ASIAN STUDIES PROGRAM
2019-2020 FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
STEVEN J. GREEN SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS
2019-2020 NEWSLETTER Faculty/Staff New! April Messersmith Scholarship Program Highlights Faculty News Director's Research Students News Events & Clubs 19-20 Graduates Overview
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James & Katie invite you to an anniversary party to celebrate their ten years of marriage!
Masako Kubota Instructor Asian Studies/Mod. Lang.
Faculty & Staff
Dr. Steven Heine Professor and Director Asian Studies
Dr. Tom Breslin Professor International Relations
Dr. Mitzi Carter Instructor Global & Sociocultural Studies
Sungmin Cho Korean Instructor Asian Studies/Mod. Lang.
Dr. Rae Choi Assistant Professor Global & Sociocultural Studies
Dr. Qing Lai Assistant Professor Global & Sociocultural Studies
Claudia Lau Instructor Asian Studies
Rachel Levine Instructor Asian Studies
Marcela Lopez Bravo Instructor Asian Studies
Dr. Li Ma Senior Chinese Instructor Modern Languages
Dr. Matthew Marr Associate Professor Global & Sociocultural Studies
Naoko Komura
Dr. Asuka Mashav
Senior Japanese Instructor Modern Languages
Senior Japanese Instructor Modern Languages
& Katie invite you to an anniversary party to celebrate their ten years of marriage!
Dr. Amy Bliss Marshall Assistant Professor History/Asian Studies
María Sol Echarren Program Manager Asian Studies
Dr. Eric Messersmith Lecturer Asian Studies
Nanda Singh Program Assistant Asian Studies
Elisa Romulo Borges Instructor Asian Studies
Fatima Osman Elkadri Graduate Assistant Asian Studies
Dr. Steven Vose Assistant Professor Religious Studies
Jhonatan Baez Teaching Assistant Asian Studies
Dr. Shenggao Wang Chinese Instructor Asian Studies/Mod. Lang.
Grey Fernandez Graduate Assistant Asian Studies
Dr. Lidu Yi Associate Professor Art & Art History
Cassidy Kerr Graduate Assistant Asian Studies
Dr. Julie Zeng Associate Professor International Relations
April Messersmith M W E N Memorial Scholarship
The April Messersmith Memorial Scholarship for Asian Studies was established by a generous gift made by Yoko Messersmith, wife of Dr. Eric Messersmith, in memory of their beloved granddaughter. This scholarship will be awarded for outstanding students to travel to Japan. Applicants must have a 3.5 GPA or higher and at least one year of Japanese Language. We thank the Messersmith family for this heartwarming donation.
Program Highlights
Japan Foundation News On January 22, 2020, we welcomed the representatives from The Japan Foundation to evaluate the multiple grants received over the recent years, particularly the 2013-2017 Institutional Program Support grant received by Dr. Steven Heine. The meeting included Asian Studies faculty and graduate students who participated in the grant’s activities.
(left to right) Mariko Abe, Masako Kubota, Dr. Steven Heine, and Dr. Takakazu Yamagishi
JAPAN FOUNDATION Grant Center for Global Partnersnhip (CGP) "US-Japan Service Hub Network"
Dr. Matthew Marr, Associate Professor of Sociology, has been working towards Year II of his collaborative project supported by the Japan Foundation CGP grant titled "US-Japan Service Hub Network" (2018-2021). The main goal of this project is to connect researchers and advocates working in “service hub� neighborhoods, while advancing and promoting knowledge in addressing homelessness in Miami, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Osaka. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, this year's research activities have been postponed and set to be completed next year.
international lunar new year Gala
d by e z i n Orga a Li, , Dr. M o Wang ngga e and h S b . u r l D se C ubs! e n i Ch U cl I F r othe
On January 25, 2020, FIU hosted the International Lunar New Year Gala, bringing together our student body and the community of South Florida. The event featured a series of dance and musical performances, as well as traditional food. 2020 marked the Year of the Rat, which symbolizes fertility, wealth and plenty. People born during this year are thought to be optimistic.
PokĂŠMON ARTIST Demo
Mitsuhiro Arita Illustrator / Designer / Concept Artist On March 11, 2020, the artist Mitsuhiro Arita came to FIU and performed a live art demonstration followed by a Q&A where students asked various questions to the artist in regards to his painting techniques and favorite PokĂŠmon figures (Mewtwo).
film director Yujiro Seki Originally from Japan, Yujiro Seki created his first feature film titled Sokonashi Deka (The Th Enigmatic Detective). He received a BA in Film m from the University of California, Berkeley, producing a short film, Sashimi Taco, for his honors thesis. After this, he moved to Los Angeles A les to advance his career and earned a Certificatee in Cinematography from UCLA; he is now w working as the Director of Sokonashi Entertainment. Yujiro's os lastest documentary, Carving the Divine, ne is based d on notable Buddhist sculptors of Japan, featuring urin one of Japan’s foremost Busshi, Kourin Saito. o
Yujiro Seki visited FIU on January 2020 and gave a talk about his latest documentary fo f r Dr. Heine's graduate seminar.
Southern japan Seminar
March 27, 2020 (Due to COVID-19 this event was canceled)
My Life with Japanese Art and Culture in South Florida Larry Rosenzweig Founding Director, Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens A Discussion on His Award-Winning Book, American Sutra: A Story of Faith and Freedom in the Second World War Duncan RyĹŤken Williams Professor of East Asian Languages & Cultures, University of Southern California Rethinking Buddhist Politics in the 21st Century James Mark Shields Professor of Comparative Humanities and Asian Thought, Bucknell University Born into a Sovereign Void: Okinawan Life between American Militarism and Japanese Capitalism Annmaria Shimabuku Associate Professor of Japanese, Okinawan, and East Asian Studies, New York University Mixed Asian American Art and Japan Laura Kina Professor of Art, Media, & Design, DePaul University
Co-sponsored by Asian Studies Program Global Indigenous Forum Depart r ment of Global & Sociocultural Studies rt Org r anizers: rg Dr. Steven Heine, Profe f ssor and Director of Asian Studies fe Dr. Mitzi Cart r er, Instructor in Asian Studies and GSS rt
Korean Studies KOREAN COURSES AT FIU KOR 1113
Korean I
KOR 1132
Korean II
KOR 2220 Intermediate Korean I FOL 3930 Sp. Topics: Korean for Business ASN 3153
Topics in Korean Culture
ASN 3154 Traditional and Modern Korea
This past academic year, there have been nearly 100 students enrolled in Korean language courses offered by the Department of Modern Languges. Each semester, Asian Studies offers Korean culture courses currently taught by Sungmin Cho, which have all been enrolled at almost full capacity.
New Korean Language Club In January of 2020, FIU students created the Korean Language Empowerment Club (KLEC). This organization is affiliated with the Korean Community Empowerment Association of South Florida under the auspices of the Korean Consulate in Atlanta, Georgia. The club's mission is to assist our students in learning and improving their Korean language skills, facilitate tutoring opportunities, and offer options for future study and careers related to Korean language and culture.
"Our club's goal is to strengthen your Korean language skills through weekly tutoring sessions" Follow KLEC on social media!
Korean Festival
The second annual Korean Culture Festival took place on November 30th, 2019. The festival was a success with participation from many FIU students that are passionate for Korean culture. It consisted of interactive games, traditional food, contemporary musical performances, a K-Pop Random Dance Challenge, and Korean language competitions.
Organized by Korean Instructor Sungmin Cho, Modern Languages, and the Korean Culture Club. The festival was featured in a news article on Panther Now.
japan studies review )([)
The Japan Study Review is a refereed journal published annually by the Southern Japan Seminar and Asian Studies at FIU. JSR includes research articles, essays, and book reviews covering varied interdisciplinary topics in the areas of politics and economic issues, gender issues, popular culture, and more. The 2020 issue (Volume XXIV) features four articles that explore intriguing topics such as: "Strategizing Asia: Japan’s ValuesBased Diplomacy Amid Great Powers’ Competing Visions for Broader Asia" (B. Bryan Barber); "How Many Bodies Does it Take to ddha? Dividing the Make a Buddha? Trikāya JSR Journal Archive: http://asian.fiu.edu/jsr f u.edu/ fi u/j u/ /jsr
Trikāya Among Founders of Japanese Buddhism" (Victor Forte); "Behind the Shoji: Sex Trafficking of Japanese Citizens" (Rachel Serena Levine); and "The Infiltrated Self in Murakami Haruki’s TV People" (Masaki Mori). In addition, this volume includes two noteworthy essays: "The Role of Compassion in Actualizing Dōgen’s Zen" (George Wrisley) "and "How Journalists’ Bias Can Distort the Truth: A Case Study of Japan’s Military Seizure of Korea in 19041905" (Daniel A. Métraux). There are also three reviews from books by Jacqueline I. Stone (Elaine Lai), Kan Kimura (Jason Morgan), Pe and Bryan D. Lowe (Justin Peter McDonnell) l. l) McDonnell).
To obtain a copy or to sub submit an article review, art r icle or book review rt please email asian@ asian@fiu.edu @fi fu
national consortium For Teaching About Asia
The National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA) is a nationwide professional development program for K-12 teachers to encourage teaching and learning about Asia. Asian Studies at FIU is proud to host the NCTA program in South Florida. This project is an ideal introduction to Asian culture, history, and society for teaches in our community. The main objective of the workshop is for teachers to understand East Asian cultural and historical aspects, encouraging them to infuse Asia into their curriculum through the use of interactive lessons and online resources. Furthermore, this knowledge can be applied to specific and original lesson plans for incorporation into each teacher's educational portfolio.
To To apply, apply, please please contact ccontac ontact Maria Maria Sol Sol Echarren Echarren at at asian@fiu.edu aasian@fi sian@ffiiu .edu u.edu
Join our FIU's NCTA Facebook pag a e ag f r updat fo a es and news! at
Faculty Spotlight
Our program is very grateful for the outstanding efforts of Claudia Lau as part of the Asian Studies faculty. During this past year, she increased her teaching load to three to four courses per semester, successfully creating and implementing new online
courses such as ASN 3143 Corporate Culture of China (Global Learning) and ASN 3414 Visual Cultures (Pop Culture of East Asia). In addition, she has effectively taught the undergraduate capstone courses ASN 4510 Dynamics of Asia and ASN 4390 Modern Asia.
Faculty Spotlight Claudia has also been involved in several events promoting Asian culture. She has led the program's National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA) seminars for K-12 teachers and educators to infuse Asian history and culture in their classrooms.
Last year, she presented at the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month event in Miami. She also volunteered at the 11th Chinese Speech & Skit Contest, serving as one of the judges, and has always motivated students to join our program eventss and cultural activities.
Claudia Lau pictured at various events on campus teaching and promoting Asian language and culture.
Faculty News Dr. ASUKA MASHAV, Assistant Director of Language Programs and Japanese Senior Instructor, successfully organized the third JLPT Exam held at FIU this past December 2019 with a total of 213 test-takers, and with the support of faculty, staff, and student volunteers. In Spring 2020, she coordinated a special demo workshop with Mitsuhiro Arita, the PokĂŠmon Illustrator, Designer & Concept Artist, with attendance by the Consulate General of Japan in Miami, Kenji Hirata.
Dr. LI MA, promoted this year to Senior Instructor of Chinese, presented at the Faculty Development Round Table at the FIU CIBER Languages for Business Conference in November 2019. In addition, she organized the 2020 Chinese Lunar New Year Gala along with the support from the FIU Chinese Club and the Asian Studies Graduate Student Organization (ASGSO).
Faculty News
MASAKO KUBOTA, Asian Studies Instructor, was interviewed for her Ainu research for a book article written by a student in the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service: “Hokkaido’s Indigenous People-Connecting with the Outside World” in Georgetown Journal of Asian Affairs Vol. 5 (2019). Masako also helped Japanese film production group 3 Minute, Inc. to produce a short film called Ainu My Voice.
NAOKO KOMURA, promoted this year to Senior Instructor of Japanese, gave a presentation called “Cando Crash Course” with other colleagues from different universities in FL and NY at the American Council on Teaching Foreign Languages annual conference in Washington D.C. in November 2019. Naoko also coordinated this year’s Japan Immersion Day at FIU, a popular event gathering students in the community to celebrate Japanese culture through a series of workshops and activities.
Faculty News
Dr. YOUNG RAE CHOI, Assistant Professor of Geography, received the esteemed Social Science Research Council InterAsia Program Fellowship for a project titled “The Yellow Sea: A Window onto the Anthropocene," and is currently researching in Berlin. She has also published an article titled, “Profitable Tidal Flats, Governable Fishing Communities: Assembling Tidal Flat Fisheries in Post-Crisis South Korea” in Political Geography 72 (2019).
Dr. STEVEN VOSE, Assistant Professor of Jain Studies, has a forthcoming book called Reimagining Jainism in Islamic India: Jain Intellectual Culture in the Delhi Sultanate (Routledge), which received a prestigious award. the American Institute of Indian Studies’ Edward C. Dimock, Jr. Book Prize in the Indian Humanities.
Faculty News Dr. JIN (JULIE) ZENG, Graduate Director and Associate Professor of Politics & International Relations, is currently working on her book manuscript entitled The Great Transformation in Rural China—Property Rights and Agricultural Modernization. Her primary research interests are political economy of development, statesociety relations, and the politics of economic reform, with a focus on China. She teaches INR 4707 Political Economy of China, INR 3703 International Political Economy, and INR 6706 Political Economy of IR. In Summer 2020, she taught a new graduate seminar INR 5906 Independent Study: Chinese Economic Engagement with Latin America."
SUNGMIN CHO, Korean Language Instructor, hosted the Second Annual Korean Culture Festival in 2019. In this event, there were language competitions, Korean culture lessons, K-Pop music and dancing competitions, in addition to other fun traditional performances. Moreover, this year Sungmin has developed and taught new courses, including KOR 2220 Intermediate Korean I, FOL 3930 Special Topics: Business Korean, ASN 3153 Topics in Korean Culture, and ASN 3154 Traditional and Modern Korea.
Faculty News
Photos taken by Marcela Lopez Bravo
MARCELA LOPEZ BRAVO, Asian Studies Instructor, graduated with her M.A. in the Spring of 2016. She will soon graduate with her PhD from Waseda University in Tokyo. Her dissertation is on “Teaching the Tale of Genji Through Digital Resources,� and Dr. Heine serves as a member of her committee. Marcela teaches several online courses for our program, such as ASN 3329 Women Asian Society, ASN 3125 Spirituality of Japan, ASN 3503 Exploring East Asia: Virtual Reality Travel, and ASN 3410 Intro to East Asia.
director's Research During this past academic year, Dr. Steven Heine presented his research at various institutions and conferences. Some of the lectures he gave include the following: “The Status of Medieval Zen Text” at the 2019 American Academy of Religion (AAR); “Dōgen as Philosopher or Religious Thinker” at the 2020 American Philosophical Association (APA), “The Five Houses of Zen” at Pennsylvania State University, and in other national and international events. Due to the pandemic, Dr. Heine has been active teaching in online seminars through Zoom. This July 2020, he was invited to speak at the UPAYA Institute and Zen Center workshop titled "Dōgen For Our Time," and most recently at the Ancient Dragon Zen Gate Sōtō Zen Buddhist Meditation session, "Zen Meditation and Dharma Talk."
Dr. Heine has a forthcoming book titled Flowers Blooming on a Withered Tree: A Translation of Guin’s Verse Comments on Dōgen’s Treasury of the True Dharma Eye (Oxford UP, 2020), and also has a book chapter titled “Wumen” (2019) with editor Jonathan Silk for Brill’s Encyclopedia of Buddhism. Recently, Dr. Heine's book The Zen Poetry of Dōgen was used for the English translations of 4 poems, which were included in the musical performance by composer Yohanan Chendlerr. The performance took place in Echizen city, close to Eihei-ji, Dōgen's monastery. Curr rre rr rent Publicat a ions at
Readings of Dōgen’s “Treasury of the True Dharma Eye” (Columbia University Press, 2020) Flowers Blooming on a Withered Tree: Verse Comments on the Treasury of the True Dharma-Eye (Oxford University Press, in press)
Research Research director's's'sRsearch
Readings of Dōgen's "Treasury of the True Dharma Eye" (Columbia University Press, 2020)
Dr. Heine's latest book released this year provides a comprehensive introduction to the Shōbōgenzō, an essential Zen text offering a textual, historical, literary, and philosophical examination of Dōgen’s treatise.
"A foremost Dōgen expert's longawaited, thorough, and comprehensive examination of the sublime thinker whose monumental elucidation of dharma is beginning to inspire meditators and beyond worldwide." —Kazuaki Tanahashi, author of Moon in a Dewdrop: Writings of Zen Master Dōgen
The Treasury of the True Dharma Eye (Shōbōgenzō) is the masterwork of Dōgen (1200– 1253), founder of the Sōtō Zen Buddhist sect in Kamakura-era Japan. It is one of the most important Zen Buddhist collections, composed during a period of remarkable religious diversity and experimentation. The text is complex and compelling, famed for its eloquent yet perplexing manner of expressing the core precepts of Zen teachings and practice.
Dr. Heine explores the religious and cultural context in which the Treasury was composed and provides a detailed study of the various versions of the medieval text that have been compiled over the centuries. He includes nuanced readings of Dōgen’s use of inventive rhetorical flourishes and the range of East Asian Buddhist textual and cultural influences that shaped the work. Furthermore, Dr. Heine explicates the philosophical implications of Dōgen’s views on contemplative experience and attaining and sustaining enlightenment, showing the depth of his distinctive understanding of spiritual awakening. Readings of Dōgen’s Treasury of the True Dharma Eye will give students and other readers a full understanding of this fundamental work of world religious literature.
"With clarifying beams of insight, Heine deftly evinces how Dōgen’s teachings are a creative response to a range of Buddhist sutras, kōans, and Chinese and Japanese teachers. Illuminating with philosophical virtuosity the dynamic nature of Dōgen’s written teachings and erudite explication of entangled versions of Dōgen’s writings, Heine animates Dōgen’s teachings and practices as he offers nuggets of sagacity throughout." —Paula Arai, author of Painting Enlightenment: Healing Visions of the Heart Sutra
director's Research
O
n Septermber 19-20, 2019, Dr. Heine was invited to present at special workshop on Medieval Japanese Buddhism at Stanford University in California. He discussed his recent book From Chinese Chan to Japanese Zen and met with scholars in the field. During this event, he was able to network with Dr. Michaela Mross, who specializes in Japanese Buddhism, and Dr. Carl Bielefeldt who has been involed in translating Shōbōgenzō for over 25 years.
In addition, Dr. Heine gave a talk at the Green Gulch Zen Center in San Francisco. He later visited artist Kazuaki Tanahashi (top left) in Berkley to discuss a rare manuscript of the Shōbōgenzō.
director's Research
F A C U LT Y A W A R D F O R EX C ELL EN C E IN RESEARCH & CREATIVE ACTIVITIES
W
e are pleased to announce that the Program Director Dr. Steven Heine was awarded this year's Faculty Award for Excellence in Research & Creative Activities. This award acknowledges career achievements in scholarship including Dr. Heine's publications of nearly three dozen monographs or edited books, in addition to over 100 articles.
This is a special recognition for the extraordinary contributions to his field over many years of fruitful research. Dr. Heine will receive this award at the annual Faculty Convocation held during the Fall semester 2020.
SIPA Student Awards 2019-2020 Congratulations to the recipients of the 2019-2020 Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs Awards ! GRADUATE AWARD OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE: Jhonatan Baez
Grey Fernandez
Nanda Singh
UNDERGRADUATE AWARD OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE: Abbey Schultz
Jailene Nuñez
"My interests in Asian Studies started when I went to live abroad in Thailand for my junior year of high school! Since then I have worked on developing my language skills in Japanese at FIU while attending university in Japan from Spring to Fall of 2019. I am fortunate to see so much of the world and I am looking forward to attending University of Miami Law this Fall to achieve my goal of becoming an International Lawyer." —Abbey Schultz
Omar K. Carrion
Scholarship
2019-2020
The Omar K. Carrion Scholarship for Asian Studies was established through a $50,000 gift made by Hilda and Fernando Carrion, parents of Omar, as an endowment memorializing their son who passed away in 2013. Omar was a bright student, graduating from high school in 2003 and immediately starting classes at FIU. He developed a love for Japan and pursued his bachelor's in Asian Studies. He gained new friends and experiences like teaching English to students in Japan. His family misses him every day and hopes this scholarship will inspire future generations in their studies of Asia.
In honor of Omar K. Carrion
2019-2020 Recipient GABRIELA AVILA VALBUENA participated in a Chinese study abroad program in Xuzhou, China. The experience gave her enough confidence to apply for another study abroad program once becoming an FIU student; this time in Japan, she spent her spring semester in the city of Chiba, at Kanda University of International Studies. Her time in the program inspired her to broaden her horizons. She's now considering pursuing graduate school and the JET Program in the near future, while continuing with her Asian language and cultural studies.
Runner Up JUSTIN REYMOND HERNĂ NDEZ graduated with a dual major in Asian Studies and Latin American & Caribbean Studies, as well as a minor in Geography. In the Summer 2018, with the additional support of the Fu Foundation Scholarship, he had the chance to visit Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia as part of the Honors College. This was followed by a five-month exchange in the Fall at Kansai-Gaidai University in Japan. Both experiences were enlightening, furthering his will to bridge Asia, Latin America, and the U.S.
Undergraduate student News The Combined BA/MA Pathway allows highly qualified undergraduate students to pursue an accelerated MA degree in Asian Studies. Students accepted into this degree pathway will have the chance to take graduate courses as undergraduate students to get ahead in the MA program.
Nat a haniel Jones at Assian Studies BA/MA Student
Nathaniel has been fascinated by the history, culture and languages of Asia for many years. While pursuing the Spanish BA with a Second Major is Asian Studies, he participated in one of the language-intensive Summer Study Abroad Programs in Japan. At that time, he realized he wanted to continue his graduate studies at FIU. Joining the Combined BA/MA Pathway has given him an even greater understanding and appreciation for not only Japanese culture, but other Asian countries as well. Nathaniel is grateful for the opportunity to study and research in an academic environment which fosters a greater interest in the subject matter and greatly increases his knowledge and understanding of Asia.
graduate student News JHONATAN BAEZ finished his MA this Spring 2020. He has spent over 6 years studying Japanese and also taught English in Fukuoka, Japan for 2 years. At FIU, he worked as Teaching Assistant and helped Japanese faculty to develop a course on the JLPT Exam. His research focused on the multi-perspective approaches to the works of 19th century Japanese scholar, Nitobe Inazo, and his connection to the Japanese warrior code. This Fall 2020, Jhonatan will teach Japanese language courses (JPN 1131) and Intro to East Asia (ASN 3410) as our new Adjunct Instructor.
CASSIDY KERR recently graduated with her M.A in Asian Studies in Spring 2020 and worked as Digital Assistant for the program. Cassidy was a student in the 4+1 Program that allowed her to earn the BA and MA at an accelerated rate. Cassidy has also been accepted into the JET Program as an Assistant Language Teacher and will be moving to Japan soon.
DANIEL TACKER graduated with his M.A. in Asian Studies in Summer 2020. During his graduate studies, Daniel's research focused on early Buddhist philosophies. His plans after graduation are to move to Taiwan to teach English.
graduate student News NANDA SINGH worked as Asian Studies Program Assistant for over a year, earning her M.A. degree last Fall 2019. Her Master's Essay focused on the "Contemporary Marriage Crisis in Japan." Nanda has been involved in several events for ASGSO, the Asian Studies Undergraduate Honors Society, and the Chinese Club. Recently, she was accepted to work in Japan as Assistant Language Teacher for the JET Program.
GREY FERNANDEZ was Graduate Assistant for our program for two years and has now finished the M.A. degree this Spring 2020, focusing her research on "Animals in Daoism." Grey was also very active in several organizations, including ASGSO, Chinese Club, and the Asian Studies Undergraduate Honor Society. Her graduate assistanship was made possible by the donation from the D&E Foundation.
MAYTINEE KRAMER worked as our Office Assistant last year and has recently completed her Asian Studies M.A. in Summer 2020. Her research focused on "The Korean Wave in Thailand." During her time at FIU, Maytinee also worked at the Royal Thai Consulate of Miami. She will soon teach a new course on Korean Pop-Culture for our program next Spring 2021.
ALUMNI News YIQIN SUN (MA, 2018) is pursuing a doctoral degree from the Department of Philosophy at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China. Her current research focuses on the reception and the meanings of Zen or Chan art (Image: Sixth Chan Patriarch Chopping Bamboo, early 13th century).
RACHEL LEVINE (MA, 2019) has been teaching an online course for our program on Japanese Anime & Manga (ASN 3202). Part of her Master's Essay on the topic of sex trafficking in Japan is included in this year's issue of the Japan Studies Review. Rachel was recently admitted to the East Asian Languages and Cultural Studies PhD program at the University of California Santa Barbara where she hopes to research sexual assault and consent in Japan.
JULIA BEAUBOUT (MA, 2013) is CEO and Creative Director of NOVABY, a global, digital art production company specializing in 3D/AR/VR. She has been applying her architectural engineering and Asian Studies background from her studies at FIU now through Augmented Realtiy Placemaking. Using the humanities research skills and Collective Memory Theory that she learned, Julia creates projects that make an impact while working with a Chinese speaking team. Her latest project is titled. "ARIA Talk at the MIT Media Lab: Placemaking with Augmented Reality."
ALUMNI News WILLIAM COLACHICCO (MA, 2014) is teaching Asian Humanities and World Religions at Valencia State College in Orlando. He received a NEH grant to study Zen in Japan in the winter of 18/19. For that trip, he visited Kyoto, Osaka and Tokyo, and conducted extensive video filming at various temples. He has also recently received a MacGruder Fellowship through Valencia College to study prehistoric stone circles in England.
MICHAELA PROSTAK (MA, 2018) completed her first year as a PhD student at Brown University, focusing on religious studies as well as gender and sexuality theories. After taking a course on Japanese Buddhist archaeology, she was inspired to submit an article for publication titled, "Tsukioka Yoshitoshi’s Abject Japan: Opening a Dialogue Between Material ulture, Religion, and Affect."
Her article explores a specific print published in 1885 through the lens of affect theory, mainly with reference to Julia Kristeva and Freud. Michaela also hopes to travel to Hokkaido next summer for language training.
ALUMNI News ELISA ROMULO BORGES (Asian Studies MA, 2016; Latin American & Caribbean MA, 2020) conducted fieldwork in Cuba during Spring 2020 and met with Japanese and Okinawan descendants living in the island. She attended an exhibit by Hamano Ryuho, Japanese artist and calligrapher, featuring the last name of all Cuban Nikkei. Elisa submitted her work on Japanese and Okinawan descendants in Cuba to the conference Changing Tides and Hemispheric Connections in Caribbean and Latin American Studies. This Fall 2020, Elisa will begin the PhD program in Global & Sociocultural Studies.
YANA NUDELMAN (BA, 2017) worked for the JET Program in Japan after graduation. She was later offered scholarships for both Taiwan and China, and decided to continue her studies at the Mandarin Training Center in Taipei. Yana hopes to work for the State Department, so this year she applied to the Consular Fellows program for Chinese language.
REILY OLLER (MA, 2019) is currently working in the Cataloging department for the FIU Library. Her next step is preparing to move to Japan to start her new job as Assistant Language Teacher for the JET Program.
Joint MA// PHD ALUMNI
International Relations
Dr. YUANYUAN FANG (MA, 2011) completed the PhD International Relations program in 2017. Yuanyuan is currently a Postdoc at Qinghua University, one of the top universities in China.
Dr. T.J. LIGUORI (MA, 2012) graduated this Spring 2020 with his PhD in International Relations. He recently accepted a job offer as Lecturer of Political Science at the University of New Hampshire.
Dr. ZENEL GARCĂ?A (MA, 2014) is currently working as Visiting Assistant Professor at St. Lawrence University in New York. Through the joint degree program, Dr. Garcia earned his PhD in International Relations in 2018.
Dr. BRYAN BARBER (MA, 2015) has an article in this year's Japan Studies Review, "Strategizing Asia: Japan's Value-Based Diplomacy Amid Great Powers' Competing Visions for Broader Asia." After receiving his PhD in 2019, he was hired as Teaching Fellow in Human Geography at Nazabayev University in Kazakhastan.
Asian Studies Sep 25
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Featured Events 2019-2020
Japanese Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program Info Se Session e Students learned from the JET Program Coordinator Erin Carney, and this continued with a follow-up Application Workshop on October 23rd to provide assistance with the statement of purpose.
Senpai and Kouhai Meet-up - Students learning Japanese gathered to meet advanced students to form mentor-mentee relationships. It also provided an opportunity for students to network and share study abroad experiences. What to Do With Your Major in Asian Studies? - ASGSO invited Milly Buendia and Nelly Leon from Career & Talent Development to share info on internships and potential career opportunities. ASGSO Halloween Movie Night: Still - The club screened this 2010 film by Poj Arnon from Thailand and discussed its cultural elements.
Asian Studies Graduate Student Research Conference - Asian Studies MA students graduating in the 2019-2020 year had an opportunity to present their current research.
Volunteering at FIU's Nature Preserve - As a part of community outreach, students from ASGSO and MLGSO volunteered to help clean our Nature Preserve.
Nov 13
Nov 30
Dec 16
Jan 25
Tips for Langauge Learning Advanced language students presented useful tips for beginner-level students in Chinese, Korean and Japanese. Korean Culture Festival and Competition - Students in the Korean Culture Club worked alongside Korean Instructor Sungmin Cho to showcase various forms of Korean culture through music, art, food, and games, in addition to language competitions. Japan Immersion Day - The Japan Club worked with Japanese Instructor Naoko Komura and the Consulate of Japan in Miami to put together an event showcasing Japanese culture, food, crafts, and mini workshops for participants to attend.
Lunar New Year - The Chinese Club and Dr. Li Ma prepared this celebratory event with traditional food, dances, and cultural performances for the 2020 Chinese New Year of the Rat.
Feb 21
Mar 3
Mar 11
Welcome to Asia at FIU - ASGSO along with several Asiarelated clubs joined on this day to promote the different organizations and cultural resources available at FIU. Resume Writing for Asian Studies - This workshop was hosted by ASGSO and Milly Buendia from Career & Talent Development to teach students how to improve their resume for future jobs and educational pursuits.
PokĂŠmon Artist Mitsuhiro Arita: Drawing Demo and Q&A Mitsuhiro Arita came to FIU to share his artisitic process, answer question about his art career and held a meeting greet to students could get their Pokemon Cards signed.
Asian Studies Events
Each academic year, ASGSO hosts several professional development events. In the Spring 2020 semester, they hosted two events in partnership with Milly Buendia and Nelly Leon from Career and Talent Devleopment within SIPA. These events are meant to help students reach their academic goals and provide them with skills and information to aid them postgraduation.
Two of ASGSO's main events were the Resume/CV Writing Workshop pictured above and "What to do with your Major in Asian Studies?" pictured to the right. Â ASGSO events are open to all students and sponsored by the Council for Student Organizations
Asian Graduate Student Organization Studies ASGSO promotes Asian Studies and all it has to offer within FIU and beyond. The organization is dedicated to educating the student body about Asian contemporary issues, history and culture through creative and engaging activities. It encourages dedicated, educated and well-rounded members to applly their unique knowledge, talents and acquired skills for the benefit of the greater social/global community. ASGSO 2019-2
020 E-Board:
President: Gre
Vice-Presiden
y Fernandez
t: Maytinee K
ramer tima Osman E lkadri CSO Represen tative: Jhona tan Baez Treasurer: Fa
Along with other FIU clubs, ASGSO connected students to several East Asian cultural and academic events on campus. This year, they held events such as “Welcome to Asia,” Graduate Student Conference, Language Day, “Chinese Moonsgiving/MidAutumn Festival,” and a volunteering project at our Nature Preserve. They also organized professional development workshops with the FIU Career & Talent Development office – including: “What to do with your major in Asian Studies,” “Business Culture in China,” and a Resume/CV Writing Workshop.
ASIAN CULTURE Festival On March 7, 2020, several Korean Studies students from FIU volunteered at the annual Asian Festival in Homestead. Students organized a wide variety of language and cultural activities. They taught Korean to guests, helped them write their names in Korean, offered quizzes and games. Prizes and gifts were offered to the winners of the various competitions and activities. Several hundred guests visited the Korean booth over the course of the day.
Japan Exchange & Teaching Program
The Japan Exchange & Teaching Program (JET) is a competitive employment opportunity that allows young professionals to live and work in Japan. Most participants serve as Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) and work in public and private schools; some work as Coordinators for International Relations (CIRs) as interpreters/translators.
The JET Alumni Association in Florida (JETAA) provides alumni with social events and special networking opportunities upon their return. Check out their website for details.
to the following FIU Asian Studies students who were accepted into the JET Program for 2020: -----------Cassidy Kerr Yuliena Mosquera Reily Oller Nanda Singh Eric Vale
For more information about the JET program, please visit their website.
Check out the Asian Studies website for the upcoming JET Info Session!
Korean Government Scholarship Program
PAMELA BIELINSKI (left) received the prestigious Global Leader Fellowship to study at Yonsei University in Seoul to pursue her graduate studies in Broadcast Communications. MARIA ESPINAL (middle) and KRISTIEN CONTINO (right) will begin their studies in August 2020.
Over their course of study, the Korean government will cover their tuition, research fees, and basic expenses in addition to the round-trip travel tickets. Maria and Kristien were among the final 20 students selected from five thousand applicants in the U.S.
Study Abroad Programs to Asia
The Asian Studies Program encourages study abroad opportunities to Asia for Students.
China The following programs are available for semester or year-long exchange. Please inquire with one of our advisors for more information.
Japan South Korea India
All applications must go through the office of Study Abroad.
Check out their page for more info!
Japan Kansai Gaidai University, Ritsumeikan University, Kanda University, Asia Pacific University South Korea Kyung Hee University, Yonsei University China
Zhejiang University, University of Hong Kong The Study Abroad Programs for this year were unfortunately canceled due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Study Abroad Programs to Asia Fu Foundation Scholarship The Fu Foundation was created in 1997 as a memorial in honor of the late Professor Charles Wei-hsun Fu, one of the premier scholars of Asian thought and culture, who taught in the U.S. and Taiwan. This scholarship is an award for students with outstanding qualifications for Asian Studies. It is intended for, but not limited to, studies of humanities and culture in Asia.
Students who are awarded this scholarship can receive up to $500 towards opportunities for study in Asia (available for semester exchange programs or summer sessions).
Summer Study Abroad Programs If you are interested, please contact these professors: Japan Naoko Komura Asuka Mashav
FIU students fr f om the 2019 Ritsumeikan Study Abraod
China Li Ma South Korea Sungmin Cho
Due to COVID-19, Fu Foundation Scholarships were not distributed and Summer Study Abroad Programs were canceled in 2020.
Clubs & Organizations Click below to join a club and become involved in their events and activities.
Aikido Club
FIU Kendo Club
Chinese Club
Asian Studies Graduate Student Organization Korean Culture Club Asian Student Union
FIU Tae Kwon Do
Geek Culture Club
Japan Club
Vietnamese Student Association
International Student Club
Korean Language Empowerment Club
2019-2020 FIU graduates Master of Arts in Asian Studies Andres Baca Jhonatan Baez Rosemary Bohorquez Raul Caner Cruz Grey Fernandez Gary Hainsworth Cassidy Kerr Maytinee Kramer Denise Poveda Nanda Singh Daniel Tacker Victoria Yunta
Bachelor of Arts in Asian Studies Gabriela Avila Valbuena Carmen Carratala Chiho Cotton Gianni de Cordova Rolle Maria Espinal Erin Fernandez Evelyn Gonzalez Cole Grossman Dantes Gutierrez
Justin Hernandez Maria Herrick Andrew Kirkpatrick Charlene Nunez Jailene Nunez Aislinn Opsina Linda Phan Claudia Perez Cindy Rivera Katie Rocco Camila Rodriguez Christopher Rodriguez Lynn Rodriguez Abbey Schultz Michelle Snudden Elizabeth Stevenson Matthew Tellez Amante Tolbert Nathaly Torres Kierstin Tsoi Pedro Vanga Pitti
Asian Globalization on and Latin America ca Certificate Alejandro Caceres Gabriella Centeno Lisandra Fernandez
Samantha Fernandez Justin Hernandez Ivan Jimenez Andrew Kirkpatrick David Nivia Jimenez Cindy Rivera Halle Smith Matthew Tellez Tishana White
Asian Studies Certificate Susy Castro Karolina Eugenio Clara Hernandez Wilner Petion Deja Rodriguez David Perez Riesgo Alana Sewnoru Margherita Solla-Isea
asian studies program Chinese Studies Certificate Steven Calle Joshua Ceballos Rachel Feldstetin Lisandra Fernandez Hoe Hendersom Chantal Holtzmann Ivan Jimenez David Nivia Jimenez Mateusz Markowski Robert Munoz Aislinn Ospina Matthew Tellez Khan Tran Diego Triana Camila Rodriguez Jennifer Soler Gabriela Avila Valbuena
Japanese Studies Certificate Krystal Aguilar Mariana Chacon Sierra Melanie Chiurliza Daniel Atehorua Gonzalez
Marcus Duran William Elias Rosalina Fernandez Clara Hernandez Maria Herrick Brandon Huici Niacha Johnson Jacqueline Kay Erick Monzon Yuliena Mosquera Charlene Nunez Jailene Nunez Gabriela Ollet Kelly Pugsley Carlos Quintana Christopher Rodriguez Marialejandra Ruiz Ana Rus Steven Santos Nastassja Sardinas Abbey Schultz Khan Tran Eric Vale
South and Southeast Asian Studies Certificate Ibrahim Sultan
Minor in Asian Studies Jacob Green Tyrell Jean Laura Montes Leyanis Morales Sarah Wolken
Graduate Certificate in Japanese Studies Raul Caner Cruz
Asian Studies Overview 20
2019 - 20
Fall 2019 Events August 15 - Asian Studies Graduate Student Orientation September 25 - JET Information Session October 2 - Advanced Japanese Language Senpai-Kouhai Meet-up October 17 - "What to do with your Major in Asian Studies?" Workshop October 27 - ASGSO Movie Screening: Still October 23 - JET Program Application Workshop October 28 - Asian Studies Graduate Student Research Conference November 5 - Volunteer Day at FIU Nature Preserve November 13 - Tips for Language Learning Workshop November 15 - FIU Language Day November 18 - Chinese Moonsgiving/Mid-Autumn Festival November 21 - "Business Culture in China" Lecture November 22 - Chinese Language Connections November 30 - Korean Culture Festival and Competition December 1 - Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) December 16 - Japan Immersion Day Follow us on social media to keep up to date with our news & events!
Spring 2020 Events January 22 - Japan Foundation Meeting January 25 - International Lunar New Year Gala February 14 - ASGSO Asian Movie Screening February 21 - Welcome to Asia @ FIU March 3 - Resume Writing for Asian Studies Students March 7 - National Consortium for Teaching about Asia Seminar March 11 - PokĂŠmon Artist Mistuhiro Arita Drawing Demo March 18* - "Enlightenment in a World of Turbulence" Lecture March 27* - Southern Japan Seminar April 4* - AFTJ Manga and Video Online Contest * Some events were canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic
asian.fiu.edu
Asian Studies Program Florida International University Modesto A. Maidique Campus Steven J. Green SIPA Building , Room 505 11200 SW 8th Street Miami, FL 33199 Phone: (305) 348-1914 Email: asian@fiu.edu Website: http://asian.fiu.edu
Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs http://sipa.fiu.edu
