Job Openings: Sales Associates, AsiaStore [part–time]

Posted on January 29, 2013 by LM

job opening - 5

Institution: AsiaStore, The Asia Society and Museum
Location: New York City
Posted Jan. 24, 2013
Start date: ASAP
Type: part-time
Education: high school or equivalent

The Asia Society and Museum, a prestigious non-profit cultural & educational institution, is looking for part-time Sales Associates for its store. The AsiaStore is a unique shop focusing on book and gift products related to Asia.

Purpose:

To assist sales team in achieving all store goals, including sales, customer service and responsible for executing personal sales goals. Maintaining standards on selling floor.

Responsibilities:

1. Customer Service and Sales

  • Consistently meet customer service standards through greeting the customer and determining needs.
  • Meet or exceed personal sales goals and assist with meeting or exceeding overall store sales goals.
  • Complete sales transactions as outlined in manual.
  • Complete any special sales projects.
  • Actively participate in all store sales programs and events.
  • Open and close store – counting drawers, running daily/weekly/monthly reports.

2. Training and Personal Development

  • Perform selling skills daily on sales floor.
  • Assist in training job-related responsibilities to new associates by the buddy system as requested by the Sales Supervisor.
  • Attend mandatory store functions conducted by the Sales Manager
  • Utilize store manuals and information to gain additional knowledge.

3. Maintain Sales Floor Presentation:

  • Assist in compliance of merchandise presentation standards.
  • Assist in sales floor & stockroom maintenance.
  • Assist in stock replenishment.
  • Assist in maintaining cleanliness of store.

4. Operations:

  • Ensure consistent compliance with all policies and procedures as outlined in store manual.
  • Ensure compliance with all store security policies and procedures outlined in company manuals.
  • Other duties as assigned.

Requirements:

High School or equivalent. Knowledge of Asia preferred. Prior retail experience.

Weekdays, nights and weekends. Thanksgiving Friday, Christmas Eve, New Years Eve and Easter availability required. Schedule: 12-18 hours per week.

Retail experience, customer service, customer focus, professionalism, verbal communication, teamwork, energy level, productivity, dependability, flexibility, handles pressure, basic math skills, attention to detail. computer P.O.S. systems literate, basic safety and security. Telephone skills, people skills, self- confidence, multi-tasking, motivation for sales, selling to customer needs.

See Idealist.org for full details and to apply.

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Call for papers: Researching Japan in Social Sciences & Humanities

Posted on January 29, 2013 by Paula

call-for-papers-150-21Institute of Mediterranean and Oriental Cultures (Polish Academy of Sciences) in conjunction with the Interdepartmental Unit for Migration Research (University of Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski in Warsaw) Institute of Sociology (Warsaw University) and Kozminski University, is pleased to announce the call for papers for the Researching Japan in Social Sciences & Humanities, an international conference to be held at the University of Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski in Warsaw – April 24-25, 2013.

Economic and political changes in the past two decades have triggered a reorganization of the world order, what in consequence had also impact on the role and position of Japan on an international scene and in particular in the region of Asia. However, this conference shall prove that the country of Rising Sun and its inhabitants is still an interesting and inspiring field of research, where scholars from different scientific milieu can critically verify their convictions and knowledge acquired at Western Universities. The subject of this conference has not been limited to any particular issue or problem, but rather inviting researchers from different disciplines, yet whose attention is focused on broadly construed Japan, we hope for creating a space (and a network) for the exchange of ideas, perspectives, and analytical tools, a space where we can widen our knowledge not only about the “Others” but also about ourselves and the world.

Location: Warsaw, Poland.
Theme: Researching Japan in Social Sciences & Humanities
Dates: 24-25 April, 2013
Application deadline: 17 February, 2013

Abstracts are invited for 20-minute presentations, which would treat about Japan from the perspective in one of the following disciplines:

– Art and culture
– Anthropology
– Economy
– Political sciences
– Philosophy and religion (especially Confucianism)
– Sociology and migration issues

Fore more information, please visit the website:

http://migracje.uksw.edu.pl/en/conference_japan

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Funding: Doctoral Scholarships in Transcultural Studies

Posted on January 28, 2013 by Paula

money-150-2The Graduate Programme for Transcultural Studies of the Cluster of Excellence “Asia and Europe in a Global Context” at Heidelberg University welcomes applications for eight doctoral scholarships beginning in the winter semester 2013/14.

The programme offers a monthly scholarship of 1.200 Euro. It further supports scholarship holders in framing their research through advanced courses and individual supervision and mentoring. Half of the scholarships are reserved for young scholars from Asia.

Applicants are expected to propose a doctoral project with a strong affiliation to the research framework of the Cluster. They must hold an M.A. or equivalent in a discipline of the humanities or social sciences with an above-average grade. Applications, including a CV, a letter of intention, a project proposal, a schedule for the dissertation, and two referees for recommendation are submitted through an Online Application System.

After an initial evaluation and selection, applicants will be asked to get in contact with possible supervisors at the Cluster of Excellence to discuss their project proposal. The most promising applicants will be invited to present their projects to the selection committee in Heidelberg around the middle of May. Subsequently the scholarship holders will be selected.

The deadline for applications is March 15, 2013.

For more information about the Graduate Programme for Transcultural Studies and the scholarships see: http://www.asia-europe.uni-heidelberg.de/en/gpts or send an e-mail to: application-gpts@asia-europe.uni-heidelberg.de.

—
The Cluster of Excellence “Asia and Europe in a Global Context” is an
interdisciplinary network of researchers at Heidelberg University. About 200
scholars examine in which dynamics the transcultural processes between and
within Asia and Europe develop.

http://www.asia-europe.uni-heidelberg.de/

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Job Opening: East Asian Religions, Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow

Posted on January 28, 2013 by Paula

job opening - 5Institution:  Washington University in St. Louis, East Asian Languages and Cultures
Location:   Missouri, United States
Position:   Post-Doctoral Fellow, East Asian Religions

The Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Washington University in St. Louis and the Program in Religious Studies invite applications for a one-year full-time postdoctoral teaching fellowship in East Asian religions, beginning in August 2013. The successful candidate will be asked to teach two courses per semester and should be prepared to offer both introductory and more advanced courses in the textual and ritual traditions of one or more East Asian religions: teaching interests that include modern and contemporary religious movements in East Asia and/or East Asian religions in the global context would be highly desirable, as would a solid familiarity with methods and theories in the study of religion. Candidates should be able to demonstrate prior successful teaching experience, and must have a Ph.D. in Chinese or Japanese religions or related field prior to the start of the appointment.

Applicants must apply through the Washington University HR website: https://jobs.wustl.edu/  Job ID number: 25117.  Applications must include a cover letter with descriptions of the courses you would be prepared to offer, a CV, and a statement of up to 1,500 words describing your research interests. Three letters of reference should be sent under separate cover directly to:

Beata Grant, Search Committee Chair
East Asian Languages and Cultures
Campus Box 1111
Washington University
One Brookings Drive
St. Louis, MO 63130-4899

Inquiries may be addressed to ealc@artsci.wustl.edu.  Application review will begin by February 15, 2013.  Washington University in St. Louis is an Equal Opportunity/ Affirmative Action employer, and encourages women, minorities, and persons with disabilities to apply. Employment eligibility is required upon appointment.

Contact: ealc@artsci.wustl.edu
314-935-4448
Website: https://jobs.wustl.edu/

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Funding: KCCJE (Kobe College Corporation Japan Education Exchange) $2000 Travel Grants

Posted on January 28, 2013 by Paula

money-150-2KCC Japan Education Exchange is offering travel grants for research in Japan up to $2000 each.

Application materials will be available at the KCC Japan Education Exchange website by the next week. Please check at: www.kccjee.org

The travel grant must be used for travel to, from, and within Japan. It may not be used to buy equipment, purchase books or materials, or any other direct research expenses. It may not be used for language instruction.

There are no restrictions on the discipline or content of the research project. This travel grant may be combined with any other fellowships or grants.

Eligibility Criteria:

An applicant must be a US citizen
Enrolled in (or affiliated with) an American university
Ph.D. candidate who has been advanced to candidacy
Proficient in research level Japanese language

Applications include:
The cover sheet with bio info (from KCC)
CV
Proposal
One letter of recommendation from the candidates thesis advisor
One letter ranking language proficiency

The proposal should include:
Brief dissertation abstract (500 words)
Statement of research agenda in Japan
Budget showing how the travel grant will be used

Upon completion of expenditure of funds, the recipient will be required to submit a report to KCC/Japan Education Exchange explaining the outcome of his/her project.

Applications are due no later than February 15, 2013 and recipients will be notified by February 28, 2013.

For questions please contact Roberta Wollons at rwollons@gmail.com or Cindi Sturtz-Sreetharancsturtz@saclink.csus.edu

Roberta Wollons
U Mass Boston

Cindi Sturtz-Sreetharan
CSU Sacramento
Email: rwollons@gmail.com;csturtz@csus.edu
Visit the website at http://www.kccjee.org

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Job Opening: Program Manager, U.S.-Japan Council

Posted on January 28, 2013 by LM

job opening - 5
Institution: U.S.-Japan Council
Location: Washington, DC
Posted on January 25, 2013
Education: Bachelor’s degree
Language: fluency in English (required) and Japanese (preferred)

The U.S.-Japan Council (www.usjapancouncil.org) is an educational 501(c)3 non-profit organization that promotes U.S.-Japan relations and is currently seeking a program manager who can comprehensively manage Council programs from program stage to implementation. The organization is focused on building people-to-people relations, through the leadership of Japanese Americans nationally and internationally, who connect American and Japanese leaders and industry experts to strengthen U.S.-Japan relations.

We look for an applicant who is committed to the goals of the organization and can bring experience in developing interesting programs that educate and engage audiences who are interested in U.S.-Japan relations. The program manager will be involved in developing and implementing programs with U.S.-Japan issues in areas such as economic and legislative cooperation, leadership development, and academic exchange. Hands-on event management and execution is required, and he or she must be able to multitask and work efficiently in engaging various resources. This position offers an opportunity to make impact in a fast-growing small, non-profit and an opportunity to network with prominent leaders at the forefront of U.S.-Japan relations.

Responsibilities:

  • Develop, implement, and manage assigned programs that support and promote USJC’s mission.
  • Serve as primary manager of the Annual Conference, the Council’s largest event of the year, working collaboratively with staff, Board Members, and other stakeholders. Duties include coordination with speakers, planning logistics, managing event registration, and coordinating staff and volunteers.
  • Manage the Council’s regional programs in designated locations in the U.S. including East Coast (DC and NYC), Midwest, and Southern regions.
  • Serve as support for the TOMODACHI Initiative U.S. programs.
  • Assist in supporting other USJC programs including the Legislative Networking Initiative and Business Networking Initiative.
  • Provide staff support for designated U.S.-Japan Council Strategic Working Groups that are comprised of Council Members and experts in a respective field.
  • Create program budgets and plan resources for the implementation of the Annual Conference and other assigned programs.
  • Work together with the communications staff for the promotion of events.
  • Other duties as may be assigned.

Qualifications

  • Must have excellent organizational skills and the ability to work under tight deadlines, manage multiple priorities, and delegate effectively
  • Excellent interpersonal skills; ability to work well in teams with VIPs, Board Members, other staff members, and volunteers
  • Demonstrated ability to take initiative and work well independently and on a team
  • Event management experience: small educational programs (approximately 40 attendees) to large-scale conferences (500+ attendees)
  • 2-3 years program development or management experience (preferred)
  • English fluency (required); Japanese fluency (preferred)
  • Bachelors degree (required)

See original posting at Idealist.org to apply.

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Book Announcement: The Bunraku Puppet Theatre of Japan: Honor, Vengeance, and Love in Four Plays of the 18th and 19th Centuries

Posted on January 27, 2013 by LM

http://www.uhpress.hawaii.edu/p-8747-9780824836801.aspx

Bunraku Jones

Translator: Jones, Stanleigh H.;
320pp. December 2012
Paper – Price: $29.00 ISBN: 978-0-8248-3680-1
Cloth – Price: $65.00 ISBN: 978-0-8248-3562-0

The plays presented here were first performed between 1769 and 1832, a time when the Japanese puppet theatre known as Bunraku was beginning to lose its pre-eminence to Kabuki. During this period, however, several important puppet plays were created that went on to become standards in both the Bunraku and Kabuki repertoires; three of the plays in this volume achieved this level of importance. This span of some sixty-odd years was also a formative one in the development of how plays were presented, an important feature in the modern staging of works from the traditional plebeian theatre. Only a handful of complete and uncut plays—often as much as ten hours long—are produced in Bunraku or Kabuki nowadays; included here is one of these. Two among the four plays contained in this volume are examples of the much more common practice of staging a single popular act or scene from a much longer drama that itself is seldom, if ever, performed in its entirety today.

Kabuki, while better known outside Japan, has been a great beneficiary of the puppet theatre, borrowing perhaps as much as half of its body of work from Bunraku dramas. Bunraku, in turn, has raided the Kabuki repertoire but to a far more modest degree. The final play in this collection, The True Tale of Asagao, is an instance of this uncommon reverse borrowing. Moreover, it is an example of yet another way in which some plays have come to be presented: a coherent subplot of a longer work that gained an independent theatrical existence while its parent drama has since disappeared from the stage. These later eighteenth-century works display a continued development toward greater attention to the theatrical features of puppet plays as opposed to the earlier, more literary approach found most notably in the dramas of Chikamatsu Monzaemon (d. 1725).

Newly translated and illustrated for the general reader and the specialist, the plays in this volume are accompanied by informative introductions, extensive notes on stage action, and discussions of the various changes that Bunraku underwent, particularly in the latter half of the eighteenth century, its golden age.

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Job Opening: Senior Director, International Development, Asia, George Washington University

Posted on January 27, 2013 by LM

Institution: George Washington University job opening - 5
Location: Washington, DC
Campus Location: Foggy Bottom
Posted: 01/22/2013
Deadline: not specified
Type: Full Time
Education: BA and experience preferred
Language: fluency in a foreign language

Ad Statement:
Founded in 1821, GW is the largest institution of higher education in the District of Columbia, to include ten academic units, with a full-time equivalent enrollment of a little over 20,000 students and approximately 11,000 full-time and part-time employees (faculty and staff). The George Washington University is a community dedicated to learning, communication,respect, service and teamwork. As one of the largest private employers in the District of Columbia, the university seeks employees who support the teaching, research, and public service mission of the university.

Job Description Summary:
The position will focus on the identification, cultivation, and solicitation of prospects and donors who are based in Asian nations including but not limited to China, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, etc. This person will be responsible for garnering and helping others to garner financial and advocacy support for the University from individuals and other entities with ties to the Asian region of the world.

Minimum Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in an appropriate area of specialization plus five years of relevant professional experience. Degree requirements may be substituted with an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

Desired Qualifications:

  • The ability to travel internationally frequently and work on weekends and after normal business hours.
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills, public speaking and attention to detail.
  • Fluency in English and at least one other language.
  • Proficiency with personal computers to prepare narrative and a high level of comfort with electronic communication; experience living and working abroad is preferred.
  • 5 years of professional experience involving international fundraising, programming, alumni relations, volunteer management, or a related field is preferred.

JOB DUTIES

  • Identifies, cultivates, and solicits prospective donors with a focus on the region of Asia. Manages a portfolio of donor prospects as part of an international development and alumni relations team including the DAR (Development and Alumni Relations) Associate Vice Presidents for Markets and Alumni Relations, the Director of International Alumni Relations, other international regional gift officers and international development staff, other school- and markets-based development staff.
  • Coordinates closely with other University programs and leaders with strong interest in international activities including but not limited to Deans, the Offices of the President, Provost, Admissions, International Programs, Career Services, etc.
  • Establishes an expertise in the regions of Asia for which there is responsibility in order to advise and recommend strategies and activities that will add to the resources, visibility, and reputation of the University.
  • Co-manages supporting staff for the International Development program.
  • Performs other work related duties as assigned. The omission of specific duties does not preclude the supervisor from assigning duties that are logically related to the position.

For full details and to apply, see posting at HigherEdJobs.com.

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Japan-America Student Conference (JASC) open for applications

Posted on January 26, 2013 by Paula

International Student Conferences would like to invite students to one of the oldest student-run cultural exchange program in the United States: the Japan-America Student Conference (JASC). Full-time students pursuing any undergraduate, graduate, PhD, or professional degree can participate in this academic conference. The official language of this conference is English, thus they do not need to have any level of proficiency in Japanese.

The next summer will mark the 65th meeting of JASC, which began in 1934 when concerned Japanese students recruited American students to come to Japan to seek understanding and peace as tensions rose between their countries. The program alternates host countries, and this year the delegation will be traveling to Japan. They will be visiting Kyoto, Nagasaki, Iwate and Tokyo from July 29th to August 24th.

JASC provides students a hands-on learning experience outside of the traditional classroom. 72 students from both America and Japan will travel, work, and study together in hopes of gaining understanding and building friendships. Students will be challenged culturally and academically through roundtable discussions, various field trips, and seminars. This year’s theme, “Share, Respect, Reflect: Reimagining the Future, Together” will focus on how tomorrow’s leaders from various backgrounds can come together in order to start addressing significant global problems.

Delegates will be selected to participate in one of the following seven roundtables based on their preferences:

-Culture and Technology

-Environment and Society

-Globalization and Agriculture in the 21st Century

-Modern Issues in Education

-Regional Security in a Global Era

-Social Minorities and Discrimination

-Social Responsibility and Government

We would like your students to be a part of this year’s conference. For more detailed information about JASC please visit our website (http://iscdc.org/jasc/).

Students may also find us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/JASCUSA?fref=ts) to meet other applicants and JASC alumni, or to ask questions.

If students are interested in U.S.-Korea relations and issues, please look at our sister organization, the Korea-America Student Conference (http://iscdc.org/kasc/).

We ask you to please forward this message to your students, as well as any other institutions, organizations, groups or individuals that you think may be interested in the JASC program.

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2013 JET Memorial Invitation Program (JET-MIP) for U.S. High School Students

Posted on January 26, 2013 by Laura

For junior and senior U.S. High School students currently learning Japanese and interested in furthering their studies of Japan, the JET Memorial Invitation Program (JET-MIP) is preparing for it’s third year of exchange! The program will give 32 students a chance to visit Japan for two weeks– including visits to Tohoku, Japanese Language classes and a week of home stay.

The JET-MIP was made in honor of the two JET Program teachers, Taylor Anderson and Montgomery Dickson, who lost their lives in the tsunami on March 11, 2011 and strives to further promote the US-Japan friendship by bringing the youth of both countries together.

The deadline for the 2013 program is February 8, 2013. Please visit the official website below for full details about the program and the application process.

http://www.jflalc.org/jle-jet-mip.html

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