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

Tuesday, January 22, 11:00AM, Location TBA, The Concept of Ritual in the Excavated Texts from Chu : Are They a Direct Source of the Theory of Ritual and Social Norms in Xunzi?

Dr. Masayuki Sato, Department of Philosophy, National Taiwan University

(Lunch to follow at 12:30 for graduate students and faculty)

Tuesday, January 22, 11:00AM, Location TBA, The Concept of Ritual in the Excavated Texts from Chu : Are They a Direct Source of the Theory of Ritual and Social Norms in Xunzi?

Dr. Masayuki Sato, Department of Philosophy, National Taiwan University

(Lunch to follow at 12:30 for graduate students and faculty)

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Thursday, January 24, 3:00PM, Location TBA ( Law School ), Japan , America , and the ‘Realities' of Liberty City :

Regulation and the Politics of Narrative in the Grand Theft Auto Games

David Leheny, Princeton

The video game Grand Theft Auto III and its sequels have been notorious political footballs, convincing some that the violence committed in the games pose a social threat as impressionable young players might become more aggressive in real life, and convincing others that the games' critics are poorly informed moral scolds. This presentation examines the politics of video game regulation in Japan , drawing attention to the ways in which the source of the GTAIII games' menace is understood as their putative realism. It embeds this discussion of realism within larger political debates surrounding the production of popular culture products, the protection of juveniles from harmful influences, and the construction of menace in the news media.

Issues in Contemporary East Asia Lecture Series

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Tuesday, January 29, 4:30PM, Location TBA , The Plight of North Korean Women in China

Peter Beck, Executive Director, U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea

Korean Lecture Series

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Tuesday, February 5, 3:00PM, Location TBA ( Law School ), The Allocation of Talent Under National Health Insurance: The Case of Japanese Cosmetic Surgery

Mark Ramseyer, Harvard Law

Issues in Contemporary East Asia Lecture Series

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Tuesday, March 4, 3:00PM, Location TBA ( Law School ), Title TBA

Akio Shimizu, Associate Dean, Waseda Law School

Issues in Contemporary East Asia Lecture Series

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Tuesday, April 1, 5:30PM, Meyerson Hall, Upper Gallery, Constructing Culture: Three Japanese Architects Struggle with Shinto

Dana Buntrock, UC Berkeley

While most contemporary Japanese architects treat religion as a quaint cultural influence that can be freely abstracted and adopted, in this talk I discuss how three prominent designers took on religion in their work, with varied and interesting results.

The first, Dr. Terunobu FUJIMORI, is better known among historians as a celebrated author and architectural historian. In addition, he is also an amateur architect who has received Japan 's highest architectural award. Raised in a remote area strongly influenced by Suwa Shrine, Fujimori reflects a genuine embrace of Shinto as it once existed, rooted in the mountains and living things of the land. His architecture, as one example, is often clothed not merely in natural materials, but even in living plants. But while Fujimori embraces Shinto, most urbane architects do not. The other two sites I discuss are within the precincts of Konpira (Kotohira) Shrine on Shikoku Island and at the Izumo Grand Shrine. Fumihiko Maki, architect at Izumo, deployed symbolic features, from trees used in sacred landscapes and ancient myths carved into stone – but also challenges the role of Shinto today, by, for example, offering an observation platform intended to allow visitors to look down on Japan's second most important shrine. Ryoji Suzuki, the architect at Konpira, embraced the religious roots of the site – but these are far from easy issues. Konpira was originally an esoteric Buddhist site, shedding this identity in the tumultuous years of the late nineteenth century. Today, Buddhist and Shinto architecture is woven throughout the site; Suzuki reinforced this effect.

These architects and their work reflect only some of the ways that Shinto is seen in Japan today, but they nonetheless reveal its uneasy place in contemporary society.

Issues in Contemporary East Asia Lecture Series, Co-Sponsored by the Department of Architecture

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A Harmonious Information Society? Social Stratification, ICT & Media in China

A one-day symposium to be held on January 25, 2008 generously supported and hosted by the Center for Global Communication Studies at the Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania. 
Economic development and ‘informatization' in China have gone hand in hand. While the growth of the economy over the years has been and still is at an incredible rate, the adoption rate of information technology, such as that of mobile phones and the internet, has been just as, if not even more impressive. However, with recent discussions about the construction of a ‘harmonious society' appearing on the political agenda, the focus has started to shift from economic growth to the problem of achieving more overall societal balance. This shift in official discourse acknowledges the need to address social problems, including the tensions between state and market forces, a growing gap between the rich and the poor and widening disparities between the urban and rural population. While there has been research on social stratification in China, little attention so far has been paid to the role information technologies and the media play in this process.
First, what are the social consequences of an increasing informatization of the Chinese society? Who are the main users of new technologies and what are they using them for? And what happens to those who are left out, who do not have the access, or the education to develop the skills and literacy necessary to work with digital media? A deeper underlying question perhaps is, where did these technologies come from and why were they so generously supported? What roles do economic and political considerations play in shaping the diffusion of technology that can be adopted for either repressive or emancipatory purposes?
Second, what is the role of the media in addressing social inequality? In the light of an increasing stratified society, how do the media, both the traditional and the new media, represent competing voices and interests and how do they communicate these disagreements to the public? How do members of the public make sense or fail to make sense of these media representations?

On Friday January 25, 2008, we will bring together an impressive group of scholars for a one-day symposium to address these contentious questions. Our panels include renowned scholars coming from a wide range of disciplines, such as, communication, political science, anthropology, sociology, cultural studies and China studies. Participation among all those attending will be enthusiastically encouraged.
For more information about the symposium, please contact Lokman Tsui <ltsui@asc.upenn.edu>

The Global Interdependence Center Presents:

The Development of China's Higher Value Added Industries: China's Suzhou Industrial Park

"The Opportunity for Higher Value Added Industries in China"
In partnership with Drexel University's LeBow College of Business and Sino-Consulting Inc.

Learn more about China's evolving industrial structure and the shift from manufacturing to service and high tech sectors.  Representatives from Suzhou Industrial Park will disucss their success moving up the value chain and the benefits of working with successful industrial parks in China.

January 9th, 2008
6:00pm-8:00pm
Matheson Hall Auditorium
32nd and Market Streets
Philadelphia, PA

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Princeton University Buddhist Studies Workshop 2007-2008

Imaginary Geographies: Buddhism and the Japanese World Map

Monday, February 4, 2008, 4:30 pm, 1879 Hall, Room 137

Max Moerman ( Barnard College)

Art History, Buddhist Studies, Tibet: New Perspectives from the Tibet Site Seminar

March 7-9, 2008, Friday-Sunday, McCormick 101

Friday, 4:30 pm: Keynote address by Deborah Klimburg-Salter (University of Vienna).

Saturday and Sunday: Papers by graduate-student participants in the 2007 Tibet Site Seminar, with responses from Janet Gyatso (Harvard Divinity School), Marylin Rhie (Smith College), and Gene E. Smith (Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center).

Co-sponsored by the Tang Center for East Asian Art and the Center for the Study of Religion.

The conference is free but registration is required: http://www.princeton.edu/TibetSem/program-conference.htm .

Bringing Together Intuition and Law:

Linguistic Relevance and Moral Creativity in Theravada Buddhist Ethics

Tuesday, March 25, 2008, 4:30 pm, 1879 Hall, Room 137

Charles Hallisey ( Harvard University)

War Magic in Tibetan Buddhism

Thursday, April 17, 2008, 4:30 pm, 1879 Hall, Room 137

Bryan Cuevas, ( Florida State University and the Institute for Advanced Study)

Questions? Please send e-mail to bbermel@princeton.edu.

The Buddhist Studies Workshop is generously supported by the Provost, the Center for the Study of Religion, and the Department of Religion.

Additional co-sponsors include:
The Program in East Asian Studies
The P.Y. and Kinmay W. Tang Center for East Asian Art
The Princeton University Library
The Council on the Humanities

(III) Employment and Internship Opportunities

* Looking for Adjunct to Teach Development of Chinese

Seton Hall University is looking for a adjunct professor to teach a graduate course, Development of Chinese Civilization, on Mondays from 6:15-8:25 pm. Thirteen students have already signed up for the class, but the faculty member assigned to the course has a family health issue. The first day of the class is January 14. If you know someone that would be interested in teaching the course, they can send an email to Dr. Dongdong Chen ( chendong@shu.edu ). Here is a description of the course from the Seton Hall catalog: ASIA 6142 Development of Chinese Civilization In-depth consideration of the changes in Chinese culture, from the period of Disunion through the Sung period. Lecture, reading and discussion. 3 credits

*Officially approved by the Beijing Olympics Committee and supported by the Harvard Asia Center, IMUSE has selected a group of student leaders from Chinese universities to tour a number of North American universities in spring 2008 to engage local students in a panel discussion on China's most pressing issues.

Moreover, in the spirit of increased dialogue and further
understanding, IMUSE designed the "China in My Eyes" creative work competition to encourage individual students to share their own views on modern China either in an essay or through photography. Open to all North American college students, a group of university professors on IMUSE's advisory board will select three grand prize winners who will receive an all-expenses-paid two-week trip to Beijing and the
opportunity to work as specially trained 2008 Beijing Olympics
volunteers before and during the Olympics. There is no cost to apply.

More details about this competition and IMUSE 2008 may be found at:

http://www.imuse2008.org/competition.php

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*HARVARD POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS IN JAPANESE STUDIES FOR 2008-09
The Edwin O. Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies at Harvard University will
offer several postdoctoral fellowships in Japanese studies to recent PhDs to provide an
opportunity to turn their dissertation into a publishable manuscript. Applicants must
have received their PhD in 2003 or later, in Japanese studies in any area of the humanities
or social sciences. Each fellowship covers a ten-month period beginning September 1,
2008, with a stipend of $44,000, health insurance for grantee, research/travel funds, and
support for workshops. Residence in the Cambridge/Boston area and participation in
Institute activities are required.
Applications must be received by January 15, 2008.
Application information can be obtained by contacting:
Dr. Theodore J. Gilman, Associate Director
Reischauer Institute
Harvard University
1730 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA 02138.
(617) 495-3220
<tgilman@fas.harvard.edu>
Full application details may also be downloaded from our website:
http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~rijs/fellowships/postdoctoral.html

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University of Pennsylvania
Center for East Asian Studies
Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships
Academic Year 2008-09

Applications are due February 1, 2008, to the Applicant's Department

The Center for East Asian Studies will award seven FLAS Fellowships for AY 2008-09 to graduate students planning to pursue modern East Asian language study at the intermediate or higher level. The FLAS Fellowship pays tuition and general fees and provides an annual stipend of $15,000.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, be admitted to or enrolled in a graduate program at Penn, and have research or career plans that require the use of an East Asian language. The languages most commonly studied are Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, but other languages of the region may be approved. Awards are made by the Executive Committee of the Center for East Asian Studies.

Successful applicants must then enroll both semesters of the Fellowship year in an intermediate or higher modern East Asian language and in full-time study in either East Asian Studies or professional studies related to East Asia .

Application should be made directly to the Graduate Chair of the Department in which the applicant is enrolled. (Incoming graduate students should indicate to the departments to which they have applied that they would like to be considered for the FLAS.) The application form, which lists the materials required for submission, is attached to the electronic version of this message, and it appears on the reverse side of the printed version. The form can be obtained at the Center for East Asian Studies, by writing to ceas@ccat.sas.upenn.edu , or on our webpage at www.ceas.sas.upenn.edu .

The competition will be conducted strictly in accordance with University policies and the selection guidelines of the U.S. Department of Education. The Center for East Asian Studies seeks to support students in as wide a variety of disciplines and professions, and from as wide a variety of backgrounds, as possible.

*East Asia Law Review Call for Papers

The East Asia Law Review (EALR) at the University of Pennsylvania Law School is now accepting submissions for our Spring 2008 issue. 

The mission of the East Asia Law Review is to provide a forum for the study of the law of East Asian nations, thus, submissions should be related to the law, its practice, implementation or implications in East Asian nations. Submissions are accepted from anyone with an interest in East Asia. There are no length requirements and submissions may be of any type, including articles, essays, regulations reviews, and book reviews. Submissions must in English and must be properly cited; bluebook format for footnotes is appreciated.  EALR will select the highest quality manuscripts for publication.  For further information or to submit a manuscript, please contact our articles editor, Binni Shah, at shahb@law.upenn.edu. Submissions will be accepted through February 1, 2008, with the potential for extensions with prior approval of the Editorial Board.

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*Hello,Paula.

  I am a former participant in the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund teacher program.  The exhibit below is currently in NYC and I would love to see it come to Philadelphia.  Might you have any connections with someone who might sponsor it locally?

  Thanks,
  Boe Daley, Teacher
  Haddonfield Memorial High School
  Haddonfield, NJ

  Exhibition: "Voyages and Images Japan Through Art Teachers' Eyes"
  Consulate Gallery
  Consulate General of Japan in New York, Gallery
  299 Park Ave., 18th Floor, NYC
  Fifteen art teachers from across the United States have created forty artworks through various mediums, which were inspired by their three-week teacher program in Japan last fall. The program, Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program,  is held every year and the participants are selected from American elementary and secondary school teachers with no prior visit to Japan.

Please contact Boe, if interested, at : bojangles21@comcast.net

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The Chinese Language Education and Research Center(CLERC) of Milbrae, California
8-week chinese language program at Peking University
June 23rd-August 15th 2008
Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced Levels
Extra-curricular courses include Tai Chi, Chinese Calligraphy, and Chinese Brush Painting classes
Group entertainment and pre-determined excursions include trips to the Great Wall, Forbidden city, Temple of Heaven, Summer palace and others.

Additional info: www.nanhai.com
clerc@nanhai.com

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The Columbia East Asia Review is seeking submissions of original research in East Asia from students of undergraduate institutions worldwide. Research
articles in any academic discipline are eligible for submission. Accepted
articles will be published in the Spring 2008 Review. The author of the
article deemed best by the Editorial Board will be awarded a $200 prize upon publication.

*The submission deadline is Saturday, January 27, 2008.*

The Columbia East Asia Review (CEAR) is an annual, online, peer-review
academic journal dedicated to furthering knowledge of East Asia through the
promotion of research and interdisciplinary dialogue. CEAR has three primary

goals: First, to publish superior undergraduate research of East Asia;
Second, to educate undergraduate contributors and CEAR members about the
academic publication process; and third, to foster interest and idea
exchange in the field of East Asian Studies. CEAR is sponsored by the
Weatherhead East Asian Institute and the Columbia University Department of
East Asian Languages and Culture.
More information regarding submissions can be found online at
www.eastasiareview.org

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World Affairs Council- An Opportunity to learn about China, Japan, Korea, and more!


China and international trade issues, Cool, Creative Japan in the 21 st century, “rapprochement”  with North Korea – these are all issues that will impact our students today – and into the future.  The underpinnings for these topics can be found in the East Asia Seminar Series for Teachers, a professional development program offered by the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia in cooperation with the National Consortium for Teaching About Asia. 

Participants have access to the latest scholarship on these and many other issues, receive a wealth of materials for themselves and for their schools, have special programs designed exclusively for them at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the University of Pennsylvania Museum and have opportunities to be part of study tours to locations in East Asia.  Personal and professional stipends of up to $500 are included in this highly regarded program.  This year, as part of the materials we are offering through the East Asia Seminar, each participant will receive a copy of Spirited Away from one of the most acclaimed filmmakers in the history of animated cinema.

For more information visit: www.wacphila.org

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