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Congratulations to the Asian Studies Graduating Class of 2022!
The Department of Asian Studies would like to share heartfelt congratulations to all of our graduating students on the completion of their studies! We are so proud and excited for all that's to come next for you.
The 2022 Spring Graduation Ceremony hosted by UBC will be held on May 25th at 4pm (PDT) at the Chan Centre for Performing Arts for an in-person ceremony for all Asian Studies graduates of the UBC Vancouver campus. We will also be hosting an Asian Studies Graduation Celebration Reception on May 25 at 1pm (PDT) to further congratulate our graduates.
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Happy Asian Heritage Month!
Happy Asian Heritage Month from the Department of Asian Studies! The month of May is a time to reflect on and recognize the many contributions that people of Asian heritage have made and continue to make. In recognition of Asian Heritage Month, Asian Studies will be hosting events and sharing news to celebrate those of Asian heritage. Stay tuned to see how you can participate!
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Kkokdu (꼭두)—Korean Funerary Figures
2022 marks the 20th anniversary since the Government of Canada officially declared Asian Heritage Month an annual celebration. To celebrate the occasion, Asian Studies professor Fuyubi Nakamura wrote two short pieces on MOA’s Asian collection. Learn about kkokdu, Korean funerary figures, in this special Asian Heritage Month feature from Dr. Nakamura.
Read the full story
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Celebrating Sakura (Cherry Blossoms)
To celebrate Asian Heritage Month, Asian Studies professor Fuyubi Nakamura wrote two short pieces on MOA’s Asian collection.The above photo is a woodblock print in the MOA Collections, made by Ohara Koson, depicting cherry blossoms and a crow. Vancouverites enjoy sakura thanks to the donation of five hundred sakura trees from the cities of Kobe and Yokohama in the 1930s, and the city now has around 43,000 sakura trees.
Learn more
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FEATURED SUMMER COURSES |
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Looking for courses this summer? Check out the following classes with seats still available!
IN-PERSON (Term 1): ASIA 387 921 Japanese Religions
This course introduces the historical developments of major Japanese religions and the role they played for different actors in Japanese history.
IN-PERSON (Term 2): NEPL 390 921 Nepali Language in a Community Context
Nepali Language in a Community Context (NEPL 390) will be offered by the Department of Asian Studies in collaboration with the UBC Himalaya Program from May 16 to 27 this year! This two-week introductory summer course blends classroom instruction and experiential learning opportunities with Nepali community partners in the Lower Mainland.
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UPCOMING EVENTS |
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Virtual Asian Studies Workshop Series: Careers and Engagement in Asia
May 16-20; Online
Wondering where an Asian Studies degree can take you? The Department of Asian Studies is delighted to bring back another set of Asian Studies career workshops this May! The “Careers and Engagement in Asia” workshop series will discuss educational and academic opportunities, cultural exchange programs, and professional career opportunities in Asian countries/regions, including China, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, and Taiwan.
Learn more and register
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Weaving Femininity into Mysticism: Rereading Parvīn Iʿtiṣāmī’s “God’s Weaver”
Dr. Behnam M. Fomeshi, Research Fellow, Monash University
May 14, 4pm PT; Online
The next Alireza Ahmadian Lecture in Iranian and Persianate Studies will discuss Parvīn Iʿtiṣāmī, the first important twentieth-century woman poet of Iran. Well-versed in classical Persian poetry, Iʿtiṣāmī formed an association between femininity and mysticism and challenged the patriarchal discourse of Persian mysticism.
Learn more and register
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Revelations of Chinese Philosophy and Feminist Philosophy, Comparative Studies and Case Studies
Dr. Eva Kit Wah Man, Director of Film Academy and Chair Professor in Humanities, Hong Kong Baptist University
May 16, 4pm PT; In-person
This lecture by Prof. Man will consist of personal notes and a theoretical discussion. She will explain her approach in opening this speech with the subject “What Does Comparative Philosophy Mean to a Female Chinese Scholar Like Me?”.
Learn more and register
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The Hong Kong and Taiwanese Diaspora in the Literary Imagination
Sam Cheuk, Hong Kong-born Canadian author
Julia Lin, Taiwanese-Canadian author
May 19, 5pm PT, Online
The coming of age of a new generation of Hong Kong-born and Taiwan-born Canadian writers, whose literary works often draw on their transnational experiences, has added much richness to the literature of Hong Kong and Taiwan—not to mention that of Canada. Join us for a conversation with authors Sam Cheuk and Julia Lin on their works and journeys.
Learn more and register
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We Measure the Earth with our Bodies: Book Event with Tsering Yangzom Lama
Tsering Yangzom Lama, Tibetan Writer
May 19, 5pm PT; In-person
To celebrate the publication of author Tsering Yangzom Lama’s debut novel We Measure the Earth with our Bodies, the UBC Himalaya Program will be hosting a book event. The author will be reading an excerpt from her book, followed by a Q&A moderated by Asian Studies Professor Tsering Shakya and discussed with UBC Creative Writing Professor Billy-Ray Belcourt.
Learn more and register
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Image — Text — Reality in Buddhism: Interrelation & Internegation
May 23-25, 2022
Text and image are the major modes by which humans make sense of the world and, more categorically speaking, construct the (meaningful) world. This workshop aims to gain important insights about the topic of text-image relations by studying Buddhist teachings.
Learn more and register
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EVENT RECAPS |
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Boundaries Transcended: Recap of the 2022 Undergraduate Conference of Chinese Studies 3MT Competition
The Undergraduate Conference of Chinese Studies 3-Minute Thesis Competition was held at the UBC Asian Centre Auditorium on April 1, 2022, featuring the theme of “Boundaries Transcended.” As a burgeoning academic forum, the Conference allows undergraduate students to present their research discoveries, engage in scholarly discussions, and build learning communities for studies on China and the Chinese speaking world.
Read more
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Lanterns Lighted, Poetry Revived: Recap of the 2022 Chinese Language Program Lantern Festival Poetry Event
Over the past three months, the 2022 UBC Lantern Festival Poetry Event organized by the Chinese Language Program was held for the fifth time. Centring on the theme of “revival,” the event showcased 102 student artworks related to Chinese poetry, and shared 20 multilingual presentations by distinguished guest speakers from both the Department of Asian Studies and the UBC Asian Library.
Read more
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In case you missed some of our previous events, recordings of the following events are now available on our YouTube channel:
April 3: (Workshop) “Between Two Worlds”: Immigrant Writers and the Mother Language
April 2: The Persian Prison Poem from South Asia to the Caucasus: Towards an Anthology
March 27:(Workshop) “The Nature of Story”: Story reading with Abu Torab Khosravi
December 18: The Hidden Story of One Thousand and One Nights in Persian
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SUSTAINABILITY NEWS |
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Warning: Climate Change Is Increasing the Likelihood of Another Pandemic
Since the break of this pandemic, 514,975,396 people have contracted COVID-19 and there have been 6,240,940 related deaths. Even though this terrible tragedy is not over, researchers are already warning that climate change is increasing the likelihood of another pandemic.
Worst Carbon Emitters?!
We love our beautiful homeland. Sadly, it is reported that Canadians are among the world’s worst carbon emitters. We can do better! The May Eco-challenge organized by the Asian Studies Sustainability Initiative Committee helps show how small but meaningful changes can make a big difference to the environment. Let’s reduce carbon emissions to make our homeland beautiful forever!
Sustainability Education Grants
The Sustainability Education Grant program provides funding for faculty members at UBC Vancouver looking to advance and diversify sustainability education opportunities for students across campus in all disciplines. The funding supports curriculum development centred on transformative learning that incorporates experiential, applied and/or interdisciplinary sustainability education principles. Apply by May 16.
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