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Faculty Spotlight with Dr. Leo Shin
In the first episode of our UBC Asian Studies Stories series, Dr. Leo Shin discusses his early research into Ming China, what he wishes to convey to his students, and his current projects. At the helm of the Hong Kong Studies Initiative, Shin has been engaging the broader community on and off campus while also encouraging the telling of the story of Hong Kong from both local and global perspectives.
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Meiji at 150 Digital Teaching Resource Now Available
The Meiji at 150 DTR presents open-source scholarly content that will be useful for educators and academics looking for new images and topics to introduce into their classroom teaching, while highlighting the academic research made possible using UBC Library’s digital archives.
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Featured 2018W Term 2 Courses!
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ASIA 360A: Modern Iran Through Literature and the Arts
Students will have the opportunity to read important literary works from modern Iranian authors, watch award-winning Iranian films, meet a world-renowned Iranian musician on Skype and more! By the end of this course, students will be able to gain an unprecedented intimate knowledge of Iran and Iranians, through their literature, culture, and the arts.
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ASIA 388: Buddhist, Brahamanical and Jain Philosophers in Interaction
Debates on issues of epistemology, language and ontology among the philosophical schools or systems of classical India Nagarjuna, Bhartrhari, Uma-svati, Sankara and others.
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DEPARTMENT EVENTS |
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Dr Ambedkar's Legacy: Our Campaign to Outlaw Caste Discrimination in Great Britain
With Ms. Santosh Dass MBE
October 11 | 5:00pm
Santosh is one of the leading figures in the campaign to outlaw Caste-based discrimination in the UK. She has taken up this issue and that of the rising atrocities against Dalits in India at the United Nations. We invite you to hear her speak at the second Annual Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Memorial Lecture.
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The Pleasures and Perils of Hong Kong Pulp Fiction
With Dr. Christopher Rea
October 11 | 4:00pm
From Blue Cover Detective Magazine and the "men’s magazine" Mini; to a “three-dime” paperback like Liu Yichang’s Lust Under the Coconut Palms and Du Ning’s Ten Years of Bitter Love, Dr. Rea discusses the lasting influence of these beloved and reviled mass culture products, from the 1950s to today.
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Qing Imperial Translations and Their Impact on Early Modern Eurasian Scholarship: The Case of History
With Dr. Matthew W. Mosca
October 11 | 4:00pm
This talk will outline some of the intellectual impact of historical translation projects sponsored by the Qing state in China, Inner Asia, and Europe
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Taixu’s Global Buddhist Movement and His Discourse on Civilization
With Dr. Jun Gong
October 11 | 4:00pm
This lecture discusses thoroughly the World Buddhism campaign that Master Taixu (1890-1947) launched during the 1920s and his discursive discussion about civilizations at the same time.
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Air Pressure: Time and Aviation in Nepal
With Tina Harris
October 12 | 5:30pm
A discussion on the tensions between the future targets of the global aviation industry and the everyday practices of managing air travel in Nepal.
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The Visual Culture of Buddhist Maṇḍalas at Dunhuang
With Dr. Michelle C. Wang
October 18 | 1:30pm
This talk will articulate a view of the Silk Road that focuses on long-term, localized contacts rather than the more commonly assumed long-distance east-west exchanges.
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The Age of Irreverence at the UBC Bookstore
With Dr. Christopher Rea
October 18 | 4:00pm
Dr. Rea will talk about how the first decades of the twentieth century transformed how Chinese people thought and talked about what’s funny, drawing from his award-winning book The Age of Irreverence: A New History of Laughter in China.
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Scattered Sources, Intertwined Histories: Trade Networks and Consumption between Qing China and Imperial Spain Across the Pacific (1580-1760)
With Dr. Manuel Perez Garcia
October 18 | 4:00pm
This talk will be examining the economic and socio-cultural exchanges between China and Europe, paying attention to strategic geo-political sites which fostered changes in consumer behavior, commerce, international relations and socio-economic networks.
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A City Lost or Found? Sketching Hong Kong’s History of the Present
With Dr. Ching Kwan Lee
October 18 | 4:00pm
Inspired by the notion “history of the present,” this public seminar will explore the major analytical and historical themes that inform the political sociology of Hong Kong in the post-1997 era.
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“Teaching the Asian Book”: How and Why to Teach a Collaborative Course on An Unwieldy Region
With Dr. Christina Laffin, Dr. Bruce Rusk, and Dr. Adheesh Sathaye
October 23 | TBA
UBC China Studies Forum contains regular series of meetings and talks for the UBC China studies community, offering opportunity for conversation as well as presentations.
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The State, Society, and Agent in Late Chosŏn Korea: Thinking Through a Korean Literature Controversy
With Dr. Youngmin Kim.
October 25 | 2:45pm
This talk will be examining long-cherished assumptions in the writing of Korean history and literature, reconsidering the applicability of the idea of “antagonistic” politics and modernization theory to Korean history through reading some key texts of Korean literature more closely.
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Christian Books in Pre-modern Japan: Printing, Prohibition, & Circulation
With Dr. M. Antoni Ucerler
November 8 | 4:00pm
This talk will focus on the history of illegal Christian texts circulating among Edo scholars.
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Film Screening of White Sun (Seto Surya) Followed by Q&A with Director Deepak Rauniyar
With Deepak Rauniyar
November 13 | 7:30pm
Film Synopsis: When his father dies, anti-regime partisan Chandra travels to his remote mountain village after nearly a decade away. Little Pooja is anxiously awaiting the man she thinks is her father, but she’s confused when Chandra arrives with Badri, a young street orphan rumoured to be his son.
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Loyalism, Realism, and Self-Legitimization: Diplomacy and State Ideology in Mid-Chosŏn Korea
With Dr. Ilsoo David Cho
November 15 | 4:00pm
This presentaion aims to rethink Ming loyalism's political influence during the Ming dynasty, as well as reinterpreting the phenomenon of post-1644 Ming loyalism in Korea as an ideological strategy in self-legitimization.
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Conciliation and Disruption in Memorial Spaces in the Philippines
With Dr. Karl Ian Cheng Chua
November 21 | 4pm
In context of the Manila Comfort Women statue controversy, this talk will discuss the World War II memorials in the Philippines and the world and how spaces of memory can be a space for disruption or conciliation.
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2018/19 John Howes Lecture in Japanese Studies
The Social and Political Lives of Japanese Cherry Blossoms
With Dr. Emiko Ohnuki-Tierney
November 22 | 6:30pm
Cherry blossoms have been the most cherished flowers for the Japanese. Through a collection of images, the talk will present many, often contradictory, meanings and ethos assigned to the flower – from life and love to death – while becoming a symbol of various social groups, and, ultimately, the Japanese as a whole.
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EVENT RECAPS |
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The 2018/19 Yip So Man Wat Memorial Lecture with Professor Helen F. Siu
This year’s annual Yip So Man Wat Lecture, presented by Professor Helen F. Siu from Yale University, marked one of the first big events of the year at UBC Asian Studies. On the evening of October 3rd, at the Asian Centre Auditorium, 115 attendees participated in the lecture, entitled “The Worldly Engagement of the Greater Pearl River Delta Region.” Siu, a professor of Anthropology, has conducted decades of fieldwork in South China, exploring agrarian change, the nature of the socialist state, and the refashioning of identities. Community members, UBC faculty, and students attended the reception and lecture, which proved to be a great opportunity for people interested in a variety of aspects of South China history to meet and mingle.
Professor Siu’s lecture explored South China as a hub of cultural fusion and the history of the region’s spectacular mobility of goods, peoples, and ideas. Attendees were engaged by Siu’s intimate knowledge of Canton history but also her thoughts and speculations about where Hong Kong and Cantonese studies might take us in the future. Overall, the night was a captivating look into the history that shaped a unique and distinct culture present in South China today.
We’d like to thank all attendees, volunteers, and our speaker, for the wonderful event.
View photos from this year's event |
OPPORTUNITIES |
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Japanese Language Program Learning Opportunities: Senpai Drill, Tadoku Reading Club, and Language Table
The Japanese Language Program offers 3 activities to gain experience beyond the classroom. All Japanese language students are welcome to join the Language Exchange Table (every Friday 3:30-5pm in ANGU234, 241, 291 ) and Tadoku Reading Club (every Monday 3-5pm in the Asian Library). All JAPN100/160 students are also strongly encouraged to sign up for “Senpai Drill”- pronunciation and dialogue practice sessions with Senpais (senior students).
UBC Arts Internship
The Arts Internship Program offers meaningful, career-oriented experiences to students in the Faculty of Arts. The placements not only help expand your resume, but will also help you explore career opportunities available to Arts students, gain practical skills, and develop your professional network while building important industry contacts. The Deadline to apply is October 10, 2018.
University of Colorado Boulder hiring Assistant Professor: Asian American Studies
The Department of Ethnic Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Asian American Studies, with a particular interest in gender and sexuality in transnational and comparative perspectives. Review of applications will begin on October 15, 2018.
Enter to Win Free Graduate Student Registrations for the 2019 AAS Conference in Denver, CO
The Association for Asian Studies (AAS) is pleased to offer ten (10) free graduate student registrations for the 2019 conference in Denver, CO. All currently enrolled graduate students (masters or doctoral programs) are eligible to enter, regardless of whether they have been accepted to the conference program. Deadline to apply is October 15, 2018.
2019 Global Korea Scholarship Program for an Undergraduate Degree
The Government of the Republic of Korea is offering a scholarship at the undergraduate level for study in a four-year Bachelor Degree program in South Korea. The scholarship, tenable from March 1, 2019, includes airfare, tuition fees, language training, and living allowance. The application deadline is October 22, 2018.
University of Colorado Boulder hiring Assistant Professor: Early and Classical Japanese Literature and Culture
The Department of Asian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Colorado Boulder invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Early and Classical Japanese Literature and Culture to begin August 2019. Research specializations include poetry and poetics; diary or other prose literature; gender and narrative theory in Heian literature and visual culture, and other related areas. Review of applications will begin on November 1, 2018.
UBC Asian Studies Hiring: Assistant Professor in the Field of Premodern Sinitic Poetry
The Department of Asian Studies invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the field of Premodern Sinitic Poetry with a start date of July 1st, 2019, welcoming applicants with expertise in the history and practice of Sinitic Poetry anywhere in the sinographic sphere. The deadline to apply is November 5, 2018.
UBC Asian Studies Hiring: Assistant Professor in the Field of Modern Chinese Popular Culture
The Department of Asian Studies invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the field of Modern Chinese Popular Culture with a start date of July 1st, 2019. Preference will be given to candidates with expertise in contemporary visual and digital media culture, cinema, literature, and/or music, as well as a geographic purview that includes mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the broader Sinophone world. The deadline to apply is November 5, 2018.
UBC Asian Studies Hiring: Assistant Professor in the Field of Modern Japanese Popular Culture
The Department of Asian Studies invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the field of Modern Japanese Popular Culture with a start date of July 1st, 2019. Preference will be given to candidates with expertise in visual narrative culture (manga, anime, games, film) and a relevant discipline such as media studies, critical theory, or cultural studies. The deadline to apply is November 5, 2018.
UBC Department of Philosophy seeking new Assistant Professor in Asian Philosophy (East Asian and/or South Asian philosophical traditions)
UBC's Department of Philosophy invites applications for an Assistant Professor (tenure-track position). Starting July 1st, 2019, the successful applicant will be expected to maintain an active research program in Asian philosophy (East Asian and/or South Asian philosophical traditions), to develop and teach undergraduate and graduate courses in Asian philosophy, and to supervise Ph.D. dissertations in Asian philosophy. The deadline to apply is November 15, 2018.
2019 Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme Recruitment Underway!
The JET Programme offers a minimum, one-year opportunity to experience Japan as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) or Coordinator for International Relations (CIR) through an official Government of Japan program. ALTs work alongside Japanese teachers of English in the public school system, while CIRs are employed in local government offices. Participants will gain valuable overseas work experience, learn about Japanese culture, and meet participants from around the world, while contributing to language education and international understanding. The deadline to apply is November 16, 2018.
Experiential Education Programs: Backpacking With A Purpose. Seeking Applicants for 2019
Operation Groundswell is a non-profit organization that facilitates deeply immersive, educational, and volunteer experiences around the world. Dig into social justice issues while working in solidarity with local activists, non-profits, and communities in countries like India and Thailand. Early bird applications for this international experince are now open until November 23, 2018.
Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme 2019/20
The Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) invites candidates from all cultural and ethnic backgrounds, with evidence of academic excellence, research ability and potential, and good communication, interpersonal and leadership abilities to apply for full-time PhD study under the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS). HKPFS is established by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC) with an aim to attract the best and brightest students from all over the world to pursue their PhD studies in Hong Kong. The deadline to apply is December 1, 2018.
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ON & OFF-CAMPUS EVENTS |
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The Vancouver International Film Festival
September 27 - October 12 | Various Times | Various Venues
Developments in Xinjiang: Concerns for Canada and the Region
October 10 | 3:00pm | Room 120, C.K. Choi Building, 1855 West Mall
Dr. Joan Wallach Scott: "Sex & Secularism"
October 10 | 6:30pm |HC 1400, SFU Harbour Centre, 515 West Hastings St
Humans vs Robots: (Re)valuating the Worth of Work in the Age of Automation
October 11 | 4:00pm | Fairmont Social Lounge, St. John's College, 2111 Lower Mall
Multi Voices, One Heart 2018: Indigenous Music, Opera & People from South Guangdong
October 12 | 4pm | Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, 1961 E Mall
Building Bridges: A Case Study Competition on the Asian Market
October 12-13 | 5:30am | SFU Segal Building, 500 Granville St
Multi Voices, One Heart 2018: Cantonese Opera Recital
October 14 | 2pm | Norman Rothstein Theatre, 950 W 41st Ave
The Basic Knowledge and Practice of Buddhism
October 16 | 2pm | Asian Centre Auditorium, 1871 West Mall
The Formation of Taiwanese Identity After Democratization
October 16 | 1:30pm | 2270 Sauder Industries Policy Room, SFU Harbour Centre, 515 West Hastings St
2019 Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme Information Session
October 17 | 1:30pm | Asian Centre Room 604, 1871 West Mall
The Dimensions of Silence in Buddhism
October 17 | 5pm | Coach House, 6201 Cecil Green Park Road
Nation-Work: How Tea Became Japanese
October 19 | 4:30pm | Room 120, C.K. Choi Building, 1855 West Mall
2019 Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme Information Session
October 23 | 6pm | Room 350, Henry Angus Building, 2053 Main Mall
Artist: Functions and Forms of History and Subjectivity
October 25 | 4pm | MOA Room 213, 6393 NW Marine Drive
What Can the Ming Dynasty Book of Swindles Tell us About the World we Live In? With Dr. Chris Rea
October 28 | 10am | Suite 2323, South tower, Kerry Centre, 1 Guanghua Road, Beijing, 100020
Gui hua 鬼話: A Brief History of Ghost Rhetoric in Modern China – Taipei. With Dr. Chris Rea
October 31 | 7pm | 6F, 1, SongZhi Road, XinYi District, Taipei |台北市信義區松智路1號6樓
Vancouver Asian Film Festival
November 1 - 4 | Various Times | Cineplex Odeon International Village, 88 W Pender St
Speculative Cartography in Japan: Drawings of Cities Through an Objective and Subjective Lens
November 8 | 4pm | MOA Room 213, 6393 NW Marine Drive
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Meet our Students: Kyrie Vermette, Ph.D. Candidate |
Recent recipient of the Vancouver Korean-Canadian Scholarship Foundation awards scholarship, Ms. Vermette’s research focuses on the interactions between Korean women and foreign women living in Korea during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
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Tell us a little about yourself, your background and what inspired your early interest in Korean history and popular culture?
No one who had known me in my childhood would have supposed that I would do a PhD in Korean history. I was aware that South Korea was a country on the map, but I displayed no particular interest in it until high school when I had the good fortune to become friends with a Korean student. During our fourth year, she was so obliging as to invite two other friends and me to her house in Seoul for spring vacation. Even so, it wasn’t until the first year of my BA in history, when I did a semester abroad in Seoul, that I developed a passionate admiration and regard for Korean history. Perhaps it was because studying Korean history in Korea was such a visceral experience, or because the relative rarity of Korean history in North American universities induced a desire to promulgate it but, either way, following that semester abroad I decided to focus my historical studies on Korea. Having taken every course offered at my home university which was in any way related to Korea, and there were not many, I returned to study in Seoul and was overwhelmed by all that I did not know. My devoted interest in Korean history, combined with a keen sense of curiosity in what I have yet to learn, has carried me here, to my second year of a PhD in Asian Studies.
Could you explain to a non-expert what you are researching and why it is significant?
I am researching the interactions between Korean women and foreign women living in Korea during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. From the late 19th century, many North American women went to Korea as missionaries to work with Korean women. They established schools for girls and women’s hospitals, as well as social gatherings and clubs for mothers. North American women missionaries interacted with Korean women almost daily and, even though they talked about being sisters with Korean women and improving their lives, they maintained a sense of superiority based on imperialistic ideas of race and civilization. Japanese women also went to Korea increasingly after Japan made Korea its colony in 1910. These women were wives of colonial officials and/or teachers of Japanese language or Japanese-style domesticity. Some of these women also co-founded girls’ schools and conducted research in order to ‘improve’ the lives of Korean women. Similar to missionary women, Japanese settler women also used ideologies of race, civilization, and modernization to assert ‘superiority’ and authority over Korean women. The position of Korean women also changed drastically during this time. Female public education emerged as did early career women. Some women became active in the public and literary spheres while some women enacted a new form of domesticity. Through their education and travels, Korean women had increased interactions with foreign women. How did these three groups of women view each other and interact? How were their relationships influenced by colonial ideologies of race and gender and how did they in turn influence those ideologies? My research focuses on the way that women interacted within colonialism. This is significant because colonial interactions are frequently talked about in terms of gendered violence but, for most Korean women, their direct interactions with colonizers would most likely have been through women, not men. In the case of the Japanese colonization of Korea, the role of Japanese settler women is often overlooked. Women in Korea also present an important example for studying colonial ideologies because both North American women and Japanese settler women were present and each used similar, but slightly altered, colonial ideologies.
Why did you choose the Asian Studies program at UBC?
The Asian Studies program at UBC is well-known in Canada amongst people studying Korea. As one of the few Canadian universities with a department focusing on Asia, UBC offers students many resources in terms of both faculty and peers and an extensive Asian library. I chose UBC because of this good reputation, and I’m pleased to say that it has lived up to my expectations.
What are your career and academic goals? And how is our program helping you achieve them?
At present, my goals are as moderate and yet as elusive as I imagine to be the goals of most PhD students. I wish for an academic position which allows me to teach and research in my area of interest. The Asian Studies PhD program is assisting me towards the future realization of these goals by providing me with an excellent education at UBC, ample opportunities to make the acquaintance of other scholars, and support for my overseas research.
Read the full interview
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