Department News

  Kristen Okun is a May graduate of the School of Arts and Sciences who majored in Art History. Under the guidance of Professor Haruko Wakabayashi in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures, she completed an Interdisciplinary honors thesis, titled “Narrow Road of Ivy; Representing The Tales of Ise during the Edo Period.” The thesis examined visual representations of one of the most famous chapters from the classical Heian period (794-1185) literary work,The Tale of Ise, whose popularity was...

   Course Professor Campus  Credits 01:098:255   Heroism  Professor Wendy Swartz College Ave   4 credits 01:098:331   The Sounds of Asia  Professor Sunmin Yoon College Ave  3 credits   Heroism Course Description: What makes ordinary people do extraordinary things? What defines a hero or heroine? Are heroes and heroines defined differently? What role do cultural and historical contexts play in these definitions? How do fictional heroes and heroines compare with historical ones? What turns rebels, agitators,...

   The University of Fukui has reestablished an academic agreement with Rutgers University in April 2018.   Benjamin Yang (right) is the first Rutgers exchange student to attend the University of Fukui in September, 2019 through the new reestablished academic agreement.  Benjamin was awarded scholarship from the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures’ Japanese gift fund to attend the University of Fukui. Rai Naito (left) was the first exchange student from the University of Fukui came to Rutgers...

Regina Cheung (’24, Japanese Minor) received the Rick Lee Prize for Asian American Studies for her essay, “The Struggles of Japanese War Brides.” Written for Professor Haruko Wakabayashi’s Asia-Pacific in Cross-Cultural Perspective, the essay examines the experiences of the 30,000 to 45,000 Japanese women who married American soldiers and then moved to the United States after World War II. These women faced legal challenges, discrimination, and stigma from both the American and Japanese...

Austin Hudgins is a Rutgers East Asian Languages and Cultures M.A. student. His paper, “Daoist Trajectories and Confucian Concentrations:18th Century Manchu Assimilation Assessed Through the Aim of Archery,” was selected and highly recognized by the committee for the 67th Midwest Conference on Asian Affairs held in October 2018 in St. Paul, MN. Austin’s paper dealt with an 18th-century Manchu treatise regarding archery that he has been translating from the Manchu language under the direction...

NEWS FLASH! On September 17, 2018, The State of New Jersey approved three new majors in Asian Studies (formerly known as East Asian Languages and Area Studies), Japanese, and Korean. The new major programs will be implemented during the academic year 2018-2019, and students can then choose to major or minor in Asian Studies, Chinese, Japanese, or Korean. Majors earn their B.A. in Asian Studies, B.A. in Chinese, B.A. in Japanese, or B.A. in Korean.    

As the U.S. “pivots” towards the Asia-Pacific through new trade and security negotiations (i.e. Trans-Pacific Partnership), this international symposium comes at a timely moment to engage in a critical dialogue about militarisms in the 21st century, from historical legacies across Asia and the Americas to their impact and implications for global health, local communities, and artistic/cultural expressions. How will the “pivot” impact Asia and the Americas? How do scholars, activists, and...

Student's Love for Language Blossoms at Rutgers His facility with foreign tongues "just popped up along the genetic lines"

Asian Studies related e-books available to Rutgers Students For students who are interested, the Rutgers Library has a collection of Brill Asian Studies e-books available at these links:   If you are on the Rutgers network, you can go directly to this Brill website: http://booksandjournals.brillonline.com/content/collections (Please note that we only bought 2013, 2014, and 2015 collections and we may acquire other collections in the future) Alternatively, you can follow this link...

Rutgers professor marches in North Korea during summer with political activist Gloria Steinem   Alongside famed social and political activists and Nobel Prize laureates, Professor Kim ventured across the most heavily militarized border in the world. 30 women hailing from North and South Korea, Ireland, Liberia, Colombia and the United States, among other countries, crossed Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) for a peace walk held on May 24, 2015, a day designated as International Women's Day for Peace...

Summer 2016 research opportunity for Engineering students at National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan     More Info and Application: http://eng-en.web.nthu.edu.tw/files/11-1130-3215.php Application deadline: December 29th, 2015

Rutgers Grad Nathan Gwira awarded $95,000 toward graduate study and a five-year appointment as a U.S. Foreign Service officer   Nathan Gwira, a first-generation American, has been named a 2016 Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Fellow – the second Rutgers graduate to be honored. The prestigious fellowship will provide Gwira about $95,000 toward tuition, fees and living expenses while he pursues a master's degree in international affairs over the next two years. After earning a degree, the...

    Reestablishment of the Agreement with Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey (New Jersey, U.S.A.) The University of Fukui (UF) has reestablished an academic agreement with Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (U.S.A.). Dr. Mitsufumi Mayumi, President of UF, signed the agreement on August 2 at the Bunkyo campus. This was followed by a press conference. Rutgers is known as the University where Taro Kusakabe, a retainer of Fukui Domain, was sent to study as one of Fukiui’s first...

Rutgers Center for Chinese Studies Presents Inaugural Rutgers Daoist Studies Symposium: “Daoism and Local Society in Modern China” Location: 301 Van Dyck Hall on College Avenue ---Saturday, Nov 15, 2014:9:45-10:15 AM: “The State of the Field in Daoist Studies for the Past Two Decades ”                                    Keynote speech byVincent Goossaert, EPHE-CNRS, Paris 10:30AM-12:30PM: Panel 1: Daoist Temple Fairs and Local Religious Life                                    Chair: Vincent Goossaert, Ecole Pratiques des Haute Etudes, Paris                                                 Discussant: Shin-yi...

The Department of Asian Languages and Cultures initiates Rutgers participation in CIC (Committee on Institutional Cooperation) course share program. Learn more at: http://news.rutgers.edu/news/big-ten-benefits-classroom/20140427#.U16wtF6TQs1

We are pleased to announce that this past weekend three Rutgers students in our Chinese language program participated in Chinese speech contests that were held at nearby venues in the tri-state area and two of them placed among the winners! Anh Tran and Kayla Krause competed in the 2014 Dragon Cup Competition 中华龙杯 that was held at Joseph's University on Saturday, March 29, and Anh won second place in the beginner's level. Congratulations to Anh! Kayla and Anh are both first-year students who...

Asian Languages and Cultures Professor Paul Schalow has been honored with the SAS Award for Distinguished Contributions to Undergraduate Education in Spring 2013. Read his story on the SAS announcement page <http://sas.rutgers.edu/news-a-events/feature-archive/1525-2013-recipients-of-sas-teaching-awards-announced>, where you can learn more about his contributions to our department's curriculum and his accomplishments within and beyond the classroom. Also, enjoy the photos from the awards ceremony, which included remarks from Rutgers President Robert L. Barchi and SAS Acting Executive Dean Richard S...

Rutgers in Beijing Summer 2012 Reinforce and Improve your Chinese, Speak it as you Earn Course Credit, and have fun traveling in far away, exciting China!!!Be ready to sign up soon! Time: Early July through mid August 2012 Place: Beijing Languages and Cultures University China Course excursions will include Beijing, the Great Wall & more —maybe even Xi’an! Plan to Join us! Applications will open in January 2012Further information available at: Department of Asian Languages and Cultures330 Scott...

With support from the office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences has initiated a semi-coordinated set of 5 faculty hires in Chinese studies over the next two years. Faculty searches are now underway in Political Science and Economics for candidates researching on Chinese politics and economy, respectively. The Department of Asian Languages and Cultures is currently conducting a faculty search in Classical Chinese studies, for which...

The University President’s “Rutgers in China Initiative” In Spring 2011, President McCormick announced the launch of a major initiative to develop China related programs across Rutgers University. A first step in this initiative is the search for a Director, which is currently underway. In the early stages of this initiative, in order to provide an overview of the various efforts across the Rutgers campuses, Dean Marc Holzer of the School of Public Affairs and Administration has set up a...