April 18 Newsletter

THIS WEEK: EAS Virtual Visitas Open House; Register for AAPI Allyship Event

Concentration Announcements & Opportunities

Allyship Series: After Atlanta, How Do Asian Americans Want Us to Show Up?

Tuesday, April 27 | 12:00 – 13:00 EDT

This event will focus on how Asian Americans are looking for support in the wake of the Atlanta killings of 6 Asian women a few weeks ago. With speakers including Harvard Professor Ju Yon Kim and alumna, professor and filmmaker Renee Tajima-Peña, we will delve into the history of Anti-Asian hate in America and actions we can all take to support the Harvard Asian American Alumni community. The conversation will be facilitated by Sheryl WuDunn, author and award-winning journalist, business and finance consultant and alumni leader. Click here to register.

Struggling with a research paper, need feedback on a draft, or just want to improve your writing?

Make an appointment with the EALC Department Writing Fellow! Weekly virtual appointments are available to any student needing help with East-Asia related writing. Click here to learn more and for scheduling information.

Upcoming Events

Monday, April 19

Associates' Panel: Managing the U.S.-Japan Alliance in the 2020s

Monday, April 19, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

"Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) Diplomacy and U.S.-Japan Cooperation"

Natsuko Sakata , Ministry of Foreign Affairs

"Trump and Abe in U.S.-Japan Relations: A Retrospective Analysis"

Kotaro Ono, Staff Writer, Asahi Shimbun

Discussant: Thomas Berger , Director, Center for the Study of Asia; Professor of International Relations, Pardee School of Global Studies, Boston University

Moderator: Christina Davis, Harvard University

Gods of Leather and Lilies: Ancestral Spirits and Community Leadership Culture in the Buddhist Debates at Kōyasan

Monday, April 19, 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Elizabeth Tinsley, Assistant Professor of Buddhist Studies, University of California, Irvine

Chinese Antitrust Exceptionalism: How the Rise of China Challenges Global Regulation

Monday, April 19, 8:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

China Economy Lecture Series

Angela Zhang, Director of the Center for Chinese Law and Associate Professor, The University of Hong Kong

Tuesday, April 20

Layer Matters: Medical Authority, Body Conformity, and Intersex Livelihood in Cold War South Korea

Tuesday, April 20, 12:00 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.

Science and Technology Seminar Series

Todd Henry, Associate Professor of History, University of California, San Diego

Supported by the Asia Center and convened by Professor Victor Seow, Department of the History of Science

China’s Hukou System: How an Engine of Development Has Now Become a Major Obstacle

Tuesday, April 20, 12:30 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Fairbank Center Director’s Seminar

Martin K. Whyte, John Zwaanstra Professor of International Studies and Sociology, Emeritus, and former director of the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, Harvard University

Innovating Our Approach to Human Rights in North Korea: Investing in the Freedom & Empowerment of the North Korean People

Tuesday, April 20, 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Panelists:

Dae-Hyeon Park, Founder and CEO of Woorion

Hyun-Seung Lee, Former Deputy General Manager, Korea Miyang Shipping Corporation

Seo-Hyun Lee, Graduate Student

Seong-Min Lee, Human Rights Advocate

Sung-Ju Lee, Author; PhD Candidate

Timothy Cho, Inquiry Clerk to the APPG on North Korea; UK Conservative Party Candidate

Yeon-Mi Park, Human Rights Advocate; Author

Moderator: Dr. Jieun Baek, Fellow, Belfer Center

Wednesday, April 21

Silence and Sacrifice: Family Stories of Care and the Limits of Love in Vietnam

Wednesday, April 21, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Merav Shohet, Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, Boston University

A World Safe for Autocracy: The Domestic Politics of China’s Foreign Policy

Wednesday, April 21, 12:30 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Critical Issues Confronting China Series

Jessica Chen Weiss, Associate Professor of Government, Cornell University

Thursday, April 22

Rural Revitalization: China’s “Ace” in Dealing with Western “Competition”

Thursday, April 22, 12:30 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Xiaotong Feng, Ph.D. Candidate, Communication University of China; Fairbank Center Visiting Scholar 

Discussant/Moderator: Michael Szonyi, Harvard University

Refracting the Vietnam War Series: “Hmong American Literature and Refugee Presence” Lecture

Thursday, April 22, 4:30 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.

Critical Refugee Studies and Southeast Asian American Cultural Production

Ma Vang, Assistant Professor and founding chair of Critical Race and Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Merced

China Social and Economic Symposium: The Evolving Role of U.S. and China in the Global Economy

Thursday, April 22, 8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Panelists:

Lawrence H. Summers, Charles W. Eliot University Professor and President Emeritus at Harvard University, Former Secretary of the Treasury, Former Director of the National Economic Council

The Hon. Kevin Rudd AC, 26th Prime Minister of Australia, President and CEO of Asia Society, President of Asia Society Policy Institute, Chairman of International Peace Institute

Jin Liqun, President and Chair of the Board of Directors of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

Moderator: Ping Wang, MPA 2021

Sci-fi China: Avatars, Aliens, Anthropos 科幻中國：异形，异次元，异托邦

Thursday, April 22, 8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Panelists: 

Dingru Huang, Harvard University

Jannis Chen, Harvard University

Dihao Zhou, Yale University 

Michael O’Krent, Harvard University 

Emily Xueni Jin, Yale University

Friday, April 23

Friday, April 23, 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Gender Studies Workshop – Acting the Part: Gender and Performance Onstage

Participants: 

Xu Peng, Assistant Professor of Chinese Theatre, University of Hawai’i 

Emily Wilcox, Associate Professor of Modern Chinese Studies, University of Michigan

 Eileen Cheng-yin Chow, Lecturing Fellow of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Duke University 

Catherine Yeh, Professor of Chinese and Comparative Literature, Boston University 

Matthew Sommer, Professor of Chinese History, Stanford University 

David Der-wei Wang, Edward C. Henderson Professor of Chinese Literature, Harvard University 

Claire Conceison, Quanta Professor of Chinese Culture and Professor of Theater Arts, MIT

Ted Hui, Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations, Harvard University

Commentators:

Wai-Yee Li, Harvard University

Ellen Widmer, Wellesley College 

Thomas P. Kelly, Harvard University

China Social and Economic Symposium: U.S.-China Relations Forum

Friday, April 23, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Panelists:

Graham Allison, Douglas Dillon Professor of Government at Harvard University, Founding Dean of Harvard Kennedy School, Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense

Huang Ping, Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in New York

Anthony Saich, Director of the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, Daewoo Professor of International Affiars at Harvard University

Wang Huiyao, Founder and President of CEnter for China and Globalization, Counselor for China State Council

Moderator: Alvin Tian, MPA 2021, Harvard Kennedy School

China Social and Economic Symposium: Environmental, Social, and Governance Investment Forum

Friday, April 23, 9:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Panelists:

Qian Longhai, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of First Capital Securities Co., Chairman of CUEB China ESG Institute

Fu Lei, Founder and CIO of Y2 Capital, Former Managing Director and Head of China of Sculptor Capital

Jacky Tang, Managing Director of Goldman Sachs, Advisor of World Green Organization

Moderator: William Xue, MPP 2022, Harvard Kennedy School

Conference/Presentation Opportunities

Call for Papers for the Sixteenth International Conference on the Arts in Society

University of Western Australia, School of Design, Perth, Australia

Conference Dates: 16–18 June, 2021

Location: Online

Proposal submission deadlines:

Late: May 16, 2021

The Arts in Society Research Network offers an interdisciplinary forum for discussion of the role of the arts in society. It is a place for critical engagement, examination and experimentation, developing ideas that connect the arts to their contexts in the world – on stage, in studios and theaters, in classrooms, in museums and galleries, on the streets and in communities. We seek to build an epistemic community where we can make linkages across disciplinary, geographic, and cultural boundaries. As a Research Network, we are defined by our scope and concerns and motivated to build strategies for action framed by our shared themes and tensions.

2021 Special Focus—Voices from the Edge: Negotiating the Local in the Global

Click here to learn more, or to apply to present a paper.

Events by Institution

Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies Event Calendar

Harvard Asia Center Event Calendar

Harvard-Yenching Institute

Korea Institute Event Calendar

Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study Event Calendar

Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies Event Calendar

Asia Center Virtual Programs

Experience Harvard Asia Center programming through current and archived digital exhibitions, as well as podcast talk series and author conversation videos! Click here to access virtual programs offered through the Asia Center.

Left: Photo from "Elegy to a Uyghur Dreamscape" (ongoing virtual exhibition)

Student Groups

*Please be aware that student groups may not be active while courses are being held online.

Build Your Community with the Campfire Initiative!

This new project aims to provide a means for greater connectivity between students to allow for tailored support and more explorative interactions. Through this online interface, students learn and bond via the experiences and interests that they share with one another. Serious topics provide arenas for support that allow students to be heard, whereas lighthearted topics provide areas for exploration - both are important, and they often have areas of overlap. Campfire’s systems of tags allow students to focus on either serious or lighthearted topics, or to engage with both at once if they so choose.

Click here to create an account and start connecting. Questions about the platform should be directed to Jenny Liu at jenny_liu@college.harvard.edu, or the Campfire team at info@campfireconvos.com.

Asian American Business Association

The Asian American Business Association (AABA) provides a forum for the promotion, understanding, and cross-cultural exchange of East Asian and Asian American business, social, academic, cultural, political, and community-related initiatives. Visit their website here.

Asian American Dance Troupe

For over twenty years, the Asian American Dance Troupe (AADT) has sought to spread an appreciation and awareness of Asian culture through the medium of dance. Our repertoire includes a diverse range of dance forms including traditional, ethnic minority, fusion, martial arts, modern, and hip hop. Membership in this organization shall be open to all students in good standing currently enrolled in Harvard College. Visit their website here.

Asian American Studies Working Group is a space of interdisciplinary collaboration between faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates pursuing scholarships in Asian American and Pacific Islander (API) histories, experiences, and intellectual traditions. Its goals are to build scholarly community, to explore major debates and developments in API Studies, and to enrich the research pursued by its members across Harvard University. To contact the organizers, see when the group meets next, or to learn more, visit:https://emr.fas.harvard.edu/asian-american-studies-working-group

China Education Symposium

The China Education Symposium seeks to increase the understanding and awareness of China's education issues among the Harvard community and the greater Boston Chinese community through information sharing and discussions, and to search for feasible approaches to improve China's education. Visit their website here.

China Forum

Founded in 1998, Harvard College China Forum (former Harvard China Review Annual Conference) is currently the largest China-focused conference in the New England area and annually attracts audiences from all over North America. Every spring the forum invites influential business leaders, policy shapers, and leading scholars to Harvard to address current trends and events in a wide range of topics relevant to the development of China today. Operating under the Harvard China Review framework, HCCF works together with the Harvard China Review and runs a series of sub-programs, including monthly seminars as well as an annual cultural exchange program in the summer. Visit their website here.

CinEncounters

Established in 2012, CinEncounters is a forum for critical engagement with lesser-known masterpieces of Japanese cinema from the 1960s, 1970s, and beyond. From the Japanese “New Wave” to Pink, from Anime to Documentary, screenings will foster a collective exploration with the unexpected, the uncharted and the unusual currents of Japanese film. Monthly showings will offer an opportunity to gather, discuss and enjoy new encounters with films, filmmakers and the histories and stories behind them. Moreover, screenings will invite critics, filmmakers and others related to the films to join our discussions over Skype, when possible. All films are shown with English subtitles and no prior knowledge of Japanese is required.

The 2018-19 series is organized by Alexander Zahlten (EALC) and Julia Alekseyeva (RIJS Postdoctoral Fellow). If you are interested in receiving more information about the respective CinEncounters screenings, please send a brief email to: cinencounters2018@gmail.com.

Contemporary Japanese Politics

The Contemporary Japanese Politics Study Group was established in 1999 with the goals of better understanding key trends in politics and foreign policy in Japan and focusing a scholarly eye on key issues. This group enables advanced Ph.D. students to circulate their works-in-progress (conference papers, draft dissertation chapters, etc.) and receive feedback, as well as faculty and postdoctoral fellows to present their research.

Chaired by Susan Pharr and Daniel Smith of the Department of Government and co-sponsored by the Program on U.S.-Japan Relations (USJRP) at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, the group includes over fifty faculty, graduate students, and others, both at Harvard and across the greater Boston and New England region.

For more information, please contact Shinju Fujihira, Executive Director of the Program on U.S.-Japan Relations. For details about study group events, visit their website here.

Gaongil (Harvard College Modern Korean Studies Society)

A tight-knit organization that meets once a week to discuss various economic, social, political, cultural issues related to modern Korea. As the Korean word "Gaongil" means "Middle-Path," the organization is committed to remaining nonpartisan while encouraging free and unhindered discussion.

Anyone who is interested in joining Gaongil can come and check it out! No prior experience with Korean language or culture is needed, and the meetings are entirely in English.

Fill out the interest form here to be included in their e-mail list.

Harvard Asian American Women's Association

The Asian American Women's Association recognizes the need for a unified, open community at Harvard concerned with the issues facing women of Asian descent in Western society. The purpose of the Asian American Women's Association is to address these needs by creating a collective voice and promoting the prominence and concerns of the female Asian-American population, both within the community and without, particularly through regular discussion of pertinent issues. Visit their website here.

Harvard Buddhist Community

The HDS Buddhist Community (HBC) is a nondenominational Buddhist group serving the Harvard and Cambridge communities throughout the school year. In addition to hosting weekly meditation sittings, HBC also organizes Buddhist film screenings and discussion groups, as well as the annual Buddhism & Race Conference. HBC generally meets weekly in Andover Chapel at the Harvard Divinity School.

To subscribe to the mailing list, or to inquire about events, e-mail hbcsangha@gmail.com.

Harvard Chinese Students and Scholars Association (Harvard CSSA)

Harvard CSSA is dedicated to the goal of promoting social, intellectual, and cultural activities of Chinese students and scholars at Harvard and for other interested members in the Harvard community. It facilitates communication among its members and acts as a liaison between itself and other organizations on campus. The group works to facilitate the exchange of information between China and the United States. Its activities include sponsoring and co-sponsoring social, intellectual, and cultural events, films, and seminars. President Xu Zhang. Group e-mail is harvardcssa@gmail.com. Visit their website here.

Harvard College Japan Society

The Japan Society promotes the culture and spirit of Japan at Harvard through cultural experiences, social interaction, and community bonding. Visit their website here.

Harvard Hong Kong Society

The HHKS is dedicated to promoting unique aspects of Hong Kong culture and society, and bringing together all students who are interested in Hong Kong. Visit their website here.

Harvard-Radcliffe Chadō Society

The Chadō Society is a group of Harvard students dedicated to learning chanoyu (in English, commonly known as “Japanese tea ceremony”). Though the organization is officially an undergraduate organization, they also welcome graduate students, non-student Harvard affiliates, and non-Harvard students to learn tea in the tradition of the Urasenke school. The organization’s instructors are all members of Urasenke Boston, the local affiliate of the Kyoto-based Urasenke organization. The head of the international organization is Sen Soshitsu XVI, who is a direct descendant of one of the first Japanese tea masters, Sen no Rikyu. The current club president, Jaden Freeze, can be reached at harvardchadosociety@gmail.com. Visit their website here.

Harvard Tai Chi Tiger Crane Club

The Harvard Kung Fu Club and the Tai Chi Club are two divisions of the Harvard Tai Chi Tiger Crane Club, a club sport registered at the Malkin Athletic Center with the Harvard Department of Athletics. For more information, visit their website here.

Harvard Taiwanese Culture Society

TCS is a student-run organization at Harvard College dedicated to promoting the culture and heritage of Taiwan and of Taiwanese-Americans. From cultural events like making muaji to social events like karaoke to special events like our annual winterfest: a taste of Taiwan, our goal is to enhance awareness of Taiwanese culture and to provide a place for those interested in learning about Taiwan to meet and to discuss their interests. Visit their website here.

Harvard Vietnamese Association

The Harvard Vietnamese Association is dedicated to fostering an awareness of Vietnamese culture on campus and within the Greater Boston area, and promoting the interests of the Vietnamese student body at Harvard. Visit their website here.

Korea Caucus

The mission of Korea Caucus is to actively raise the awareness of Korea within the KSG community by sharing the country's cultural heritage through social events, serving as a bridge and resource to non-Korean students who are interested in learning more about the country. They also aim to provide a forum to address key issues facing Korea and the implications for the rest of the world through activities and events. Visit their website here.

Korean Association

The Korean Association leads the undergraduate Korean-American community's efforts to teach and learn about Korean culture and political issues. The KA additionally provides a social outlet for Korean-American students who are interested in meeting others with a shared heritage and common interests. The KA supports cultural groups including YISEI the magazine, the fan dance troupe Chunsa, and the Korean drumming group (poongmul pae) Han Ma Eum. Visit their website here.

Organization of Asian American Sisters in Service

OAASIS currently consists of 25 members who are committed to each other in three aspects: commitment in sisterhood, commitment in service, and commitment in exploring the diverse experiences of Asian and Asian American women. Our comp process for Spring 2019 will be starting soon! Please visit our website at www.oaasis.info, or our Facebook page at http://facebook.com/harvardoaasis. Any questions can be directed to compoaasis@gmail.com. OAASIS is an officially recognized student organization that welcomes students of all gender and ethnic identities.

Links & Resources

Browse free online courses in a variety of subjects. Harvard University courses on EdX can be audited free, or students can choose to receive a verified certificate for a small fee. Multiple EAS-related courses are offered via HarvardX, including Japanese Books: From Manuscript to Print; ChinaX Book Club: Five Authors, Five Books, Five Views of China; and Contemporary China: The People's Republic, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.

Chinese Art Media Lab (CAMLab)

CAMLab explores innovative ways of showcasing Chinese art and culture through immersive installations, exhibitions, films, digital publications, curatorial projects, and other multimedia forms. For more information, visit their website and Instagram.

Questions? Contact Program Coordinator: anniechen@fas.harvard.edu

Explore Asia at Harvard Map (Harvard Asia Center)

Click here.

The Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies provides undergraduates studying China with a myriad of opportunities and resources, including funding to travel to China, information about programs in China, and opportunities to do research with respected scholars of Chinese studies. Visit their undergraduate resources page: https://fairbank.fas.harvard.edu/resources/undergraduate/

Free Peer Tutoring for Undergraduates

A new program implemented to replace the former Bureau of Study Council. Read more here.

The Harvard Asia Center generates and shares knowledge about Asia from a transnational and transregional perspective. With its core lectures, seminars series, and conferences, the Center engages with topics critical to Asia and its connections with other regions, bringing in notable academics, government officials, business leaders, and other specialists as featured speakers and panelists. Learn more about Asia Center lectures, events, and student grants here: https://asiacenter.harvard.edu/programs-events

The Harvard-Yenching Institute is an independent foundation dedicated to advancing higher education in Asia in the humanities and social sciences, with special attention to the study of Chinese culture. Learn more here.

The Korea Institute provides dozens of funding, travel, grant, and research opportunities for undergraduates studying Korea. Visit their Student page here: https://korea.fas.harvard.edu/for-students

Korean Studies Portal

Click here.

Japan Digital Research Center (Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies)

Click here.

Japan Disasters Digital Archive

Click here.

The Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study is dedicated to creating and sharing transformative ideas across the arts, humanities, sciences, and social sciences. Visit their events page here: https://www.radcliffe.harvard.edu/calendar/list

The Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies is an excellent resource for EAS concentrators studying Japan. Find a calendar of Japan-related events and lectures, undergraduate grant information, and internship opportunities on their website: rijs.fas.harvard.edu

Have an event/group you'd like featured in this newsletter? Contact Naia Poyer (EALC Program Assistant).