2015 IEAS News

Emeritus Professor James Bosson Awarded Polar Star Medal of Mongolia; Mongolian Language to Return to Berkeley Curriculum in 2015-2016

On Sunday, September 28, 2014, Professor Emeritus James Bosson, who taught Mongolian and Tibetan in the Department of Oriental Languages (now the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures) from 1963 until 1996, was awarded the Order of the Polar Star Medal of Mongolia for his contributions to Mongolian studies in the United States. The author of a standard language textbook of Mongolian and several scholarly works on Mongolian culture, Professor Bosson trained many of the Mongolianists active in the field today. This order is the highest award given by the Mongolian government to a foreigner, and was presented to Professor Bosson in San Francisco by Minister of Foreign Affairs Bold Luvusanvandan, who flew in from Ulan Bataar for the ceremony.

Our congratulations to Professor Bosson and his family!

We are also happy to announce that thanks to the recent National Resource Center grant to IEAS from the U.S. Department of Education, we expect courses on Mongolian language to return to Berkeley's curriculum in 2015-2016, after an absence of nearly 20 years, and as part of an effort by IEAS to promote interest in lesser studied regions of East Asia.

Online and print editions of Cross-Currents: East Asian History and Culture Review are now available

The 13th issue of IEAS's open-access, interactive e-journal "Cross-Currents: East Asian History and Culture Review" is now available online.

Please read the co-editors' Note to Readers for a description of the contents, or cross-currents. This issue features China-related research articles on topics including scouting, wartime cartoons, patriotic music, copper mining, and gardens. Along with book reviews, the December issue also features a photo essay, "Tibet in the 1930s: Theos Bernard's Legacy at UC Berkeley."

In addition to this online edition, a new print issue of Cross Currents is also now available. The volume features two sets of papers: one on the China-Vietnam Border and one on Islam in China. Go to https://cross-currents.berkeley.edu/print-journal/vol-3-no-2 for the Table of Contents and ordering information.

A joint enterprise of the Research Institute of Korean Studies at Korea University (RIKS) and the Institute of East Asian Studies at the University of California at Berkeley (IEAS), Cross-Currents offers its readers up-to-date research findings, emerging trends, and cutting-edge perspectives concerning East Asian history and culture from scholars in both English-speaking and Asian language-speaking academic communities.

Farewell to Dylan Davis

Dylan Davis, Program Director for CKS since 2011, will be be leaving IEAS in late February to become the Asia Foundation's new Country Representative in Korea. Dylan has been a tireless promoter of Korean studies at Berkeley and a wonderful colleague to all, and we will miss his enthusiasm and good cheer in Berkeley. His new position with the Asia Foundation will allow him to bring his talents to a larger stage, where he will help develop programs focusing on Korea's efforts to expand and deepen international development cooperation and knowledge-sharing within the Asia-Pacific region. We wish Dylan and his family all the best as he begins this exciting new phase in his career.

The search for Dylan's successor at CKS is underway, and should be completed soon.

Here is the official announcement from Suzanne E. Siskel, Executive VicePresident/Chief Operating Officer, of the Asia Foundation about Dylan's appointment:

I am delighted to announce the appointment of Dylan Davis as The Asia Foundation's new Country Representative in Korea.

Dylan comes to the position with extensive professional and academic experience focused on Korea and its development, and has worked in-country with government and academic institutions. Most recently, Dylan served for more than three years as Program Director for the Center for Korean Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. His work at the Center focused on strengthening research and programs on Korea at UC Berkeley, expanding its Korean Studies teaching curriculum and visiting scholar program, and promoting knowledge about Korea on campus and in the region. He was also responsible for identifying grant opportunities, developing proposals, and establishing a long-term fiscal and fundraising strategy. His research interests focus on how foreign governments and private entities engage with the Korean media and public.

Previously, Dylan served in the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in Seoul. In this role, he supported the embassy's engagement with prominent Korean and American media organizations as well as participated in a number of official visits by high-level delegations, including those that attended the G20 Seoul Summit in 2011. Dylan's professional experience in Seoul also extends to the Yonsei University Health System (Severance Hospital) where he worked as an International Affairs Officer, and to the Korean-American Educational Commission, where he had served previously as a Fulbright Grantee. In total, Dylan has over eight years of experience living and working in Korea in a variety of capacities for both American and Korean institutions.

For his work, Dylan has been honored with numerous awards from high-level institutions such as the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, and the University of California, Berkeley. In 2013, he was selected by the Mansfield Foundation as one of ten Korea specialists to join the first cohort of Korea Foundation-Mansfield Foundation Korea Nexus Scholars.

Dylan holds a BS double major in Psychology and Music from Baldwin-Wallace University in Berea, Ohio, and has completed coursework towards a Masters in Public Health from Yonsei University Graduate School of Public Health in Seoul. Dylan is proficient in spoken and written Korean.

Dylan will begin his tenure as Country Representative in Korea on March 2, 2015.

Announcing a Call for Proposals for the Haas Junior Scholars Program for Doctoral Candidates

The Haas Junior Scholars Program for Doctoral Candidates at the Institute of East Asian Studies (IEAS) allows Berkeley PhD candidates from various disciplines in East Asian studies to come together for twice-monthly meetings of Doctoral Candidate Working Groups during the academic year to discuss perspectives, methodological approaches, empirical research and original findings centered on their dissertation projects. Participants are expected to share draft chapters of research in progress and to receive feedback from peers. Collaboration between humanists, social scientists and additional fields such as environmental or health sciences, city planning, architecture and design, journalism, and so forth are not required but much encouraged. Preference in awards will be given to groups that bring diverse disciplinary perspectives and empirical expertise to shed light on related research questions that may cohere around underlying themes.

Proposals are invited from two UC Berkeley doctoral candidates who will act as co-conveners responsible for articulating the intellectual agenda of the Working Group, and for assembling the names and project titles of at least five other doctoral candidates interested in the group. While not an absolute requirement, it is strongly preferred that the two co-conveners be from different departments. Student organizers are encouraged, with the assistance of the IEAS staff if necessary, to convene planning sessions and to open bSpace accounts or use other online methods to involve a maximum number of interested candidates from various departments. Ideally the Working Group should consist of 10 core members who are committed and obligated to attend the forums on a regular basis. Each regular member will receive a stipend of $2,500 over the duration of the project for individual research support; the two co-conveners will each receive a $3,000 stipend. Each group will be offered, in addition, a sum of up to $2,500 to help with the payment of refreshments for group meetings and inviting visiting speakers. Group meetings are not required to be open to the public. Working Groups may, however, choose to invite faculty members and graduate students as visiting participants on an ad hoc basis.

Groups are expected to organize a public conference within 6 months of the conclusion of the funding period, or within a reasonable period of time if the group has applied for extramural funding to subsidize the conference. These conferences should be open to the public and publicized on the IEAS events calendar well in advance of the event. All regular members of the group are expected to present papers. In addition, the conveners, in consultation with regular group members, may issue invitations to additional junior scholars from off campus to serve as paper-givers, and to faculty members on or off campus to serve as commentators. These Haas Junior Scholars Conferences will be provided funding on top of the allocation for the Haas Doctoral Candidate Working Groups. The IEAS-supported portion of the budget for the Haas Junior Scholars Conference should not exceed $8,000, and ideally should include support from other sources. Group organizers for the 2017-2018 program will be expected to submit a proposed budget for the Haas Junior Scholars Conference by June, 2017.

The two conveners of the group will be responsible for the group's administration. IEAS, when necessary, will provide space for meetings and limited clerical assistance (i.e. supplying meeting needs, processing business transactions such as reimbursements, and helping with the organization of the Haas Junior Scholars Conferences on East Asia).

Scholarships available for studying Mandarin and culture in Taiwan

The Taiwan-United States Sister Relations Alliance (TUSA) Summer Scholarship Program is an Ambassador program. A unique program especially designed for students who will be representing their state, as well as the United States, and acting as ambassadors to Taiwan. Please share the information below with any of your students who would be interested in applying for a scholarship studying Mandarin and culture in Taiwan.

Quick Links

Online application due by February 15 for early admission and March 31 for final consideration
Application guidelines with eligibility requirements, academic requirements, and program details
2015 TUSA promotion film and program information
TUSA Facebook Page with photos from last year
TUSA Website with general information about our organization

Requirements

Ideal applicants are American citizens who hold neither a Taiwan passport nor claim Taiwanese or Chinese heritage
Full-time student at a U.S. college of university
Minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4-point scale
Two (2) letters of recommendation from college professors
All levels of Chinese (Mandarin) proficiency are acceptable; there is no requirement of prior language experience

Program Details

Intensive Chinese Language Classes: Classes will be divided in four categories depending on your Chinese language proficiency test
▪   Daily small group classes, 2 hours per day
▪   One-on-one tutorial classes, 1 hour per day
▪   Teaching will use Hanyu pinyin romanization and traditional characters
Cultural Courses and Activities: Calligraphy, Chinese Painting, Tai Chi, Tea Ceremony, Stamp Engraving, Taiwanese Language, Chinese Cuisine, and Seminar on relevant topics
Cultural and Language Exchange: One-on-one language exchange with volunteer students at National Cheng Kung university
Cultural Excursions: Visiting National Palace Museum, Indigenous and Hakka Culture experience, and other cultural places
Local Weekend Host Families and Volunteer in Local Schools: Students will be given additional opportunities to further immerse themselves in Taiwanese society

To apply, you may use our online application no later than February 15, 2015 for an early admission decision and by March 31, 2015 for final consideration.

Thank you for your kind help and kindest regards,

Yun-Chi

Yun-Chi Yeh, Ph.D.
Founder and Vice President of TUSA
Professor Emeritus, Univ. of Arkansas Medical Science

March 2015 Issue of Cross-Currents: East Asian History and Culture Review now online

The 14th issue of IEAS's open-access, interactive e-journal Cross-Currents: East Asian History and Culture Review is now available online.

Read the co-editors' Note to Our Readers for a description of the contents. This special issue, guest edited by Suzy Kim (Rutgers) features research articles on the theme of "(De)Memorializing the Korean War: A Critical Invention." Along with book reviews, the March issue also features a visual exhibit of Chinese pen-and-ink drawings — "Picturing Science in China" — curated by Lisa Claypool (U Alberta).

Andrew Jones receives Guggenheim fellowship

Andrew Jones — former chair of the Center for Chinese Studies — is one of three UC Berkeley faculty awarded a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation fellowships in 2015. The awards went to 175 scholars, scientists and artists who have shown “prior achievement and exceptional promise” to assist them in furthering their work in their field of study.

Jones is Professor and Louis B. Agassiz Chair in Chinese at Berkeley, where he teaches modern Chinese literature and media culture. His Like a Knife: Ideology and Genre in Contemporary Chinese Popular Music (Cornell East Asia Series, 1992) was the first book-length study of the emergence of Chinese rock music in the years before and after the Tiananmen movement of 1989. Yellow Music: Media Culture and Colonial Modernity in the Chinese Jazz Age (Duke University Press, 2001) explored the cultural history of modern Chinese music, tracing its emergence from out of the complex musical and media topography of colonial Shanghai in the 1920s and 1930s. With the support of the Guggenheim foundation, he will complete a book entitled "Circuit Listening: Chinese Popular Music in the Transistor Era," which will listen to the sonic history of the long global 1960s from the perspective of a place that is usually dismissed as marginal to the musical revolutions of those years. The book will attempt to write China back into the narrative of how we hear the explosion of new popular musics for which these years are famous; and by the same token, reinsert the “global” into our sometimes hermetic sense of Chinese cultural history in those years.

A prolific translator, his work includes two books of fiction by the acclaimed contemporary author, Yu Hua, as well as a collection of essays, Written on Water, by one of modern China’s most legendary writers and cultural figures, Eileen Chang. He has also collaborated as a translator for a series of albums by the Taiwanese folk-rock musician and environmental activist, Lin Sheng-xiang.

His latest book is Developmental Fairy Tales: Evolutionary Thinking and Modern Chinese Culture (Harvard University Press, 2011), a study of the popularization and localization of evolutionary theory in twentieth-century Chinese print, pedagogy, and visual culture, and of the far-reaching consequences of the resultant developmentalist faith for modern China. The book won an Honorable Mention for the Modern Languages Association’s James Russell Lowell Prize.

Announcing the Winter Doctoral Workshop in Asian Studies

Call for Doctoral Candidate Papers

The Institute of East Asian Studies is accepting applications for participation in a week-long, intensive dissertation writing workshop for doctoral candidates in the Social Sciences and the Humanities, entitled “New Approaches and Perspectives in East Asian Studies.” The purpose of the workshop is to advance dissertation drafts and allow participants to receive feedback from faculty and fellow students, laying the foundation for future collaborative exchanges between promising young scholars from Taiwan and the United States. The workshop will provide opportunity for sharing and discussing experiences and strategies for paper writing and publication.

Projects should concern one of the following regions: East Asia, Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, or the Asia Pacific. Workshop themes include, but are not limited to:

Histories, Changes, Challenges
Development, Neo-liberalism
Environment and Sustainability
Inequality
Human Rights and Democratization
Mobility and Urbanization
Identity and Nationalism
Art
Religion
Technology and Media

Topics can be addressed from any of a number of disciplinary perspectives, including, but not limited, to political science, history, economics, geography, sociology, anthropology, religion, architecture, literature, urban studies, or international relations. Ideally paper topics would provide clear focus while encouraging broad exchange.

Successful applicants will receive a $300 honorarium for their participation and attendance. Attendance at meals and excursions (including an excursion day on January 23) is welcomed, but is optional.

Framework:

The workshop will take place at the Institute of East Asian Studies, 1995 University Avenue, Suite 510, Berkeley CA. Students from the University of California, Berkeley, and doctoral students from 12 Taiwanese research universities will be invited to participate. Professors from Taiwanese and American universities are invited. English will be the official language of the conference.

The workshop will consist of three parts. The main part will be presentations on working drafts of dissertations. Participants will present a chapter of their dissertation to the entire group and they will discuss the theoretical and/or conceptual foundations of their work. The second part of the workshop, in between the presentations, will be lectures by academics from the US and Taiwan on their latest research or ideas about the direction of East Asian studies. The third part of the workshop involves group discussion on research methods, writing skills, and publication strategies. Participants will be organized into small groups, depending on the applicant pool, to intensively exchange ideas and experiences about writing and publication. This aims to further academic professionalization for young scholars engaged in cross-cultural research and communication. There will also be optional opportunities for participants to engage in guided visits on campus and around the San Francisco Bay area.

Eligibility and Application Guidelines:

Applicants must be doctoral candidates with at least one chapter of their dissertation completed and ready for credible presentation and constructive feedback.

Required Application Materials:

A cover sheet that includes the applicant's name, department, email address, phone number, dissertation title, and major professor;
Curriculum Vitae;
A one page proposal, single spaced, that clearly addresses the state of the dissertation;
A letter of support from one's major professor is optional but will help in the event that there are more applicants than spaces in the workshop.

Procedures:

Application materials are due via email to at the Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California, Berkeley, by 5 pm on October 5, 2015. Applications should be emailed with the Subject Line 2016 Winter Institute Application to Caverlee Cary, IEAS Associate Director for Program Planning, at ccary@berkeley.edu. Questions about the program may also be addressed to her by email or phone (510‑643‑6492). Applications should be submitted in a single PDF file in the order listed above. Invited participants will be asked to submit papers and selected primary sources no later than December 1, 2015. Materials will then be circulated to discussants. The Institute expects to nominate 10-12 Berkeley students in total.

June 2015 Issue of Cross-Currents: East Asian History and Culture Review now online

The 15th issue of IEAS's open-access, interactive e-journal Cross-Currents: East Asian History and Culture Review is now available online.

Read the co-editors' Note to Our Readers for a description of the contents, or visit https://cross-currents.berkeley.edu/e-journal/issue-15. This special issue, guest edited by Elena Barabantseva (University of Manchester), Xiang Biao (University of Oxford), and Antonia Chao (Tunghai University) features research articles on the theme of "Governing Marriage Migrations: Perspectives from Mainland China and Taiwan." Along with several book reviews, the June issue also features a photo essay — "Consistency in an Ever-Changing City: An Old Clock Tower in Contemporary Hong Kong" — curated by Catherine S. Chan (Hong Kong Baptist University).

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