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What historians can learn from the 1980 Kwangju Uprising: A Q&A with Dr. Donald Baker
In April 2022, Dr. Don Baker was named an Honorary Goodwill Ambassador in Canada for the Korea Democracy Foundation, a non-partisan agency of the Republic of Korea government. One of his most notable research efforts was to make the events of the 1980 Kwangju Uprising a better-known piece in Korea’s historical canon.
We created a 6-part video series to reflect on Dr. Baker's work and research throughout the late 20th century and discuss his aspirations as an academic and historian from the present onwards.
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Welcome to our new faculty member, Dr. Janet Um!
We are pleased to introduce Dr. Janet Um as our new Lecturer in Sanskrit Language and Literature! Dr. Um's current work explores the relationship between narrative, literary genre, and conceptions of the author in Sanskrit prose literature. Her broader research interests include narrative traditions across South Asia, the aesthetics of sociability, gender history, and Sanskrit language pedagogy.
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Dr. Dagmar Schwerk publishes book review on the diversity of secularization in Buddhism
Congratulations to Khyentse Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow in Tibetan Buddhist Studies Dr. Dagmar Schwerk who published a book review on the edited volume "Secularizing Buddhism: New Perspectives on a Dynamic Tradition" in the latest edition of the Journal of Global Buddhism. Dr. Schwerk is also moving on to her next position as a prestigious Marie Skłodowska Curie Postdoctoral Fellow of the Horizon Europe Programme at Leipzig University. She will be truly missed by the Department of Asian Studies!
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Dr. Sebastian Prange, Associate Professor of South Asian History, has been awarded the UBC Killam Research Fellowship
This award recognizes the research excellence and scholarly achievements of faculty from across all disciplines, ranging from medicine and applied and natural sciences to arts, social sciences and humanities. Recipients span from early career researchers to senior members of faculty.
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Dr. Sebastian Prange receives an award from the UBC Scholarly Publishing Fund in support of his book project Ibn Battuta: Home In a Thousand Strange Places
The Scholarly Publication Fund is a new initiative of the Provost’s Office and VP Research and Innovation, administered by the Library. This funding will support the production of custom maps and the acquisition of image rights for Dr. Prange’s forthcoming book.
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Professor Leo Shin writes that Yü Ying-shih saw Hong Kong as beacon of hope for the Chinese-speaking world
Professor Leo Shin (Asian Studies & History) recently published an article with ThinkChina magazine on historian and sinologist Yü Ying-shih in honor of the first anniversary of his passing. Yü was a staunch defender of humanity intrinsic in Chinese culture who understood well the significance of Hong Kong as a beacon of freedom, democracy and human rights.
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| FEATURED WINTER COURSES |
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Haven't decided on your winter schedule? Check out the following in-person courses with seats still available!
Term 1:
ASIA 328 Modern Islam
Modern Islam is often presumed to be a distinct phenomenon, different from what preceded it and unique to the modern world. But when did the ‘modern world’ begin? To what extent does it affect our lives? How different is the ‘modern’ world from the ‘pre-modern’ world? We will explore all of these questions through the lens of contemporary Islam, and will try to come to our own answers about who we are, what it means to be modern, and what Modern Islam might be.
ASIA 391 Classical Islam
Examine the contested histories, texts, and major Islamic movements from the rise of Muhammad in Arabia to the fall of the Abbasid Empire (ca. 1258). Learn how major events, ideas, and groups from this era are engaged with and remembered differently, and how they influence contemporary ideology, practice, and policy.
Term 2:
ASIA 464 Japanese Women's Self-Writing
Selected aspects of the more than 1000 years of self-writing (diary, autobiography, personal fiction). Theory and criticism about the use of writing as a medium of self-expression.
Term 1-2:
HINU 102 Introductory Hindi-Urdu
In HINU 102, students will learn the Devanagari script that is used to write Hindi alphabets. Students will also learn how to introduce themselves, describe their family and house, and be able to talk about their daily routine, likes and dislikes. At the same time, this course will explore various cultural aspects of the Hindi-speaking world. Get ready for a challenging, rewarding learning experience.
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| UPCOMING EVENTS |
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Away of the Devil’s hands to the Report of a Fall: the Journey of a Writer Story Reading with Aziz Allah Nehefta
Dr. Nasir Arian, Lecturer, Penn State University
Dr. Hessam Dehghani, Assistant Professor of Teaching, Persian Language and Culture, UBC
Aziz allah Nehefta, Novellist, Poet, and Journalist
August 28, 11am PT; Online
The last lecture in the Summer 2022 Alireza Ahmadian Lectures in Iranian and Persianate Studies will discuss guest speaker Aziz Allah Nehefta's latest works about the fall of Afghanistan into the hands of Taliban in his novel “Report of a Fall” and his short story collection “Hand of Devil”.
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Alireza Ahmadian Lectures in Iranian & Persianate Studies Announced for Fall 2022
We are delighted to share the lineup of Alireza Ahmadian Lectures in Iranian & Persianate Studies for Fall 2022. The upcoming lectures will be held from October to December 2022, with a mix of in-person and online lectures. This series remains free and open to the public, and will invite international scholars to share their knowledge and expertise in Iranian and Persianate Studies through historical, cultural, and critical lenses.
Details of each lecture (individual dates, times, titles, and guest speaker info, etc.) could be found in the lecture list as well as in its individual event page that will be released soon.
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| ASIAN LIBRARY NEWS |
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Joan Gillis Fonds is added to CCUNESCO’s Memory of the World Register
UBC Library’s Joan Gillis Fonds has been added to the Canadian Commission for UNESCO’s Canada Memory of the World Register in recognition of its historical value. The Joan Gillis fonds consists of the incoming correspondence to Joan Gillis from a group of young Japanese Canadians she met while attending Queen Elizabeth Secondary School in Surrey.
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Summer Reads Book Display
Summer season is always filled with the most wonderful things! Come visit the Summer Reads display of books about Asian summer traditions located on the upper and ground floors of the Asian Library.
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