Co-Sponsored by the Department of Russian and Slavic Studies 

Hosted by the Department of East Asian Studies 

The departments of East Asian studies and Russian and Slavic studies are proud to have Assistant Professor Roy Chan of Oregon University, Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures, speak upon conceptions of intelligentisa through Chinese literature .Having survived considerable persecution during the Cultural Revolution, Ba Jin (1904-2005) emerged back on the Chinese literary scene in 1979 with a translation of the first part of 19^th century Russian writer Alexander Herzen’s memoirs, Byloe i dumy (My Past and Thoughts, in Chinese, Wangshi yu suixiang). Herzen had long been a considerable influence on Ba Jin, and for decades Ba Jin had endeavored to translate his memoirs. After completing the first volume of translation, Ba Jin traveled to France where he met with Herzen’s descendants, and visited his grave in Nice. Ba Jin recorded these experiences in a number of writings. This talk seeks to understand how Ba Jin’s engagement with Herzen attempted to transplant certain conceptions of intelligentsia identity through his own aesthetic and ethical activity; like the Russian intelligentsia that so inspired Ba Jin, he also sought to meld life, literature, and history. Historic events and personal dramas transmute into aesthetic expression, which in turn spurs new actions and events in an infinite loop. Translation in this instance is conceived broadly: not simply as a literary activity, but also as an ethical activity that incorporated both personal and revolutionary mourning.

Roy Chan received his Ph.D. (2009) in Comparative Literature from the University of California, Berkeley, and also holds a B.A. (2002) in Russian and Comparative Literature from the University of Washington. Prior to coming to Oregon, he taught at the College of William and Mary, and was a Harvard University Fairbank Center An Wang Postdoctoral Fellow in Chinese Studies. 

https://russian.arizona.edu/sweeping-tomb-nice-revolutionary-mourning-alexander-herzen-and-ba-jin

Zen enthralled the scholarly world throughout much of the 20th century, and Zen Studies became a major academic discipline in its wake. Toward the end of the 20th century, some of the biases inherent in Zen Studies began to be exposed, and the parameters of the field shifted markedly into new directions. A consensus formed that the so-called “golden age” of Zen forged by Tang dynasty masters was largely the product of Song Chan revisionism. The aim of the conference is to forge new parameters for Chan/Sŏn/Zen Studies. The focus will be on developments in Chan Buddhism during the 10th through 13th centuries, and their impact throughout the East Asian region in Korea and Japan, both pre-modern and modern, as well as in China after the Song dynasty.

Official Conference program (PDF)

Official Conference website: zenconference.arizona.edu

Please join us! The film will be shown in Japanese with English subtitles.

Japanese snacks will be provided.

The School of Journalism, Department of East Asian Studies and Center for Border and Global Journalism host the political film ‘1987 When the Day Comes’. The feature film recounts the 1987 student led democracy movement and the events leading to the fall of the dictatorial government of South Korean President Chun Doo-hwan.

Q & A and Panel Discussion following the film will center on current Korean events and their relationship to student and labor-led social movements worldwide. Panelists: Journalism Professor Kim Newton, East Asian Studies Professor Sunyoung Yang, Professor Nathaniel Smith and documentary film director Man-jin Kim from the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation in Seoul.

Esteemed scholar and author bell hooks will engage in a conversation with Rae Erin Dachille (UA Assistant Professor of Religious Studies & East Asian Studies) on a range of topics related to Buddhism, feminism, and spirituality. The conversation will include reflections on questions of identity, community, interdependence, love, and social justice. The audience will have the opportunity to engage in this lively conversation.

Seating is limited, and arriving early is recommended. A recording of the event will be available at humanities.arizona.edu in April.

The Chinese Language program, in welcoming the Chinese New Year, held a celebration party on Feb. 23. More than 100 students from Chinese language classes, TAs and instructors participated in the event. Students enjoyed a variety of activities in the LSB courtyard: Chinese calligraphy, paper cutting, bean (M&M) picking with chopsticks, a character recognition game and shuttlecock kicking. The major activity was dumpling making (shown in picture). Students learned how to make dumplings under the guidance of TAs and instructors. The dumplings were cooked on site, and each student got to enjoy freshly cooked jizaozi. Many students brought their friends along, and some came with their parents. Everybody had a great time. This event was sponsored by the Student-Faculty Interaction grant and EAS. We thank all of the instructors and TAs for their hard work and their contributions. It was a big success!