Job Opening: Director, Asian/Asian American Studies, Syracuse University

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Paula

Institution:   Syracuse University
Location:   New York, United States
Position:   Director, Asian/Asian American Studies Program

SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY
DIRECTOR, ASIAN/ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES PROGRAM

Syracuse University seeks nominations and applications for the position of Director, Asian/Asian-American Studies, an interdisciplinary program housed in The College of Arts and Sciences. The successful candidate will be a senior tenured professor who demonstrates a strong commitment to teaching, advising students, and conducting a serious research agenda in an area of Asian-American Studies that is consistent with the University’s vision of Scholarship in Action. The specific research area and discipline of the Director is open.

The charge for the Director is to lead this quickly growing interdisciplinary program in Asian/Asian-American Studies, which recently established a minor in the curriculum of The College of Arts and Sciences but is available for every undergraduate major at Syracuse University. There are currently over30 courses offered on campus and abroad that contribute to this minor. More courses are expected, andthe potential to offer a major in Asian/Asian-American Studies within a few years is extremely strong. TheDirector will provide local and national leadership in the field of Asian/Asian-American studies; identify areas of future growth; coordinate the curriculum offered by faculty members in this area; and work to enhance the profile of the program.

A spirit of creativity, ingenuity, collaboration, and an entrepreneurial approach to leadership are essential qualities for the Director. S/he must be a strong leader and a believer in collaborative decision-making and open communication. The Director will teach undergraduate courses in the Program, coordinate courses that contribute to the Program, work to develop the Program, and advise students who are interested in this area of study.

For full consideration candidates should complete an online Dean/ Senior Executive/Faculty application at www.sujobopps.com for job # 028604 and attach curriculum vitae with a list of 3 references, statement of teaching philosophy, cover letter describing your history in Asian/Asian American Studies.
The Search Committee will begin reviewing applications on February 10, 2012 and continue until the position is filled. Inquiries regarding the position may be directed to the search committee chair, Gina Lee-Glauser, Vice President for Research (315-443-2492; leeglaug@syr.edu).

Syracuse University is driven by its vision, Scholarship in Actiona commitment to forging bold, imaginative, reciprocal, and sustained engagements with our many constituent communities, local as well as global. We construe SU as a public good, an anchor institution positioned to play an integral role in todays knowledge-based, global society by leveraging a precious commodity intellectual capital with partners from all sectors of the economy: public, private, and
non-profit. Each partner brings its strengths to the table, where collectively we address the most pressing problems facing our community. In doing so, we invariably find that the challenges we face locally resonate globally. Please visit the Syracuse website www.syr.edu for additional information about the University.

Syracuse University strongly embraces diversity. Women and members of underrepresented groups are especially encouraged to apply. Syracuse University is an affirmative action/ equal opportunity employer.

Contact: Apply Here: http://www.Click2Apply.net/f47ffzr

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Opportunity for High-School Students: 2012 JET Memorial Invitation Program (JET MIP)

Posted on January 18, 2012 by LM

For full information and applications, go to the Japan Foundation Los Angeles’ (JFLA) page here. Exam registration (necessary to apply) deadline is Jan. 31, 2012.

For any readers who are planning to go to university to get your B.A. in Japanese Studies:

2012 JET Memorial Invitation Program (JET MIP) for U.S. High School Students

Image from Japan Foundation Los Angeles.

The 2012 JET-MIP program will provide 32 high school students with the opportunity to go to Japan for two weeks as a group to meet Japanese students, experience Japanese culture, and study the language. It was created in 2011 in memory of the two beloved American teachers of English who lost their lives in the earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011: Taylor Anderson (Ishinomaki, Miyagi) and Montgomery Dickson (Rikuzen-Takata, Iwate). The program is open to 11th and 12thgraders who are currently learning Japanese, and it seeks to honor the principles which Taylor and Monty valued during their lives.

The trip is an educational visit throughout Japan including Miyagi or Iwate. It lasts 18 nights and 19 days, including pre-visit orientation and post visit wrap up in Los Angeles. A total of 14 nights and 15 days are in Japan. Its purpose is to:

Encourage American high school students to study Japanese
Encourage youth exchanges such as the JET program as an option for students
Create a network of students for the future

Download 2012 JET-MIP PDF on JFLA’s website.

To be eligible, participant must:

Be a U.S. citizen
Be learning Japanese as a foreign language
Be an 11th or 12th grade student during the 2011/2012 school year
Have completed at least two years of Japanese-language courses at a U.S. high school

Note: Students whose high school does not offer Japanese-language course and are currently taking Japanese classes at an accredited educational institution (such as at a community college) may still apply to the program. However they must be endorsed by his/her Japanese teacher.

Intend to continue Japanese-language education in future
Be a member of the Japanese National Honor Society (JNHS) or have equivalent academic scores (Japanese GPA: 3.5 or higher; overall GPA: 3.0 or higher)
Have not visited Japan for more than seven consecutive days in the past three years
Be able to take part in the entire itinerary, including the pre-visit orientation, the post-visit wrap-up in Los Angeles, the group airplane trips, and the group hotel visits.
Be in good physical and mental health
Have taken the National Japanese Exam (information can be found on the NCJLT website, at http://www.ncjlt.net/).

Note: You must register for the 2012 exam by January 31, 2012.

Have the consent of a parent or guardian.

Itinerary (tentative):

July 8 through July 26, 2012

Activities: Japanese language lessons, Introductions to Japanese culture and society such as geography, kimono, taiko drums, teen slang, anime, manga, high school visits, field trips to Kyoto, Osaka and Tohoku area (Miyagi or Iwate) and a homestay in Osaka
Costs:

The Japan Foundation will pay for accommodation, airfare, food, and admission fees in Japan and during orientation in Los Angeles.
Participants Requirements:

Participants will not be allowed to deviate from the arranged events and locations, nor have non-participants accompany them.
Participants are required to write an essay in Japanese within one month of the program’s conclusion.

Application Procedure:

Application forms will be available on our website (www.jflalc.org) in February. Tentative application deadline is April 13, 2012 (Friday).
NJE registration and application materials must be submitted by the applicant’s Japanese-language teacher.
Each school can only submit ONE Application.

The above information may be changed without prior notice.

For application and application procedure, see JFLA’s original post.

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Internship Opening: Marjorie Deane Internship in Japan at The Economist

Posted on January 18, 2012 by LM

Original post here.

APPLICATIONS are invited for a new Marjorie Deane internship for 2012. This award, financed by the Marjorie Deane Financial Journalism Foundation, is designed to provide work experience for a promising journalist or would-be journalist resident in Japan who will spend three months or more at The Economist bureau in Tokyo, assisting with coverage of business and finance. Applicants should send a letter introducing themselves, along with an original article of no more than 500 words that they think would be suitable for publication in the business or finance sections of The Economist.

Absolute fluency both in English and Japanese is required, as measured by TOEFL iBT 109 or higher, IELTS 7.0 or 日本語検定 (1級). Prior work experience is preferred in the fields of business or finance. The internship will be conducted on a part-time basis.

Applications should be sent by e-mail to japaninternship@economist.com or posted to:

The Economist Newspaper Ltd. Internship Applications
10F Yomiuri Shimbun Building, 6-17-1
Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061

They must reach us by January 27th.

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Job Opening: East Asian Religions, Contract Faculty-Assistant Professor (3 year term)

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Paula

Institution:   Ball State University, Philosophy and Religious Studies
Location:   Indiana, United States
Position:   Assistant Professor; Contract Faculty/East Asian Religions

The Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies invites applications for a three-year, non-renewable contract faculty position in East Asian Religions, effective August, 17, 2012. 4-4 teaching load, usually two preparations. AOS or AOC: popular religion, performance studies, ethnography, gender studies, religion and social theory, or cultural studies.

Responsibilities:  teaching Introduction to Religion in Culture and additional upper level courses, and providing service to the department as needed.

Minimum qualifications:  earned doctorate in Religious Studies or related field prior to start date; depth and breadth of training in religious studies, including ability to conduct research in appropriate languages (e.g., Chinese, Japanese, etc.).

Preferred qualifications: focus in Religion in Culture, especially the modern period; experience in mentoring non-majority students, inclusive pedagogy, and diversity policy issues; some background in, or enthusiasm for, teaching an immersive/experiential courses.  The department highly values scholarly teachers, so candidates should be prepared to demonstrate a passion for, and innovation in, the classroom.

The Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies seeks to attract an active, culturally and academically diverse faculty of the highest caliber. Ball State University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer and is strongly and actively committed to diversity within its community.  Therefore, we especially encourage applications from candidates that would contribute to this commitment.

Contact:  Send curriculum vitae, graduate school transcripts, three letters of recommendation, a writing sample, a brief statement of teaching philosophy, and a brief statement of research interests to: Ann Marie Adams, Dept. Administrator, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Ball State University, Muncie, IN  47306, or via email to:  philrelst@bsu.edu.  Electronic submission is strongly preferred.  Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. (www.bsu.edu/religiousstudies)

Website: http://www.bsu.edu

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Funding: Middlebury College Accepting Applications for Kathryn Davis Fellowships for Peace: Investing in the Study of Critical Languages

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Paula

Summer 2012 (includes Chinese and Japanese)
DEADLINE January 30, 2012

Middlebury College Accepting Applications for Kathryn Davis Fellowships for Peace: Investing in the Study of Critical Languages

Full Scholarships Available for Intensive Language Study at the Middlebury Summer Language Schools  We are pleased to announce the continuation of the Kathryn Davis Fellowships for Peace. The fellowship will cover the full cost of one summer of language study (tuition, room, and board)from the beginner to the graduate level in any of six languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, Japanese, Portuguese and Russian. the deadline to apply is January 30, 2012. For more information, please visit http://www.middlebury.edu/ls/finaid/fellowships/kwd/.

Need-based Financial Aid Available to All Students  46% of summer 2011 Language Schools students received a financial aid award, and the average award granted was approximately $5,086. To learn more about financial aid, visit http://www.middlebury.edu/ls/finaid. Other scholarships and fellowships are available and can be found at http://www.middlebury.edu/ls/finaid/fellowships.

Middlebury’s Arabic and Japanese programs take place exclusively at our West Coast Site, at Mills College in Oakland, California. For more information about Middlebury at Mills, please visit http://www.middlebury.edu/ls/experience/mills/. Spanish and French are available at both Mills College and Middlebury College. All other languages will be at the Middlebury College campus in Vermont. For complete information on all ten Language Schools programs and to apply online, visit http://www.middlebury.edu/ls

Middlebury College Language Schools
Middlebury College
Sunderland Language Center
356 College Street
Middlebury, VT 05753
802.443.5510
languages@middlebury.edu

Visit the website at
http://www.middlebury.edu/ls/finaid/fellowships/kwd

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2012 NanoJapan: International Research Experience for Undergraduates

Posted on January 16, 2012 by Nyssa

2012 NanoJapan: International Research Experience for Undergraduates
Apply by January 27, 2012
Website: http://nanojapan.rice.edu

Rice University is now accepting applications for the 2012 NanoJapan:
International Research Experience for Undergraduates program.
Generously supported by an NSF Partnerships for International Research & Education (NSF-PIRE) grant, the program seeks to cultivate interest in nanotechnology among young U.S. undergraduate students, especially those from underrepresented groups, and encourages such students to pursue graduate study and academic research in the physical sciences.Recognized as a model for international education programs for science and engineering students, NanoJapan will provide U.S. undergraduates with structured research opportunities in Japanese university laboratories with Japanese mentors focused on the study of THz dynamics of nanostructures.

The program includes:

1. Pre-Departure Orientation at Rice University

2. Three week Orientation Program in Tokyo that includes Introductory Japanese Language Classes, Introduction to Japanese Society & Culture Seminar, and an Introduction to Nanoscale Science and THz Dynamics Seminar

3. Nanotechnology Research Internship: Eight and a half week research internship with leading nanotechnology laboratories in Japan. Potential research host universities include Keio University, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Chiba University, Kyoto University, Osaka University, Osaka Institute of Technology, Shinshu University, Tohoku University and Hokkaido University.

4. Re-Entry Program: Includes the communication skills and career
developments seminars and the presentation of a research poster at the Rice Quantum Institute’s Summer Research Colloquium.

To be eligible to apply for the NanoJapan International Research
Experience for Undergraduates (IREU) program you must be:

– Currently enrolled as a degree-seeking undergraduate student at a US institution of higher education;
– A U.S. citizen or permanent resident;
– Currently in your freshman or sophomore year;
– In good academic standing and not currently under any academic
suspension or other disciplinary action at your home university;
– Able to express a demonstrated interest in the field of nanotechnology as it relates to THz dynamics of nanostructures

All eligible students with a strong interest in the field of physics-related nanotechnology research and desire to study in Japan
are encouraged to apply. Women, underrepresented groups, and students from schools with limited research opportunities are particularly encouraged to apply. Community college students who plan to matriculate to a four-year university and major in physics or
engineering are also strongly encouraged to apply. No prior Japanese
language experience is required, though applicants should be able to
express a demonstrated interest in the study of Japanese language
and/or culture.

Benefits: Selected participants will receive international airfare to
Japan (departing from Houston), a $4,500 stipend to be used towards living costs while abroad, and program, some meals, and lodging costs related to the Pre-Departure Orientation, Orientation Program in Tokyo, Mid-Program Meeting in Kyoto, and Re-Entry Program at Rice. In lieu of a program fee, students will be responsible for enrollment in a one-credit research course through the Rice Summer School and payment of all applicable tuition and fees.

Online applications must be submitted by January 27, 2012 and two
letters of recommendation must be received by February 1, 2012. For more information on the NanoJapan program and to access the online application please see http://nanojapan.rice.edu. For questions please email nanojapan@rice.edu or call (713) 348-6362.

A copy of our program flier is also available for download at
http://nanojapan.rice.edu/nr_newsletter.shtml.

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Book announcement: Japanese Theatre Transcultural

Posted on January 15, 2012 by Paula

Scholz-Cionca, Stanca / Regelsberger, Andreas (Eds.)

Japanese Theatre Transcultural
German and Italian Intertwinings

2011 · ISBN 978-3-86205-026-0 · 230 S., kt., ·  EUR 27,—

Japan and Italian Opera, Kawakami and Sada Yacco in Europe, Mussolini on the Kabuki stage, Brecht adapting a Japanese melodrama, a genuine Japanese Threepenny Opera by Inoue Hisashi, Heiner Müller´s Hamletmachine haunting Japanese playwrights, commedia dell´arteencountering Kyogen in hybrid masks: these and other instances of mutual perception and exchange in the theatre cultures of Italy, Japan, and Germany are highlighted in the essays of this book. It sprang from a symposium held in Trier in 2009, which brought together scholars and practitioners from the three countries to explore asymmetrical and shifting intercultural relations and their impact on theatre practices, institutions, ideologies and collective imaginaries.

Contents

Introduction

Chapter I: Reconsidering Cultural Difference
Erika Fischer-Lichte (Berlin): Interweaving European and Japanese Cultures at the Beginning of the Twentieth Century: Japanese Guest-Tours in Europe
Diego Pellecchia (London): The International Noh Institute of Milan: Transmission of Ethics and Ethics of Transmission in a Transnational Context
Marumoto Takashi (Waseda University, Tokyo): Comedy and Laughter on the Japanese and German Stage: A Comparative Attempt

Chapter II: Intertwined Threads of Reception
James R. Brandon (Hawaii): Mussolini in Kabuki: Notes and Translation
Pia Schmitt (Trier / Tokyo): Early German Encounters with Japanese Performing Arts – On Hermann Bohner’s Examination of Nō
Andreas Regelsberger (Trier): The Rediscovery of Brecht’s The Judith of Shimoda
Stanca Scholz-Cionca (Trier): Brecht Revisited: Yabuhara, the Blind Master Minstrel, by Inoue Hisashi
Bonaventura Ruperti (Venice): Greek Tragedies in/and the Productions of Ninagawa Yukio
Luciana Galliano (Venice): Japan and Contemporary Opera (in Italy)
Donato Sartori (Padua): Masks: East and West Confronted

Chapter III: Present Trends
Niino Morihiro (Tokyo): Social Criticism in Japanese Theatre: The Dramatist Sakate Yōji and the Little Theatre Movement since the 1980s
Peter Eckersall (Melbourne): Dreaming of the War in Shinjuku – Kawamura Takeshi and Heiner Müller’s Hamletmachine in Japan
Thomas Oliver Niehaus (Bochum): Directing in Japan
Katja Centonze (Venice/Tokyo): Topoi of Performativity: Italian Bodies in Japanese Spaces/Japanese Bodies in Italian Spaces

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Call for papers: Conference on ‘Constructions of Race and Racism in East Asia: East-West Perspectives’

Posted on January 14, 2012 by Paula

12-14 September 2012, Munich

We welcome papers for a conference on Constructions of Race and Racism in East Asia, which will be held at the University of the Armed Forces, Munich, Germany from September 12 to 14, 2012.

This conference follows an earlier book project entitled “Race and Racism in Modern East Asia: Western Constructions and Eastern Reactions” (Brill, 2012).

In that project, about half of the participants surveyed and examined the roots of racial constructions of East Asians (principally, Chinese, Japanese and Koreans)

in the West and their manifestations during the last 150 years, whereas the other half focused upon the characteristics of local racial constructions and indigenous racism in modern East Asia, with particular attention to the manifestations of racial thought and racism as the result of the ethnic encounter during Japanese colonialism.

During the coming conference, we would like to examine the following topics in the context of East Asia:

* Sources of modern racism – the interplay between indigenous and foreign perspectives
* The link between nationalism and racism
* Racial theories in a transnational perspective
* The impact of racial thought on mutual images
* Gender and racial thought

We welcome submissions that deal with these issues and similar questions from scholars working within history, anthropology, literature, linguistics, cultural studies, political science and related disciplines. The organizers plan to create an edited volume out of the conference papers.

To that end, please send your proposed titles, institutional affiliation (and year of study, in the case of doctoral students), and abstracts of 200-300 words as a Word attachment to the organizers by 25 February 2012. Successful participants will be informed by late March 2012 and will be expected to submit their conference papers for discussion by 15 August 2012. Any questions on the theme of the conference should be sent to Walter Demel walter.demel@unibw.de and Rotem Kowner kowner@research.haifa.ac.il

To support the participation of scholars from around the world, we can offer hotel accommodation and board and may be able to offer travel assistance to a limited number of participants.

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Fun Link Friday: Then and Now Photos of Dejima (via Japan Probe)

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Paula

Fellow history enthusiasts will enjoy this quickie Fun Link Friday: Japan Probe recently posted Then and Now images of Dejima (or Deshima), the artificial island built in the bay of Nagasaki in 1634 to direct much of what little trade occurred with foreigners during the isolationist Edo period (1600-1868). It operated as a trading post until 1853.

 

Images similar to the one above are probably familiar to anyone who has studied the premodern period. Dejima is a tiny fan-shaped island that I always squinted at, wondering how somewhere so darn small could be such an essential hub of even limited international trade. (Seriously? A map of the entire island looks like fifteen houses can’t fit horizontally on it!)

Modern aerial maps of Dejima (like the one seen below) reveal that it is seamlessly nestled into the contemporary landscape, complete with a six-lane or so highway whizzing right by. It’s incredible to look at these photos compared to the prints and marvel at how the curved outline of what once was lingers!

 

Click here to see the original Japan Probe article for a couple other comparison shots.

Dejima was a popular subject for artistic representation during the Edo period, so if you’re curious take some time to cruise the Japanese or English Google searches for it and check out the diverse prints and paintings that pop up!

Have a great weekend everybody!

 

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Job Opening: Head of Department of Asian and International Studies

Posted on January 12, 2012 by Paula

Institution:   City University of Hong Kong
Location:   Hong Kong
Position:   Department Chair, Head of Department of Asian and International Studies

Worldwide Search for Talent

City University of Hong Kong is a dynamic, fast-growing university that is pursuing excellence in research and professional education. As a publicly-funded institution, the University is committed to nurturing and developing students talent and creating applicable knowledge to support social and economic advancement. Currently, the University has six Colleges/Schools. Within the next two years, the University aims to recruit 100 more scholars from all over the world in various disciplines, including science, engineering, business, social sciences, humanities, law, creative media, energy, environment, and other strategic growth areas.

Applications and nominations are invited for :

Head of Department of Asian and International Studies [Ref. C/050/49]

The Department of Asian and International Studies offers undergraduate programs in the areas of East and Southeast Asian Studies/International Studies and postgraduate programs in the areas of Development Studies/Asian and International Studies.

Responsibilities : Teaching and research in the Department include studies of globalisation, social and political trends, and the impact of various types of economic development. Scholars in the Department study problems of democratisation, political development, poverty, gender, environment, religion, ethnicity, work, and corporate social responsibility in Asian societies. The core disciplines of the Department are sociology, anthropology, and political science. The Department is expanding into regional studies in a global perspective.

Requirements : The Head of Department will provide strong academic leadership in the development of teaching and research within the Department, as well as providing effective managerial leadership. Candidates should possess a PhD with strong academic and professional qualifications, substantial relevant experience in tertiary education, an internationally recognised record of research and scholarship, and demonstrated ability to work collegially in an academic environment.

(Those who have responded to the previous advertisement need not re-apply.)

In the 2011 QS rankings, the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences ranks ahead of University of Zurich, University of Vienna and University of Barcelona in Social Sciences, and ahead of University of California, Irvine and Georgetown University in Arts and Humanities. The new Head of Department will play a major role in leading the College forward for the coming decade.

Salary and Conditions of Service
The appointee will be offered appointment to an academic rank commensurate with qualifications and experience.  The headship appointment will be on a concurrent basis for an initial period of three years.  Remuneration package will be attractive and driven by market competitiveness and individual performance.  Excellent fringe benefits include gratuity, leave, medical and dental schemes, and relocation assistance (where applicable).

Contact: Further information on the post and the University is available at http://www.cityu.edu.hk, or from the Human Resources Office, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong [Fax : (852) 2788 1154 or (852) 3442 0311/email :
aishd@cityu.edu.hk].

Please send the nomination or application with a current curriculum vitae to the Human Resources Office.  Applications and nominations received by 29 February 2012 will receive full consideration.  Please quote the reference of the post in the application and on the envelope.  The University reserves the right not to fill the position. Personal data provided by applicants will be used strictly in accordance with the Universitys personal data policy, a copy of which will be provided upon request.

The University also offers a number of visiting positions through its “CityU International Transition Team” for current graduate students and for early-stage and established scholars, as described at http://www.cityu.edu.hk/provost/cityu_international_transition.htm.

City University of Hong Kong is an equal opportunity employer and we are committed to the principle of diversity.  We encourage applications from all qualified candidates, especially those who will enhance the diversity of our staff.

City University of Hong Kong is ranked the 110th among the worlds top universities and the 15th in Asia according to the Quacquarelli Symonds 2011 surveys.

http://www.cityu.edu.hk

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