GW Students Attend Event With Secretary Clinton to Launch Foundation Dedicated to Increasing U.S.-China Educational Ties

Several George Washington University students and recent graduates joined Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton last week to celebrate the launch of the 100 Thousand Strong Foundation, which will work to expand opportunities for American students to learn Mandarin and study abroad in China.

At the Jan. 24 launch event at the State Department, Secretary Clinton said that forging a successful future relationship between these two major world powers cannot be left to diplomats alone.

“Relationships government to government are obviously essential,” she said. “But it is those people-to-people ties that are going to determine the quality of the relationship for the future.”

The 100 Thousand Strong Foundation will extend the goals of the Obama administration’s “100 Thousand Strong Initiative,” which President Obama initially launched in 2010. The goal of that initiative was to encourage 100,000 American students to study in China in the subsequent four-year period. The 100 Thousand Strong Foundation will deepen U.S.-China relations via cultural and educational exchanges, government support for students, an annual conference on U.S.-China strategic partnerships and independent studies investigating the effect of U.S. study abroad programs in China.

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2013-2014 Chinese Government Scholarship Programme

Chinese Government Scholarship Programmes are established by the Ministry of Education of China (hereinafter referred to as MoE) in accordance with educational exchange agreements or understandings reached between Chinese government and governments of other countries, organizations, education institutions and relevant international organizations to provide both full scholarships and partial scholarships to international students and scholars.  MoE entrusts China Scholarship Council (hereinafter referred as CSC) to manage the recruitment and carry out the routine managements of Chinese Government Scholarship Programmes.

The Chinese Embassy is delighted to announce that the 2013-2014 Chinese Government Scholarship Programme has started its application process. The Application information can be found via the website http://www.sino-education.org/english/studychinese.htm The deadline for application is April 30, 2013. For furthur information or questions, please feel free to contact Zhang Jin (zhangjin@sino-education.org) or Mr. Lui Jiangyi (jiangyiliu@yahoo.com.cn)

Announcing Sigur Center 2013 Language and Research Grants

Summer Asian Language Fellow, Kalisha Holmes on the Great Wall

The Sigur Center for Asian Studies is pleased to announce grants for language study and field research for Summer 2013. Students with an interest in furthering their Asian language skills or conducting field research in Asia are highly encouraged to apply. All GW BA, MA and PhD students are eligible for Language Grants. Asian Field Research Grants are open to MA and PhD students. Students may apply regardless of nationality. 

All grant applications are due by February 15, 2013. Please find links to application materials and details for each grant below:

Sigur Center Summer Grant for Chinese Language Study in Taiwan 

**Please note that the Sigur Center has substantial funding specifically dedicated to sending students to study Chinese in Taiwan. We strongly recommend that, if you would like to study Chinese abroad, you apply for this grant. If you want to study in China, you must apply for the Asian Language Grant, which has no such specific monies for Chinese language study.**

Sigur Center Summer Grant for Korean Language Study in Korea

Sigur Center Summer Grant for Asian Language Study in Asia

Sigur Center Summer Grant for Asian Field Research

* (MA and PhD students only)

Requirements:
Those selected for these grants must submit four blog posts throughout the course of the program and, during the fall semester, participate in an informal discussion with Sigur Center staff and other grant recipients about your experience abroad. Find a full list of requirements for each specific grant by clicking on the grants above, or visiting the Sigur Center website HERE. 

             Please email gsigur@gwu.edu with any questions.

The University of Hawai'i Looking For Conference Participants

Conference Participants Wanted

The School of Pacific and Asian Studies (SPAS) at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UHM) seeks papers, performances, and panel proposals for its 24th annual graduate student conference. The conference will be held on the UHM campus in Honolulu, HI on April 3-5, 2013. The theme this year is “CONTINUITY, CHANGE, AND CONTESTATION: MULTIDISCIPLINARY AND TRANSNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES ON THE ASIA-PACIFIC.”

In particular, we are looking for papers that:

Incorporate multidisciplinary approaches

Challenge approaches based on a national or regional focus

Engage new and emerging trends in Pacific and/or Asian Studies

Involve any original research on Asia and/or the Pacific

Present Asian and/or Pacific performance practices

As this year's theme indicates, we are interested in accepting papers, performances, and panel proposals that continue, change, and/or contest disciplinary and regional approaches to the study of the Asia/Pacific. With this goal in mind, we also encourage those with a background in the arts to apply with performance proposals. 

We are happy to announce that we have two keynote speakers joining us this year: Dr. Naoki Sakai (Cornell University) and Dr. Barbara Andaya (University of Hawai'i at Mānoa). Information about our keynotes can be found on our website. 

Please submit the application form by February 1, 2013. When submitting the application, please rename the file from “2013 SPAS Abstract Submission Form.doc” to “Applicant’sLastName_Applicant’sFirstName.doc” and email it to gradconf@hawaii.eduby the submission deadline.

Additionally, all accepted papers/panels will have discussants, so presenters should be prepared to submit their papers by March 18, 2013.

Abstract submission deadline: February 1, 2013

For the submission form, please visit the 2013 SPAS Graduate Conference Website: http://manoa.hawaii.edu/spas/?page_id=881

Limited partial travel grants to the conference site may be available.

If you have any questions, please contact the conference planning committee at gradconf@hawaii.edu. For more information, please refer to our Facebook page, “2013 SPAS Graduate Conference.” 

We look forward to receiving your abstracts!

Student Mixer Announcement by OCA

Student Mixer Announcement by OCA

OCA is a pan-Asian civil rights and social justice organization. Founded in 1973, it is the first APA advocacy group to be based in Washington, DC. Today OCA has 80 chapters and affiliates across the United States. OCA aims to advocate for social justice, equal opportunity and fair treatment; to promote civic participation, education, and leadership; to advance coalitions and community building; and to foster cultural heritage.

OCA will be hosting a Student Mixer on Thursday February 7^th, 2013 from 6pm to 8pm. The event will serve as an opportunity for students from universities in the surrounding DMV area to meet OCA staff, executive members, and intern alumni. During the event, students will learn about OCA, the resources it provides, and have the opportunity to learn how they can get involved.

Official Website: http://www.ocanational.org/

Facebook Event: http://www.facebook.com/events/204120223046084/

RSVP at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LRFFWLZ

Scholarships for Chinese Language Study in Taiwan

As part of its Huayu Enrichment Scholarship (HES) program, the Taiwanese Ministry of Education provides scholarships for American students wanting to study Chinese in Taiwan over the summer. The deadline for summer 2013 applications is March 31, 2013. For more information about the HES, including application materials and submission procedures, please visit the HES website at http://english.moe.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=6777&CtNode=10634&mp=2.

Sigur Center's Spring 2013 Newsletter Now Available Online!

The Sigur Center for Asian Studies has published the Spring 2013 issue of our newsletter, The Asian Connection. This issue covers Sigur Center events and developments from the Fall semester.  

Please find a link to the newsletter on our website below:

 The Asian Connection - Spring 2013  

Graduate Degree Scholarship: Waseda University's International Relations Program

The Japanese government has allocated scholarships to Waseda University’s School of Asia-Pacific Studies International Relations Program for foreign students to earn their Master's degree in Japan. If you are interested in earning a graduate degree in international relations in Japan, please see the following link for more information: http://www.waseda.jp/gsaps/scholarship/mext_en.html 

ENG 6560.10 Partitioned Modernities: Intimacy, Secularism, and National Culture in South Asia

New Asian Studies Graduate Course!

Rome 771

Wednesdays 

03:30PM - 06:00PM

Course Description:

1947 was a crucial year for world history, as the end of WWII and decolonization over 1947-48 ushered in many new nations and invented new national communities and identities. This course focuses on what happened in 1947 in India, in relation to these global transformations; it engages postcolonial theories of nationalism, gender studies and historiography with literature and cinema to illuminate the cultural representation of the 1947 Partition of India and its social and political legacies for contemporary South Asia. Drawing upon a range of disciplines, the course examines the violent migrations that occurred during 1947, and its link to contemporary conflicts (war, ethnic conflict, refugee displacement, property rights) and ideas about citizenship, political belonging, intimacy, and secularism. We will look at different registers: literature, film, print media, visual and new media.  How gender, ethnicity and disability inflect these histories and texts will be integral to the story we will tell. No prior knowledge of South Asia required.

Readings include works by Paul Scott, Salman Rushdie, Homi Bhabha, Judith Butler, Vikram Chandra, Amitav Ghosh, Saadat Hasan Manto, Shauna Singh Baldwin, Tim Brennan, Pheng Cheah, Talal Asad, Sunil Khilnani, Dipesh Chakrabarty, Gayatri Spivak, Rajeswari Sunder Rajan, Deepa Ollapally, among others.  Films we will watch include Hindi cinema as well as third cinema, like "Delhi 6", "Parzania," and "My Son, the Fanatic."

Dr. Kavita Daya 

Associate Professor of English 

Kavita Daiya is Associate Professor of English, as well as affiliated faculty and Executive Committee member of the Women's Studies Program at GWU. A literary and film critic, and scholar of transnational cultural studies, Dr. Daiya's research engages the field of feminist postcolonial studies with Asian American Studies. Her specializations include nationalism, gender and sexuality, public culture, migration, and globalization. Her interdisciplinary research and publications have focused on the cultural representation in global media of ethnic belonging, violence, coupledom and diaspora in South Asia, United States and Africa. Her research has been generously supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the University of Chicago, and George Washington University.  

There are still seats available! Register now! 

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Internship

The White House Office of science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is looking for qualified candidates to serve as student volunteers for the Spring and Summer Term. Qualified candidates must have a background in China with emphasis on business and politics. Mandarin Language skills are desired as well.

Eligibility

-       Must be a US citizen

-       Enrolled in an accredited college or university during theperiod of volunteer service

Application Requirements

-       Cover Letter

-       Resume

-       2-4 page writing sample

-       Copy of Transcripts, unofficial is adequate

-       Letters of Recommendation (2 max.)

For more information or to apply, visit:

www.wh.gov/ostp/about/student

or email:

Joan_R._Rolf@ostp.eop.gov

South Asia Summer Language Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison

Program Details

Schedule & Coursework

All SASLI classes take place during the eight-week summer session, typically mid-June through mid-August. Classroom instruction will be scheduled for four hours a day, Monday through Friday. All SASLI students are expected to attend class daily. Students registering for SASLI are required to choose one South Asian language at either the elementary or intermediate level. Language offered include: Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Malayalam, Marathi, Pashto, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Sinhala, Tamil, Telugu, Tibetan, Urdu

Credits

The schedule will enable students to complete two intensive semester courses (equivalent to one academic year of study). Students will receive a total of 8 credits from the University of Wisconsin – Madison for the SASLI summer session.

Costs

SASh Program Fee

Invoices will be issued from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Bursar’s office and should be paid in full by the deadline. Please see the SASLI website for the current program fee. The fee does not include text books or living expenses. Housing & Living Costs SASLI students will be responsible for making their own living arrangements in Madison for the duration of the summer session. Students are also responsible for all living costs incurred during their stay in Madison. Please refer to the SASLI website for local housing links and information on summer dorms.

Fee Remissions

All applicants who submit a complete SASLI application are eligible to receive a $1000 Fee

Remission. There are some restrictions on combined funding. See the SASLI website for more information.

Fellowships

Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships (FLAS), provided by the U.S. Department of Education, are available to current and prospective graduate students who wish to attend SASLI. For information on the procedures and deadlines for FLAS applications at their home institutions, students should contact their local advisors. For students in institutions that do not offer FLAS, please see the SASLI website for more funding information.

SASLI Scholarship

A limited number of full or partial Scholarships are available for the summer session. See the SASLI website for application materials and information.

How to Apply

Application

Students must apply for admission to the SASLI program online via the SASLI web site. Please note that there is a nonrefundable application fee. For more information on deadlines and application procedures, see the SASLI website.

www.sasli.wisc.edu

University of Wisconsin-Madison
203 Ingram Hall
115 Observatory Drive
608-261-1194

U.S. Department of State Foreign Policy Classroom Program Event: US-China Relations

The U.S. Department of State’s Foreign Policy Classroom program will host an event entitled “Current Foreign Policy Challenges and Opportunities in U.S.-China Relations”on Thursday, January 31, from 11:00a.m.-12:00p.m. The speakers will be Julie Petruzzi, Senior Coordinator, Strategic & Economic Dialogue, and Deji Okediji, Bilateral Political Affairs Unit Chief, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.

If students are interested in attending this program, please send an inquiry request to foreignpolicyclassroom@state.gov. You will then be asked to fill in information on an Excel spreadsheet that will outline security information required by Department Security in order to admit visitors into the building. This information is due by Tuesday, January 29 at noon.

In case you missed it this semester… Southeast Asia

Interested in Southeast Asia? In this blog post, we provide a brief recap of some of our Southeast Asia  publications during this past Fall 2012 semester. 

Book:

Marigold: The Lost Chance for Peace in Vietnam. Stanford Univ. Pr. and Woodrow Wilson Center Press, 2012.

Professor  James G. Hershberg published Marigold:The Lost Chance for Peace in Vietnam presents the first rigorously documented, in-depth story of one of the Vietnam War's last great mysteries: the secret Polish-Italian peace initiative, codenamed "Marigold," that sought to end the war, or at least to open direct talks between Washington and Hanoi, in 1966.

At number four, the book was chosen as one of the Best Books of 2012 by The Washington Post.

Journal Article:

Robert Sutter, "China-Southeast Asia Relations: China Muscles Opponents on South China Sea," Comparative Connections Vol. 14, No.2 (September 2012) 

China Muscles Opponents on the South China Sea

The primary focus of attention in the relationship over the summer was the dispute over territorial claims in the South China Sea as China set forth implicit choices for Southeast Asian disputants and others with an interest in the region. Two paths – one focused on a demonstration of China’s growing power and the other on positive aspects of Chinese engagement with Southeast Asia – are emerging as China continues to define its response to the conflict. Meanwhile, ASEAN struggled with finding unity in the face of disagreement among members regarding the territorial disputes. Elsewhere, China sought to reaffirm its friendly relations with Myanmar while seeking reassurance that the leadership in Naypidaw remained committed to previously agreed-upon projects.