Seminar Listings: Spring 2008

Chinese Restaurants: Exploring the Chinese Diaspora

Tuesday, January 15, 3:30 p.m., Tokioka Room (Moore 319)
Judy Maxwell

The family-run restaurant links Chinese immigrants from every corner of the world. A researcher for the documentary film series "Chinese Restaurants," Maxwell will highlight an excerpt from the episode "Latin Passions," which features Chinese restaurateurs and their families in Lima, Peru.

Link to news entry

From Southern Seas to Cyberspace: Chinese Diaspora Websites in 11 Languages

Tuesday, January 29, 3:30 p.m., Tokioka Room (Moore 319)
Vincent Pollard

How are concepts of "Chineseness" defined on the Web? The Chinese Cultures Abroad WWW Virtual Library includes detailed entries for 120 websites, evaluating how "ethnic," "Overseas," and "transnational" Chinese represent themselves online or are depicted by others.

Link to news entry

The 2008 Beijing Olympics: A Roundtable Discussion

Tuesday, April 22, 3:30 p.m., Tokioka room (Moore 319)
Seio Nakajima, Qinghong Wang, Shana Brown

(This seminar was originally scheduled for February 5, it has since been postponed to April 22) Bringing together perspectives on Chinese media and society, politics, and the history of the capital city, this panel will discuss the likely impact of the 2008 Olympics in China.

Re-acting an Actor's Reaction to the Occupation: the Beijing Jingju Company's "Mei Lanfang"

THURSDAY, February 14, 3:30 p.m., Center for Korean Studies Auditorium
Elizabeth Wichmann-Walczak

Mei Lanfang was an acclaimed dan (young female role) actor who grew a mustache rather than perform for the Japanese during World War II. The Beijing Jingju Company's recent "Mei Lanfeng" is the first postmodern Jingju, alternating musical quotations from traditional and revolutionary opera with original symphonic music, and referencing geisha, Kabuki, and Noh drama.

Link to news entry

Disincentives for Democratic Change in China

Tuesday, February 26, 3:30 p.m., Tokioka Room (Moore 319)
Terri Wright

Despite widespread and growing "mass disturbances" in China in recent years, there is little indication of increased public interest in promoting liberal democracy. Why do both laid-off state-owned enterprise workers and private entrepreneurs continue to fear political reform?

Link to news entry

Corporate Rescue in China: Developing Effective Insolvency Infrastructures

Tuesday, March 4, 3:30 p.m., Tokioka Room (Moore 319)
Charles Booth

In recent years, the Chinese government has aimed to revitalize the SOE (state-owned enterprise), corporate and banking sectors, creating a new bankruptcy law and developing institutions to disperse non-performing loans. In the aftermath of the Asian financial crisis, have these attempts at corporate rescue and reform been successful?

The Relationship between Official Dress and Political Institutions in Medieval China

Tuesday, April 1, 3:30 p.m., Tokioka Room (Moore 319)
Ye Wei

In medieval China there was a sophisticated system to categorize and stratify officials through their attire. Detailed regulations prescribed the dress of different types and ranks of officials. How do changes in official attire illustrate other kinds of political developments?

Workshop on Grant-Writing for Graduate Students

Tuesday, April 8, 3:30 p.m., Tokioka Room (Moore 319)
Shana Brown

A workshop to help graduate students become more successful in applying for national funding for field research, language training, and conference travel.

Shu: Reinventing the Book in Contemporary Chinese Art

Tuesday, April 15, 3:30 p.m., Tokioka Room (Moore 319)
Shawn Eichmann

Great Chinese artists have traditionally been well-read in philosophy, history, and literature. In the 1950's and 1960's, however, Maoist anti-intellectual movements discouraged book-learning. How have contemporary Chinese artists reengaged with the book as a literary and artistic artifact?

Yunnan and Its Cultural Diversity

Tuesday, April 29, 3:30 p.m., Tokioka Room (Moore 319)
Liu Jiayun

For centuries, Yunnan's relative isolation shielded its cultural diversity. Recently, however, the province has become more accessible to the outside world. In what way has a blooming tourist industry complicated life for Yunnan's minority communities?