The Asian Studies Update

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September 10, 2026

The Update is a regular roundup of news in the Department of Asian Studies for our students, faculty and staff.

In today's Update

TOP STORIES

Welcome New Asian Studies Faculty for 2026/27!

With another academic year upon us, we’re excited to introduce new members of our Asian Studies family! We would like to extend a warm welcome to: Renisa Mawani, Aya Yamakawa, and Jiaqi Yao. Take a look at the article below to learn more about them.

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New interdisciplinary research cluster led by Dr. Fuyubi Nakamura

The Public Humanities Hub cluster, "Tracing Flows: Material Lives and Connections of South Asia," led by Associate Professor Fuyubi Nakamura, reimagines how South Asia is represented through art, film, photography, and the South Asia collection at the Museum of Anthropology at UBC.

Bringing together artists, curators, researchers, students, and community members, it fosters public engagement through workshops and programming that centre diverse South Asian voices, deepen understanding of shared histories, and inform future museum initiatives.

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Former UBC Cantonese Student Wins Miss Chinese Vancouver on Cantonese TV

When Sophia Yin took her first UBC Cantonese course in 2021, she did not expect that this would be the beginning of a journey that would lead her to win the title of Miss Chinese Vancouver on a Cantonese TV program.

Read more about how Cantonese learning helped Sophia find her voice on the stage.

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IN THE MEDIA

Dr. Tsering Shakya discusses the importance of accessible urban religious spaces

A Tibetan architecture-inspired mixed-use residential building housing a Buddhist temple has recently been approved in inner-city Toronto.

Our Associate Professor Tsering Shakya commented on the significance of the approval as the accessible location will better meet the needs of Tibetan diaspora communities and allow temples to better serve them.

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Dr. Zoe Lam discusses the diversity of Chinese languages

What does it really mean when people say there are many "Chinese speakers" in Richmond? Our Cantonese lecturer Zoe Lam recently spoke to Richmond News about how the word “Chinese” can be interpreted differently by different communities.

Linguistically, Chinese is an “umbrella term” for all Sinitic languages, including Mandarin and Cantonese, but they are considered different languages because of their significant differences in sentence structure, vocabulary and pronunciation.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Beyond the Written Assignment: Videographic Methods in Research and Teaching

September 18, 4:00pm - 6:00pm PT;
in-person

Colleen Laird, UBC Asian Studies;
Lucy Fife Donaldson, University of St Andrews; Dayna McLeod, Concordia University

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Public Lecture at Mini Anime and Manga Convention

September 19, 12:00pm - 4:00pm PT;
in-person

Haruki Sekiguchi, UBC Asian Studies

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Undoing Your Archive Workshop

September 21 - 23, 9:00am - 12:00pm PT; in-person

Colleen Laird, UBC Asian Studies;
Lucy Fife Donaldson, University of St Andrews; Dayna McLeod, Concordia University

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Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom

September 23, 6:00pm - 9:00pm PT;
in-person

Pawo Choyning Dorji, filmmaker and photographer

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Asian Studies Annual Welcome Back Night

September 24, 5:30pm - 7:30pm PT;
in-person

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ASIAN LIBRARY NEWS

New books at the Asian Library

Explore all the new titles that were added to the Asian Library collections in August.

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OPPORTUNITIES

Call for Applications: Visiting Scholar Scheme in Modern China Studies 2027

The Institute of Chinese Studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) invites scholars in the field of modern and contemporary Chinese studies to visit and conduct research at CUHK for a period of two to three months during the academic year. The visiting scheme allows scholars from various academic disciplines to engage in independent research projects pertaining to modern China studies. Scholars will have access to a wide range of archival resources on modern and contemporary China collected by the CUHK Library. Deadline for applications is October 30.

Call for Papers: Society for Novel Studies Biennial Conference 2027

The Society for Novel Studies is hosting its biennial conference in May 2027. The conference’s theme, Novel Geographies, traces the varied traditions of the novel as a form that has migrated and morphed across different geographical, cultural, and linguistic sites. How have new novelistic forms emerged in and been shaped by their different milieus? Individual and Panel proposals are due by November 15.

Apply for the 2026 Partnership Recognition and Exploration Fund

The Community Engagement Partnership Recognition and Exploration Fund provides up to $1,500 to support collaborative initiatives between community organizations and UBC faculty, staff, and students. The fund helps fill small resource gaps that enable reciprocal, community-engaged projects such as research, experiential learning, workshops, educational programming, and policy development. Deadline for applications is December 31, or until available funds are exhausted.

UBC CCEL Community Student Grants

The Centre for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL) supports students in co-designing and implementing impactful initiatives that address community needs. Up to $10,000 of funding is available per student-led project. Bold, creative ideas are encouraged and we offer hands-on support to submit an application. If you have questions or would like to book an advising appt (Mon – Thurs), reach out to Jacquie (she/her) at jacquie.kwok@ubc.ca. Applications are accepted from November 1 to January 31, 2027.