You are here

Teaching About Asia: April 2011

The USC US-China Institute's monthly newsletter for educators.
April 15, 2011
Print

 

USC U.S.-China Institute

Teaching About Asia Newsletter

April 2011

 

         Photograph Released by Official U.S Navy (Creative Commons)

Aerial of Sendai, Japan following earthquake and tsunami on March 12. Find out how to teach about the disaster in your K-12 class!


 Dear [[firstname]], 

          Our April Teaching About Asia Newsletter brings you many resources to use in the classroom. This newsletter offers you different resources to help you teach about the current disaster in Japan.  There are also study tour applications available. Please consider these resources and share this information with colleagues.  USC campus events throughout the month of April included in this newsletter is "The Rise of China and the East Asian Regional Order" taking place April 28th. You will also find a video of our USCI "The State of the Chinese Economy Conference" that took place in February. If you did not get a chance to attend our conference, you can now view a video with scholar`s presentations.

          Citywide events included are "Between Disorder and Unexpected Pleasures: Tales from the New Chinese Cinema",  and "Roy and Edna Disney Cal Arts Theater: Huang Weikai`s Oxhide II" both taking place at Disney Concert Hall.  Other Los Angeles institutions hosting teacher-oriented programs or offering special East Asia exhibits include the Pacific Asia Museum, and the Japanese American National Museum.

          Please share this newsletter with your colleagues and encourage them to subscribe by visiting the USCI website`s newsletter subscription page and selecting the "K-12 Education" subscriber category.

 


In this issue:

Video: The State of the Chinese Economy
USCI Events
City Events
Learning Opportunities  and Resources for Teachers
Museum Exhibitions on Asia
Teachers on Asia 

Subscription


     ♦  Video: The State of the Chinese Economy

This major USC US-China Institute conference examined the health and future of the Chinese economy and its economic ties with the US and others.
Release Date: 03/21/2011

On February 25 and 26, 2011, influential scholars from around the world gathered in Los Angeles to discuss China`s economy. Presenters explored the economy`s strengths and weaknesses and crucial trends in labor, debt, housing, health care and education were illuminated. The enormous social impact of China`s changing population and economy was highlighted in presentations on bride prices and how improved nutrition affects educational outcomes. Below is the conference program. Click on the name of the speaker to open a page with a short biographical note and video of the scholar`s presentation. Higher resolution videos are also available at the USCI YouTube channel.

USC News article about the conference | USCI YouTube "State of the Chinese Economy" Playlist

 ♦  Video: Is China Becoming a Mafia State?

             USCI presents The Age and Sydney Morning Herald`s China correspondent, John Garnaut.

Click to watch Video

 ♦  Video: Andrew Scobell: Is there a civil-military gap in China`s peaceful rise?

RAND scholar Andrew Scobell discussed what provocative comments from Chinese military figures and actions by Chinese military units suggests about civilian control over today`s People`s Liberation Army.

Click to watch Video

 ♦  Video: Varieties of Authoritarianism: Comparing China and Russia

USCI presents a talk with Thomas Bernstein.

Click to watch Video

 ♦  Video: Chinese Dynasties ("Vogue" by Madonna)

A popular video with AP History  teachers; a song parody about early dynasties in China!

Click to watch Video

 


 

 

      ♦  USCI Events

⇒  Lecture by Robert A. Kapp

Date: May 5, 2011
Time: 4 to 5:30pm
Location: TBA
Cost: Free

For ten years, Robert Kapp was president of the U.S.-China Business Council, the preeminent organization of companies involved in U.S.-China investment and trade. Since 2004, he’s been principal of Robert A. Kapp and Associates, a business consulting firm. Prior to assuming the Council presidency, Dr. Kapp taught Chinese history at Rice University and the University of Washington and served as editor of the Journal of Asian Studies. From 1979 to 1994, he headed two organizations, the Washington State China Relations Council and the Washington Council on International Trade. He’s frequently testified before Congress and is the author of numerous newspaper and magazine articles.

Contact: USC U.S. - China Institute
Phone: 213-821-4382
 

⇒  Lecture by William A. Callahan

Date: May 9, 2011
Time: 4 to 5:30pm
Location: TBA
Cost: Free

William A. Callahan joined the University of Manchester in September 2005 as Chair in International Politics and Research Director of the new interdisciplinary Centre for Chinese Studies. Dr Callahan has taught at the University of Durham, University of Oregon, Renmin University of China, Seoul National University, Rangsit University (Thailand), and has been a Visiting Fellow at Harvard University, the Bellagio Center (Italy), the University of Hong Kong, the Academia Sinica (Taiwan) and CASS (China). In 2007-08 he is a Resident Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (Washington, DC).

Callahan’s research examines the international politics of East Asia, including Chinese foreign policy and the transnational relations that join East Asia, Southeast Asia and Euro-America. He is interested in exploring the interface between theory and practice in international politics: how East Asian politics needs to be better theorised, on the one hand, and how the Chinese experience calls into question the foundations of IR theory, on the other. Callahan’s most recent books are ‘Contingent States: Greater China and Transnational Relations’ (Minnesota, 2004), and ‘Cultural Governance and Resistance in Pacific Asia’ (Routledge, 2006). He has published articles in many journals, including International Organization, Theory & Event, Asian Survey, Alternatives and the Journal of Strategic Studies.

Contact: USC US-China Institute
Phone: 213-821-4382
 

Sponsor(s): USC US-China Institute
 

⇒  Lecture by Yi Feng

Date: May 11, 2011
Time: 4 to 5:30pm
Location: TBA
Cost: Free

Yi Feng is provost and vice president for academic affairs at Claremont Graduate University. He teaches international political economy, world politics, and methodology. His research has focused on political and economic development. His China-focused publications address financial markets, labor markets, economic growth, foreign direct investment, and trade policy. His books include Democracy, Governance, and Economic Performance: Theory and Evidence and Social Security and Economic Development: Lessons For and From China.

Contact: USC U.S. - China Institute
Phone: 213-821-4382

Sponsor(s): USC U.S. - China Institute

⇒  The Rise of China and the East Asian Regional Order

Date: April 28, 2011
Time: 4 to 6:00pm
Location: Tyler Environmental Prize Pavilion (1st floor VKC building)
Address: 3518 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90089
Cost: Free
Phone: 213/740-0800
 
With the rise of China at the dawn of the 21st century, there is a complex power transition taking place in the world in general and in East Asia in particular, where both the United States and China struggle to expand their respective influences without disrupting the foundation of prosperity and stability of the region.  Will this transition continue to be a peaceful one where the American-led liberal institutions remain intact and influential?  Or will the changing power balance gradually lead to disruption of regional and global order?  By inviting the four prominent scholars of international relations and Chinese foreign policy, the forum addresses one of the most critical questions of this century.
Contact: USC Center for International Studies
Phone: 213/740-0800
Email: lascis@usc.edu

Sponsor(s): US-China Institute, Center for International Studies, Korean Studies Institute, School of International Relations and East Asian Studies Center


    ♦  City Events 

   
 
 
Date: April 23, 2011
Time: 2-5 PM
Cost: Free, reservation required
Location: UCLA Hammer Museum
Address: 10899 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90024
 
The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, Department of Ethnomusicology, and the Hammer Museum jointly present a Spring Festival of World Music. This lively series of international rhythms, sound, and dance is performed by UCLA students and faculty.
2pm MUSIC OF CHINA ENSEMBLE, Chi Li, director The Music of China Ensemble will perform traditional Jiangnan silk and bamboo music, an aria from the Kun Opera, and a Chinese folk dance. Jiangnan silk and bamboo music was developed in the Shanghai region and features the erhu as the silk stringed instrument and the dizi as its bamboo flute.
3:30pm BLUEGRASS AND OLD-TIME STRING ENSEMBLE The Bluegrass and Old-Time String Ensemble performs music from the southern Appalachian region of the United States. Professor Anthony Seeger grew up playing the banjo and singing with his parents and sister. He is a nephew of Pete, Mike, and Peggy Seeger, and former director of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings.
ALL HAMMER PUBLIC PROGRAMS ARE FREE. Seating is on a first come, first served basis. Hammer members receive priority seating, subject to availability. Reservations not accepted, RSVPs not required.
Parking is available under the museum for $3 for 3 hours.
Contact: UCLA Hammer Museum
Phone: 310.443.7000
Email: info@hammer.ucla.edu

 “What is True Wisdom?”: Public Talk by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

Date: May 2, 2011
Time: 10-11:30 AM
Cost: $165, $100, $65 and, for UCLA students with current Bruincard ID, $20. Limit 2 per person; 1 per student.
Location: UCLA
Address: Royce Hall Auditorium , Los Angeles, CA

“The aim of life is happiness. While ignorance leads beings into endless frustration and suffering, wisdom frees them.”

Along with compassion, wisdom is one of the twin pillars of Buddhist thought and practice. But what is wisdom? What does it have to do with how we understand personal identity? What kind of engagement with the world does it imply? How does wisdom enhance the expression of compassion? In a public talk delivered in Royce Hall, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama will draw upon his decades of study and training in traditional Buddhist sources, and his deep personal experience as a Buddhist monk, to explore what true wisdom is and how it may be applied in daily life. After the public address, UCLA Center for Buddhist Studies Director Robert Buswell will pose to His Holiness selected questions submitted in advance. The UCLA student submitting the best question online will receive a complimentary ticket and be acknowledged by name at the event.

Tickets for the general public and students go on sale March 16.

Contact: UCLA Central Ticket Office
Phone: 310-825-2101
Email: http://www.tickets.ucla.edu/

 "Buddhism and Neuroscience: a Discussion on Attention, Mental Flexibility and Compassion" 

Date: May 2, 2011
Time: 1:30 -3:30 PM
Cost: $100, $65 and, for UCLA students, faculty and staff with current ID, $20. Limit 4 per person and 1 per UCLA ID holder.
Location: UCLA
Address: Royce Hall Auditorium , Los Angeles, CA

“I am convinced that a close collaboration between our two investigative traditions, Buddhism and science, can contribute significantly to developing an understanding of the complex inner world of subjective experience that we call the mind.”

Tibetan Buddhism and Western neurosciences offer distinctive but complementary perspectives on the importance of attention, mental flexibility, compassion and creativity. How do these capacities enrich our professional competence, mental health and quality of life? What can we do to improve them? In a two-hour symposium in Royce Hall, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama will interact with four world-renowned UCLA researchers in a dialogue about the effects of Buddhist meditative practices on the power of concentration and, in turn, on suppleness of mind, creativity and compassion. Ticket purchasers may submit written questions here.

Speakers:

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet

Robert Bilder, UCLA, Michael E. Tennenbaum Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and Psychology

Susan Bookheimer, UCLA, Joaquin Fuster Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience

Lobsang Rapgay, UCLA, Research Psychologist and Director of the Clinical Training program for Mental Health Professionals at the Mindfulness Awareness Research Center

Robert Buswell (moderator), UCLA, Distinguished Professor and Director of the Center for Buddhist Studies

Ticket sales for the general public and students begin on March 16. Any surplus funds from ticket sales will be donated to charitable endeavors sanctioned by His Holiness.

Contact: UCLA Central Ticket Office
Phone: 310-825-2101
Email: http://www.tickets.ucla.edu/

Sponsor(s): UCLA Center for Buddhist Studies, mel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism 

 Writing Across Fences

Date: May 2, 2011
Time: 4:30 -6:00 PM
Location: UCLA Faculty Center Sequoia Room
Address: 480 Charles E. Young Dr. East, Los Angeles, CA 90095

As an author who writes for both Taiwan and China, Lung Yingtai reveals how linguistic as well as ideological understanding and misunderstanding occur across the fences at UCLA.

Lung Ying-tai is a celebrated writer, literary critic and public intellectual. She not only has a large number of devoted readers in her native Taiwan, but her works also have great influence in the Chinese-language world in Hong Kong, China, and North America. After receiving her doctorate in English Literature from Kansas State University, Lung Ying-tai taught in several universities, including City University of New York, Taiwan Central University, Tamkang University, and the University of Heidelberg. In 1999, she was appointed Minister of Culture of Taipei City and for three years she actively promoted Taiwanese culture and green environmental policies. After that, while living in Hong Kong, Lung was a visiting professor at the City University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong University. In July 2005, she established the Lung Ying-tai Cultural Foundation and went on to sponsor many academic lectures and literary and artistic activities. Since 2008 she has occupied the position of Hung Leung Hao Ling Distinguished Fellow in Humanities of Hong Kong University.

Contact: University of California, Los Angeles Center for Chinese Studies
Phone: (310) 825-8683
Email: china@international.ucla.edu

Sponsor(s): University of California, Los Angeles Center for Chinese Studies

A Talk by Ge Jianxiong

Date: May 3, 2011
Time: 2:00 -3:00 PM
Location: UCLA
Address: 2nd Floor Lounge, Ackerman Union, Los Angeles, CA
Cost: Free

Professor Ge will speak in Chinese

Ge Jianxiong is one of China`s leading scholars of historical studies. He is Professor of Chinese Historical Geography of Fudan University (Shanghai) and the Director of the Fudan University Library. He has published numerous books on Chinese historical geography and migration, including History of Migrations in China; Population Geography of the Western Han Dynasty; Changes in Boundaries and Administrative Divisions in China; Population and Modernization in China since 1850; and China`s Historical Geographic Studies in the Twenthieth Century. He is also a well-known public intellectual in China, and writes several popular columns and blogs in mainstream Chinese media on globalization and China`s role in world affairs. In addition to his academic appointments, Professor Ge is a member of the Standing Committee of the People`s Political Consultative Congress of China and has served on the Advisory Committee of the Shanghai Municipal Government since 2006.

Contact: Center for Chinese Studies
Phone: 310-825-8683
Email: china@international.ucla.edu

Sponsor(s): Chinese Culture Development Center of the China Press


   
     ♦  Learning Opportunities and Resources for Teachers

Japan Earthquake & Tsunami: Resource for K-12 Educators

An East Asian librarian at the University of Massachusetts has put together this special library guide to resources on the Japan earthquake and tsunami:

http://guides.library.umass.edu/jpnearthqkids

20 Ways to Teach about the Disaster in Japan

The Los Angeles County Office of Education is proud to announce: 20 Ways to Teach About the Disaster in Japan Across the Curriculum
Using the New York Times!

Since the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan, The New York Times has been updating a list of teaching and learning resources, including articles, interactive features, past lessons, photo galleries and videos. Below is a link to find 20 activity ideas for ways to use The New York Times to teach about what’s happening as the story continues to unfold.

http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/15/20-ways-to-teach-about-the-disaster-in-japan-across-the-curriculum/

FCCEAS 2011 Japan study tour application

The Five College Center for East Asian Studies (the Center) is one of many programs administered by Five Colleges, Incorporated, a consortium of Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, and Smith Colleges, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The Center`s outreach efforts include a highly successful multi-year project, the National  Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA), funded by the Freeman Foundation.

For information on the 2011 JAPAN STUDY-TOUR PROGRAM, please download the Application form and the Assumption of Risk form in the desired format in:

http://www.smith.edu/fcceas/ncta/index.html

Newseum Unveils Digital Classroom

The Newseum (Washington DC) has just announced a new online site for teachers.

The Digital Classroom utilizes 12 of the most popular videos (and accompanying resources) from the museum..The videos and resources are designed to bring news literacy, journalism and history to students.

The URL is http://www.newseum.org/digital-classroom/default.aspx

You will be directed to register where you will be sent a password and a Survey Monkey evaluation.

The 12 videos cover the following topics: The First Amendment, the fall of the Berlin Wall, Bias, Edward R Murrow, Getting It Right, The Digital Revolution, News Apps, The Press and Civil Rights, Running Toward Danger, Sources, Watergate,What`s News.

Resources include: introductions, essential questions, links NCTE standards, links to web sources, and an extensive viewing guide.

⇒  Los Angeles County Museum of Art - Artworks on View

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art website has undergone a major expansion. One outstanding feature is their “artworks on view” pages which provide photos and descriptions of works that you can see at the museum. Check out, for example, what’s on display at the Japanese pavilion: http://www.lacma.org/collection/japanese.html.

Additional information can be found here: http://www.lacma.org/collection/index.html

 


    ♦  Museum Exhibitions on Asia

 ⇒   Pacific Asia Museum: Through the Colonial Lens- Photographs of 19th and 20th Century India

Dates: February 3 - September 4, 2011
Location: 46 North Los Robles Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101
Admission: $9 for General Admission, $7 for Students and Seniors, Free for Children Ages 11 and Under

This exhibition will feature more than 70 images in 2 rotations selected for both their striking imagery and for what they reveal about the dynamism of India in this era. Through the Colonial Lens looks at the history of photography in India from its early adoption dating from the 1840s through the early 1900s. The exhibition will also explore themes of the subjective view, consumption of images and photography’s growing prominence over earlier forms of media.

  ⇒   Pacific Asia Museum: Meiji, Japan Rediscovered

Dates: March 31, 2011 - February 26, 2012
Location: 46 North Los Robles Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101
Admission: $9 for General Admission, $7 for Students and Seniors, Free for Children Ages 11 and Under

In the Toshie and Frank Mosher Gallery of Japanese Art

Meiji: Japan Rediscovered explores the vibrant connection between Japan and the West during the Meiji period (1868-1912). Meiji is one of the most dynamic eras in Japanese political and cultural history, as Japanese artists in all fields rediscovered and re-imagined their own history in response to the “opening” of the country to Europe and America. Recently, scholars and collectors alike have renewed appreciation for export arts created during this era. The technical virtuosity of these art objects speaks to the formation of a new national identity and the emergence of a vibrant economy at the turn of the 20th century.

The Meiji exhibition focuses on the rich production of art for export, using little seen objects from the Museum’s collection to illustrate new developments in oil painting, woodblock prints, cloisonné, ivory, metalwork, textiles, picture books and ceramics. Also on view are period photographs made primarily for American travelers which point to the prominence of Western tourists and consumers as the audience for this art. The highlight of the exhibition is a stunning single panel screen with a design of a flower basket in the form of a phoenix boat, constructed out of wood, lacquer, ivory, bone, horn, and mother-of-pearl.

        Pacific Asia Museum: Facets of Asia: Photographs by Sandra Chen Weinstein

Dates: March 17 - May 1, 2011
Location: 46 North Los Robles Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101
Admission: $9 for General Admission, $7 for Students and Seniors, Free for Children Ages 11 and Under

Sandra Chen Weinstein documents daily lives and religious practices in India and China. With images that evoke tourist postcards, Weinstein questions the viewer`s perception of Asia. Born in Taipei, Taiwan, Weinstein attended Kyushu College of Design in Japan and George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She has received several national and international awards.

       ⇒  J.A.N.M: Xploration Lab

Dates: March 12 - June 12, 2011
Location: 369 East First Street, Los Angeles, California 90012
Admission: Adults $9.00, Seniors (62 and over) $5.00, Students (with ID) and Youth (6-17) $5.00, Children 5 and under and Museum Members, Free.

*Free general admission every Thursday from 5 to 8 PM and every third Thursday of the month.

Part-classroom, part-exhibition prototype; participate and experiment with hands-on activities designed to engage audiences of all ages about the World War II Japanese American experience.

Major funding for Xploration Lab provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services with additional support provided by The James Irvine Foundation.

 


 

    ♦  Teachers on Asia

Teachers of all levels and subjects are invited to join our "Asia in My Classroom" web forum. To become a registered user (enabling you to post to the  board), please e-mail us your request along with your name, school, and the grades and subjects you teach. What teachers have been talking about:

⇒ On why do we teach about East Asia: "This is my 11th year of teaching a self-contained newcomer class. For the first eight years I had only Korean students in my class... Since the district changed its name from KMC to SEIC, I have had students from Asia, South America, and the Middle East. This year I have 20 students from China, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. Interestingly enough, 19 of these students share Chinese language and culture. So it was inevitable seeking an opportunity to learn more about China, and I’ve found it – The first class was fascinating!                                                      

                                                      - Rae Kim, Structured English Immersion Center) at Maple Hill Elementary School                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

⇒  On why do we teach about East Asia: "It is important to learn about different regions of the world to have a balanced perspective. Historically the United States did not include a lot of information about East Asia in schools. However, with an ever growing connected world, we must pay attention to our allies, enemies, competitors,and future world powers in order to be globally competitive and make the best decisions. Thus, East Asia must be included in our curriculum to ensure that our students, our future leaders, will be global citizens and ready to compete with a global economy.
 

                                                                                                      - Guillermina Jauregui, International Studies Learning Center

 


 ♦  Subscription  ♦

Please forward this e-mail. If you wish to unsubscribe, please e-mail asiak12@usc.edu.


 USC U.S. - China Institute
南加州大学美中学院

3535 S. Figueroa Street, FIG 202
Los Angeles, CA 90089-1262
United States of America
web:
http://china.usc.edu/
e-mail: uschina@usc.edu

phone: 213-821-4382
fax: 213-821-2382

Print