Going on to graduate school for Japanese Studies

Posted on January 5, 2011 by Paula

Photo by Futurilla

Wondering if graduate school in Japanese Studies is right for you? Well, we’re here to give you a little info on how and why people make the decision to continue their schooling. Of those of us who graduated in 2008, I decided to continue immediately into graduate school to acquire my master’s degree. I’m currently attending Ohio State University for a M.A. in East Asian Studies (specialization medieval Japanese history). I graduated from Gettysburg College with my B.A. in Japanese Studies and a minor in Art History. I ultimately plan to get my Ph.D. and work as a professor. (At least that’s the plan!)

 

So, do you want go on to graduate school?

Here’s a brief introduction to making that decision. I’ve encountered a lot of different people doing graduate school for a lot of different reasons. Here are some of them.

They:

– want to become a professor or work in education related to Japanese studies
– want to expand linguistic skills to work in a foreign country
– want to research in another language
– have unanswered questions about a topic and a genuine interest in finding the answer
– want expand their general knowledge of a topic
– want to go into the work force and have better job opportunities (some people will stop after their M.A. expressly for this purpose)
– are avoiding the job market in this recession

There are lots of reasons why, though I won’t address them all here. And graduate school isn’t just an extension of college, or a way to avoid the economic troubles at hand. You have to be highly motivated and have ambition. Maybe you don’t know exactly what you want to do, but you know you want to do something and you need to further your education to do it. That’s okay! It took me a long time (right up until the point that I had to write an application essay about it) to sit down and say, “Hey, I think I want to do history and art in the medieval age.” When I was applying, some schools wanted me to have everything already planned out and even already have classical languages under my belt for medieval research. Yikes! Thankfully those were only the most elite of schools and others aren’t so strict.

But remember, you can always change your mind! Maybe you start researching one topic and another jumps out at you. There’s flexibility to change your mind once you’re in a graduate program. That’s the great thing about graduate school: flexibility. Maybe there isn’t a perfect graduate school out there for what you want to do, but it’s very likely that once you’re there people are willing to bend over backwards to help you study what you find interesting. It all depends on the program. Never think that you don’t have options.

Another thing to keep in mind is that you don’t have to jump into graduate school right after college. I did it, and a classmate of mine went straight to Japan for school, but others I know are taking some time out there in the workplace, in JET, etc. to get some experience (and money!) under their belts before they decide if they want to go back. Just as smart a plan! Entering at 22 also made me the youngest individual in my graduate program, if that gives you any idea of when people generally decide to go. Students, on average, were between 25 and 30 years old, but some were in their 50’s, too.

So why go right away?

I went right away because I didn’t want to take a break from the Japanese language. I wanted my skills to be fresh in my mind and keep working on them while I broadened my knowledge in the field. For me, the time period I wanted to study was something I couldn’t get much experience in during undergrad, so it was to my advantage to push on through and get more coursework under my belt and get on the research track. Others, perhaps people in international relations, might find it more beneficial to get a job or internship first. It all depends.

I’ve also considered taking a break after my M.A. and before my Ph.D., as well as going right back to Japan for more language immersion after my M.A. But in the end, I chose to go straight on to Ph.D., mostly for personal and financial reasons. It’s all relative to the type of work you can see yourself doing, if you plan on plunging deeper into research and academia, your individual situation, and the sort of life plan you have laid out.

Also worth mentioning is that M.A. programs aren’t that long. Most graduate programs for master’s degrees are 1 to 3 years, although the average program is 2 years, like mine. Even if I went right after graduation (which some people hate the idea of doing), because I’m a full-time student in the M.A program, it’s wouldn’t be another 4 year endeavor. Once you’ve graduated, you’ll realize that the time goes by very fast.

Escaping the Economy

One thing I have to warn against is going into grad school just to escape the economy. For some, this plan might seem to be ideal. And, granted, for some it might even work. But with the failure our economy over the past few years, schools are struggling, especially humanities and language programs. As a result:

– More students are applying to graduate school to avoid the job market
– Schools are admitting fewer students to cut down on costs
– The budgets of schools are being slashed
– Students are having a harder time obtaining funding

Add these things together and it means more competition for less money. A friend of mine in our sister program is a Ph.D. student, and she recently told me that OSU used to guarantee funding for Ph.D. students for 5 years, and now it may be changed to 3 or even 1. Things are uncertain, and all schools are encountering problems like this. So unless you have faith in your absolutely stellar abilities to obtain grants/fellowships/scholarships and the like, keep in mind that going to graduate school now may mean incurring quite a bit of debt via loans to pay for school.

Deciding if graduate school is the right thing for you may be a painstaking process, but consider it seriously if you think you’ll continue in Japanese studies. Is there more you want to learn? Goals that require additional degrees? Still wondering where you want Japanese to take you and willing to find out where that is? Do you think you could be wrong? So what! Consider the pros and cons carefully and don’t be afraid to take the initiative and see.

– Paula

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Money photo by AMagill

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East-West Center Visiting Fellowships

Posted on January 4, 2011 by Paula

Thanks to Playing with Hire for the link!

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East-West Center Visiting Fellowships program enables scholars to undertake research and publication during the academic year 2010-2011 in collaboration with EWC staff on an independent research project related to one of the four Research Program Study areas: Politics, Governance and Security; Economics; Population and Health; and Environmental Change, Vulnerability and Governance

OR

One of the following research themes:

  • An Interdisciplinary Framework for Emerging Infectious Disease (EID) Risk Assessment
  • Assessing Market-based Environmental Policy Instruments in Asia
  • Assessing Risk from Vegetation Fires
  • Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation in the Asia-Pacific Region
  • Migration and Resource Management
  • Changes in the Strategic Environment of Northeast Asia
  • China’s Capitalist Transition
  • Deepening Democracy in South Asia: Issues and Trends
  • Rapidly Falling Fertility in Asia
  • Population Aging and the Generational Economy

The East-West Center seeks scholars of high accomplishment and promise whose research and presence will contribute creatively to the development of its research areas and to the Asia Pacific region. Applicants must have a PhD or equivalent. Preference will be given to applicants that have both strong conceptual background and demonstrated accomplishments in policy research, and to proposals that are innovative and suggest new ways of addressing the challenges that the region faces. Preference is given to applicants that have not previously held an East-West Center fellowship. Funds for these fellowships come from two sources. US government funds support scholars from the US as well as from Asian or Pacific countries. Funds are also available to support a limited number of scholars from other areas whose research focuses on the Asia Pacific. Fellowships are typically awarded for between two and five months and must be undertaken during the period October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011. Visiting Fellowships are carried out at the EWC in Honolulu, Hawai’i. However, collaboration with EWC researchers before and after the Fellow’s stay in Honolulu is encouraged. Stipends vary with seniority and are individually determined. Non-Hawai`i residents may receive one round-trip economical airfare between their home base and Honolulu. Cost-sharing fellowships are welcome.

Expected Outputs and Publication Opportunities

Visiting Fellows may prepare a working paper addressing the themes outlined in the assigned projects or developed in his or her independent proposal. An abbreviated version of the working paper may be a candidate for publication in the Center’s Asia Pacific Issues series — a policy relevant peer-reviewed series with papers ranging in length from 3,200 to 4,200 words (10-12 double-spaced pages). The Center’s Editorial Committee will consider submissions. Visiting Fellows customarily provide a presentation on research activities and findings at a center-wide seminar at the conclusion of the fellowship.

Required Qualifications

Applicants must be citizens or legal permanent residents of an Asian or Pacific country or of the United States.  Non-American award recipients must meet all Exchange Visitor (J-1) visa regulations.

Application Procedures

Applicants must submit the following by July 31, 2010:

Applications should include:

Application form
A cover letter indicating the research theme or project for which the applicant is applying
Curriculum vitae
Names of three referees, including full name, title, address, telephone and fax number, and email address
Research proposal (no more than 12 double-spaced pages) including:

For those applying to conduct research on one of the selected research projects:

An explanation of the applicant’s interest in the selected theme and clarification of the particular issues she/he would like to examine under the aegis of the research project.

For those applying to carry out an independent research project:

A clear statement of the issue, question, or problem to be investigated; why the subject is important and how it relates to the East-West Center’s study area or project.

The research proposal should include the following:

  1. Issue, question, or problem to be investigated
  2. Why the subject is important and how it relates to the East-West Center’s mission and institutional objective
  3. A literature review of work that has been done on the selected issue, particularly details regarding the applicant’s own work in the selected theme
  4. Applicant’s proposed contribution during the fellowship
  5. Methodology to be employed, including hypotheses to be tested, data sources, and analytical techniques to be employed
  6. Product to be completed as a result of the fellowship, and intended audience for the product
  7. Applicant’s expertise in relation to the research to be carried out (e.g., highlights or past research and work experience that will aid applicant in conducting proposed research)
  8. Work plan for the proposed period in residence at the East-West Center

Applicants who can provide some of the cost of the fellowship should indicate what costs they are able to cover.

Applications should be sent to:

Director, Research Program
East-West Center
1601 East-West Road
Honolulu, Hawai’i 96848-1601 USA
Fax: 1-808-944-7399
or by email to: fellowships@EastWestCenter.org

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Call for applications: SOAS Translation Workshop in Japanese Studies

Posted on January 3, 2011 by Paula

Call for applications: SOAS Translation Workshop in Japanese Studies

Dates: July 17 – 23, 2011
Application Deadline: February 28, 2011
Location: School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
Eligibility: Post-graduate students from all humanities and social science disciplines.

Website: http://www.soas.ac.uk/history/japantranslationworkshop/

The School for Oriental and African Studies, in collaboration with the academic journal Japan Forum and underwritten by the Nippon Foundation, will host a one week intensive translation workshop from17 to 23 July 2011. The workshop is open to post-graduate students in the humanities and social sciences who seek to develop advanced Japanese-to-English translation skills in their respective disciplines.

Convened by Dr. Christopher Gerteis and Dr. Angus Lockyer, the workshop is designed to develop advanced skills particular to translating scholarly work through the process of producing a translated academic article from first draft to final publication. Working in both large and small groups, participants will engage in an intensive process of critiquing and revising their English translation of an assigned Japanese language scholarly article under the guidance of Japanese Studies faculty from the social sciences and humanities. The workshop experience will include roundtable discussions of general difficulties in translation; small group discussions based on broad disciplinary distinctions to particular translations; and one-on-one sessions between students and faculty. Participants will receive a modest bursary, student hall (dormitory) accommodations, and reimbursement for economy transport to and from London.

Applicants should not propose a particular article for translation. Articles to be translated will be assigned by the workshop organizers.  Applicants should submit a cover letter summarizing their particular interests and skills, a current CV, and a letter of reference attesting to their advanced reading knowledge in Japanese and English. Post-graduate training in relevant discipline, and or equivalent professional experience preferred. Applications must be submitted via email post to cg24@soas.ac.uk. Letters of recommendation should be sent via confidential email or regular post direct to

Dr. Christopher Gerteis
Department of History, School of Oriental and African Studies
Thornhaugh Street
London  WC1H 0XG
United Kingdom.

All application materials must be received by 28 February 2011. Successful candidates will be notified during the week of 14 March 2011.

Dr. Christopher Gerteis
Lecturer in the History of Contemporary Japan
School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London

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Harvard-Yenching Library Travel Grant Program

Posted on January 1, 2011 by Paula

Want to make use of excellent library resources at distinguished institutions? Check out this travel grant exclusively for research using the extensive Harvard collections.

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The Harvard-Yenching Library is pleased to announce its Travel Grant Program for the 2010-2011 academic year.  The purpose of the grant is to assist scholars from outside the metropolitan Boston area in their use of the Harvard-Yenching Library’s collections for research. There will be twenty-one grants of $400 each (seven in Chinese studies, nine in Japanese studies, and five in Korean studies) to be awarded on a merit basis to faculty members and to graduate students engaged in dissertation research. Priority consideration will be given to those at institutions where there are no or few library resources in the East Asian languages, and no major East Asian library collections are available nearby. Each grantee will also be provided with the privilege of free photocopying of up to 100 sheets. Please note that the awards must be used before August 1, 2011.

Applications for the travel grant, including a letter, a brief description of the research topic, and an estimated budget, should be addressed to the following. The deadline for receiving applications is extended to January 23, 2011.

James K. M. Cheng
Librarian
Harvard-Yenching Library
Harvard University
2 Divinity Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138

Fax:  (617) 496-6008
E-mail:  jkcheng@fas.harvard.edu

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Happy New Year!

Posted on December 31, 2010 by Paula

Wishing everyone the best from Shinpai Deshou! Have a happy and safe new year!

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Job opening: Shinjo Ito Postdoctoral Fellowship in Japanese Buddhism

Posted on December 30, 2010 by Paula

Things have been a little slow with the holidays at hand, so we may not have a fun link for Friday or a longer post until after the new year, but everybody loves job opportunities! So here comes another one. 🙂

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University of California, Berkeley

Deadline: February 15, 2011

With the generous support of the Shinnyo-en Foundation, the Center for Japanese Studies at UC Berkeley is pleased to invite applications for a one-year postdoctoral research fellowship. The term of the appointment is July 1, 2011, to June 30, 2012.

The Fellowship is intended to foster the academic careers of recent Ph.D.’s, providing time to pursue their research. Fellows will deliver a public lecture on their research as part of the Center for Japanese Studies Colloquium Series. Fellows will be provided with office space, library privileges, and a stipend of approximately $40,000 plus benefits.

Applicants must have their doctoral degrees in hand by June 30, 2011, and must be no more than six years out of their doctorate. Candidates who do not yet hold a Ph.D. but expect to by June 30, 2011, should supply a letter from their home institution confirming their schedule to completion.

Applicants whose research interests are primarily in the areas of Buddhism outside Japan should apply to the Shinjo Ito Postdoctoral Fellowship in Buddhist Studies, administered through the Center for Buddhist Studies, rather than to the Shinjo Ito Fellowship in Japanese Buddhism.

Applicants should submit the following materials:

1.    Curriculum vitae
2.    Graduate school transcripts
3.    A personal statement of no more than 2000 words outlining previous research (including dissertation), the research the applicant will undertake during the term of the fellowship, future professional goals, as well as any other information deemed relevant to the application
4.    A writing sample
5.    Three letters of recommendation

Application Deadline and Notification of Award:

All application materials, including letters of recommendation, must be postmarked on or before February 15, 2011. Faxed or emailed applications will not be accepted. Only complete applications will be considered. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all documentation is complete and that referees submit their letters of recommendation by the closing date. Awards will be announced in March, 2011. Send all materials to:

Steven Vogel
Chair, Center for Japanese Studies
Attn: Shinjo Ito Postdoctoral Fellowship in Japanese Buddhism
University of California, Berkeley
2223 Fulton Street, Room 500
Berkeley, CA 94720-2318
U.S.A.

For any questions or concerns, please contact cjs@berkeley.edu

UC Berkeley is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and educator. Women, minorities, and international candidates are especially encouraged to apply.

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Job opening: Interdisciplinary Visiting Assistant Professor of International Studies

Posted on December 28, 2010 by Paula

Macalester College, International Studies

Location:   Minnesota, United States
Position:   Visiting Assistant Professor

The International Studies Department at Macalester College seeks to hire a wide-ranging one-year leave replacement teacher-scholar in International Studies at the level of Visiting Assistant Professor for the 2011-2012 academic year.

An interdisciplinary program at the heart of the Colleges mission, International Studies at Macalester extends well beyond traditional units of its kind.  Our seven current core faculty have PhDs in six different fields. All cross standard borders, and all have robust thematic as well

as geographic and disciplinary interests.  Our students embody an even greater range of geographic, disciplinary, and thematic commitments.

Our preference is for a wide-ranging teacher-scholar able to teach historically informed, geographically and/or thematically focused courses on globalization of the past two centuries, extending to the present.  We have preference but not a requirement for candidates offering coverage in the South Asian, East Asian, Indian Ocean, and/or Ottoman and post-Ottoman zones.  Thematic interests might include (but not be limited to) cities, maritime spheres, migration, tourism and travel, medicine and health, economics, technology, south-south relations, and more.

An initial application would consist of a detailed cover letter and CV only, submitted via email attachments to intl@macalester.edu.  Please give your two attachments filenames according to the following protocol: app-yourlastname-VAP-cover for the cover letter, and app-yourlastname-VAP-CV for your CV.  We prefer the filetypes .pdf, .doc, or .docx.  Include in your cover letter the names of five courses you would be interested in teaching  two or three from our current offerings listed at http://www.macalester.edu/academic/catalog/program/int_c.html, and two

or three from your own portfolio and range.

Applications will be submitted preferentially by January 20th, 2011.

Macalester College is a highly selective, private liberal arts college in the vibrant Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area, which has a population of approximately three million and is home to numerous colleges and universities, including the University of Minnesota.  Macalesters

diverse student body comprises nearly 2000 undergraduates from 49 states and over 90 nations.  The College maintains a longstanding commitment to academic excellence with a special emphasis on internationalism, multiculturalism, and service to society.  We are especially interested in applicants dedicated to excellence in teaching and research/creative activity within a liberal arts college community.  As an Equal Opportunity employer supportive of affirmative efforts to achieve diversity among its faculty, Macalester College strongly encourages applications from women and members of underrepresented minority groups.

Contact: David Chioni Moore
Chair, International Studies Department
Macalester College
1600 Grand Ave.
Saint Paul, MN 55105 USA
intl@macalester.edu
Website: http://www.macalester.edu/internationalstudies/

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Spring 2011 Jefferson Fellowships

Posted on December 27, 2010 by Paula

Much thanks to Playing with Hire for the link!

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Jefferson Fellowship Now Accepting Applications
for the Spring 2011 Program


Deadline is January 26, 2011

The Jefferson Fellowships program was launched in 1967 to enhance public understanding through the news media of cultures, issues and trends in the Asia Pacific region, broadly defined as Asia, the Pacific Islands and the United States. The Fellowships provide U.S. and Asia Pacific journalists with an opportunity to broaden their understanding of Asia Pacific issues and build a professional network through one week of dialogue with professional colleagues and experts at the East-West Center, followed by a two-week study tour to cities in Asia or the U.S. Funding for the program is provided through a grant from the Freeman Foundation of Stowe, Vermont.

Please click here to join our mailing list and receive application announcements for this and other East-West Center media programs.

Program Dates: June 5 – 26, 2011

Study Tour Destinations: Honolulu, Hawaii; Okinawa and Tokyo, Japan; Seoul, Korea; and Beijing, China

Theme: New Challenges for Asia Pacific Security

Who Can Apply: Working print, broadcast, and online journalists in the United States, the Pacific Islands, and Asia with a minimum of five years of professional experience.  Applicants must have the ability to communicate in English in a professional, multi-cultural environment.

Click for more info: http://www.eastwestcenter.org/?id=536


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Job opening: Post-Doctoral Fellowship in International and Area Studies

Posted on December 26, 2010 by Paula

Washington University in St. Louis, International and Area Studies

Location:   Missouri, United States
Position:   Post-Doctoral Fellow

The International and Area Studies Program at Washington University in St. Louis invites applications from recent Ph.D.s in any relevant discipline to participate in our investigation of the manifestations and consequences of the movement of people and ideas around the globe entitled: “Migration, Identity, State: Flows and Crises in a Global Era.”  Working collaboratively and across a range of disciplines in the social sciences and humanities, we seek to identify the boundaries, both old and new and within and between states, that shape and define human society in the twenty-first century.

The fellow will teach one introductory and one upper level undergraduate course per year in topics relating to migration and identity.  She/he will also play an active role in the program faculty’s inter-disciplinary research into the factors that lead people to cross these borders and the consequences of this movement for them and their new hosts.  The fellow will be part of the IAS community and have contacts with departments related to their primary discipline.

The term of the fellowship will be for a single year with the possibility of renewal for a second.  Compensation includes a nine-month academic salary commensurate with experience, health coverage and benefits, office space, and access to a computer, the library, and other facilities available to members of the University community.

The successful candidate will have a PhD in hand before starting the position and be eligible to teach in the United States.  There is no application form.  Applicants should submit a cover letter, a description of how their research interests fit with the IAS study of migration and identity (not to exceed three single spaced pages), two sample course proposals, a curriculum vitae, and a writing sample.  Three letters of reference should be sent under separate cover, directly to the International and Area Studies Program.

Review of applications will begin 15 January 2011, and the position will remain open until filled.

We will accept applications and recommendation letters electronically or by regular post.  Please send them to:

IAS Postdoctoral Search
International and Area Studies Program
Washington University
Campus Box 1088
One Brookings Drive
St. Louis, MO 63130
ias@wustl.edu

Washington University in St. Louis is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer. Qualified women and minority candidates are encouraged to apply.  Employment eligibility verification required upon employment.

Contact: Professor Timothy Parsons
Director, International and Area Studies Washington University in St. Louis
Campus Box 1088 One Brookings Drive St. Louis, MO  63130 ias@wustl.edu
Website: http://ias.wustl.edu/

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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Posted on December 24, 2010 by Paula

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from us here at What can I do with a B.A. in Japanese Studies !

Celebrate Christmas with an obscenely overdecorated tree! The Queen’s Tower Plaza tree in Yokohama I photographed (above) last year was covered in four-leaf clovers and hearts, and part of its attraction was a seizure-inducing light show twice a day. Of course, Japan does have more tasteful trees, but they definitely can take the cake with overdecoration at times.

For some nice shots of Christmas trees around Japan, check out this article from Muza-chan’s Gate to Japan:

http://muza-chan.net/japan/index.php/blog/christmas-tree-japan

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