This Week: East Asian Ghost Story Gathering; Thesis writing support at ARC; Study Abroad updates; "Socialist Hot Noise" EALC faculty talk; Applications open: MA in Regional StudiesEast Asia, Columbia University
Announcements
Join EAS this Tuesday for an East Asian Ghost Story Gathering!
When: Tuesday, October 26 | 5:30pm-7:00pm (Rain date: Thursday, October 28, 5:30pm-7:00pm)
Where: 9 Kirkland Place outdoor space
What: Join us for Halloween goodies and ghost stories--bring your favorite creepy tale to share, or just your spooky self to listen! All Harvard affiliates welcome.

RSVP to naia_poyer@fas.harvard.edu to receive updates.
The Academic Resource Center will offer support to senior thesis writers as they navigate the remainder of their fall semester and transition into spring.

Thesis students can make use of the following resources:
 
  • Half-hour workshops designed for students writing and/or researching their thesis:
  • Fitting in Your Thesis (October 28 at 2pm and November 3 at 4pm)
  • Writing Through Stress (November 15 at 10am and December 2 at noon)
  • One-on-one academic coaching to support:
  • Time management
  • Creating and meeting deadlines
  • Identifying thesis action items
  • Having productive conversations with advisors
  • Avoiding procrastination
  • Working with feedback
  • Developing a writing schedule
  • An accountability hour with the Harvard Library on Wednesdays from 4-5pm.
  • The ARC’s Senior Thesis Working Retreat (January 10-14)
  • A structured space for students to make significant progress on their thesis during the winter break, no matter where they are in the process.
  
Registration for coaching appointments, workshops, and accountability hours can be completed using the ARC scheduler.
Fall 2022 Applications now open for Interdisciplinary MA in Regional StudiesEast Asia at Columbia University!
Application deadline: February 3, 2022

Founded more than 20 years ago, MARSEA is a leading MA program for the interdisciplinary study of modern politics, history, international relations, and languages of East Asia. Offering courses taught by over fifty faculty specialists in the Asia-Pacific region, access to Columbia's world-class library system, and the opportunity to live and study in New York City, the MARSEA program is a great option for students wishing to focus on modern and contemporary East Asia. The program offers specializations in China, Japan, Korea, and Tibet. Learn more and apply here.
Tuesday, October 26 | 3:00pm EDT
Pre-registration is required.
Summer 2022 Study Abroad Updates from Asia Centers
Please note the following decisions are tentative and will be subject to change in accordance with public health guidance and travel policies. Further updates will be listed as needed.
  • In response to travel restrictions, the Harvard Asia Center will consider funding undergraduate/graduate research grant applications that do not involve travel to international destinations rated Level 4 or Unknown for COVID-19 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Please see the Harvard Travel Guidance website for up to date information. Applications for students who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 wishing to conduct research in countries rated Level 1, 2 or 3 will be considered.
  • The Harvard Summer School Study Abroad Program in Hong Kong will not be held in Summer 2022.
  • Harvard Taipei Academy (HTA), a new program replacing the former Harvard Beijing Academy, will be held in-person this summer.
  • The Reischauer Institute will continue to accept applications to fund summer research: thesis & summer science research for undergrads, language study, & internships.
  • Harvard Summer School in Kyoto is planned to be held in-person in Japan. Further decisions will be announced in January.
  • Kansai Gaidai University's Summer Asian Studies initiatives will be held online in 2022.
  • Available programs include the ASP Home-Based Program (online ASP courses), the Online Summer Program during June and July, and the Intercultural Engagement Program (IEP), a student-led virtual initiative for Japanese and foreign students to learn about each other. To learn more about Kansai Gaidai's offerings, click here.
  • Students of the KGIP program may be invited to participate in the Kansai Gaidai Internship Program.
Harvard Events
Monday, October 25

Monday, 9:30am - 11:00am
Lynette J. Chua, associate professor of law, National University of Singapore
Alfian Sa’at, resident playwright, Wild Rice
Michelle Lazar, associate professor and head of the Department of English Language & Literature, National University of Singapore
Robert Phillips, associate professor of anthropology, Ball State University
Pavan Mano, PhD candidate, Department of English, King’s College London
Adi Saleem Bharat, LSA Collegiate Fellow; assistant professor, Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, University of Michigan (Fall 2022)

Monday, 12:00-pm - 1:00pm
Part of the Special Series on Policy Innovations in Crises
Celeste Arrington, Korea Foundation Associate Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, George Washington University
Moderator: Christina L. Davis, Director, Program on U.S.-Japan Relations; Professor of Government; Susan S. and Kenneth L. Wallach Professor, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University

Monday, 4:00pm
Aaron Proffitt, Assistant Professor of Japanese Studies, University at Albany-SUNY
Sponsored by the Harvard Buddhist Studies Forum
Monday, 4:00pm
A new collection by the Southeast Asia Digital Library, Northern Illinois University
Supported by the consortium for Graduate Education and Training in Southeast Asian Studies (GETSEA)

Monday, 4:00pm - 5:30pm
China Humanities Seminar
Scott Pearce, Western Washington University


Tuesday, October 26

Tuesday, 3:00pm
Jie Li, John L. Loeb Associate Professor of the Humanities, Harvard University


Wednesday, October 27

Wednesday, 12:00pm
David Cheng Chang, 2021–2022 Radcliffe-Harvard Yenching Institute Fellow; associate professor of humanities and the associate director of Global China Center, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Wednesday, 12:30pm - 1:45pm
Critical Issues Confronting China Lecture Series
Bill Bikales, Principal and Lead Economist, Kunlun Associates
Thursday, October 28

Thursday, 8:00pm - 9:30pm
Modern Chinese Humanities Seminar
Ma Shaoling, Assistant Professor of Humanities, Yale-NUS College

Thursday, 8:00pm - 9:30pm
Manfred Elfstrom, author of Workers and Change in China: Resistance, Repression, Responsiveness; Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of British Columbia
Yao Li, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology and Criminology and Law, University of Florida
Moderator: Anthony Saich, Director, Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation; Daewoo Professor of International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School of Government
Friday, October 29

Friday, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Vijay Gokhale, nonresident senior fellow, Carnegie India
Shivshankar Menon, Distinguished Fellow at CSEP and a Visiting Professor, Ashoka University
Kanti Prasad Bajpai, Professor of Asian Studies, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy; Director, Centre on Asia and Globalisation

Friday, 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Micah Morton, Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology and Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Northern Illinois University

Friday, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Shiori Hiraki, Reischauer Institute Postdoctoral Fellow (Ph.D. History of Art & Architecture, SOAS University of London, 2021)
Moderator: Melissa McCormick, Professor of Japanese Art & Culture, Harvard University
Grant & Publication Opportunities
Korea Institute Undergraduate Summer Research Travel Grants
Deadline: Monday, February 7, 2022, 5pm EST

For AY21-22, due to COVID-19, all programs and opportunities are subject to change and/or cancellation. KI undergrad summer research support is for travel for research/fieldwork. All support related to travel is contingent upon Harvard guidelines and safety protocols. See following sites for up-to-date guidance: Harvard Travel Guidance and Harvard GSS COVID-19 travel advice.

Please see the Korea Institute undergraduate opportunities page for more grant and study abroad opportunities.
Work Opportunities
Japanese-Language Research Assistant to Harvard EALC Alum
Yuting Dong (Harvard EALC PhD 2021), currently Academy Scholar at the Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies, is seeking a research assistant who can assist her with Japanese-language data input, mainly transcribing basic information data (name, address, etc.) from photos to Word and Excel. Native or near-native proficiency in Japanese is strongly preferred.

Requirements:

  1. Can input Japanese information into Excel
  2. The work will be about 60 hours, can be extended depending on the situation
  3. Payment: Undergraduate $16/hour, graduate $18/hour. 
  4. Must be able to be enrolled in Harvard payroll system.
  5. Anyone interested should email yutingdong@fas.harvard.edu. Will require a test run consisting of transcription of one page. 
Data Annotator and Translator, CJK languages (hourly, via Workforce Logiq)
Location & hours: fully remote, part-time (20+ hours/week), partial flex time
Compensation: $25/hr

Moveworks is a Series C start-up in Silicon Valley that has developed a powerful AI-based chatbot which resolves enterprise employee issues autonomously and instantly using advanced Natural Language Understanding.
 
Overview 
  • Data annotation entails categorizing, tagging, labeling, and evaluating textual information. This role is a blend of data annotation and translation. 
 
  • Expert fluency in English and Chinese OR Japanese OR Korean is required.
   
Hiring manager: Natasha Klein-Atlas, https://www.linkedin.com/in/klein-atlas/ - please submit resume and cover letter to natasha@moveworks.ai with the subject “Data Annotation and Translation, CJK languages”
Below is a static list of academic and social resources.
Events by Institution
Asia Center Virtual Programs
Experience Harvard Asia Center programming through current and archived digital exhibitions, as well as podcast talk series and author conversations! Click to view virtual programs at the Asia Center.

Left: Still from 3D virtual exhibition "Harvard Asia Center Poster Art 2010-2020"
Student Groups
*Please be aware that student groups may have become inactive during our time off campus. If you are aware of any updates to a group on this list, please let us know by e-mailing naia_poyer@fas.harvard.edu.
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 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, explore major debates and developments in API Studies, and 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 their webpage.

China Forum
Founded in 1998, Harvard College China Forum 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 events in a wide range of topics relevant to the development of China today. Operating under the Harvard China Review framework, HCCF, together with the Harvard China Review, runs a series of sub-programs, including monthly seminars and an annual cultural exchange program in the summer. Visit their website here.

Gaongil (Harvard College Modern Korean Studies Society) 
A tight-knit organization that meets 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, unhindered discussion. Anyone interested in joining Gaongil is welcome! No prior experience with Korean language or culture is needed; meetings are in English.
Fill out the interest form here to be included in their e-mail list.

Harvard Asian American Womxn's Association
The Asian American Womxn's Association recognizes the need for a unified, open community at Harvard concerned with the issues facing people of Asian descent in Western society. The purpose of the Asian American Womxn's Association is to address these needs by creating a collective voice and promoting the prominence and concerns of the Asian-American population, both within the community and without. Visit their Facebook page 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 at the Harvard Divinity School.
To subscribe to the mailing list, or to inquire about events, e-mail hbcsangha@gmail.com; or visit their Facebook page here.
Harvard Chinese Students and Scholars Association (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. The contact e-mail is harvardcssa@gmail.com. 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 Taiwanese-Americans. From cultural events like making muaji to social events like karaoke to special events like their annual Winterfest: Taste of Taiwan, their goal is to enhance awareness of Taiwanese culture and provide a place for those interested in learning about Taiwan to meet. Visit their website here; or visit their Facebook page here.

Harvard Task Force for Asian American Progressive Advocacy and Studies (TAPAS)
The Task Force for Asian American Progressive Advocacy and Studies (TAPAS) is an advocacy organization of Harvard undergraduates aiming to support Asian American communities and stand in solidarity with progressive struggles. Visit their Facebook page for more info.

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, or like their Facebook page for regular updates--including a biweekly Vietnamese language table for native speakers and learners to enjoy each other's company and conversation!

Korea Caucus
The mission of Korea Caucus, a student-run organization at Harvard Kennedy School, 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 their implications for the rest of the world through activities and events. Visit their Facebook page.

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 interested in meeting others with a shared heritage and interests. 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 or follow their Facebook page.

Organization of Asian American Sisters in Service
OAASIS currently consists of 25 members 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. Visit their Facebook page at http://facebook.com/harvardoaasis. Direct any questions to oaasis.harvard@gmail.com. OAASIS welcomes students of all gender and ethnic identities.