April 09, 2019 The Update is a bi-weekly roundup of news in the Department of Asian Studies for our Students, Faculty and Staff Starting in May, The Update will be published on a monthly basis throughout the Summer . |
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Student Spotlight with Kiran Sunar: Unlocking the Wisdom of the Past How can we study the past in order to inform the present? Kiran Sunar, a PhD student in the Department of Asian Studies, discusses how her research on Punjabi literature responds to contemporary questions around Islamophobia, homophobia, and gender-based violence. Receiving over a dozen awards and scholarships over the last four years, Sunar also shares how awards and scholarships continue to support her and her research. |
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Featured 2019 Summer Language Courses |
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Hong Kong Comedian Vivek Mahbubani Visits UBC Organized by the Cantonese language program, Vivek Mahbubani, an award-winning Hong Kong comedian of Indian descent, entertained UBC and the greater community with a series of events from March 26 to 30. The Cantonese Comedy Night on March 29 was an enourmous success with all 190 tickets being sold out ten days in advance. Demand was so overwhelming that an encore show was added on March 30. We look forward to bringing Vivek to UBC again in the future! View video and photos |
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| OPPORTUNITIES |
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UBC Asian Studie is Hiring Teaching Assistants for Winter 2019/20 We are currently hiring dozens of TAs for ASIA, ASTU, CDST, CHIN, CNTO, JAPN, KORN and PUNJ Winter 2019/20 courses. Graduate and undergraduate students are encouraged to apply. The deadline for submissions is April 30, 2019. Hiring: Japanese-English Office Supervisor position available Established in 1978, Cheena, a family-run food export company in Vancouver is looking for a well-rounded, friendly person who is flexible with good understanding in speaking and writing both in English and Japanese for an office supervisor position. To apply, please send your resumes to shawn@cheena.com. TransLink transit network survey - UBC route 68-70 This is your chance to shape the future of transit at UBC. TransLink invites you to have your say on the Transit Network Review, including proposed changes to the UBC 68/70 shuttle route. The survey will be open until April 18, 2019. Foreign Government Awards Program - Korea: Open for Applicants The Government of the Republic of Korea, through the National Institute for International Education Development (NIIED), offers six scholarships for study or research at the Master’s or PhD level in Korean studies, humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, engineering, and other fields of study. Scholarships are tenable from September 1, 2019. The deadline for applications is April 22, 2019. The Asian Pacific Foundation of Canada Launches 2019-20 Media Fellowship Program The APF Canada Media Fellowship Program, supported in part by Cathay Pacific Airways, offers two up-and-coming and established journalists the opportunity to spend time in Asia researching and preparing stories for Canadian audiences. Deadline to apply is April 26, 2019. Apply to the Institute for Future Legislators (IFL) Have you ever thought about running for public office? Do you wonder what it would be like to serve as a legislator? The institute provides intensive hands-on mentoring and training for anyone who seeks the experience and knowledge necessary to make a difference. The deadline for applications is April 30, 2019. Learn Nepali or Tibetan at UBC! The UBC Himalaya Program will be offering two-week intensive Nepali and Tibetan language and community-engaged learning courses in summer 2019 in collaboration with the Department of Asian Studies. These courses blend classroom instruction with experiential learning off-campus at Himalayan community sites in the Lower Mainland. This year, Nepali and Tibetan will be offered between April 29 - May 10, 2019. Chia-ying Yeh & Minsheng Scholarship Open for Applicants This scholarship encourages students to study classical Chinese poetry and celebrate Professor Emeritus Chia-ying Yeh’s academic career and works in Taiwan. The deadline to apply is April 30, 2019. Explore China for Free with Gotoco Interested in traveling abroad this summer? Join Gotoco in China to gain a TEFL certificate and useful work experience in teaching, education and activity leadership. No prior experience in China, Chinese or teaching is required—just a passion for education and travel. Positions will be filled by late Spring 2019. Call for Submissions: The Asian Undergraduate Research Symposium 2019 The Asian Undergraduate Research Symposium 2019 will be held in Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday, the 3rd of November. AURS provides undergraduates with an exciting opportunity to present and learn from researchers and professionals from around the globe. Here, students will share their academic research experiences and the knowledge they have acquired as undergraduates working with professors, academic mentors, peers, and the symposium leaders. The deadline for abstract submission is August 22, 2019. Synergy: The Journal of Contemporary Asian Studies - Call for Submissions The Asian Institute of the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, University of Toronto is currently inviting submissions for their online publication. Their journal seeks to publish the world's premier undergraduate work pertaining to the study of contemporary Asia, specifically on the current political, historical, social, and/or economic developments in the Asia region. Synergy is currently listed with the Library and Archives Canada. Submissions are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis. UBC Offers New Classical Arabic Courses this Summer Classical Arabic, ARBC 101 and ARBC 102 offers special rewards to the dedicated student, with its unusually rich vocabulary, architectural grammar and treasury of literature from history, philosophy and the natural sciences to poetry, belles letters’, mysticism and, especially, scripture or Qur’an. The UBC program will teach students first to read, write and pronounce Arabic script, and then to read and comprehend passages from classical Arabic texts, analyzing their grammatical and stylistic features. |
| ON- & OFF-CAMPUS EVENTS |
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The Art of the Brush: A Retrospective Exhibition of Calligraphy by Yim Tse Now-April 23 | various times | Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden, 578 Carrall St April 10 | 12:30 p.m. | Caseroon, Liu Institute for Global Issues, 6476 NW Marine Drive Centre A Presents: Off Keefer - A Cabaret-Style 20th Anniversary Fundraiser April 11 | 7 p.m. | Imperial Vancouver, 319 Main Street Niches Constructed for Conflict: Human-Locust Competition for Agricultural Space in Imperial China April 11 | 3:00 p.m. | Room 120, C.K. Choi Building, 1855 West Mall The Political Beliefs of Chinese Officials April 23 |12:30 p.m. | Room 335, Allard School of Law, 1822 East Mall April 23 | 5:30 p.m. | Liu Institute, 6476 NW Marine Drive July 4-14 | Multiple venues Explore the Chung Collection Exhibit: Drop-in Tour Now-Dec 19 | various times | Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, 2329 West Mall |
| Alumni Spotlight – Paul Kim |
Interested in what you can do with a degree in Asian Studies? In our Alumni Spotlight Interview Series, we ask our alumni about their career paths, how they became interested in Asian Studies and for any advice they would give to current students. This week features Paul Kim (BA '14), a Freelance Columnist, Interpreter and Translator currently based in Vancouver, BC. |
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Tell us a little about yourself, your background and how you became interested in Asian languages and cultures? Like most first-year students, I had no idea what career I wanted to pursue, so I ended up studying business. It was okay at first, but as time passed, I had a tough time in my courses since it involved a lot of mathematics that did not interest me. That is when I began looking at other courses and Asian Studies caught my eye. At first, I thought a Korean background would help me get a good grade in Korean history or China-related classes. However, I was wrong. As a Korean, I was too biased in my perspective and could not see as objectively as a professor does. It was quite challenging to reconsider what I learned back in Korea. Taking these courses, I became a person that is willing to accept diverse points of views. Furthermore, I also discovered that Asian Studies courses are not only high quality and interesting but are also taught by renowned professors. What choices did you make at UBC that contributed to your career success/journey? As an executive member of the UBC ASIA club, I introduced exchange students from Korea to UBC and its Asian Studies program. While I was helping them adjust to their new lives at UBC, I met lots of friends and made connections that broadened my social network. After I graduated from UBC, I got a Master’s Degree at Yonsei University, studying Chinese foreign affairs. With that, I applied to the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat, an international organization closely linked to the Korean Ministry Of Foreign Affairs. I led young ambassadors among three countries before getting an opportunity to work with several Korean think tanks and officials. What was your first job after graduation and what other jobs did you have before your current position? For ten years while I was a student, I went back to Korea almost every summer to teach English, tutor students and edit essays. During my Master’s, I got an opportunity to work in the medical field as interpreter and translator for two years writing presentation dialogues for doctors and consultants. While I was working with them, I wrote a bunch of journals and interpretations, helping me gain valuable knowledge and research methods, leading me to my current job. I am also teaching an interpreting and translating course at an international college. What advice would you give to students and alumni interested in breaking into your industry? Students need to believe that what they are currently doing is meaningful and will lead to their goals. If you tell yourself what you do is precious, sooner or later, those things will truly become precious to your life. I believe UBC Asian Studies professors are the best among the school and the quality of study is the best I can get. This belief helped me overcome times when I felt frustrated with my studies and wanted to give up. Furthermore, I encourage students to find one topic to develop your knowledge in depth. Grow your insights and form your own opinions about significant topics in your industry. Even after graduation, never stop strengthening your knowledge, keep reading books and continue interacting with people. |
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