appearances at the Library of
Congress, the Boston Early Music Festival, the 92nd Street Y, the Freer
Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, the Avison Ensemble in
England, the Eastman School of Music, the Chautauqua Institution, the
Metropolitan Museum of Art, and colleges and universities including
Princeton, Duke, Pittsburgh, Williams, Rhode Island, Dayton, Indiana,
Bucknell, Colgate, Vermont, Middlebury, Yale, Wesleyan, Vassar, Lafayette,
St. Bonaventure and Illinois/Urbana-Champaign.

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*RUBIN MUSEUM OF ART

presents

Buddhism between Tibet and China with

Matthew T. Kapstein

Victor Mair

Gray Tuttle

Wednesday, February 25

7:00 p.m.

Wisdom Publication's new collection of essays is celebrated with a conversation between editor Matthew T. Kapstein, Sinologist Victor Mair and Tibetologist Gray Tuttle.

RUBIN MUSEUM OF ART

150 WEST 17TH STREET , NEW YORK CITY www.rmanyc.org  212.620.5000 x344

Come early and enjoy mid-week Himalayan Happy Hour at the Café@RMA: 5 – 6:30 p.m. Enjoy discounts on selected wines, specialty teas and snacks.

Buddhism in Tibet and China includes the essays: Buddhism at the Margins and the Treaty Temple of the Turquoise Grove by Matthew Kapstein, Late 13th Century Buddhist Art in Hangzhou under the Mongols by Rob Linrothe; Dabaojigong and Ming Sino-Tibetan Painting in Lijiang by Karl Debreczeny ; Tibetan Buddhists in the Ming Court by Elliot Sperling; the "Reverend Chinese" of Labrang Monastery by Paul Nietupski; Gangs dkar Rinpoche Between Tibet and China: Activities of a Tibetan Lama Among Ethnic Chinese by Carmen Meinert; Translating Buddhism from Tibetan to Chinese by Gray Tuttle; Tibetan Learning in the Contemporary Chinese Yogacara School by Zhizhua Yao; the "Chinese Lama" Nenghai (1886-1967): Doctrinal Tradition and Teaching Strategies of a Gelugpa Master in Republican China by Ester Bianchi; The Thirteenth Dalai Lama's Sojourn in China by Fabienne Jagou; and the Taiwanese Connection: Politics, Piety, and Patronage in Transnational Tibetan Buddhism by Abraham Zablocki.

TICKET INCLUDES ADMISSION TO:

PATRON AND PAINTER

SITU PANCHEN AND THE REVIVAL OF THE ENCAMPMENT STYLE

A painting tradition established in the traveling courts of the great Tibetan Karmapas, most of what we know of the Encampment Style belongs to its eighteenth-century revival by the great scholar-painter Situ Panchen Chokyi Jungne (1700-1774). A combination of Indio-Nepali and Chinese artistic influences, the Encampment style was fostered under the tutelage and support of Situ, who acted as both artist and patron. For the first time anywhere, Patron and Painter: Situ Panchen and the Revival of the Encampment Style traces his career and artistic legacy.

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Chukin Takagi: Japanese Calligraphy Exhibition ---- Feb 16 through March 20, 2009
Pearlstein Gallery - Nesbitt Hall € 33rd and Market Streets, Drexel
University
Philadelphia, PA 19104

Lecture/Demonstration: Thursday, February 19, 2009 at 6PM
Stein Auditorium - Nesbitt Hall € 33rd and Market Streets, Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA 19104

On the night of February 19, Ms. Takagi will demonstrate
how she transforms the Japanese letterform into expressive gesture.

Chukin Takagi was born in 1945 in Karafuto, Russia, a former colony of Japan.  She then grew up in Hirosaki, a northern city of Honshu, the largest island of Japan.  At a very young age, she commenced her study of Shodo [A Way of Scripting;  Sho means ³writing or scripting with brush² and do means³the path, passage or  the way²] in a private practice run by a local writing master. She continued her  Shodo discipline seriously through high school and college with two different masters. Between 1965 and 1974, she made multiple exhibit entries and became independent, starting to teach her own pupils. In the late 70s, she won the  prestigious award of the Aomori province for the third time. She holds her graduate degree in Shodo from the
Japanese Shodo Education Association in Tokyo  and has received guidance in additional brushwork explorations from Sodo Asai  in Kyoto. Ms. Takagi was one of the organizers of the first alumni show of  the Association in 1988, which took place in Tokyo. Ms. Takagi was appointed  as a director of the northern Shodo Institute in Hirosaki in 2006.

There will be an introduction and brief history of Japanese calligraphy by Janice Merendino, founder and director of ³The Branch Out Project²
www.branchoutproject.com.

RSVP via email by Feb 10. : shushi.yoshinaga@drexel.edu
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Princeton:

Matthew T. Kapstein University of Chicago Divinity School & Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, Paris Politics and Religion in 18th-century Tibet: The Oracle and Temple of Lamo Sponsored by: Buddhist Studies Workshop Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009, 4:30 p.m. Rm. 137, 1879 Hall

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Columbia University Buddhist Studies Seminar
Spring Seminar Schedule

*Paul Copp*
University of Chicago
"Amulets of the Wish-Fulfilling Spell and Their Traditions"
*Thursday, February 19, 2009*
6-7:30pm
Rm. 101, 80 Claremont Avenue
(Department of Religion)

*John McRae*
Komazawa University
Title TBA
*Thursday, March 5th, 2009*
6-7:30pm
Rm. 101, 80 Claremont Avenue
(Department of Religion)

*Jongmyung Kim*
Visiting Associate Professor of Korean Buddhism, UCLA
"Buddhist Ritual and Thought in Medieval Korea (918-1392)" (tentative title)
*Thursday, April 16th, 2009*
6-7:30pm
Rm. 101, 80 Claremont Avenue
(Department of Religion)

*Frederick M. Smith*
University of Iowa
Title TBA
*Thursday, April 30th, 2009*
6-7:30pm
Rm. 101, 80 Claremont Avenue
(Department of Religion)

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A Weekend with Mr. Toshio Sakai
Breeder of the Grand Champion Koi
February 20-21, 2009

Quality Koi is happy to present a weekend with Mr. Toshio Sakai
from Isawa Nishikikoi Center in Yamanashi, Japan. It is a rare
opportunity to hear about the Japanese art of Nishikikoi breeding
and introduction of the true understanding of the “living jewels”.

Friday, February 20, 2009, 12:30pm
Academy of Natural Sciences (www.ansp.org)
1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19103 (215) 299-1000
Topic: The Breeding of Nishikigoi
There is no fee for the seminar.
Let the Front Desk know you are attending Mr. Sakai’s seminar.
Parking is available on Cherry Street between 18th and 19th Street at an
“Academy Rate”. There is an entrance to the Academy on 19th Street.

Saturday, February 21, 2009, 10:00am
Nisei Koi Farm (www.qualitykoi.com)
104 E. Quillytown Road, Carneys Point, NJ 08069 (856) 299-7564
Topic: How to Appreciate the Quality of Nishikigoi – with a “hands on”
demonstration
Fee: $25 (includes lunch )

Please RSVP no later than February 6, 2009
If attending event at Nisei Koi Farm, $25 Registration Fee is due at time of RSVP.
You may register at our online store under Koi Events or contact us at 856-299-7564

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Japan Group II invites all who are interested in our programs to join us!! Email luber@lubergallery.com or call Shirley Luber 215-545-4975 for more details.

Sunday, March 1 Japanese Print Exhibit at the Berman Museum at Ursinus College
              "Impressions of an Age: Ukiyo-e Prints from the Berman Collecter"
                                Frank Chance will be our guide
                                Dinner at Bonjung Japanese Restaurant
             Leave City Line at 1:45 PM
             Leave 19th and JFK  at 2 PM
             Members $60    Non members $65
Sunday, April 4, The Art of the Japanese Craft at PMA
                              Our guide: Ann McPhail
             Special Dinner at Shiro Hana
             Met at west entrance Philadelphia Museum of Art at 3 PM
             Members $30  Non Members $35
Sunday, May 3  Washington, DC  The Freer Gallery and Day on the Mall
            Leave City Line at 8:15    19th & jFK at 8:30
            Leave DC at $ PM
            Members $50   Non-members $55
All trips are on Krapf Coaches

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2009 CIBER Business Language Conference

Navigating the World of Business Through Language and Culture

Thursday–Saturday • April 2–4, 2009

Marriott Country Club Plaza, Kansas City, Mo.

Whether managers are finding markets in Asia, Africa, Europe, or Latin America, speaking the local languages and knowing the cultural terrain can make or break a deal. But how do we teach these skills, especially to adult learners? Come to Kansas City to chart new directions in research and share ideas and best practices for teaching language and culture to business professionals. CIBER Business Language Conference

Content/Speakers
Melissa Birch, Director
ciberdir@ku.edu
785-864-7879

Registration
Kevin Curry, Senior Program Manager
kgcurry@ku.edu
785-864-7861
KU Continuing Education
1515 St. Andrews Dr.
Lawrence KS 66047-1625

*The Congressional-Executive Commission on China ( www.cecc.gov ) is offering paid internships for graduate students, advanced undergraduates, and recent graduates this coming summer in Washington, D.C. Interns must be U.S. citizens. The application deadline is March 1, 2009 , for the Summer 2009 internship that runs from June to August. Application instructions are attached.

CECC internships provide significant educational and professional experience for advanced undergraduate and graduate students with a background in Chinese politics, law and society, and strong Chinese language skills.

Interns work closely with the Commission and its staff on the full array of issues concerning human rights, the rule of law, and governance in China (including criminal justice, democratic governance institutions, environmental problems, religious freedom, freedom of expression, ethnic minority rights, women's rights, etc.).

Interns perform important research support tasks (often in Chinese), attend seminars, meet Members of Congress and e xperts from the United States and abroad, and draft Commission analyses. Click here for CECC analysis of recent develo pments in the rule of law and human rights in China. Interns may also be trained to work with the Commission's Political Prisoner Database, which has been accessible by the public since its launch in November 2004 (click here to begin a search).

The CECC staff is committed to interns ' professional development, and holds regular roundtables for interns on important China-related issues.

Sum mer 2009 interns will be paid $10/hour. Those unable to apply for Summer 2009 internships may apply for the Spring (February-May) and Fall (September-December).

Further details are available on the Commission's Web site at www.cecc.gov .

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FOR IMMEDIATE HIRING: translator for arts and culture related subjects

Job description:

The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) in New York City is looking for a translator to translate interview transcriptions from Chinese to English, work commencing immediately.  The transcript contains 18 pages.  The work needs to be completed by February 17.  The translator will be compensated upon completion of the work at the rate agreed upon prior to the assignment of the work.  He or she will be credit in the publication where the interview appears.

Qualifications:

Successful candidates must have excellent command of written English and good knowledge of art and culture. A background in Art History, History, Cultural Studies, or East Asian Studies is preferable.

To apply:

Please submit a translation sample with both original and translated text and provide the desired rate to tcwang@mocanyc.org with the subject line, “Application: translator.” For more information about the Museum, please visit our website at www.mocanyc.org .

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Japanese House and Garden

Site Manager

Position Profile

Overview

The Site Manager is a full time seasonal position, March through October 15, at the Japanese House and Garden, Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . The Japanese House and Garden is a 17 th century style Japanese house in the west section of Fairmount Park . This position is an integral part of the museum's day-to-day operations and serves an important role in interacting with the public and as a liaison with other professional staff members. This position is ideal for a person who has earned a college degree or has significant life experience. The successful candidate must also have a strong interest in and/or knowledge of Japan , Asian studies, museum studies, education or the hospitality industry.

Schedule

•  Must be available to work 5 days per week, Wednesday-Sunday.

•  Hours: Wednesday-Friday 9-5; Saturday and Sunday 10-5

•  Evening work for staffing special events will be required.

•  This seasonal position begins March 3, 2009 and ends on Oct. 31, 2009.

Salary

The salary for this seasonal position is $18,000

Qualifications

A college degree, trade certification, or significant life and work experience

Experience working with the public is desired.

Interest and experience with Asian studies, museum studies, recreational studies, education or the hospitality industry is a plus.

Must be able to lift 20 pounds.

Having a car is a requirement

To apply:

Send resume and cover letter to:

Prudence Haines, Executive Director
Japanese House and Garden
4700 States Drive, Ohio House
Philadelphia , PA 19131
www.shofuso.com

can be emailed to: info@shofuso.com

*The Ohio State University 's East Asian Studies Center is now accepting applications for a postdoctoral researcher for 2009-2010 in the area of East Asian policy issues. Would you please disseminate this announcement to your listservs? The East Asian Studies Center (EASC) at The Ohio State University invites applications for a postdoctoral researcher position for the 2009-2010 academic year. The stipend is $40,000 plus benefits. This year's focus will be on interdisciplinary approaches to policy issues in modern and contemporary China , Japan , or Korea . We are particularly interested in candidates who are engaged with issues in bilateral and/or multilateral Asian foreign policy; US-East Asia relations as seen from an Asian point of view; the impact of the international and domestic NGO sector on national and/or local policymaking in East Asia; and/or East Asian policies relating to the environment, energy, urban planning, media, language, and the arts. Background in public policy or political science is a plus. The postdoctoral researcher will offer two courses in collaboration with the thriving Undergraduate International Studies Program, which offers majors in World Economy and Business, International Relations & Diplomacy, Security & Intelligence, Development Studies as well as in East Asian Studies. A third course can be offered in any appropriate department. All Ph.D. requirements must be fulfilled before Sept 1, 2009. Letter of interest, CV, teaching proposal for three courses (1,500 words total), research proposal (1,500 words total), and 3 letters of reference should be sent to EASC Postdoctoral Researcher Position, East Asian Studies Center, The Ohio State University, 314 Oxley Hall, 1712 Neil Ave., Columbus, OH 43210; fax: (614) 247-6454; email: easc@osu.edu ; website: http://easc.osu.edu/ . The deadline for the receipt of completed applications is March 6, 2009 with preliminary interviews taking place at the Association of Asian Studies Annual Meeting in Chicago , March 26-29, 2009. OSU is an AA/EOE employer. For more information, see http://easc.osu.edu/contents/postdocs.html .

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CIEE is pleased, once again, to offer the Ping Doctoral Research Fellowships , providing support for doctoral research focused on U.S. undergraduate study abroad.

CIEE: Council on International Educational Exchange invites Directors of Graduate Studies (or in the absence of a departmental DGS, a Chair) to nominate a qualified doctoral candidate for a Ping Fellowship. These Fellowships, funded through a small endowment, are named after Dr. Charles Ping, President Emeritus of Ohio University and a long-time former Chairman of the CIEE Board of Directors.

During the 2009-10 academic year, CIEE will provide up to two $20,000 Ping Doctoral Research Fellowships to outstanding doctoral candidates. For more information about eligibility, requirements, and the nomination of candidates, please click here to visit the CIEE website.

Thank you for letting interested parties know about the Ping Doctoral Research Fellowships, and for nominating qualified doctoral candidates. If you have any questions, please contact me at mvandeberg@ciee.org .
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Wilson center awards JApan scholarship

WASHINGTON -- The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars today announced the appointment of Associate Professor Isao Miyaoka as the Wilson Center 's new Japan Scholar. Professor Miyaoka will spend two months in residence at the Wilson Center , beginning in February 2009, carrying out a research project on the U.S.-Japan alliance and its evolution from an expedient alliance to a robust security community.

The Japan Scholar competition is a major aspect of the Wilson Center 's new Japan initiative. The competition is open to men and women who are Japanese citizens or are currently legal residents of Japan . Two scholars will be appointed each year. Applications are accepted from individuals in academia, business, journalism, government, law, and related professions. Candidates must be pursuing research on key public policy issues facing Japan , including U.S.-Japanese relations and East Asian political, security, and economic issues. For additional information on this scholarship opportunity, go to http://www.wilsoncenter.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=news.item&news_id=470468 .

CALL FOR APPLICATION: Volunteer with Dream Corps International Learn, Inspire, Teach, and Serve in Rural China PROGRAM Dream Corps is recruiting 30 to 40 international volunteers to participate in its 2009 Summer Volunteer Program in rural villages and urban migrant communities of China. Volunteers will take part in activities that include • Building basic library infrastructures • Developing library management system • Reading programs • English teaching • Facilitating community initiatives and projects • Community understanding The program consists of 3 days of training in Beijing, 3 weeks of volunteer work on assigned volunteer sites, and 3 days of concluding camp in Beijing. QUALIFICATION This is an exciting opportunity for students, researchers, and young professionals interested in international development, rural education, and the non-profit sector in China. Our past volunteers were from 12 different countries and regions and were primarily undergraduate and graduate students. Language: ability to speak Chinese is not imperative, but is highly preferred. EXPENSE While no fee is charged, volunteers shall cover all of their travel, board and lodging expenses during the program, including airfare for the traveling to China. Typical total expense per person during the program is around 250 US dollars. Volunteers from mainland China and team leaders are eligible for modest amount of financial assistance. APPLICATION PROCESS STEP 1: Online Application a. Application form http://www.dreamcorps.org/summer2009.htm b. Personal Statement (see guideline below for details) c. Resume or CV Application deadline is March 02, 2009. Because we have a rolling application process and our volunteer positions fill up quickly, we strongly encourage you to apply as early as possible. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. There is no application fee. STEP 2: Interview Applications are typically reviewed within a week. Qualified applicants will be interviewed over the phone or in person. STEP 3: Notification of Decision Final decision will be sent to you no later than March 15. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION If you have any more questions regarding our program, please visit Dream Corps 2009 Summer Program FAQ. If you have any questions regarding the application and volunteer selection process, please contact the Recruitment Committee at recruitment@dreamcorps.org ..

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CALL FOR ARTICLES Journal of China in Comparative Perspective (London School of Economics) The editors of the newly launched Journal of China in Comparative Perspective (JCCP) invite submissions of articles in English up to 8.000 words in length including notes and list of references. The articles must be original and not previously published. They should be sent electronically in either word or rtf format to the journal's official email address: jccp@lse.ac.uk . The journal is peer-reviewed, and will be published biannually by the London School of Economics. The JCCP was founded to encourage and publish original multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary comparative research on China. Comparison includes taking China as a case study of some more generally applicable theory, or drawing from comparative data about China and some other country or countries some analytic conclusions. The comparison may be regional or global; and it may be historical or contemporary. It may also involve a comparison of perceptions - China's perceptions of others and others' perceptions of China in the context of China's encounter with the outside world in the political, economic, military and cultural sense. The JCCP is a strictly non-partisan publication and does not support or discriminate against any political, ideological or religious viewpoint. Although conceived as an academic journal, the editorial policy of the journal is to ensure that articles that appear therein are of interest beyond the academic arena to both policy-makers as well as readers with a general interest in China-related themes. In accordance with standard academic practice, all submissions undergo a rigorous process of blind peer review. Submitted articles are blind read by two editors who decide whether the articles are suitable or not for publication, with or without revision. If these reviews are positive the article is sent to a third editor for further review before being returned to you, the author, for revision and final submission. The whole process should in normal circumstances take no longer than three months. We expect the revision to be completed within four weeks. Please note that all authors are responsible for ensuring that their manuscripts are written and formatted according to the journal's writing style. For more details on style guidelines, as well as on the journal's editorial team and statement of aims, please visit http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/CCPN/jccp.htm .

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The Korea-America Student Conference (KASC) is a student-led cultural and academic exchange program which brings 25 Korean and 25 American university students together to learn about and discuss U.S.-Korea relations. Together, students will experience an intense
month traveling around Korea and learning about several dynamic issues facing the U.S. and Korea: environment, security, global citizens, science and technology, and media and culture. Through engagement they will learn how to analyze and create strategies to improve
mutual and global cooperation.

Program
Participants will meet at their orientation site and then travel throughout four major cities in South Korea: Seoul, Gwangju, Jeju, and Busan. Over the course of four weeks, the students will engage in academic roundtable discussions, lectures and panel presentations, cultural
and social events, !eld trips, and community service activities. Throughout the conference delegates will work together, exchanging ideas and perspectives, to solve issues within their chosen roundtable. These experiences will provide a foundation for mutual understanding, social awareness, cultural sensitivity and a forum for the exchange of ideas. More importantly,
the intense experience of living and working together will encourage mutual understanding among delegates and promote lasting friendships that will further strengthen the ties between Korea and the United States.

Theme: Advancing US-Korea Cooperation on International Affairs

For more information and an application form please visit: www.iscdc.org

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Global Exploration for Educators Organization (GEEO) is a 501c3 non-profit organization that helps and encourages educators to travel abroad. In the summer of 2009 GEEO will run trips to Tunisia, Peru, Ecuador, Thailand, and India. GEEO hopes to make America more outward-looking by helping teachers travel and then giving them an effective way to share these experiences in their classrooms.

Educators can earn graduate school credit and professional development credit while seeing the world.  The trips are designed for teachers and include activities such as school visits and homestays that give participants authentic exposure to local culture. The trips are deeply discounted so as to be affordable to teachers.  GEEO also helps teachers find funding to subsidize the cost of the trips.

Detailed information about each trip, including itineraries, costs, travel dates, and more can be found at www.geeo.org . GEEO can also be reached 7 days a week, toll free at 1-877-600-0105 between 9AM-10PM EST. To sign-up for GEEO's listserv, please send an email to listserv@geeo.org with the subject line "subscribe."

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This is a reminder that March 1 is the application deadline for KCJS Summer Program in Advanced and Classical Japanese . Please forward this information to your students and colleagues.

This six-week program offers intensive training in advanced and classical Japanese for highly motivated undergraduate and graduate students who have completed three years of Japanese or the equivalent. 

Students enroll in one of two courses: Advanced Japanese or Introduction to Classical Japanese. Eight points of credit are awarded on a Columbia University transcript upon completion of the course. Language instruction will be provided by the regular faculty of KCJS, which is now in its 20th year as a highly successful junior-year- abroad program in Kyoto , and by visiting faculty from member schools of the KCJS consortium. For the summer of 2009, Introduction to Classical Japanese will be taught by Professor Jamie Newhard of Washington University in St. Louis .

Classes will be small, with 5-7 students in each of the three sections of modern Japanese, and an anticipated 10-15 in classical Japanese. 

Field trips, guest lectures, and other activities that utilize Kyoto 's rich cultural resources complement classroom instruction.

In 2009, the program will begin on June 1 and end on July 14 (just prior to the Gion Festival). The program fee is $3,750, and limited financial support is available from KCJS; the program should also be eligible for Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) summer language support for graduate students.

For further details about the program, please visit http://kcjssummer.columbia.edu or email kyotosummer@columbia.edu with any questions.

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Masters of Arts in Asian Studies

TheMasters of Arts in Asian Studies is an interdisciplinary program designed for students who wish to pursue advanced studies of historical and contemporary trends.  The degree provides students with a strong foundation in the traditional cultures and modern socio-economic societies of Asia, with an emphasis on East Asia.

Coursework is available from outstanding professors in a variety of disciplines including history, international relations, political science, religious studies, and more.  FIU Asian Studies faculty have won prestigious awards and fellowships and have published numerous books and articles in leading outlets.

FIU's Miami location, with its international focus and multicultural population, is the ideal place to conduct graduate studies.  Additional resources for students are available in different departments, schools, and colleges throughout the university.  Inquire about a focus on global or cross-regional issues.

For more information on the MAAS program visit: http://asianstudies.fiu.edu/page.php?c=ac_ma_a

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No-cost 2009 Teaching East Asian Literature in the High School workshop (July 12-18, 2009) The East Asian Studies Center (EASC) at Indiana University will hold the 2009 Teaching East Asian Literature in the High School workshop in Bloomington, IN, July 12-18, 2009. This one-week workshop provides an intensive introduction to the literature and history of China, Japan, and Korea and gives teachers the opportunity to discuss classroom applications and resources. Those who successfully complete the workshop will receive a $300 resource-buying grant for their school. Generously funded by the Freeman Foundation, the Teaching East Asian Literature in the High School workshop is a no-cost professional development program for high school teachers of English and world literature.

Participation includes:

• Set of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean literary works covered in workshop (mailed to participants prior to workshop)
• Free housing and one meal per day provided
• Certificate of completion
• Option to purchase three graduate credits from Indiana University at in-state rate
• $300 resource grant for purchasing East Asian literature for classroom use, provided upon completion of all requirements

Details and the application form are available online at http://www.iub.edu/~easc/outreach/educators/literature/index.shtml . The application deadline is March 6, 2009 or until the seminar fills. Applications are accepted on a first come, first served basis, so we encourage teachers to apply as soon as possible. If the applicant is accepted into the workshop, there is a $60 nonrefundable registration fee. Please feel free to contact Katie Venit at kvenit@indiana.edu , or call 812-856-6850 if you have any questions.

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Interest in Burma

A local chapter of US Campaign for Burma was started in the fall of 2007 in the city of Philadelphia and surrounding suburbs. The organization seeks to connect individuals and/or organizations that care about Burma in Philadelphia as well promote awareness of Nobel Peace Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi and the democracy movement she has personally sacrificed for in her county. Aung San Suu Kyi remains under house arrest in her childhood home in Rangoon. A small planning committee is eager to reach out to Penn students. If you are interested in learning about Burma or want more information on the local chapter, please contact Susan Zingale-Baird, szbaird@msn.com

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Research paper opportunity for student: Penn professor needs to work with accomplished Thai speaker who will translate a small cache of letters and undertake other research in Thai for an academic article.

Contact Arthur Waldron if interested: awaldron2@mac.com

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Dear Colleagues,
We are pleased to bring to your attention an excellent opportunity for American high school students to receive support to study less commonly taught languages.  NSLI-Y is an exciting, new merit-based US Government overseas language program for American high school students that will fund approximately 550 students to study and master languages not traditionally taught in U.S. high schools but which are critical for our country's future.  The program is funded by the Department of State's Educational and Cultural Affairs Youth Programs Division and is being implemented by a consortium of organizations led by the American Councils for International Education.  The program has already sent 350 American high schools students to summer language programs in China, Egypt, Jordan and Morocco during the summers of 2006, 2007 and 2008.
In 2009/2010, NSLI-Y is expanding the language offerings as well as the length of time for the programs.  There will be programs in Arabic, Farsi, Hindi, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Russian and Turkish.  There will be summer programs in each of the seven languages.  There will also be semester and academic year programs for Arabic, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Russian and Turkish.  For more information and to apply online, visit www.NSLIforYouth.org.  The application deadline is February 2, 2009.  
Lastly, I would like to direct your attention to two other websites.   http://exchanges.state.gov/youth/programs/nsli.html provides more information about the NSLI-Y program.  If you'd like to join the conversation about exchanges in general and become a part of the growing network of individuals interested in NSLI-Y, visit http://connect.state.gov/ and register for the NSLI-Y group.
We would be most appreciative of your spreading the word directly to American high school students between the ages of 15 and 18 and to appropriate staff at the high school level or school district level in order to publicize this invaluable opportunity.  Please do not hesitate to be in touch with me or with the Program Manager at American Councils Loren Kupferschmid at lkupferschmid@americancouncils.org for further assistance.

Best regards,

Lisa Bess Wishman wishmanlb@state.gov
Program Officer National Strategic Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) Youth Programs Division Educational & Cultural Affairs (ECA) Bureau U.S. Department of State Tel:  202-453-8173 Fax:  202-453-8169 http://exchanges.state.gov/youth/index.html http://connect.state.gov

The University of California Humanities Research Institute (UCHRI) is pleased to announce that the application deadline is extended for its sixth annual

Seminar in Experimental Critical Theory (SECT):
DESIGNING CHINA

August 9-22, 2009
Shanghai, China

Extended Application Deadline: March 2, 2009

UCHRI has been able to raise funds to reduce the fees for SECT VI significantly. The registration fee will be $750 for students and $1,250 for faculty. Registration fee covers tuition, accommodation, and some food but not airfare and related travel costs.

Applicants are urged to seek funding from their home institutions.
Scholarships will be available, mainly for full time registered students.

The Seminar in Experimental Critical Theory (SECT) is an intensive two-week summer program offered by the University of California Humanities Research Institute (UCHRI). SECT convenes distinguished instructors with a group of approximately 60 faculty, graduate students, independent scholars, and public intellectuals from across the international community. Neither an introductory survey nor an advanced research seminar, SECT functions as a "laboratory" where participants at all levels of experience can study with scholars at the leading edge of creative theoretical thought. The hallmark of SECT is its attention to both 'pure' and 'applied' modes of contemporary critical theory.

To date, SECT sessions have been conducted at UCHRI's facilities in Irvine, California. In August 2009, SECT VI will travel to Shanghai to hold an intensive two-week summer institute on "Designing China."

This seminar proposes to focus on China, not because China leads the world in the field of design, but because China today is where design issues are raised in perhaps their most problematic and provocative form. The seminar is neither a survey of design nor a training course in design fundamentals; it is not even exclusively about China. Rather, China will be taken as a case study to explore, in the spirit of "experimental critical theory," the larger issues of design in a globalizing world.

UCHRI invites applications from scholars—faculty of all ranks and graduate students—wishing to participate.

Application Fee: $20

Registration Fee: $750 for students / $1,250 for faculty
[covers tuition, accommodation, and some food]

Application Deadline: March 2, 2009
Online applications only at www.uchri.org .

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2009 Biannual International Forum on Asia-Middle East Studies Transcending Borders: Asia, Middle East , and the Global Community

October 16-17, 2009, Annapolis , Maryland , U.S.A.
While the United States was deeply involved in negotiating peace between Israel and the Palestinians and fighting terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan , countries in East Asia and Southeast Asia have been quietly developing frequent economic, political, and cultural interaction with the Middle East .  Countries such as China and Japan pay close attention to the Middle East because of their strong ties to the region. Indeed their roles in the Middle East have become so prominent that they should be acknowledged and closely observed.  The “Transcending Borders: Asia, Middle East, and the Global Community” conference, hosted by the U.S. Naval Academy's Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies, U.S. Asian Cultural Academy, the Shanghai International Studies University, and the Library of Congress Asian Division, aims to provide a platform for western and Asian scholars to converge and exchange views on major issues concerning the Middle East and its relationship with Asia, the U.S., and the rest of the world. The 2009 Biannual International Forum on Asia-Middle East Studies plans to invite scholars with strong interest and specializations in Asia-Middle East relations to present their papers on the following suggested subjects: - Energy and environment - Economy and trade - Cross-regional relations - Social/cultural perspectives - This list is meant to suggest possible topics, although other topics are welcome if they establish their general relevance to the subject of the encounters between the global and local powers in the Middle East . - Both broad theoretical studies and specific case studies are welcome. 

Paper proposals (no more than 200 words) & a 1-page biography are due by 1 May 2009, and should be submitted electronically to: Transcending Borders:  Asia, Middle East , and the Global Community Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies U.S. Naval Academy Annapolis , Maryland USA 21402 Tel.: 1-410-293-2990   Fax: 1-410-293-2994 Email: cmeis@usna.edu - This is an interdisciplinary conference.  Participants will include academics, diplomats, military officers and other interested individuals. - Authors of accepted proposals will be notified by 1 June 2009.  Final papers must be submitted by 15 September 2009. - Paper presenters and participants must cover their own travel and accommodations to participate in the conference.  Registration fee is $ 95.00 and is due by 16 September 2009. - Registration information for this conference will be available by 1 April 2009 at: www.usna.edu/MiddleEast

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We here at the Colorado University East Asian Graduate Association (CUEAGA) have some extra room in our conference schedule this year and a bit of extra time to view further submissions. Therefore, we are extending our deadline for papers to Friday, February 6th. Just send your abstracts to this address ( cueaga@colorado.edu ). Again, topics include East Asian religion, history, and art/literature. We look forward to hearing from you! Also, if you would like to attend the conference without participating, you are cordially invited. The conference will be held March 6th and 7th in the Humanities building at CU Boulder. Please e-mail us at cueaga@colorado.edu with any questions.

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The Oscar Lee Symposium of Undergraduate East Asian Studies

Present your research on East Asia!

The Oscar Lee Symposium is a half-day conference featuring panels of undergraduate researchers of East and Southeast Asia from all academic disciplines. This year's conference will take place on Friday, April 24, 2009. If you have written (or are in the process of writing) a research paper or thesis regarding a topic related to East or Southeast Asia, please consider submitting your work to the Symposium! It is a great opportunity to have your work acknowledged and discussed by your peers and professors.

The guidelines for submission are as follows:

1. Abstract of 300 words or less
2. Seminar or thesis papers of at least 12 pages in length (double-spaced)
3. Send materials to submissions@eastasiasymposium.org by Sunday, January 25, 2009

Selected participants will be responsible for their own transportation to and from Columbia University (in the City of New York). Guests staying overnight will be housed in the dormitories of the Symposium's Organizational Committee and Review Board members.

Please visit www.eastasiasymposium.org for more information, or email chair@eastasiasymposium.org .

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University of Toronto, Ninth Annual East Asia Conference 2009
Social Constructions: Exploring Intellectual Spaces in East Asia

March 14, 2009

The interdisciplinary conference welcomes research from graduate
students in all fields of East Asian Studies, including but not limited to
history, sociology, anthropology, economy, art, literature and
philosophy. We invite papers that seek to explore intellectual spaces
while critically engaging with real effects of social constructions in
East Asia and beyond.

Topics may include (though are not limited to) such issues as ontological subjectivity and epistemological objectivity of social constructions, the impact of social constructions on the everyday, significance of everyday practices in sustaining or contesting the existence of social constructions, the role of institutions in establishing social constructions, relation between individual identities and social reality as well as the challenges we encounter when tracing social constructions in an East Asian context and
intellectual spaces that are allowed or disallowed by social constructions.
We invite all those interested in presenting papers to submit an abstract (300 words maximum) and brief biographical information by December 21st. We encourage submissions from both individuals and panels of three (panelists should send individual abstracts and a panel abstract). Please indicate whether you would like your completed paper to be considered for publication in the East Asian Forum journal published by graduate students of the East Asian Studies department at the University of Toronto.

Selected participants should send completed papers to the committee by February 4th.

Please email your submissions and questions to the conference committee at
eas.conference.2009@gmail.com.
Schedule and additional information will be posted at: http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/easgsc/Main.html

Center for East Asian Studies
University of Pennsylvania
642 Williams Hall
255 S. 36th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305
Tel: 215-573-4203; Fax: 215-573-2561
E-mail: ceas@ccat.sas.upenn.edu