Asian Studies Special Events

Fall 2009

Lectures, Films, and Other Events

 

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

1:00-3:40 pm.
532 Park Hall

Anne Hardgrove, UT San Antonio

Speaking in History 550, Colonialism & Modernity in South Asia, with Professor Ramya Sreenivasan

Open to all students

UB Gender Week event

Sunday, September 27, 2009

7:30 pm

Mainstage Theatre, UB Center for the Arts

Rhythm of Rajasthan

Lively and colorful music and dance from the Indian state of Rajasthan

Sponsored by Triveni, the UB Asian Studies Program, and UB Center for the Arts

Click here for more information and tickets.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

12:00 - 1:30 pm

509 O’Brian Hall.

The Japanese Deviation in Colonial Korea: Revisiting Customary Law in a Comparative Context

Luncheon presentation and discussion with Marie Seong-Hak Kim (St. Cloud State University, History Department)

Lunch will begin at 12:00, with the presentation and discussion running from 12:30-1:30.

RSVP for lunch to Nadia Petrova at the Baldy Center (npetrova@buffalo.edu or 645-2071).
Summary: The question whether civil law existed in pre-modern East Asia has of late sparked much discussion in scholarship, and Korean legal history has begun to figure prominently in this discussion. Drawing from the argument that Korean "customary law" was the creation of Japanese jurists during the colonial period (1910-1945), Dr. Kim aims to discuss how the situation in Korea compares with the construction of customary law in former European colonies.

More details are available at http://www.law.buffalo.edu/BALDYCENTER/events.htm

Click here for a related article by Marie Seong-Hak Kim

 

Monday, October 5, 2009
3:00-5:00 pm.
112 Center for the Arts

YOUNG-HAE CHANG HEAVY INDUSTRIES (USA; Seoul, South Korea)

A Seoul-based Web art group rarely appearing in the U.S., YOUNG-HAE CHANG HEAVY
INDUSTRIES (Young-hae Chang, Korea, and Marc Voge, USA) is probably the leading digital

poetry/net artist ensemble in the world. Ironic, culturally astute, and without limits in terms of
content orrange of opinion, YHCHI is controversial on numerous levels, including the political,
social, and sexual. At times even challenging to some, their work is engaging and remarkably
inventive. In their first appearance in Buffalo, they will be presenting "GALACTIC TIDES BY
NIGHT", a work connecting themes about Toronto, Buffalo, and the border. This is a rare
opportunity to see this premier digital art ensemble from Korea! For more information, please
click on the following link: http://www.yhchang.com/

Monday, October 12, 2009                   

4:00 - 4:50 pm

258 Capen

Asian Studies Information Session

The staff from Asian Studies will be holding an informational session for undergraduates interested
inpursuing major and minor opportunities within the program. This is good oppportunity to learn
the different possibilites available as Asian Studies majors and minors.

 

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

7:00-8:30 pm

The Nichols School, Library Reading Room

Noted Author of China’s New Confucianism to speak at Nichols
On October 14, Dr. Daniel Bell, author of the entertaining and illuminating book China’s New
Confucianism: Politics and Everyday Life in a Changing Society, will speak on the revival of
Confucianism in China. Dr. Bell will examine China’s search for a new moral foundation for
political rule to replace communism and for a new philosophy to provide moral guidance in
everyday life. To the surprise of many Sinologists, Dr. Bell has found that the new philosophy
developing in China does not owe much to Western political philosophy, but rather to the old
and venerable tradition of Confucianism. Dr. Bell will explore these changes and discuss proposals
for a progressive form of Confucianism that offers a compelling alternative to Western liberal
democracy.Dr. Bell is professor of political philosophy at Tsinghua University in Beijing. His other
writings include Beyond Liberal Democracy: Political Thinking for an East Asian Context and East
Meets West: Human Rights and Democracy in East Asia. For more information, please click on the
following link: Daniel Bell. Event is free and open to the public.

For a preview of the book, please click on the following link: Chapter 3

Cosponsored by the Baldy Center for Law and Social Policy, the Asian Studies Program,
the Asian Law Working Group, and Nichols School. For directions to Nichols School, please
click on the following link: Nichols School

Saturday, October 17, 2009
Time: 7pm Concert, 5:30 VIP Reception
Interfaith Chapel, University of Rochester
Experience Asia Concert

Take a tour of Asia through dance, music and traditional dress. Performances by Gamelan
and Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Malaysian traditional dancers and singers from the
Rochester community and Universities.

Cost: Presale Tickets $15, $20 at door, $7 students VIP Tickets: $40 includes 5:30 reception
at Interfaith Chapel with authentic light Asian fare and VIP seating at concert.Reservations for
the reception are required by Friday, October 9. For more information, please click on the
following link: http://rifc.org/concert.html

Tuesday, November 3
Time: 3:00 pm
509 O’Brian Hall

Legal Reform in Northeast Asia: Institutional Change and Constitutionalism in
Comparative Perspective by Tom Ginsburg, Professor of Law, University of Chicago

Professor Ginsburg will address significant shifts in legal institutions in Japan, Korea, and
Taiwan. Two decades ago, legal systems in the three countries were very similar, and featured
a combination of a small private bar, high quality but politically constrained judges, and an
insulated administrative state. Since roughly 1990, these three core features have undergone
significant transformations. Dr. Ginsburg explores competing explanations for these changes,
which include major developments in administrative law, an increase in the size of the private
bar, and a growing judicialization of politics. Although the various institutional changes have
been largely orthogonal to constitutional change, they are likely to have constitutional implications
in the future. Free and open to the public

Sponsored by the Baldy Center for Law and Social Policy of the UB Law School.

Thursday, November 5, 2009
Time: 4:00-6:00 pm
120 Clemens, North Campus University at Buffalo

Event is free and open to the public

Fire Under The Snow

Palden Gyatso, a Buddhist monk since childhood, was arrested by the Chinese Communist
Army in 1959. He spent the next 33 years in prison for the "crimes" of peaceful demonstration
and refusal to denounce his apolitical teacher as an Indian spy. He was tortured, starved and
sentenced to hard labor. He watched his nation and culture destroyed, his teachers, friends and
family displaced, jailed or killed under Chinese occupation. Fire Under the Snow reaches back
to Palden's birth in 1933 and follows him through the Orwellian nightmare that began with the

Chinese invasion.

Screening begins with an introduction and discussion of the film by director and producer Makoto Sasa.

Second Screening Fire Under the Snow

Thursday, November 5, 2009
Time: 7:30 pm
Market Arcade Film and Arts Center
629 Main Street Buffalo
Free Parking in the Washington St. lot

Ticket Price $10 (All proceeds will be donated to the Tibetan Children's Village in Dharamsala, India)

Sponsorsed by:

Baldy Center for Law and Social Policy of the UB Law School

UB Undergraduate Academies

UB Asian Studies Program

Monday, November 9, 2009

6:30 pm
112, Center for the Arts
Speaker Series Fall 2009

Xu Bing’s artistic practice is an exploration of language. In works ranging from monumental
installations to handcrafted books, Bing plays with the written word. Born in Chongqing, China
Bing studied printmaking at of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, where he is currently
Vice President. Solo exhibitions of his work have been held at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery,
Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC; the New Museum of Contemporary Art, NY and the
Joan Miro Foundation, Spain amongst other major institutions. Xu Bing has shown at the 45th
and 51st Venice Biennales and in 1999 was the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship.
For more information, please click on the following link: www.xubing.com

Sponsored by Department of Visual Studies with co-sponsorship from the Department of Media
Studies, Department of Architecture, Asian Studies Program, the UB Art Galleries, CEPA Gallery
and Hallwalls.

Monday, November 23

4:00-5:30 pm

Chinese Digital Lives

Presentation by Tom Doctoroff, CEO of JWT Group
Tom Doctoroff, Northeast Asia Area Director and Greater China CEO of the JWT Group will be
speaking about Chinese youth, who generally are impassioned by the new digital universe. In this
lively presentation, Mr. Doctoroff examines the world of new media and shows how companies
can deepen bonds with young Chinese, who are pulled between a polarized desire to "fit in"
and "stand out". The presentation will be held in 120 Clemens from 4:00-5:30 pm.

Click here for a PDF flyer for Chinese Digital Lives.
Event is free and open to the public

 

Winter Break Program in India

Prof. David Schirm (Visual Studies) will lead a group of students to India to visit unique sites
across the Ganges River Valley during the 2009-2010 winter break. The group will trace the
steps of Buddha and create journals of their travels based on a variety of observations and
readings. The program begins in New Delhi and concludes in Varanasi at Banaras Hindu
University (BHU). At BHU,students will have the opportunity to work with BHU students
and faculty to develop a piece of work based on a chosen aspect of their travels. BHU
faculty and local artists will also provide lectures on Indian art history, music and dance.
This is a 3 credit program.
Program Itinerary:
New Delhi (3 days) Varanasi, Sarnath (2 days) Chandigarh (2 days) Bodh Gaya (3 days)
Jaipur (3 days) Varanasi (7 days) Agra (1 day) New Delhi (2 days)
Estimated dates: Mid December to Early January (exact dates to be confirmed)
Estimated costs:
Approximate Program Fee: $2200 (includes accommodation and in-country transportation)
Airfare: $1300, Meals & Personal Expenses: $1300
Application deadline: October 15th

For more information and application, please click on the following links:

India Winter Recess Flyer and India Winter Intersession 09-10 Application