News

On September 2, the Center for Japanese Studies hosted Japan's blue-ribbon commission on constitutional reform, which is conducting research into revising the constitution, including considering the possibility of revising Article 9 that states that Japan will not maintain military forces or other war potential. Two articles on this event appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle:

Joan Kask, who has been Assistant Director at IEAS for fifteen years, has been promoted to the position of Assistant Dean at International and Area Studies at the University. The Dean of International and Area Studies oversees IEAS and all other international programs on campus, including all of the Title VI centers, International and Area Studies Teaching Programs, the Berkeley Program for Study Abroad, Services for International Students and Scholars, and International House.

On March 14 and 15, 2003, the Institute of East Asian Studies hosted an international meeting occurred on our campus that brought together delegates from North Korea and ten other countries. Sponsored by the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asian Pacific [CSCAP], its purpose was to discuss growing nuclear tensions on the Korean peninsula. The meeting included dignitaries from North Korea, including their U.N. ambassador to the United Nations. UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Berdahl interviewed IEAS Director T.J.

A selection from the Japanese Historical Map Collection of the East Asian Library (link is external) has been digitized, and is available online.

The Institute of East Asian Studies was pleased to host the Japan-America Student Conference (JASC) during August 8-12, 2002, for a portion of its 54th conference. Former IEAS Director Robert Scalapino is a member of the JASC National Advisory Committee.

UC Berkeley has been awarded a $2 million grant from the Freeman Foundation for the promotion of undergraduate education in Asian studies.