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Lunar New Year Celebration
On February 9th, the Department of Asian Studies will be presenting our annual Lunar New Year Celebration! To celebrate this most important holiday in both Chinese and Korean cultures, we would like to sincerely invite you to come and enjoy our wonderful performances, great food, interesting hands-on activities, and a meaningful seminar. You will gain more cultural knowledge, make new friends, and win special prizes!
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Confucius Says Ease Off the New Year's Resolutions, According to Author Edward Slingerland
Dr. Edward Slingerland was recently interviewed by The Beijinger where he talked about the the virtues of maxin' and relaxin' Daoist and Confucian-style, the modern psychology that now fortifies those ancient notions, how athletes adopted this approach to avoid "choking under pressure," and more.
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Not much wiggle room for Canada to introduce new sanctions against North Korea
Dr. Don Baker speaks to CBC news about the recent Vancouver Summit meeting regarding secuity and stability on the Korean peninsula.
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UBC receives $4.9 million for global Buddhist academic network
The University of British Columbia will lead an international network of universities to advance the study of Buddhism and East Asian cultures, thanks to a $4.9-million donation from the China-based Liuzu Temple of Chan Buddhism.
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New Translation: Dance of the POWs
Bruce and Ju-Chan Fulton's new translation of author Choi Suchol's work was published in the winter issue of the Asymptote Journal.
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2018S course schedule is now available online!
Featured Courses:
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ASIA 250: Introduction to Buddhism
Origins, basic teachings, development of Theravada, Mahayana, and Tantric traditions, historical spread first through Asia and later the world, and Buddhism in contemporary societies.
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ASIA 327: Korean Popular Music in Context
History, contexts, and the genres of Korean popular music. Students will analyze specific artists and songs using a range of approaches. While an understanding of basic concepts of music will be helpful, no previous exposure to ethnomusicology or music performance is required.
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DEPARTMENT EVENTS |
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Welcoming Shakespeare, Declaring Sovereignty: Te Rehia Theatre's SoIOTHELLO in Toronto
With Dr. Anne Murphy & Dr. Hallie Marshall
Jan 23rd | 11am
Using traditional Maori masks (Te Mata Kokako o Rehia), this solo interpretation of Othello puts the spotlight on the characters Iago, Rodrigo, Othello and Desdemona, and places them into the context of a war between tribes in pre-colonial New Zealand.
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Rebellious Bodies, Unsettling Memories: Transpacific Cultural Research on Japanese Sex Workers in the Early 20th Century Canada
With Dr. Ayaka Yoshimizu
Jan 24th | 12:30pm - 1:30pm
Dr. Ayaka Yoshimizu's lecture is based on her ongoing research on cultural memories of ameyuki-san, Japanese women who engaged in sex work in North America at the turn of the 20th century.
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Special Korean Studies Seminar: 퇴계와 율곡의 관계에 대한 성찰
With Dr. Hyoungchan Kim
Jan 26th | 3pm - 6pm
This seminar is open to the public but will be instructed in Korean.
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Asian Canadian History and Film
With Ali Kazimi
Feb 7-9 | Various Times
Please join Ali Kazimi (documentary filmmaker, York University) for a screening of his award-winning film “Random Acts of Legacy” (2016) and for a screening of student documentary films on Punjabi Canadian history, in discussion with Ali Kazimi. “Random Acts of Legacy” utilizes an abandoned set of home movies to explore the extraordinary, and yet very normal, lives of a Chinese American family from the time of the Great Depression to the post-war period.
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Always Liminal, Always in Transition: Reading Hong Kong as Staircase City
With Dr. Louis Lo
Feb 9th | 2pm
Through a critical examination of these structures in relation to relevant literary and filmic texts, Dr. Louis Lo will demonstrate in this talk how the perception of Hong Kong is transformed and re-imagined by considering the city as a landscape punctuated and even constructed by stairs.
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Celebrate Language: International Mother Language Day
Feb 15th | 3:30pm
UNESCO proclaimed February 21 as the International Mother Language Day (IMLD) in 1999 to celebrate and protect the diverse languages of the world. This year IMLD will be celebrated at CISAR with multilingual presentations, performances, and multicultural festivities.
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The Harjit Kaur Sidhu Memorial Program: Celebrating Punjabi Language and Culture at UBC
With Punjabi language filmmaker Gurvinder Singh
March 2 - 4
This year's program, spread over three days, will screen and discuss the films Awazzan, Anhe Godhe da Daan, and Chauthi Koot.
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The 1st UBC Cantonese Singing Contest: The Final Round
March 9 | 7pm
The final round of the contest will be held in the Lower Atrium of the Nest. Come cheer on the contestants!
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Stolen Secrets: Intercepting Dispatches between Wartime Berlin and Japan
With Dr. Peter Kornicki
March 13 | 6pm
Postponed last November, the John Howes Lecture in Japanese Studies is now scheduled for March 13th. Guest speaker Dr. Peter Kornicki will discuss the British efforts during World War II to read the dispatches of Japanese diplomats in Europe, including those of Oshima Hiroshi, long-serving ambassador in Berlin.
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City Inscribed
Event Series
Jan 17 - June 22
The UBC Hong Kong Studies Initiative is pleased to present “City Inscribed,” a series of public lectures and events in celebration of the launch of “Literature of Hong Kong” (ASIA 324) at the University of British Columbia. All of the lectures and events are free and open to the public.
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EVENT RECAPS |
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Photos from this year's Yip So Man Wat Memorial Lecture!
On January 17th, Dr. Rey Chow presented The Guest’s View: Some Thoughts on Director Ann Hui’s許鞍華 Work, as well as a research seminar the following day on the poem Bitter Melon by Leung Ping-kwan. We'd like to extend our thanks to all participants of this year's lecture, the faculty and the staff that made it happen, and to Dr. Chow for the two enlightening events.
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From left to right: Chi Shum Watt, Rey Chow, & Alex Watt
The Yip So Man Wat Memorial Lectures are made possible by the generous support of Messrs. Alex and Chi Shum Watt in honour of their mother, the late Mrs. Wat, and her passion for Chinese literature and culture.
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OPPORTUNITIES |
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Reading Week 2018 projects for Asian Studies students
A 3-day project with an elementary school or non-profit organization can enable you to work in group settings, learn more about community issues, apply your academics in the real world, build lasting connections, and make a difference. Deadline to apply is January 26th, 2018.
2018 Annual BC Japanese Speech Contest
The 2018 Contest will be held on Saturday, March 3, 2018 at the Halpern Centre, Simon Fraser University. Deadline to apply is Monday, February 5th, 2018 at 5pm.
Liu Xiaobo Fellowship – Fellowships at the Congressional-Executive Commission on China
The Liu Xiaobo Fellowship provides significant educational and professional experience for individuals with a background in Chinese politics, law, and society, in addition to strong Chinese language skills. Deadline for summer term applicants is February 15th, 2018.
Apply for Chinese government scholarships
The Chinese government offers scholarships to students from British Columbia to study at a Chinese university. It is a valuable opportunity to gain exposure to Chinese language, culture and business practices, and to develop enriching, life-long relationships. Deadline to apply is February 28th, 2018.
2018 Global English Camp Internship Program in Japan
This internship program is designed to promote cultural and language exchange between Japanese high school students and native English speaking university students. Deadline to apply is February 29th, 2018.
Canada-China Scholars' Exchange Program
Global Affairs Canada and the Chinese Ministry of Education are offering short-term scholarships to Canadians wishing to study abroad in China. Deadline to apply is March 6th, 2018.
Seeking Volunteers for Research Study on Music and Immersion in RPGs
Conducted as part of a PhD dissertation in Musicology at UBC, this study aims to learn more about how music interacts with different types of video game landscapes to make players feel like they are actually “in” virtual worlds while they play RPGs.Contact Marina Gallagher (PhD student, Musicology), at marina.gallagher@alumni.ubc.ca
Free round-trip tickets for students travelling to Hong Kong
Students selected to receive a round-trip flight, sponsored by Hong Kong Airlines, will become part of APF Canada’s cross-Canada network of Asia enthusiasts and other students travelling to Asia as part of the Asia Connect program. Applications will be reviewed and awarded on a rolling basis.
2018 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition
The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) is an academic competition that assists current graduate students with fostering effective presentation and communication skills. Participants have just three minutes to explain the breadth and significance of their research project to a non-specialist audience. Deadlines TBA.
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ON & OFF-CAMPUS EVENTS |
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VIFF presents new Studio Ponoc film, "Mary and the Witch's Flower"
Jan 19 - Jan 28 | Multiple screenings | Vancity Theatre, 1181 Seymour St
A Roundtable: Understanding the Rohingya Crisis
Jan 25 | 5pm | Room 120, C.K. Choi Building
Import/Export: Hallyu, Television Remakes, Cultural Imperialism
Jan 26 | 3:30pm | Room 120, C.K. Choi Building
A Taste of SEA Event
Jan 26 | 5:30pm | The Great Hall, AMS Nest
Health Policy in Nepal
Jan 29 | 6:00pm | Room 120, C.K. Choi Building
Japanese Language Book Club - Session 1
Jan 30 | 6:30pm | Asian Centre
Punjabi Language Book Club - Session 1
Jan 30 | 6:30pm | Asian Centre
Photography・Modernity・Japan ― 写真・モダニティ・日本
Jan 31 | 11:00am | Museum of Anthropology
Apna Punjab [Our Punjab]: Sensorium and Aesthetics of Landscape in Punjabi Cinema
Feb 1 | 3:30pm | Asian Centre Auditorium
CJR Conference: Donald Trump, Japan, and Canada
Feb 2 | 10:00am | Mulitpurpose Room, Liu Institute
New Era, New Approach? China’s policy towards East Asia after the 19th Party Congress
Feb 2 | 4:00pm | Room 120, C.K. Choi Building
Fracturing Families: Adoption for Heirship from Tokugawa to Meiji
Feb 2 | 4:00pm | Room 106, Allard School of Law
Wartime Japan as a Divided, Ambivalent Entity: The Eurasian Experience
Feb 7 | 12:30pm | Room 604, Asian Centre
CKR-CJR Conference “Multiculturalism and Migration in Trans-Border Asia: Japan, Korea, and the Philippines”
Feb 9 | 9:00am | Room 120, C.K. Choi Building
Crowdfunding the Hospital
Feb 9 | 2:00pm | 1600 Canfor Policy Room, SFU Harbour Centre
Lind Initiative 2018 Speaker Series
Jan 11 - Feb 26 | Multiple events | Multiple locations on UBC campus
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW |
The Alumni Spotlight is an interview series where we interview Asia Studies alumni about their career paths, how they became interested in Asian Studies and for any advice that would be useful to our students. This interview features James Mutter, BA ’05 in Japanese Language and International Relations. Mr. Mutter is currently Vice-Consul at the Consulate General of Canada in Hong Kong.
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James Mutter, BA '05
Vice-Consul at the Consulate General of Canada in Hong Kong
Tell us a little about yourself, your background and how you became interested in Asian Studies?
I grew up in Vancouver and first travelled to Japan on a two-week high school exchange program. My experiences on the trip are what originally sparked my interest in Japan. Following the trip, I switched my second language from French to Japanese and wrote the Japanese provincial exam. After high school, I participated in the IEC working-holiday program and worked in Shiga and Kyoto Prefectures for a year, first teaching English, then working in a youth hostel. When I entered UBC a year later, I knew I wanted to focus on Japanese and Asian studies. UBC has numerous partnership agreements with universities across Asia, which, along with generous scholarships, allowed me to spend second year studying at Waseda University in Tokyo. At Waseda, I was able to further my studies in the Japanese language, as well as in Japanese history and politics. I returned to UBC for the last two years of my degree having gained a different perspective and new appreciation of the subjects.
While a student, was there anything you did to get ahead with your career? Or anything that you would recommend that other students do?
I would certainly recommend students spend at least one semester, if not a full year on exchange in their country/region of interest. Not only does this allow students to learn directly from local professors and get a firsthand look at the issues important to that country, but it also provides excellent opportunities for creating a network of likeminded students from around the world. Although I didn’t participate in the Co-op program, this is another great way to get exposure to industries of interest and the program often leads to employment following graduation. I did get involved with student academic journals both as a contributor and a member of the editorial board. There are UBC journals for most disciplines, whether it be history, politics, or international relations, so if academic writing is of interest, these journals are a great starting point for acquiring skills and potentially launching a career in professional writing. There are also various cultural groups both on and off campus that offer students volunteer opportunities.
How did you get your first “adult” job after graduating? Was it a simple transition?
I was keen to return to Japan following graduation and work in the Japanese language, so at the start of fourth year, I began preparing my application for the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program (JET). Since I had already invested significant time in studying Japanese, I was not interested in teaching English and instead applied for the Coordinator for International Relations (CIR) position also offered through the program. Two of my teachers from the Asian Studies Department provided me with reference letters and the interview was conducted at the Japanese Consulate in Vancouver. I was placed in a municipal office on the northern island of Hokkaido and was directly involved in the city’s foreign relations as well as official translations. Although it was my first “adult” job and I had a lot to learn about both Japanese culture and office culture, my colleagues were very patient and accommodating, which made the transition easier. Through translation and interpretation duties, I was able to get exposure to various different professions by being put directly in the middle of conversations between the Mayor and Ambassadors, delegation members, musicians and athletes.
Read the full interview |
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