Events at: Room 120, C.K. Choi Building

Ethnographic Fieldwork in South Asia: A graduate student workshop led by Dr. Rémy Delage

This workshop focuses on the theory and practice of fieldwork in South Asia, primarily discussing religion and identity in South Asia. Dr. Delage has conducted fieldwork at Sufi shrines in India and Pakistan, and this workshop is an opportunity for graduate students to broaden their perspective on field methods. Some of the questions Dr. Delage […]

Zhang Yang and Sixth Generation Representations of Filiality in Chinese Cinema

About The Speaker: Dr. Christopher Lupke is the editor of The Magnitude of Ming: Command, Allotment and Fate in Chinese Culture (University of Hawai’i Press, 2005) and New Perspectives on Contemporary Chinese Poetry (Palgrave Macmillan, 2008). Lupke’s early work centered on the interrogation of the cohesive nation state in contemporary Chinese literature. He has recently […]

Modern Times in North Korea: Scenes from the Founding Years

North Korea is often portrayed in mainstream media as a backward place, a Stalinist relic without a history worth knowing. But during its founding years (1945-1950), North Korea experienced a radical social revolution when everyday life became the primary site of political struggle, including quite deliberately a feminist agenda. With historical comparisons to revolutions in […]

Multipolarity and Globalization: Incompatible Pairing?

About the talk: What growing multipolarity will mean for investors and for Emerging Markets such as China and India in 2015 Investors are going to have to become aware of how geopolitics and economics intersects in the post-Cold War era. A central theme of this era is the rise of global multipolarity. Multipolarity implies that the […]

Bhavanjli: A Lecture-Demonstration to Indian Classical Music

A lecture demonstration to Indian classical music. Sargam UBC will be presenting the two forms of Indian classical music, namely, the Hindustani and the Carnatic styles. Performers: Sargam UBC is a group involved in promoting Indian Classical Music. It enables students to learn about this form of music through sessions conducted by various artists and also […]

Xi Jinping’s ‘New Normal’ in China: Assessing the 4th Plenum of the CCP

A Roundtable Discussion on the Fourth Plenum The Communist Party of China’s fourth plenum sessions are traditionally opportunities for China’s leadership to discuss administrative and ideological strategies and engage in party-building measures. The fourth plenum of the 18th CCP Central Committee in October 2014 focused heavily on the “rule of law” in China. At the […]

Oil price drops to $50: What is the Impact on Asian Economies?

IAR Asia Pacific Forum Presents Oil price drops to $50: What is the Impact on Asian Economies? We are looking forward to a stimulating discussion on the cross-disciplinary topic of the falling oil prices and how it will effect the economies of Asia in particular, and the entire globe in general. Please join us and […]

Buddhism and Gagaku

Speaker bio: Dr. LeRon Harrison is a visiting assistant professor at the University of Oregon who researches Japanese court poetry and its appropriations of Chinese poetics. He also has been playing gagaku (Japanese court music) for 11 years and researches the history of the music in Japan and its importation and growth in America. Abstract: […]

Chindia: Leaving the BRICs Behind?

IAR Asia Pacific Forum & UBC Political Science Student Association Presents Chindia: Leaving the BRICs Behind? Please join us for our seventh meeting which will feature a discussion of rising economies in the context of India’s growth rate surpassing that of China. What does the growth of these two Asian powers mean for the global […]

Conference on Future of National Security / National Defense of Japan

The Future of Japan’s National Security and Defense  On  July 1, 2014, the Japanese cabinet under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made a decision to reinterpret article 9 of the Constitution of Japan, which renounced war power and prohibited armed forces in Japan. This is a radical departure from the past interpretation which totally denied the […]

The Challenges and Opportunities of Doing Business with China

The Institute of Asian Research is proud to invite Christopher Maclean, Counsellor (Commercial) and Senior Trade Commissioner at the Canadian Embassy in Beijing on Tuesday March 3rd, 2015 from 12:30-2:00pm. A light lunch will be served.  ABSTRACT: The rapid changes occurring in China present constantly evolving challenges and opportunities in terms of doing business with China. […]

Market-oriented urbanism and residential outcomes in urban China

ABSTRACT:  Three decades’ market reform has given rise to tremendous transformation in city space, urban governance and community activities in urban China. This talk will present my research concerning housing and community outcomes in urban China against the backdrop of market-oriented urbanism. On the one hand, China’s contemporary urbanism is associated with growing housing disparities […]

SACPAN 2015: South Asia Conference of the Pacific Northwest

This year’s installment of the long-running SACPAN conference is themed “Works in Progress” and involves presentations of current research on South Asia by scholars and graduate students at a number of institutions across the Pacific Northwest. We are pleased to announce that SACPAN 2015 will feature three longer lectures by leading scholars in the field: Sumit Guha (University […]

Public Lecture by Singaporean Sculptor Chong Fah Cheong

Public Lecture by Singaporean sculptor Chong Fah Cheong Singapore’s newspaper of record, The Straits Times, calls him “Singapore’s Most Famous Unknown Artist”. Fah Cheong is a self-taught artist whose style ranges from the abstract to the figurative. He uses wood, stone and bronze as mediums to create sculptures that interpret society and social issues. Many […]

Making Sense of a Worker Self-Immolation in 1970s South Korea

The death of young garment worker Chun Tae-il by self-immolation on November 13, 1970 has been widely acknowledged among both activists and scholars as the watershed event for the South Korean democracy movement and for the labor movement in particular.  As dissident activists searched for a viable counter-narrative against the powerful developmentalist discourse of the […]

Biographical Imperatives, Autobiographical Pacts: Hongyi Dashi and the Construction of Buddhist Lives in 20th c. China

The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Program in Buddhism and Contemporary Society and the UBC Buddhist Studies Forum are delighted to welcome Professor Raoul Birnbaum (University of California, Santa Cruz). He will present a lecture entitled, Biographical Imperatives, Autobiographical Pacts: Hongyi Dashi and the Construction of Buddhist Lives in 20th c. China. The elusive […]

Consuming Civility: Writings on Tea Culture for Women, 1720-1920

Through an examination of writings about tea practice for women I excavate a neglected history of one group of tea practitioners and the reasons why they participated in tea culture. These writings include both privately circulated manuscripts and commercially published texts. I argue that there were two ways in which tea practice for women was […]

Green Growth: Agriculture and Sustainability in the Indonesian Economy

The Indonesian economy has long been buttressed by the all-important agricultural sector – plantations and commodities remain at the heart of Indonesia’s continued economic growth. However, as Indonesia continues it trajectory towards development, widespread environmental degradation as a result of unsustainable farming practices remains a huge stumbling block. This seminar attempts to tackle head-on Indonesia’s […]

Gayatri Rajapatni: The Woman Behind the Glory of Majapahit

Mr Earl Drake, IAR Honorary Professor and former Canadian Ambassador to Indonesia, will be delivering a Public Lecture on Gayatri Rajapatni, the queen consort of Majapahit’s founder and first king Kertarajasa Jayawardhana, and also the mother of Tribhuwana Wijayatunggadewi, the queen regnal of Majapahit. Mr Drake asserts that Gayatri’s contributions have been forgotten by posterity, […]

Canada’s Reawakening: Military, economic and diplomatic vision for the Asia Pacific

 IAR Asia Pacific Forum Presents Canada’s Reawakening: Military, economic and diplomatic vision for the Asia Pacific Please join us for our final APF discussion of the season, which will address Canada’s involvement in the Asia Pacific region today and look at future prospects in the field of: Military and Security: Dr. Brian Job, Liu Institute […]

Daniel Ziv: Public Lecture + Screening of “Jalanan” – A Music Documentary

Public Lecture by Mr. Daniel Ziv, Followed by a Screening of Jalanan Jalanan Jalanan (‘Streetside’), an award-winning 2013 feature-length Indonesian documentary film directed and produced by Daniel Ziv and featuring Jakarta street musicians Bambang “Ho” Mulyono, Titi Juwariyah and Boni Putera. It tells the captivating story of Boni, Ho & Titi, three gifted, charismatic street musicians […]

«50 Ans d’action Diplomatique Française en Chine: Qu’en Retenir?» 50 Years of French Diplomacy in China: What Did We Learn?

Résumé: Depuis l’acte historique de la reconnaissance de la Chine Populaire en janvier 1964, la diplomatie française a été aux premières loges des relations de la Chine avec le monde occidental ; la révolution culturelle, le 3e plénum et le mur de la démocratie, les réformes des années 80, les trois « T » (Tiananmen, […]

Fixing China’s “Airpocalypse”: Roundtable Discussion on Under The Dome

Made by former China Central Television newscaster Chai Jing, “Under the Dome”, the 104-minute, TED-style film drew more than 150 million viewers in the first days after Chai posted it online. In three weeks, Chai’s film has gone from Internet sensation, to being blocked by government censors, to being the subject of a question to […]

Book Launch: “Middle Power, Middle Kingdom: What Canada Needs to Know about China in the 21st Century”

Chair: Brian Job, Associate Director, Institute of Asian Research Discussant: Yuen Pau Woo, Senior Fellow in Public Policy, Institute of Asian Research China’s rise is having a direct impact on our prosperity, our health and well-being, and our security here in Canada. The road to achieving many of our middle-power aspirations now runs through the […]

Singapore After Lee Kuan Yew: A Roundtable Discussion

As the city-state of Singapore mourns its founding father, many around the world are slowly realizing the enormous impact he had on Asian geopolitics and international relations. Former US Secretary of State George P Shultz dubs him a “one-man world intelligence agency”, and in death he has been lauded by the likes of Henry Kissinger, […]

Lunchtime Discussion on Zhu Xiaoyang’s Video Documentary on China’s Collective Resistance to To-Down Urbanization

Professor Zhu Xiaoyang has carried out ethnographic work in Yunnan, China and published several books on developments in China’s villages as well as documentary films. Dr. David Kelly will discuss China’s housing crisis on some of Zhu’s work. About the speaker Concurrently a Visiting Professor at Peking University, Dr. David Kelly leads the governance and […]

China’s World: Chineseness and Civilization without Borders

China seeks to be a global power while preserving an essential Chineseness. Understandable in general terms, this stubborn national identity complex is mainly politically-driven. Outside actors need to understand the internal conversation that dominates and colours the formal positions over a range of national issues, most recently the college curriculum. The controversies need to be […]

Communication, Authoritarian Resilience, and Democracy in China and Taiwan

In 2010-2011, the “Arab Spring” brought unexpected revolutions to many Middle Eastern and North African countries. Why did these seemingly invincible regimes fall, while China remained durably authoritarian? Many observers credited global media for the political transformations. While the hopes of Arab Spring democracy have proven to be fragile or short-lived, we can profitably explore […]

Social Movements and the Political Polarization of South Korea and Taiwan

There has been a widespread perception that politics in South Korea and Taiwan have become increasingly polarized in recent elections. Are the electorates in both countries also polarized, and if so, what are the sources of this polarization? Visiting Scholar Hyunji Lee will briefly discuss some common causes of the recent social movements in both […]

India’s New Globality: Modi’s Visits to Canada and China

More details coming soon. View PDF poster here. Please RSVP asimup@gmail.com Sponsor: Centre for India and South Asia Research, Institute of Asian Research By: Stewart Beck, CEO, Asia Pacific Foundation; Professor Yves Tiberghien, Director, Institute of Asian Research; Sukesh Kumar, KPMG; Professor Brian Job, Associate Director, Institute of Asian Research Type: Event Time: 12:00-1:00pm (Lunch), 1:00-2:30pm […]

In Conversation: Frances Wood and Tim Brook

Republic of China Chair and China historian, Dr. Timothy Brook, will be interviewing Dr. Wood on their shared experience as students in China during the Cultural Revolution. About the Event Republic of China Chair and China historian, Dr. Timothy Brook, in an extended interview of Dr. Frances Wood on their shared experience as students in […]

Panel Discussion: Nepal’s Earthquake 2015

Two major earthquakes, one 7.8 magnitude on April 25 and another 7.4 magnitudes on May 12, struck Nepal, killing more than 8,600 people, injuring over 18,000 others, and displacing more than half a million families. The disaster is expected to worsen with landslides that have started to occur in the Himalayan nation and the monsoon […]

The Rise of Xi Jinping and the Closing of the Chinese Mind

Renowned for his coverage of China’s elite politics and leadership transitions, sinologist and veteran China journalist Willy Wo-Lap Lam is the author of five books analyzing China’s political front figure since Zhao Ziyang. His most recent book, “The Rise of Xi Jinping and the Closing of the Chinese Mind”, explores how a relatively undistinguished regional […]

The Impact of China’s New Free Trade Zones on Chinese Reform Path and Financial Liberalization

China’s President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang have emphasized several times that the Shanghai free trade zone (FTZ) should accelerate reforms, especially financial reforms, and replicate them elsewhere in China as soon as possible. Thus, the undergoing reforms in Shanghai FTZ are indeed the future macroeconomic policies in China. As a senior government consultant, […]

Symposium: Contemporary Buddhist Philosophy

Join us for an upcoming symposium on Buddhism and Contemporary Philosophy hosted by UBC’s Evan Thompson and Jessica Main. We are pleased to welcome Bronwyn Finnigan, Tom Tillimans, and Koji Tanaka through the support of the Tung Lin Kok Yuen Canada Foundation, supported by The Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation Program in Buddhism and Contemporary Society […]

Talk: Japan’s Entry into International Society

Japan’s 19th-century entry into international society was sudden, dramatic, and fraught with danger, both domestic and international. Between 1853 and 1899 Japan reinvented itself as a modern sovereign state, shedding its historical isolation and long-standing patterns and practices of politics and governance. A crucial task Japanese leaders faced was figuring out how to conform to […]

China’s Road Towards Democratic Governance: Thoughts on Political Development Since the Reform

The speaker, Professor Yu Keping, will make a general observation of the dominant processes and breakthrough points of China’s political reforms towards democratic governance over the last 35 years since the Reform. His speech will summarize the major achievements and the ongoing challenges of China’s democratic governance. It will offer a brief analysis and reflection […]

South Korea’s Foreign Policy, Viewed from Inside vs. Outside

The presentation examines challenging security issues that the Republic of Korea face today including North Korea policy, future of ROK-U.S. alliance, relations with the PRC and Japan, re-unification of Korean Peninsula, and the roles of Global Korea. Several controversial and contending policy debates will be introduced with related illustrations and anecdotes. Also, a number of […]

Symposium on Nepal: Reconstruction and Regeneration After the Earthquakes

Join us for a discussion of Nepal’s experiences with relief and reconstruction after the devastating earthquakes of April and May 2015. Speakers will give brief presentations highlighting economic, engineering, linguistic and socio-political dimensions of earthquake response in Nepal, with a focus on Vancouver-linked initiatives. Moderator Dr Tsering Shakya, Institute of Asian Research, UBC Speakers Dr […]

Book launch of Professor Peter Nosco’s new edited volume: Dissent on Core Beliefs: Religious and Secular Perspectives

Difference, diversity and disagreement are inevitable features of our ethical, social and political landscape. Dissent on Core Beliefs investigates the ways that various ethical and religious traditions have dealt with intramural dissent. The volume considers the traditions of Confucianism, Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, liberalism, Marxism, South Asian religions, and natural law. The collection begins a […]

Lecture: Divergences and Convergences of India: China Contemporary Relations

Ahmad Zahir Faqiri is a former Diplomat for Afghanistan and is going to be delivering a lecture in Room 120 of the C.K Choi Building, 4pm to 5:30pm on Wednesday September 30th. This lecture will focus on the dynamics and driving factors of the China -Indian relationship are with particular focus on maritime security, economics, energyscourge of regional terrorism and bilateral dialogue. […]

Talk: Can the Yuan Challenge the Dollar for Monetary Supremacy?

Abstract: The US dollar has long been the dominant currency in the international monetary system, providing great geopolitical advantages to the United States. Today, many observers predict that China’s yuan is destined to surpass America’s greenback, perhaps even before the end of the present decade. Benjamin Cohen, however, disagrees. A look back over the last […]

Special Lecture: The South China Sea, The View from the Philippines

A panel of experts will gather to discuss the issues around the international dispute over the South China Sea. This event features a presentation by Justice Antonio T. Carpio, Senior Associate Justice of the Philippines Supreme Court. What are the implications of China’s recent buildup in these waters? What should the Philippine response be? And […]

China’s Civil War: A Social History, 1945-1949

Abstract China’s Civil War is a social history of the 1945-9 civil war that brought the Chinese Communist Party to power.  It integrates history and memory to help to understand a period of intense upheaval. Drawing from biographies, memoirs, illustrations and oral histories the book gives voice to those who experienced the war at first […]

Seventy Years after the Asia Pacific War: Interrogating Japan’s War Responsibility

Centre for Japanese Research, Public lecture by Nobuyoshi Takashima – University of the Ryukyus “Seventy Years after the Asia Pacific War: Interrogating Japan’s War Responsibility” 「アジア太平洋戦争終結７０年：問われ続ける日本の戦争責任」 Commentator: Hyung-Gu Lynn – UBC Institute of Asian Research Thursday, October 15, 2015 4:00 – 5:30 pm (Reception follows) Conference Room, C.K. Choi Building Supported by: Institute for Asian Research, Department […]

The Native Language of Space: The Spatial Connotations of Southern Fujian-Style He-Yuan Architecture 空間母語：閩南合院建築的空間意涵

Abstract In Taiwan or China, it is easily to notice that a large of common words or idioms can connect to the cultural connotations of He-Yuan合院architecture. For example, the idioms quoted from the classic stories of “Lun-Yu”論語 — “wàn-rèn-gōng-qiáng”萬仞宮牆（palace wall higher than ten thousand meters）, “fèn-tǔ-zhi-qiáng”糞土之牆（wall of dirty soil）, and “dēng-táng-rù-shì”登堂入室（pass through the hall into […]

Mending Cracks: Trauma and Art Practice

Join us on Friday, November 13th, for a deeper look into the role of art in times of disaster, featuring Raghavendra Rao, an incredibly talented CISAR Research Associate. Raghavendra Rao is an artist from Bangalore living in Vancouver, Canada since 2012. He graduated from Ken School of Art; Bangalore in 1990 and over the last […]

Myanmar’s Historic Elections: A Turning Point?

Speaker: Dr. Kate Frieson (Royal Roads University); Dr. Yves Tiberghien (UBC); Dr. Robert Hanlon (Thompson Rivers University); Mr. Larry Dohrs (Texas Christian University); Dr. Kai Ostwald (UBC); Dr. Rick Barichello (UBC) Myanmar’s national elections on Nov 8, 2015 will have important consequences for the country’s complex political, economic, and peace transitions. How will the roughly […]

馬習團: The Ma Ying-jeou – Xi Jinping Meeting: More than Just a Political Show?

A ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION About the Event On November 7, 2015, Ma Ying-jeou and Xi Jinping met in Singapore. The meeting was duly recognized as being historic: it was the first time that the political leaders of China and Taiwan had ever met. It was also acknowledged as an event of global importance: the world has […]

Challenges of the Nascent Democracy in Bhutan

Dr. Bhaskar Chakrabarti will grace CISAR with his presence to present his research on Bhutan, a relatively mysterious and unique nation within South Asia. Bhaskar Chakrabarti is a Professor of Public Policy & Management at the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta works in the area of local democracy, environment, and everyday politics.  Bhutan oscillates between […]

70 Years of Division for the Korean Peninsula: Implications for Peace and Unification

The Centre for Korean Research, UBC and the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea are pleased to present: 70 Years of Division of the Korean Peninsula: Implications for Peace and Unification Date: Friday, November 20, 2015 Time: 3-5 p.m. Location: Room 120, C.K. Choi Building Speakers: Mr. Kie-Cheon Lee (Consul General, the Consulate General of […]

The Problem of Legitimacy in Peacebuilding: Linking Research with Policy Practice

Dr. Daisaku Higashi Deputy Director, Research Center of Sustainable Peace, Institute of Advanced Global Studies, Associate Professor. University of Tokyo. Registration: Click to RSVP Abstract Post-conflict peacebuilding is a critical issue in world politics. Surprisingly, however, there has not been a full examination of concrete policies and implementation strategies to generate legitimacy in “host states” […]

Chinese Models and Chinese Dreams: Myths and Realities of Political Governance in Contemporary China

“The China Dream” (Zhongguo meng), which Chinese President Xi Jinping invoked in a March 2013 speech, has since become the signature ideology of the Xi administration. China should be aspirational. Like Hu Jintao’s “Harmonious Society” (hexie shehui), the phrase has been actively promoted by the Chinese Party-state as a means to unify the populace with […]

Democracy at Last in Myanmar?: the November elections and the aftermath

Myanmar’s historic 2015 elections have fulfilled a promise made to the population of Myanmar 25 years ago to end decades of military rule through a peaceful, democratic transition. The results, predicted by very few inside or outside of Myanmar, produced a landslide victory for Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy, not only in […]

The Complexity of Dark Tourism: Packaging ‘Edutainment’ of War Tourism in Japan

Abstract: Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and Park and the Nagasaki Peace Park are internationally recognized war-related tourist destinations. While these ‘A-bomb’ sites have been often criticized for relying on “victim consciousness”, the discussion of interpretation and presentation of these sites has become extremely complex. Comparing two war-related destinations of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, this talk discusses […]

IMAGinE Mongolia Outreach

IMAGinE Mongolia Outreach You are invited to learn about the “Integrated Management and Governance in Extractives (IMAGinE) Mongolia” project from the Canadian International Resources and Development Institute (CIRDI). Project lead, Dr. Julian Dierkes (Institute of Asian Research, UBC), will introduce the planned activities and invite collaboration from graduate students and colleagues who are focused on […]

Digital Diplomacy Strategy: Are Canadians Engaged?

Many Canadian missions abroad maintain a presence on social media. Likewise, many foreign missions in Ottawa are represented as well. Yet, in a recent survey of Global Affairs’ digital diplomacy, Julian Dierkes and students in his Master of Public Policy and Global Affairs course found that Global Affairs’ communications seem to be aimed almost entirely […]

The Belt and Road Initiative: China’s New Grand Strategy for the 21st Century?

By: Dr. Yong Wang (Peking University, UBC) Event Abstract: Since 2013, China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has attracted much attention, but has also caused different explanations. This presentation will try to answer key questions about the Initiative such as: How do we define the nature of the BRI? What factors drove the formulation of […]

Women’s Access to Public Space for their Livelihoods: India, Thailand and the Philippines in Comparative Perspective

This presentation will undertake a high-level comparative analysis of the cultural and legal issues surrounding women’s access to urban public space in South versus Southeast Asia. Specifically, reference will be made to the cases of India, Thailand, and the Philippines, which bring diverse legal traditions and cultural issues to the fore. Our speaker, Dr. Gisèle Yasmeen, is the […]

Planning for Smart Cities in Japan

Many cities are undertaking initiatives to improve environmental performance, creating ‘Smart Cities’ by introducing innovative technologies and plans to promote efficient energy use, recycling and environmentally-friendly traffic management. Yokohama and Kitakyushu are examples of cities working to become smarter. They are linking their environmental policies with those relating to economic revitalization, urban planning, health, and welfare, […]

Explaining the Persistence of Supplementary Education in East Asia: The Case of Japan

Due to progressing globalization in education and demographic change, the education systems of numerous countries have undergone rapid changes over the last two decades. In the case of Japan, two main developments affect education today: (1) steadily decreasing student populations; and (2) the reorientation of education towards relaxation (yutori) and internationalization (kokusaika). Both these trends […]

Japan’s Post-TPP Trade Policy

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) was broadly agreed in Atlanta in October 2015 and signed by the 12 members in February 2016, which is good for Abenomics. I first review Japan’s trade and investment activities primarily in the Asian region. I show that Asia is the most profitable region for Japanese multinational corporations. Next I discuss […]

COP21 in Paris – Why was an Agreement Possible?

Join a discussion with French Ambassador HE Mr. Chapuis on the COP21 Paris agreement, with a focus on the France-China relationship. Students, faculty, staff, and community members are warmly invited to attend. Bio: Mr. Nicolas Chapuis is the Ambassador of France to Canada. He has held successive posts in Peking, Boston, Singapore, Shanghai (as Consul […]

The 2011 March 11th (3.11) Disaster and Nuclear Power Plant Accident in Tohoku, Japan: Five Years On.

Part 1: Time: March 9 12:00-2:00 @ IAR Room 120: Lunchtime Workshop (Refreshments will be served): -Millie Creighton (Anthropology, UBC), “Community Recovery in Tohoku after 3.11” -Noritsugu Fujimoto (Symbiotic Systems Science, Fukushima University), “3.11 and Manga: The Oishinbo Nosebleed Issue” -Kiwa Nakano (Business Management, Daito Bunka University), “Recovery from the Disaster in Onagawa, Japan” Moderated […]

Elusive Sarasvati

Dr. Elizabeth Rohlman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Calgary. Dr. Rohlman’s research considers the role of narrative literature in articulating and constructing religious identity in pre-modern South Asia. For this seminar, Dr. Rohlm an focuses on Sarasvati and her role in Hindu lore. It has been argued […]

Interaction and Collaboration as a Source of Community Recovery and Empowerment

Interaction and Collaboration as a Source of Community Recovery and Empowerment: Insights from Minamata and Kizawa (Chuetsu) for Post-disaster Sustainable Community Development The Great East Japan Earthquake occurred on 11 March 2011 and shocked both Japan and the world with its scale and seriousness of the adverse impacts on human communities and living environment. It […]

Teaching the Asian Literary Classics: A Roundtable Discussion

The Tale of Genji, Dream of the Red Chamber, The Tales of Ise, The Three Kingdoms – these and other masterworks are required reading for students of Japanese and Chinese literature. But how did these works come to be regarded as “classics”? What makes them significant works of literature? And how can an instructor best […]

Pop Culture, History and “Contents Tourism” in Japan

By: Dr. Philip Seaton (Hokkaido University) In recent years, the phenomenon of people traveling to further an interest in works of popular culture has gained much attention from the tourism industry and researchers alike. Lord of the Rings locations in New Zealand, Disneyland theme parks, Star Trek Conventions and the Sherlock Holmes museum in London […]

Study in Japan Information Session

Whether you are looking for a year abroad as an undergrad, or to further your education as a graduate, Japan is a great place to study. What’s your field? From arts to sciences, we’ve got it covered. Don’t know much Japanese? Some universities offer preparatory Japanese language and culture courses, while others offer programs in […]

Sikkimese Public Culture: Reconstructing Ethno-Cultural Histories through Visuality

By: Mr. Aadil Brar, Anthropology Aadil Brar is an Anthropology student who spent 3 months in Sikkim (India), conducting ethnographic research funded by MITACS Globalinks Research Award. This project explored the history of Buddhist thangka art in Sikkim from a visual anthropological perspective, but the broader aim was to visualize the Sikimese identity, cultural history, and […]

Film Screening: Rinks of Hope

When two Canadian coaches volunteer to help kick-start youth hockey in Mongolia, they discover that even on the world’s most frigid outdoor rinks where obstacles to playing are many, the love of hockey reigns supreme. Rinks of Hope: Project Mongolia chronicles the five day road trip of brothers Nate and Boe Leslie as they coach […]

King of Beasts: White Tiger Lore in the Ritual Culture of South China

About: “Even though the archive and the repertoire exist in a constant state of interaction, the tendency has been to banish the repertoire to the past.” – Diana Taylor As the “king of beasts,” the white tiger is widely known across South China as a ferocious spirit to be ritually worshipped for its apotropaic powers […]

Confucian Role Ethics and the “Casting” of Persons

Abstract In the introduction of Chinese philosophy and culture into the Western academy, we have tended to theorize and conceptualize this antique tradition by appeal to familiar Western categories. Confucian role ethics is an attempt to articulate a sui generis moral philosophy that allows this tradition to have its own voice. I will use the […]

The Rise of Cultural Entrepreneurship in Twentieth-Century China and Southeast-Asia

About the Event From the late nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century, changes in mass media, transportation, and communication technologies provided unprecedented opportunities for entrepreneurially minded men and women in Asia. Come hear cultural historians Christopher Rea and Nicolai Volland discuss the rise of modern Chinese “cultural entrepreneurs,” business people who risked financial well-being and […]

Five Years after the Ladakh Flood: At the Intersections of Coping, Adaptation and Re-Experienced Trauma

Abstract: Five years after the 2010 flash flood, Ladakh has recovered quickly in terms of infrastructures. New buildings have been erected in the same place, communication lines and transportation restored. It almost looks like as if nothing ever happened, but today the slightest sound of thunder and lightning and the unusual amount of rain revives […]

IMAGinE Mongolia Outreach

By: Dr. Julian Dierkes (UBC) You are invited to learn about the “Integrated Management and Governance in Extractives (IMAGinE) Mongolia” project from the Canadian International Resources and Development Institute (CIRDI). Project lead, Dr. Julian Dierkes (Institute of Asian Research, UBC), will introduce the planned activities and invite collaboration from graduate students and colleagues who are […]

Do Rewards Work to Maintain and Increase Tax Compliance? Evidence from the Randomization of Public Goods

Abstract: Do citizens react to positive inducements? Are the effects long lasting? Are prizes an appropriate incentive for rewarding good behavior? What types of rewards help to crowd in moral incentives? These questions are common in the behavioral economics literature but have been hardly looked at in the empirical tax compliance literature. In this paper, […]

Research, Field Experiments, and Policy Outcomes

About the Speaker Carlos Scartascini is Principal Economist at the Research Department of the Inter-American Development Bank. His areas of expertise include Political Economy and Public Finance. His current research focuses on uncovering the determinants of tax compliance in Latin America (through the use of natural and field experiments), explaining the political economy of tax […]

Discourses and Networks of North Korean Defector-Activists

Abstract The article aims to explain the evolutionary patterns of international discourses on North Korean human rights and the roles of ‘defector-activists’ played in the process. It analyses how individuals (North Koreans) build their professional networks in the new political environment (in South Korea) and connect with other international state- and non-state actors to constitute […]

Fifty Years Later in Indonesia: The Violence of 1965-66 in Historical Perspective

By: John Roosa, Ayu Ratih, Earl Drake It has been 50 years since the traumatic and large-scale mass killings of alleged communists in Indonesia. What do we know about these events now? How does the world see them, and how are they seen in Indonesia? These and other questions will be discussed by three leading voices […]

A Revolution in Global North-South Politics? Evidence from Trade-Environment Negotiations

The UBC Department of Political Science’s Distinguished Speaker Series and the Master of Public Policy and Global Affairs at the UBC Institute for Asian Research present a talk by Prof. Tana Johnson Duke University “A Revolution in Global North-South Politics? Evidence from Trade-Environment Negotiations” Friday, April 8 12:15 – 1:45pm C.K. Choi Building (Room #120) Lunch available at […]

Chinese Science Fiction and the Search for Lost Time

About the Event When Liu Cixin’s novel The Three-Body Problem won the Hugo Award for Best Sci-Fi Novel in 2015, global readers showed a sweeping interest in its Chineseness: how did a Chinese author master a genre so underdeveloped in his home country? Liu Cixin seems to have connected with a genuinely enthusiastic global readership, […]

CSEARching for Southeast Asia: The Inaugural Graduate Student Conference for Southeast Asia Research

The UBC Southeast Asia Graduate Student Network would like to invite you to its inaugural Graduate Student Conference for Southeast Asia Research at the University of British Columbia. Held in collaboration with the UBC Center for Southeast Asian Research in the UBC Institute of Asian Research, the conference will be the first of its kind […]

Madness and Buddhist Compassion

Sponsor: The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Program in Buddhism and Contemporary Society ‘Madness’ is a cultural construct with diverse valences depending on time and place. In this lecture Professor Unno examines definitions of ‘madness’ in Asian and Western contexts, and then relates the terms of Buddhist compassion to these diverse contexts, both historical and contemporary. […]

The Idea of Constitutional Compromise

By: Dr. Pratap Bhanu Mehta (President, Center for Policy Research, New Delhi) Dr. Pratap Bhanu Mehta (President, Center for Policy Research, New Delhi) will be an Academic visitor at CISAR and IAR from April 25 to May 4. During his visit, he will give two public talks  — on April 25 and May 2. Both […]

Changing Experience and Interpretation of Menstruation in Nepal: An Intergenerational Perspective

Sponsor: Centre for India and South Asia Research, Himalaya Program, Faculty of Arts Speaker Fund By: Professor Mira Mishra (Department of Women’s Studies, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal) This presentation seeks to explore changes in the lives of women in Nepal, including women’s self image, gender role and the relations between women and men during the […]

CISAR / IAR Conference: Challenges of Urbanization

By: Dr. Pratap Bhanu Mehta (President, Center for Policy Research, New Delhi), Dr. Amartya Lahiri (UBC), additional speakers TBA Type: Conference University of British Columbia Center for India and South Asia Research and Institute for Asian Research Conference: Challenges of Urbanization Friday, April 29, 2016 Venue: Choi 120, IAR PROGRAM 9.30 am:          Welcome and opening […]

How Realistic are the Chances of India Maintaining an Annual Growth Rate of 8% or more?

**UPDATE: Due to the amount of interest expressed in this event, the location has now moved to Room 120 at the Institute of Asian Research (C.K. Choi Building)** About Vijay Mahajan Vijay Mahajan turned 18 in 1972, the year India celebrated its 25th Independence Day. Troubled by India’s poverty, and inspired by a number of pioneers from […]

South China Sea: Impact on ASEAN

When China expanded dramatically into the South China Sea in 2015, there was little reaction. Now, approaching one year later, scholars and nations are beginning to react and understand how historic this move was. The geographical heart of ASEAN has been cut out. China’s “dual strategy” offers attractive infrastructure projects and increased trade, but forbids […]