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 21, 4:30PM, *New Location*: College Hall 209 (changed from College Hall 314) , Chinese-Muslim Memory and Historiography in China

Zvi Ben-Dor Benite, Department of History, New York University

The talk will discuss the problem of memory and history in a community defined by a condition of both displacement and belonging  devises its own versions and variations of common Chinese devices of writing the past.

Humanities Colloquiumn, Co-Sponsored by the Middle East Center

The Chinese Music Society happily invites all to our celebration of the Year of the Rat !

A FREE DINNER and MUSIC PERFORMANCE to welcome the YEAR OF THE RAT 2008 !
Come eat delicious Chinese food, enjoy beautiful music by our guest performers, and get the chance to learn more about and interact with professional musicians from the Philadelphia community!

Event: Year of the Rat

Place: Harrison Heyer Sky Lounge

Date: February 16, 2008

Time: 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Please RSVP to our Facebook event "CMS Presents: Year of the Rat" or to PennCMS@gmail.com so that we can estimate how much food to order!
Performances by:

Qin Qian (erhu and monochord)
Kurt Jung (yangqin)
Jong Ho (guzheng)
Philly Asian Music & Dance Association

__________

*Dr. Andrew Glass, University of Washington, will be delivering a lecture entitled:

"Early Adopters: Buddhism and technology from its origins to the present"

Date and Time: Monday Feb. 18 at 11am.
Place: Room 337 Logan Hall

__________

Tuesday, February 19, 4:30PM, Logan Hall 402 , The Plight of North Korean Women in China

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

Korean Lecture Series

__________

Tuesday, February 19, 7:00PM, Towne 303 – Twentieth-Century Chinese Film Series

A Woman for Two (Ling Zifeng)

__________

Wednesday, February 20, 6:00PM, McNeil 167-8 – Giant Monsters of Japan Film Series

Terror of Mechagodzilla ( Honda Ishiro, 1975)

__________

Thursday, February 21, 4:30PM, *New Location*: College Hall 209 (changed from College Hall 314) , Chinese-Muslim Memory and Historiography in China

Zvi Ben-Dor Benite, Department of History, New York University

The talk will discuss the problem of memory and history in a community defined by a condition of both displacement and belonging  devises its own versions and variations of common Chinese devices of writing the past.

Humanities Colloquiumn, Co-Sponsored by the Middle East Center

__________

Thursday, February 21, 7:00PM, Logan Hall 402 - Japanese Architecture Film Series

Rikyu ( Teshigahara Hiroshi, 1989) – Introduction by Professor Stephanie Feldman

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

__________

Tuesday, February 26, 4:30PM, Huntsman Hall F55 , Title TBA

Robert Feldman , Morgan Stanley Japan Securities Co., Ltd.

CEAS-Lauder Distinguished Lecturer

__________

*The School of Nursing presents:

Dean Meleis and Dean Rubenstein invite you to join us for a presentation by:

Dr. Lincoln Chen, President, China Medical Board

China-India in Global Health: Re-emergence and Comparisons

Wednesday February 27, 2008

4:00Pm

Claire M. Fagin Hall - School of Nursing – Ann L. Roy Auditorium

__________

Wednesday, February 27, 6:00PM, McNeil 167-8 – Giant Monsters of Japan Film Series

Nausicä of the Valley of the Winds ( Miyazaki Hayao, 1994)

__________

Thursday, February 28, 7:00PM, Logan Hall 402 - Japanese Architecture Film Series

Spirited Away ( Miyazaki Hayao, 2001) - – Introduction by Professor Julie Nelson Davis

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

__________

Tuesday, March 4, 3:00PM, Silverman 240A ( Law School ), Japan 's Experience with the GATT/WTO Dispute Settlement System

Akio Shimizu, Associate Dean, Waseda Law School

Issues in Contemporary East Asia Lecture Series

__________

Tuesday, March 4, 7:00PM, Towne 303 – Twentieth-Century Chinese Film Series

Lust, Caution (Ang Lee)

__________

Wednesday, March 5, 6:00PM, McNeil 167-8 – Giant Monsters of Japan Film Series

Godzilla 1985 ( Hashimoto Koji, 1984)

__________

Thursday, March 6, 4:30PM, Fisher-Bennett Hall 244 , And History Took a Calligraphic Turn: The Art of Tai Jingnong's Writing

David Der-wei Wang, Edward C.Henderson Professor of Chinese Literatureat Harvard University and Director of CCK Foundation Inter-University Center for Sinological Studies

The lecture will focus on the following aspects of Tai Jingnong's work: the dissemination of modern Chinese writing in visual terms; calligraphy and its geographical implications; and the poetics of “muted” Sinophone articulations.

Humanities Colloquium

__________

Monday, March 17, 4:30PM, Logan Hall 17 , East Asia and the Middle East : What Can We Learn from Comparative Approaches to Global History?

Cemil Aydin, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Princeton University, Near Eastern Studies Department and Assistant Professor of History, University of North Carolina-Charlotte

Humanities Colloquium, Co-Sponsored with the Middle East Center

__________

Tuesday, March 18, 4:30PM, Logan Hall 17 , Myth, Memory and the Mongol Invasions of Japan
Tom Conlan, Associate Professor of History and Asian Studies, Bowdoin
This talk explores the Mongol Invasions of Japan, as well as how myths pertaining to Japanese defense against the Mongols, such as the kamaikaze ("divine winds") arose.

__________

Tuesday, March 18, 7:00PM, Towne 303 – Twentieth-Century Chinese Film Series

A Better Tomorrow ( John Woo)

__________

Wednesday, March 19, 6:00PM, McNeil 167-8 – Giant Monsters of Japan Film Series

Godzilla vs. Mothra ( Okawara Takao, 1992)

__________

Thursday, March 20, 4:30PM, Fisher-Bennett Hall 244 , Japan 's Answer to Harry Potter: The Abeno Seimei Boom

Laura Miller, Professor of Anthropology at Loyola University Chicago

Beginning in 1994, the legendary astrologer and Yin Yang master named Abeno Seimei became the focus of intense cultural interest. Why was a sorcerer who lived during the Heian era (794 1192) suddenly the subject of manga, films, a TV series, novels, anime and numerous books? This presentation will trace the trajectory of shaman/wizard fixation and will link the recent popularity of this historic figure with other trends in popular culture.

Issues in Contemporary East Asia lecture Series

__________

Tuesday, March 25, 5:30PM, Meyerson Hall B3 , Veneration and Imagery of Buddhist "Saints" in Japan from 1700-Present

Patricia J. Graham

This talk explores the reasons for the enduring popularity in the Japanese Buddhist pantheon of Buddhist "saints" -- monks known as Rakan (Luohan in Chinese; and Arhat in Sanskrit) and laity known as the Buddha's 10 Great Disciples (Shaka Judai deshi). Both groups were devout, unconventional personages who gained enlightenment after hearing the teachings of the Buddha in India . Their popularity as personal saviors continues to the present and has inspired the creation of numerous idiosyncratic images by artists working within and apart from formal Buddhist organizations. Their widespread appeal is emblematic of their transcendence beyond Buddhism to universal symbols of individualism and integrity.

Humanities Colloquium

__________

Tuesday, March 25, 7:00PM, Towne 303 – Twentieth-Century Chinese Film Series

Rouge ( Stanley Kwan)

__________

Wednesday, March 26, 6:00PM, McNeil 167-8 – Giant Monsters of Japan Film Series

Godzilla vs. Destroyah ( Okawara Takao, 1995)

__________

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

__________

Tuesday, April 1, 7:00PM, Towne 303 – Twentieth-Century Chinese Film Series

Fists of Fury ( Luo Wei)

__________

Wednesday, April 2, 6:00PM, McNeil 167-8 – Giant Monsters of Japan Film Series

Pokemon 2000 The Movie ( Yuyama Kunihiko, 1999)

__________

Tuesday, April 8, 7:00PM, Towne 303 – Twentieth-Century Chinese Film Series

King of Children (Chen Kaige)

__________

Wednesday, April 9, 6:00PM, McNeil 167-8 – Giant Monsters of Japan Film Series

Godzilla Millenium ( Okawara Takao, 1999)

__________

Tuesday, April 15, 7:00PM, Towne 303 – Twentieth-Century Chinese Film Series

Raise the Red Lantern ( Zhang Yimou)

__________

Wednesday, April 16, 6:00PM, McNeil 167-8 – Giant Monsters of Japan Film Series

Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: All Monsters Attack (Kaneko Shusuke, 2001)

__________

Thursday, April 17, 4:30PM, Fisher-Bennett Hall 244 , Prostitution in Postwar Japan , 1945-1960.

Holly Sanders, Villanova

This talk will draw on Dr. Sanders dissertation: "Prostitution in Postwar Japan: Debt and Labor," which explores the changing legal and social landscape of prostitute labor during the early postwar years. It locates prostitution within the family economy as an important source of credit for women and their dependents.

Humanities Colloquium

__________

Tuesday, April 22, 7:00PM, Towne 303 – Twentieth-Century Chinese Film Series

A Chinese Odyssey (Stephen Chow)

__________

Wednesday, April 23, 6:00PM, McNeil 167-8 – Giant Monsters of Japan Film Series

Godzilla: Final Wars ( Kitamura Ryohei, 2004)

__________

Wednesday, April 30, 4:30PM, Logan Hall 402 , Multiculturalism and Education in South Korea

Youngdal Cho, Dean, College of Education , Seoul National University

Korean Lecture Series

*Wilson Center Event on "Darker" Side of Japanese Society

Every society has its problems, and Japan is no exception--especially one that endured an almost decade-long economic crisis in the 1990s.  On Feb. 20, we will examine various aspects of Japanese society that are not often discussed in Washington, ranging from the link between organized crime and politics to various problems of youth and early adulthood, including the "hikikomori" phenomenon whereby certain youngsters in their 20s lock themselves in their rooms, and refuse to come out.  If you are interested in these societal issues, please join us in two weeks as the Asia Program of the Wilson Center presents:

Rents in the Social Fabric: The "Darker" Side of Japanese Society
Wednesday, February 20, 2008     3:30 - 5:30 p.m.     6th Floor Auditorium
Speakers :  Eikdo Maruki Siniawer , Williams College; David Ambaras , North Carolina State University; Mary Brinton , Harvard University; and Michael Zielenziger , UC- Berkeley

Media organizations are requested to contact the Asia Program in advance at 202/691-4020 or asia@wilsoncenter.org. Otherwise, RSVPs are NOT necessary.  Please allow for routine security procedures when you arrive at the Center. A photo ID is required for entry. The Center is located in the southeast wing of the Ronald Reagan Building, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. The closest Metro station is Federal Triangle on the blue and orange lines. For detailed directions, please visit the Center's website , www.wilsoncenter.org/directions.

__________

Japan Group II- Winter Spring Schedule

Sunday, March 2 , The Private Collection of Darrel C. Karl in Potmac, MD. 20th century Japanese prints, paintings and drawings by Hasui, Yoshida Toraji, Goyo, Lum among many others. Lunch in Potmac Md at Lucky Garden Restaurant. $60 members, $65 non  members
Sunday, April 13 NYC The MET and Asia Society  at the MET "Korean Screens" at  Asia Soc. "Design for Pleasure: World of Edo Japan in Prints and Paintings" Members $55 Non-members $60 Transportation for both of the above trips 8:15AM at Pathmark, City Line, 8:30AM at 19th and JFK Blvd.
Sunday, May 18th PMA Japanese Galleries: A Cornucopia, Recent Acquistions in Japanese Art. 3 PM  Dinner at Kujuku Restaurant at 5 PM 
If you are interested in any of these events, please call Shirley Luber for more details, 215-545-4975

__________

Princeton University
Buddhist Studies Workshop 2008

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 lecture 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 E. Gene Smith ( Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center ).

Co-sponsored by the P.Y. and Kinmay W. 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 Divinity School )

Filling the Missing Link: Simha Bhiksu and Zongmi's Construction of an Indian Transmission Line for Chan Buddhism

Friday, April 11, 4:30 pm, 1879 Hall, Room 137

Peter Gregory ( Smith College )

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)

Patronage and Pure Land Paintings in Korea , 13 th -14 th Centuries

Monday, April 28, 4:30 pm, 202 Jones Hall

Youngsook Pak ( School of Oriental and African Studies and Yale University )

Co-sponsored by the P.Y. and Kinmay W.Tang Center for East Asian Art and the Program in East Asian Studies.

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 of specific events 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

__________

P. Y. and Kinmay W. Tang Center for East Asian Art @ Princeton Spring Events:

Graduate Student Symposium in East Asian Art
“The Art of  Opposition”
Keynote speaker: Richard Kraus, University of Oregon
Saturday, 16 February 2008
8:30 am to 5:30 pm, 101 McCormick Hall
For more information, please visit http://tang.princeton.edu/aoo/

Art History, Buddhist Studies, Tibet: New Perspectives from the Tibet Site Seminar
International symposium
Friday to Monday, 7–10 March 2008
Organized by the Buddhist Studies Workshop and co-sponsored by
the Tang Center for East Asian Art
For more information, please visit http://www.princeton.edu/TibetSem/program-conference.htm

Lecture
Thursday, 10 April 2008
Annette Juliano, Rutgers University
Intersections: Defining the Cultural Dynamic of North China in the 6thCentury
4:30 pm, 106 McCormick Hall

Lecture & Recital
Tuesday, 15 April 2008
Bo Lawergren and Tomoko Sugawara
Tang Harp and Recital
4:30 pm, 101 McCormick Hall
Co-sponsored by the East Asian Studies Program and the Music Department

Lecture
Tuesday, 22 April 2008
Joel Earle, Japan Society
From Form to Picture: Japanese Sword Fittings in an Age of Peace
4:30 pm, 106 McCormick Hall

Conference
Art and Archaeology of the Erligang Civilization
Saturday and Sunday, 26–27 April 2008
101 McCormick Hall
8:30 am to 5:30 pm
For more information, please visit http://tang.princeton.edu/erl/

*POSITION: K-2 Chinese (Mandarin) Immersion Teachers

LOCATION: Five College area, Hadley/Amherst,
Massachusetts.
TYPE OF POSITION: Full time with benefits, for
2008-2009 school year with possible start dates in
Spring or Summer 2008.

SPECIFIC SKILLS/QUALIFICATIONS:

Applicants must be fluent (native or near native
proficiency) in Mandarin Chinese; have a BS degree;
and be eligible to work in a MA charter school (i.e.
pass the appropriate MTEL licensing tests within a
year of hire )or hold a current MA K-6 teaching
license. Advanced degree in education and teaching
experience with grades K-2 preferred.
We are seeking energetic, enthusiastic, creative
individuals who will communicate well with parents,
staff and teachers in the school. Must have the skills
to work in a small school as a team member committed
to building and promoting the school's Mandarin
Chinese Immersion program.

APPLICATION PROCESS: Please submit a cover letter,
and resume.

CONTACT: Principal, Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion
Charter School, 7 Pomeroy Lane, Units 6-8, Amherst, MA
01002. Email: info@pvcics.org, Fax: 413-253-7239,
Phone: 413-253-0216. Web: www.pvcics.org

__________

*Job Openings: Yale-China Association
February 2008 - 3 positions

The Yale-China Association, a creative and rapidly expanding non-profit organization that promotes U.S.-China educational exchange, seeks candidates for three positions: Senior Program Officer for Teaching Programs (to be based in Changsha, Hunan), Program Officer for Teaching Programs (to be based in New Haven, Connecticut), and Program Officer, China Office (to be based in Hong Kong). Yale-China has a history of over a century of working in China and currently has programs in public health, medicine, and nursing; legal education; English language instruction; community and public service; and student exchange.

1.) Senior Program Officer for Teaching Programs:

The senior program officer for teaching programs will direct Yale-China’s English Teaching Fellowship Program and other Teaching Program initiatives, and will report to the director of Yale-China’s China office, which is located in Hong Kong. The English Teaching Fellowship Program sends recent Yale graduates to China for two-year appointments. Yale-China Fellows teach English at the secondary or university level and study Chinese language and culture. Yale-China currently has teaching sites in both mainland China and Hong Kong.
Responsibilities will include:
1. Supervising Yale-China Teaching Fellows in the field. This work will include designing training sessions and orientations meant to enhance their professional development as teachers, helping to orient Fellows to China and to Chinese-language learning, visiting them at their sites on a regular basis, and maintaining close contact with the Fellows’ Chinese supervisors at their host institutions;
2. Exploring and evaluating potential new sites for the program as they arise;
3. Writing reports and updates to program funders;
4. Traveling to New Haven, Connecticut, one or two times a year to participate in final selection interviews for the fellowship program, board meetings, and pre-departure orientation for Fellows;
5. Working with a board of advisers to the Teaching Program;
6. Contributing to other Teaching Program initiatives, including possible programs for visiting scholars from China, short-term exchanges, etc.
The ideal candidate will have:
• an advanced degree (preferred) or certification in Teaching English as a Foreign Language, or an advanced degree in a China-related or education discipline and experience teaching English in China
• excellent oral and written English and Chinese
• experience in the areas of international exchange, program management, and budget preparation
• strong interpersonal and intercultural skills, including (but not limited to) the ability to work well in Chinese settings and to support and inspire talented young Americans serving as beginning teachers
• a demonstrated interest in and commitment to furthering international education and understanding
• a high degree of ease in diverse cultural settings
• familiarity with the Chinese educational system, including recent developments
• experience in mediation and conflict resolution
• a strong sense of professional ethics and principles
• readiness to travel within China on a frequent basis.
Position available: Spring 2008

2.) Program Officer for Teaching Programs:

The program officer for teaching programs will support Yale-China’s English Teaching Fellowship Program and other Teaching Program initiatives, and will report to the associate director in the New Haven office. The English Teaching Fellowship Program sends young Yale graduates to China for two-year appointments. Yale-China Fellows teach English at the secondary or university level and study Chinese language and culture. Yale-China currently has teaching sites in both mainland China and Hong Kong.
Responsibilities will include:
1. Leading recruitment efforts for the English Teaching Fellowship Program, which will include determining an overall recruiting strategy, and activities such as attending career fairs, holding information sessions, writing publicity materials, and meeting individually with prospective candidates;
2. Coordinating the application and selection process for Fellows and serving on the selection committee;
3. Organizing pre-departure preparations for the Fellows, including a pre-departure orientation held each May;
4. Working with the development staff to reach out to program alumni;
5. Maintaining a list serve for Fellows in the field;
6. Traveling to China once or twice a year to assist the senior program officer with in-country orientations and in-service trainings;
7. Contributing to other Teaching Program initiatives, including making arrangements and serving as a resource for visiting scholars, working on short-term exchanges, etc.
The ideal candidate will have:
• a bachelor’s degree and experience studying or working in China (teaching experience preferred). A master’s degree or a degree in a China-related field is a strong plus
• excellent oral and written English and Chinese
• strong public speaking skills
• experience in the areas of international exchange and program management
• strong interpersonal and intercultural skills, including (but not limited to) the ability to work well in Chinese settings and to support and inspire Yale graduates serving as beginning teachers
• familiarity with the Chinese educational system and recent developments
• a strong sense of professional ethics and principles
• readiness to travel to China as necessary.
Position available: Immediately

3.) Program Officer, China Office:

The Program Officer will work closely with Yale-China’s associate director and director of its China Office, also based in Hong Kong. The Program Officer will contribute to the coordination of various program efforts in China. Other responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. Serving as a contact for current and potential program partners
2. Identifying new program opportunities
3. Coordinating special projects between Yale-China’s New Haven and China offices
4. Interacting with trustees and donors on an as-needed basis
5. Providing logistical support to visiting scholars from the U.S. and Hong Kong
6. Representing the Association at various outside meetings
7. Maintaining on-going contact with program partners.
Candidates for the position should be energetic self-starters, with high levels of imagination and creativity. Yale-China is looking for a detail-oriented, problem-solver
with strong communication, project coordination, public speaking, writing, and editing skills. The ideal candidate will be able to work both independently and as a part of a team of individuals of diverse demographic backgrounds and personalities. In addition, candidates should be able to demonstrate the qualifications and skills listed below.
Qualifications and Skills:
• A minimum of a bachelor’s degree and experience in China
• Oral and written fluency in Mandarin Chinese
• Experience in public relations and/or marketing
• Experience in NGO development and/or international education would be a strong plus, as would be experience in community outreach and/or health education
• Readiness to travel within China on a frequent basis and to the U.S. on occasion
• The ability to interact effectively with Chinese partners and U.S. and Asian funders
• A high degree of ease in multi-cultural settings
• A high degree of ease with modern communications technology
• The ability to interact with senior university personnel and government officials
Anticipated starting date: July 1, 2008 or sooner.

All of these positions offer attractive compensation and benefits packages. Interested individuals should provide (1) a letter stating their qualifications and interest; 2) a résumé, and (3) the names and contact information of three references (all documents in one attachment, please) to:
Judith Collins
judith.collins@yale.edu
Business Manager
Yale-China Association
For information about Yale-China, please visit our website at www.yalechina.org.

*The Center for East Asian Studies

SUMMER 2008 FLAS FELLOWSHIPS:

FOREIGN LANGUAGE AND AREA STUDIES

Applications due March 3, 2008

The Center for East Asian Studies offers four Summer FLAS Fellowships for Summer 2008. Applications are now invited.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, be 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 East Asian languages may also be approved.

Successful applicants will be expected to study an intermediate or advanced East Asian modern language in an approved intensive summer course. Study may be conducted in the U.S. or abroad, but travel funds are not usually available. Intensive beginning language study may be approved, if the applicant already has attained an advanced level of proficiency in another East Asian language, but such study normally may be conducted only in the U.S. The Fellowship covers tuition and provides a stipend of $2500.

Applications should be received by March 3, 2008, by the Graduate Chair of the Department or the Associate Dean of the School in which the applicant is enrolled. (The Department or School will nominate the applicants, forwarding his or her application package to the Center.) The application form, which lists the required materials for submission, is attached to the electronic version of this message, and appears on the reverse side of the printed version. It can be obtained at the Center for East Asian Studies or on our webpage.

The competition will be conducted strictly in accordance with University policies and the selection guidelines of the U.S. Department of Education's Title VI Program. Applications are evaluated competitively by the CEAS Executive Committee.

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.

*Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology , Germany

Center for Anthropology and Folklore, School of Humanities , Xinjiang University , China

School of Ethnology and Sociology, Central University for Nationalities, Beijing , China

CALL FOR PAPERS

Conference

Doing Anthropology in Ethnic Minority Regions in China

10-12 July 2008

Organizers: Ayxem Eli (Max Plank Institute for Social Anthropology)

Rahile Dawut ( Xinjiang University )

Sawut Pawan (Xinjiang University/MPI)

Yang Shengmin ( Central University for Nationalities)

Venue: Xinjiang University , Urumchi , China

The Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Xinjiang University and Central University for Nationalities will hold a joint conference on “doing anthropology in ethnic minority regions in China”, from 10th to 12th July 2008. The major aim of this conference is for researchers, from a wide range of disciplines to discuss how an anthropological perspective can contribute to the understanding of various research topics; and, what is the potential of anthropology in these regions?

The growth of ethnographic research in China has gone through several stages. It has been heavily influenced by the political turmoil up until late 1970s. During this period, state-sponsored research carried out in 1950s was the most thorough and well-recognized efforts. Anthropology in China , however, only stepped out of its traditional focus on ‘ethnic minorities' and ‘rural populations' during the1980s, when native scholars and institutions attempted to set it up as an academic discipline. This led to the expansion of research targets not only to Han Chinese, but also to urban settlements. At the same time, the contribution of foreign researchers and foreign trained Chinese anthropologists have been crucial to enriching the academic spheres of interest such as gender and sexuality, nationalism, ethnicity, migration, community and education.

In line with all these developments, ethnic minorities and minority regions continue to attract interest from anthropologists, both from inside and outside of China . Among these regions, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region is one of the multi-ethnic areas which have gained some attention in anthropological enquiries in the past two decades. However, the study of Xinjiang has been mostly limited to areas of interests such as ethnic relationships, community research and local customs and habits. Considering the rich resources of possible academic exploration, Xinjiang, with its diverse peoples, geographic and cultural landscape can still be considered as a virgin land of anthropological enquiries. Of course, there are limits to the coverage of any social science research concerning the breadth and depth of how far a research may go due to government policy, as in many other countries. However, the successful on-going cooperation between Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology and the School of Humanities at Xinjiang University on the research project “Kinship and Social Support”, is a strong case in showing how non-native researchers and institutions can conduct fieldwork in a joint effort with local counterparts.

With the participation of researchers who are interested in Xinjiang and other ethnic minority regions, we hope to build up some theoretical framework in finding new perspectives in doing anthropology in these areas, which in turn may shed light on researches in other disciplines and studies in terms of methodology and theoretical approaches. At the same time of sharing some most recent research findings, we are interested in the potentially motivating phenomena available for investigation. Furthermore, it is also of our interest to make an effort to strengthen the ties between anthropologists and scholars from other disciplines such as historians, folklorists, sociologists and economists, so our research can contribute to local knowledge and economic development.

The conference languages are English and Chinese. Abstracts of no more than 300 words and one-page Curriculum Vitae should be electronically submitted by 25 th March to the organizers (pdf and word formats preferred). Notification of acceptance will be on 25 th of April. Participants will be expected to submit a full draft of their papers by 1st of July for distributing amongst the participants.

Abstracts sent to:

Ayxem Eli: eli@eth.mpg.de

Rahile Dawut: rahiled@xju.edu.cn

CALL FOR PAPERS

The Greater Philadelphia Asian Studies Colloquium of

The Greater Philadelphia Human Studies Consortium*

announces the

3 nd ANNUAL ASIAN STUDIES UNDERGRADUATE
RESEARCH CONFERENCE

DATE: SAT., APRIL 12, 2008, 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM

(registration and refreshments at 8:30 AM)

PLACE: west chester university

(west chester, PA)

(no charge; lunch included for presenters and guests)

Keynote Address:

PROF. Stephen bokenkamp ( Arizona state university)

”The world's worst grandma: lawsuits from beyond the grave in medieval Daoism”

Papers are invited in all fields pertaining to:

SOUTHEAST ASIA

EAST ASIA

NORTHEAST ASIA

CENTRAL ASIA

ASIAN-AMERICANS

Deadline for submissions : February 29, 2008

Proposals should consist of a maximum 2 page abstract of the paper and a letter of endorsement from a faculty adviser.

NOTE:

Because space is limited, papers will be reviewed for selection by the program committee.

Submit papers to:

Prof. Frank J. Hoffman

Department of Philosophy

West Chester University

West Chester , PA 19383

or:hoffman@wcupa.edu

(e-mail submissions are encouraged, but please

put “GPASC Conference” as the subject heading)

Faculty at member institutions* are urged to promote this opportunity among their students. Questions? Call (610) 436-2361

*The Greater Philadelphia Human Studies Consortium consists of 13 colleges and universities in the Philadelphia region: the University of Pennsylvania , Temple University , the University of Delaware , Drexel University , Villanova University , St. Joseph 's University, LaSalle University , West Chester University , Swarthmore College , Haverford College , Bryn Mawr College , Ursinus College , and Rosemont College

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