Centre for Japanese Studies E-Newsletter Summer 2016 5th Anniversary Issue
The Centre for Japanese Studies was established in May 2011 ‘to lead and coordinate Japanrelated teaching and research across the University and beyond’. Five years on and the first cohort of Japanese language honours students are gearing up for their final examinations and graduation (our congratulations to two students on this course who have already secured jobs with the Japan English Teacher scheme), Japan is one of five priority countries and regions identified in the University’s developing Internationalisation Strategy, and the University is about to make two new appointments in Japanese History and International Relations and Japanese Foreign Policy. Japan is firmly embedded at the University of East Anglia, and the connections will be reinforced with the move of the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures to the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts in 2019 or thereabouts. While CJS continues to be part of the Interdisciplinary Institute for the Humanities, the CJS Office has moved to the Sainsbury Centre for the Visual Arts (the mezzanine floor). Telephone 591819; email cjs@uea.ac.uk; website: www.uea.ac.uk/cjs
First Japanese Language Speech Contest at UEA: The 4th Nikkei Telecom Japanese Speech Contest was held on Friday 22nd April 2016 at the Council Chamber, UEA. This contest was started at University of Manchester in 2014, and this was the first time it has been held at UEA. In the oral presentation class, all the final year students have been working on creating speeches using the Nikkei Telecom database this year, and the six finalists have competed at the contest. The topics of the speeches were taken from a wide range of current
issues and students have presented their views and opinions based on their research. The first prize was awarded to Natalie Stanley, who presented the importance of Japanese language teaching in the UK with the passion for her future career of becoming a Japanese language teacher. The second prize was given to Ida Hauge, who spoke about the problems that the working women face in Japan, and emphasized the importance of overcoming the problem, giving a comparison with the situation in her country, Norway. The special award was given to Emily Zwart, whose speech was about ‘Matahara’, a shortened term for “Maternity harassment”, a social problem that many Japanese working women suffer during their pregnancy. Poster: https://www.uea.ac.uk/documents/246509/0/Final+Nikkei+speech+logo+fancy+sakura+w+fl ag+%28003%29.png/ffa7239c-b23d-4998-ab9a-95aa310028f0?t=1457620433974 UEA in Japan: Following on from the Vice-Chancellor’s very successful visit to Japan in November 2015, Dr Roger Baines (PPL) spent a week in Tokyo and Osaka visiting universities and recruitment agencies. Roger gave well-attended talks on ‘Translation for the Olympic Games’ and ‘Multilingual football teams’. UEA is in the top ten UK universities attracting Japanese students, testimony to the hard work undertaken in Japan by the University’s International Office. In late May and early June Professor Yvonne Tasker (Executive Dean, HUM) and Dr Rayna Denison (AMA) will travel to Japan for lectures and seminars at the University of Tokyo, the International Research Center for Japanese Studies (Nichibunken) and Osaka University, and to meet organisations supporting Japanese studies at UEA. Their visit will be preceded by Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor Dave Petley who will be exploring further connections especially with the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. The 8th International Japanese Studies Students’ Workshop 2016 in Poland: CJS Administrative Assistant Natsue Hayward participated in the Japanese Studies Students’ Workshop 13-18 April in Waplewo, Poland. Organised by students of Warsaw University with the generous support of the Japan Foundation, the programme was attended by 300 Japanese Studies students, academics and Japanese students from 4 Polish and Austrian universities, Warsaw University’s Institute of Applied Linguistics and East Asia Society. This year’s workshop, the largest yet, was packed with talks, seminars, cultural demonstrations, sports activities, outings as well as social events. Natsue gave a talk on Norwich, UEA and our Japanese Studies Summer School. UEA students would be welcome to attend next year’s event. Visit from Ritsumeikan University: A group of students from Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto once again visited Norwich this spring. The visit, organised by the International Programmes Office in conjunction with PPL brought the group together with UEA students to explore similarities and differences between Kyoto and Norwich, and the Rits students also benefitted from seom voluntary English language session organised by UEA students, and from invitations to joint events organised by the UEA Japan Society. Discover Japan Days at UEA: Two Discover Japan Days for schools are being planned by PPL in conjunction with CJS on 20 and 21 June, funded through the Japan Foundation Sakura Network.
JSPS Global Research Event on 6 May was well attended by researchers and postgraduate students in all fields including the humanities and social sciences to listen to talks by Ms Ogaya (Deputy Director) and Mr Mita (International Programme Associate about fellowship programme information) as well as a JSPS Fellow Alumnus. http://www.jsps.go.jp/english/. International Development Studies Intro-Course ‘Key Issues in Development Studies’. Dr Lucio Esposito taught a comprehensive introductory course in Tokyo with the support of SIUK Educational Council and the UEA International Office. The course took place 3-8 May during the Japanese ‘Golden Week’, and was successful. Japan-related opportunities: Japanese Studies International Summer School: CJS is once again working with the International Programmes Office to organise the third Summer School in Japanese Studies www.uea.ac.uk/summerstudyabroad/japan. Applications due by May 31: https://issuu.com/ueacipo/docs/uea_japanorientationleaflet_pages__. Sainsbury Institute – University of Tokyo Summer Programme in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage: Applications are open for for the Japan Short-term Programme which will be held 9-23 September 2016: deadline 7 June 2016. Please see: http://sainsburyinstitute.org/news-events/tokyo-summer-programme-2016/ JSPS London Pre/Postdoctoral Fellowship for Foreign Researchers (Short Term) Application Deadline: Wednesday, 8 June 2016 Fellowships must start between 1 November 2016 to 31 March 2017. Eligible research fields are not limited. http://www.jsps.org/funding/2016/04/jsps-london-call-for-the-short-term-prepost-doctoralfellowship-for-foreign-researchers-2nd-and-final-call-of-fy2016.html Dates for your Diary: THURSDAY 19 MAY: ‘The Japanese Newspaper Past and Present – its troubled legacy in the pre-war era and its new challenges’, by Mr Tadakazu Kimura, CBE, Senior Robert and Lisa Sainsbury Fellow and Former President and former CEO of The Asahi Shimbun. SISJAC Third Thursday Lecture. 18.00 Norwich Cathedral Hostry. Entry free. All welcome. http://sainsbury-institute.org/news-events/third-thursday-lectures/ SATURDAY 21-SUNDAY 22 MAY: UK Koi Masterclass Conference 2016 for koi hobbyists and enthusiasts from the U.K., Europe and the World. Organised by Martin Symonds. Please see: www.japankoiexport.com and www.homersfieldlake.com. THURSDAY 16 JUNE: ‘The New Way of Tea and its Art in Modern Japan’, by Dr Seung Yeon Sang, Robert and Lisa Sainsbury Fellow. SISJAC Third Thursday Lecture 18.00 Norwich Cathedral Hostry. Entry free. All welcome. FRIDAY 2-SATURDAY 3 SEPTEMBER: 19th British Association for Teaching Japanese as a Foreign Language Annual Conference will be hosted by PPL on UEA campus. http://batj.org.uk/en/conference.html.
UNTIL 27 NOVEMBER: ‘Looking Beyond: Conversations Between John Berger And John Christie’ exhibition curated by UEA postgraduate Museum Studies students (including MA student Stephanie Santschi, Sasakawa Postgraduate Studentship recipient) which aims to encourage visitors to reflect on their own responses to the Sainsbury Centre collection. This exhibition brings together previously un-exhibited letters and handmade booklets of renowned writer John Berger and artist John Christie with photographs, video and works of art from the Centre and Christie’s own collection. Admission Free. https://lookingbeyond2016.wordpress.com/ UNTIL NOVEMBER 2016: ‘Flint Rocks’: special exhibition on flint at the Ancient House Museum in Thetford, which includes obsidian artefacts from Nagawa-machi in Nagano, part of the initiative linking the Neolithic flint mines of Grimes Graves in Thetford with the Hoshikuso obsidian mines in Nagawa. There will be events relating to flint and obsidian in Thetford on 15 and 16 July. http://www.museums.norfolk.gov.uk/Visit_Us/Ancient_House/index.htm
Useful links and opportunities § § § § § § § § § § § § § § §
Embassy of Japan and webmagazine: http://www.uk.emb-japan.go.jp/ Japan Foundation: http://www.jpf.org.uk/ JSPS: http://www.jsps.go.jp/english/ Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation: http://www.dajf.org.uk/ Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation: http://www.gbsf.org.uk/ Japan Society: http://www.japansociety.org.uk/ Ishibashi Foundation: http://www.ishibashi-foundation.or.jp/english/ EU-Japan Centre: http://www.eu-japan.eu/ SIN Japan Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bOR4y9 Canon Foundation : www.canonfoundation.org Applications for JET Programme : http://www.jetprogramme.org/ Japanese Language Proficiency Test : http://www.jlpt.jp/e/index.html UEA Japan Society (Meetings on Monday evenings) : ueajapansociety@gmail.com Taiko Centre East: http://www.taikocentre.org.uk/ Career Forums: http://www.careerforum.net/event/?lang=E
Please forward this e-newsletter on to anyone you think may be interested and let us know about any events or news you think would be of interest to the Japanese studies community in Norwich. The deadline for the next issue is 25 September 2016. How to connect with Japan-related teaching, research and events through the Centre for Japanese Studies? It’s simple: §
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