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New Book: Colonizing Language: Cultural Production and Language Politics in Modern Japan and Korea, by Dr. Christina Yi
In Colonizing Language, Dr. Christina Yi investigates how linguistic nationalism and national identity intersect in the formation of modern literary canons through an examination of Japanese-language cultural production by Korean and Japanese writers from the 1930s through the 1950s, analyzing how key texts were produced, received, and circulated during the rise and fall of the Japanese empire. Drawing upon fiction, essays, film, literary criticism, and more, Yi challenges conventional understandings of national literature by showing how Japanese language ideology shaped colonial histories and the postcolonial present in East Asia.
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Dr. Don Baker interviewed by Roundhouse Radio 98.3
Dr. Don Baker talks to Jody Vance about the details of the possible talks between North Korea and the United States.
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How Koreans put the 'K' in K-pop
Featured in a story by Public Radio International, Dr. Cedarbough Saeji discusses the the forces shaping traditional Korean music and K-pop
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2018S course schedule is now available online!
Featured Courses:
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ASIA 258: Religion in South Asia
The major religious traditions of South Asia, including Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, and Buddhism; the significance of religious thought and practice in premodern India, as well as the continuing impact of religion in today's globalized South Asia.
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ASIA 343: Film in South Asia
Social and cultural history of South Asian film.
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ASIA 346A: Topics in Japanese Cultural History II: The Early Modern Age
This course invites students to explore the power interactions between the ruler and the ruled in early modern Japan (1600-1868).
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ASIA 356: Korean Cinema
Introduction to the work of the major film makers.
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ASIA 367: Contemporary Korean Culture
An introduction to the literature, drama, music, and art of Korea today. Particular attention will be paid to the continuing influence of traditional themes and forms.
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DEPARTMENT EVENTS |
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UBC 2018 Lantern Festival Poetry Gala
March 5 | 4pm
The festival marks the final day of the traditional Chinese New Year celebration and signals the start of work in the new year. On March 5th, The UBC Chinese program will hold the 2018 Chinese poetry gala to celebrate the Lantern Festival in a traditional yet entertaining way.
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Catastrophe in Context: Household Recoveries from the 2015 Nepal Earthquakes
With Dr. Spoon
March 5 | 6pm
Join the UBC Himalaya Program as Dr. Spoon discusses his study on four settlements in two of the hardest hit districts with differing access, aid, and populations.
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Asian Studies Careers Night
March 6 | 6pm
One of our best events of the year! Gain advice and network with people who have found exciting careers after an Asian Studies degree.
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Beyond Redemption: Re-membering Loss in Lu Xun’s Morning Blossoms Plucked at Dusk
With Dr. Eileen J. Cheng
March 6 | 12 pm
This talk explores Lu Xun’s views on memory and his attempts to re-member the past in his personal memoir, Morning Blossoms Plucked at Dusk. Even as he wrote about the need to pay homage to the past, Lu Xun repeatedly expressed the agony and pain that comes with reliving it.
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The Flower Princess and the Imaginations of Hong Kong
With Dr. Kwok Kou Leonard Chan
March 7 | 7pm
The list of Cantonese operas includes thousands of titles. But only a handful of them stand the test of time. Amongst these gems, Tang Disheng’s The Flower Princess (Di nü hua 帝女花) is a particularly successful one.
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The Chinese Buddhist Canon Constructed in the Ming Dynasty
With Dr. Darui Long
March 8 | 4pm
The Ming dynasty (1368-1644) witnessed the construction of four editions of the Chinese Buddhist canon. Three of them were under the patronage of the imperial court and the one was sponsored by Buddhist monks and lay people in the seventh to eighteenth centuries.
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The Story of Hong Kong Literature《香港文學大系》與香港文學史
With Dr. Kwok Kou Leonard Chan
March 8 | 7:30pm
Hong Kong literature has long been ignored. Current historical accounts of it were mostly produced by Mainland scholars at about the time of the 1997 handover. The quality and accuracy of these narratives are always a concern.
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The 1st UBC Cantonese Singing Contest
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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2018 Asian Studies Graduate Student Conference
March 10 | 10am
Come join us for a day of presentations by graduate students from the Asian Studies department, with a few guest presenters from other departments. Listen to students present on their own research, join in on discussions, and enjoy refreshments while meeting and talking with scholars working in a wide variety of disciplines and regions.
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The John Howes Lecture in Japanese Studies Stolen Secrets: Intercepting Dispatches between Wartime Berlin and Japan
With Dr. Peter Kornicki
March 13 | 6pm
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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The Global Chinese Detective Story
With Dr. Jeffrey C. Kinkley
March 13 | 3pm
Uncensored detective novels set in China that use murder mysteries to explore broader Chinese social problems—written outside of China, typically in English, and not always by authors of Chinese origin—have sold over one million copies worldwide, thanks not least to the efforts of Qiu Xiaolong.
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The Past and Present of Chinese-Language Book Publishing in Hong Kong
With Dr. Angela Ko
March 16 | 12:30pm
Hong Kong is a small but vibrant city. Though only several thousand Chinese books are published there each year, its annual book fair has routinely drawn more than a million visitors. Furthermore, individual book titles and news of the local book market have from time to time, and for various reasons, attracted international attention.
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The 4th Workshop on Innovations in Cantonese Linguistics
June 23
The 4th Workshop on Innovations in Cantonese Linguistics (WICL-4) is a conference that focuses on new advances in Cantonese Linguistics, including new approaches to theory and data, methodologies, and applications.
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OPPORTUNITIES |
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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 6, 2018.
Call for Papers: Teaching Classical Chinese Literary, Philosophical, and Cultural Texts
The LLC Pre-14th-Century Chinese Forum at MLA proposes a panel with a focus on teaching classical Chinese texts to undergraduate and graduate students in North American universities. Proposals from all academic disciplines and engaging various methodological approaches are most welcome. Deadline to apply is March 7, 2018.
BACKPACKING WITH A PURPOSE: 2018 APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN!
Operation Groundswell is a non-profit that runs travel, community service, and experiential education programs around the globe. We dig into social justice issues while working in solidarity with local activists, non-profits, and communities. We want you to join us in the fight for a better world. Deadline to apply is March 8, 2018.
Asia Pacific Youth Council Application
The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada's Asia Pacific Youth Council (APYC) is a collaboration of young Canadians committed to raising awareness among Canadian youth of Asia and its increasing importance to Canada. The Council members are appointed for a term of one year, serving in a volunteer capacity. They are responsible for planning and delivering signature events that will reach post-secondary students and young Canadians. Deadline to apply is March 11, 2018.
Recruitment of Volunteers for the 2018 Sakura Days Japan Fair
Looking for enthusiastic volunteers to assist with the successful organization of Sakura Days Japan Fair in Vancouver. Assistance in the following areas is required. Deadline to apply is March 11, 2018.
Hou Family Fellowship in Taiwan Studies
The Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard University is pleased to announce the 2018-19 competition for the Hou Family Fellowship in Taiwan Studies. The fellowship will be for a period of three to twelve months from August 1, 2018 to July 31, 2019, with residency at Harvard University. Deadline to apply is March 14, 2018.
UBC Himalaya Program: Nepali and Tibetan Summer Intensive Language and Community Engaged Learning Program
Experience Nepali or Tibetan language and culture this summer! The UBC Himalaya Program is offering 2-week, intensive language and community engagement courses in Nepali and Tibetan from April 30-May 11. These are community-engaged courses that blend in-class language instruction with experiential learning off-campus at Nepali and Tibetan community sites in the Lower Mainland. Each course carries 3 credits from the Faculty of Arts and is also open to Non-UBC students. Register by March 15, 2018.
2018 Huayu Enrichment Scholarship
This scholarship aims to encourage international students to study Huayu courses in the Republic of China (Taiwan); and to provide them with opportunities to increase their understanding of Taiwanese culture and society, and promote mutual understanding and interactions between Taiwan and the international community. Deadline to apply is March 31st, 2018.
2018 Taiwan Scholarship
The Taiwan Scholarship Program was established by the Republic of China (Taiwan) --- the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) to encourage outstanding international students to undertake degree programs in Taiwan. Deadline to apply is March 31st, 2018.
Summer Institute for Future Legislators
Do you wonder what it would be like to serve as a legislator? If you have political aspirations, but want to know more about what being a legislator means and how to be effective in that role, you should apply to UBC’s Summer Institute for Future Legislators. The Institute provides intensive hands-on mentoring and training for anyone who seeks the practical experience and knowledge to be able to make a difference—whether at the local, provincial, or federal level. Deadline to apply is April 16, 2018.
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ON & OFF-CAMPUS EVENTS |
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Catastrophe in Context: Household Recoveries from the 2015 Nepal Earthquakes
Mar 5 | 6pm - 8pm | Room 120, C.K. Choi Building, 1855 West Mall
Business Email Workshop. Hosted by the UBC Japan Career Network
Mar 6 | 5pm - 7pm | D205, Buchanan D, 1866 Main Mall
ACAM Dialogues: Mental Health in Asian Canadian Communities (Film Screening)
Mar 7 | 6pm - 7:30pm | Multipurpose Room, Life Building, 6138 Student Union Blvd
FHIS Graduate Students' Book and Record Sale
Mar 7-8 | 6pm - 8pm | Room 104A, Buchanan Tower, 1873 East Mall
Rebuilding Canadian Environmental Law and Policy
Mar 8 | 12:30pm - 1:30pm | Room 120, Aquatic Ecosystems Research, Lab 2202 Main Mall
Geopolitics and Security Shifts in East Asia - the Perspective from Japan
Mar 9 | 12:30pm - 2pm | APF Canada Vancouver Boardroom 900-675 West Hastings Street
Tracing Erasure: 41st Annual AHVA Graduate Symposium
Mar 9 | 10:30am - 6:30pm | Multipurpose Room in the Liu Institute for Global Issues 6476 NW Marine Drive
A Double Feature of Contemporary Japanese Films: Yoko the Cherry Blossom and The Vancouver Asahi
Mar 10 | 12pm, 2:10pm | Pacific Cinematheque, 1131 Howe St., Vancouver
Redress, Acknowledging Injustice, and the Japanese Canadian Experience
Mar 13 | 4:30pm - 7pm | St. John's College Social Lounge, 2111 Lower Mall
UBC Reads Sustainability Presents Who We Are with Elizabeth May
Mar 13 | 1pm - 3pm | UBC Old Auditorium, 6344 Memorial Rd
Beyond the Divide: A Century of Canadian Mosque Design and Gender Allocations
Mar 14 | 5pm - 6:30pm | Coach House, Green College, 6201 Cecil Green Park Rd
Exiled To Nowhere: Burma's Rohingya with Greg Constantine
Mar 15 | 12:30pm - 2pm | Multipurpose Room in the Liu Institute for Global Issues 6476 NW Marine Drive
Book Reading and Discussion with Sarbjit Kaur Athwal
Mar 15 | 5pm - 7pm | Room 120, C.K. Choi Building, 1855 West Mall
Book Launch for I Am Evelyn Amony – Reclaiming my Life from the Lord’s Resistance Army
Mar 27 | 5pm - 7pm | Multipurpose Room in the Liu Institute for Global Issues 6476 NW Marine Drive
Nine Dragons - the world premiere production of this stylish murder mystery set in colonial Hong Kong
Apr 12 - Apr 21 | Multiple events | Gateway Theatre, 6500 Gilbert Road, Richmond
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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 Drew Wallin, BA '11. Mr. Wallin is currently a Program Manager at Google.
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Tell us how you became interested in Asian Studies?
I was very fortunate that my family took part in a sister city exchange program when I was in elementary school, and I was able to live in a small village in Hokkaido, Japan for two years. That experience influenced me greatly and I knew that I always wanted to go back to Japan and develop my understanding of Japanese language, history, and culture.
While a student, was there anything you did to get ahead with your career? Or anything that you would recommend that other students do?
Taking part in the Go Global exchange was instrumental in my development, as I was exposed to a greater depth of cultural experience, more networking opportunities, and additional career path options in Japan than I would have discovered on my own.
I studied in Kyoto at Ritsumeikan University. During my time there, I went to a professor’s house which was a renovated ‘Kyomachiya.’ This visit piqued my interest in this architectural form and gave me new perspective on some major social and economic issues related to the changing urban landscape of Kyoto. As a result, I was able to create a research proposal to study kyomachiya in a master’s program at Kyoto University under the MEXT research scholarship following my graduation from UBC.
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 was in the ‘job hunting’ period of my master’s program at Kyoto University, and my brother was in the process of founding a company for which Japan was a crucial market. It was very fortunate timing and I joined the company in another department, with the aim of leading the Japanese territory once we solidified our go-to-market in North America and expanded to Japan.
The company was called AppBridge, and we were a software company focused on enterprise data migration to Google Drive. Japan was a very strategic market because Google use was quite high for Gmail, Calendar, etc. but Drive utilization was very low at the time.
After your first job, how did your career progress and what are you currently doing?
I took a role at a startup, so I was able to work in a variety of different areas, while leading several important projects. Taking on a lot of responsibility at an early stage of my career was very challenging, but it led to me taking on an executive role much more rapidly than I would have been able to in a larger, more established company. I am now working as a Program Manager at Google.
I founded a subsidiary company in Japan called AppBridge Japan under our parent org. As the director of the company, I had to find an office, negotiate reseller and partnership agreements, work with various partners and customers directly, conduct trainings and seminars, work with professional contractors such as law firms and accounting firms, hire and train staff, operate under a very limited budget (we were a bootstrapped organization relying on revenue and grants/etc.), all in Japanese. I was revenue positive within 1 year of operation, at which point we were acquired.
What do you enjoy about your current job? What are the challenges?
The team at Google is incredibly supportive and great to work with, and the scale we operate at is truly global. My overall team runs a product which reaches nearly a billion active monthly users, so although there is great satisfaction gained from supporting so many people, there is a great deal of pressure to make sure everything runs as expected and there is a very high bar of expectation to meet.
We were acquired under the umbrella of Google Drive initially, but we work with G Suite as a whole. There are several products within G Suite with hundreds of millions of monthly active users. I work very closely with the team at Google Japan, where I often visit to meet internal teams, partners, customers, and present at conferences, such as Google Atmosphere Tokyo 2016, and Google NEXT Tokyo 2017, where I presented in Japanese, and Japanese/English respectively.
Are there opportunities for recent graduates in your industry? What does a typical entry-level position entail?
In my current industry, there is a tremendous amount of opportunity. A typical entry-level position is determined by the track a graduate enters (engineering, design, customer facing, etc.), but one skill common to all role types is a requirement that each person is self-starting and somewhat entrepreneurial. In other words, people should try to think of solutions on their own before asking for help. A lot of the time the problems people are wrestling with don’t necessarily have a clear answer, and the ability to think critically about novel and difficult problems is a massive asset.
Has learning an Asian language helped you in your personal or professional life? What tips do you have for students who are keen to play the ‘language card’ in their career development?
Absolutely. It has been instrumental in my development. It seems like a lot of language students tend to focus exclusively on ‘language-focused’ jobs such as translation or teaching, but in my experience, the true value of language ability has often been found in unplanned or unexpected opportunities which result from having an interest and skill in Japanese. Some of my closest friends and mentors have come from serendipitous meetings due to being in Japan or my ability to speak Japanese, not from a focused attempt to advance in my career.
Do you have any other advice that you would like to impart to students and/or recent graduates?
Spend as much time as possible around people who inspire you, be humble, and give thanks to those in your life who support you.
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