KU Center for East Asian Studies

⭐ Faculty Spotlight ⭐ Congratulations to Thomas (Tom) Huang, who was recently named interim executive director of the Lawrence Arts Center! The Lawrence Art Center, located downtown, offers classes, performances, exhibitions, and other creative events to the entire Lawrence community. “I am extremely excited to be working closely with the incredible staff that constitutes the Lawrence Arts Center,” Huang said. “Their dedication to this community organization (and the work of those who have come before) have made this important 50 year-old organization a vibrant, creative, joyful, and highly significant part of the fabric that is Lawrence, KS." Associate Professor Huang holds an MFA in Furniture Design from the Rhode Island School of Design. He has taught Industrial Design at KU since 2002. Huang builds canoes and furniture locally and his work has been published in numerous design magazines and books. Read more about Huang’s new role at this link: https://lnkd.in/g7W7YkQS 📷: Jason Dailey KU School of Architecture & Design (ArcD)

🗾 "Japan: Then and Now," officially relaunched this past summer! 🗾 . Read more about this faculty-led, study abroad program from assistant teaching Professor in Japanese, Yuka Naito Billen in her statement below. . "This program has a long history starting in 1991, and it has significance because of KU’s relationship with Kanagawa University (“KU”). This university used to have a campus in Hiratsuka, which was instrumental in Hiratsuka becoming Lawrence’s sister city.   Professors and students at Kanagawa University enthusiastically welcomed us (13 students plus myself and a GTA, Ami Kitada) at their brand-new campus, which is a 21-story building !) in Minato Mirai (central Yokohama). They also re-connected us with Hiratsuka City. During the first week, we participated in some classes, mingled with students, had cultural experiences, and went sightseeing in Yokohama, Tokyo, and Hiratsuka. Both Kanagawa University and Hiratsuka City volunteers took wonderful care of us. After our students had a home-staying opportunity for a couple of nights, we hopped onto the Shinkansen (bullet train) heading west to visit Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima to learn more about Japan’s history and culture.   It was an activity-packed, 2.5-week trip with intensive walking (10,000+ steps each day), but students’ journal entries were filled with excitement about Japanese hospitality, preservation of nature, modern technology, lifestyles, and food. They enjoyed every moment and tried to fully absorb everything they experienced. I was happy to witness their transformation even on this short trip. I look forward to bringing more students in the future to get this eye-opening and enriching experience and to strengthen the KU-KU and Hiratsuka sister-city relationship." . . #studyabroad #kueastasia #eastasianstudies #japan

On September 17th, we celebrated our annual Mid-Autumn Festival with over 550+ attendees from the Lawrence and Kansas City community! . Several KU departments, KU student organizations, and community members brought in activities and games for attendees while performances showcased the vibrant and beautiful cultures of China, Japan, and South Korea. . The significance of CEAS Mid-Autumn Festival cannot be understated. This annual event provides a fun and engaging way to learn about traditions, fostering inclusivity among different backgrounds while appreciating the cultures of East Asia. Each year the community comes together to share activities, food, and stories while helping students develop a greater understanding of global cultures, promoting empathy and respect. . We truly thank every organization, student, staff, and community member that took part in this event. We could not have done this event without you! We appreciate your hard work and that effort is reflected in every smile and memory made with attendees. Thank you! . Hope to see everyone again at our Lunar New Year Festival in February, 2025! . . #eastasianstudies #kueastasia #globaljayhawks #events #eastasia

Congratulations to the following CEAS Faculty on their outstanding achievements! . sunyoung cheong  (Visual Art), received the 2024 Educational Endowment Professional Artist Scholarship from the SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICAN GOLDSMITHS (SNAG). Hyesun Cho (Curriculum & Teaching), with co-author Josh Hayes, published two articles, “'I Hold the Key to the Cage and Nothing Can Keep Me There Without My Permission': Exploring Gender Identity through Identity Journey Mapping in a Study Abroad Program," in The Educational Forum 88 (2024), https://lnkd.in/gEcCK5mW and "Exploring the Identities of Korean Americans through Identity Journey Mapping in a Study Abroad Program," in International Journal of Multicultural Education 26(1), (2024). https://lnkd.in/gb5rz_7m . MICHAEL TAYLOR (Geology), with co-authors Andrew Hoxey, J. Douglas Walker, and Diane Kamola, published "Google Earth Engineer Web Applications for Investigating and Teaching Fundamental Geoscience concepts," in GSA Today 34(7), 2024. https://lnkd.in/g_z6QhBs . Jiakun Jack Zhang ZHANG (Political Science), published "Political Risk and Firm Exit: Evidence from the US-China Trade War," in Review of International Political Economy (2024).  https://lnkd.in/g5XcXWf8 . #universityofkansas #facultysuccess #kueastasia

💼 We are hiring! . CEAS is looking for a student interested in East Asian languages and cultures to join our team! Working with CEAS, the ONLY East Asia National Resource Center in the Great Plains Region will give student's essential experiences for work after university. . Tasks for this position will include social media creation and management, clerical tasks, data-basing vital information for a Department of Education Title VI grant, and so much more! . Apply here -> https://lnkd.in/gz-84yv2 . P.S.. We have snacks!

😱 We have amazing news! 😱 . New funding to KU’s Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence (IC CAE) program will support a summer 2025 study tour to Taiwan and South Korea and the expansion of Uyghur language courses! . We are beyond grateful for how this funding will open more opportunities for students to learn about East Asian languages & cultures. . Learn more about the funding in this KU News article! https://lnkd.in/g6X9zP88 . . #funding #eastasianstudies #studyabroad #kueastasia

During the 2024 Summer TESOL Program in South Korea, KU School of Education & Human Sciences Professor Hyesun Cho and doctoral candidate Josh Hayes conducted research on what happens when student teachers examine their own identity. "Findings showed the activity allowed them [student teachers] not only to better understand themselves but also make deeper connections with their Korean students..." Read more about this amazing project in a KU News article written by Mike Krings! https://lnkd.in/gZMjYGTr . . #studentsuccess #facultyresearch #kueastasia #universityofkansas #globaljayhawks

The first week of the 2024 Fall semester at KU is almost over! . The Center for East Asian Studies is excited for a year full of events and to continue elevating the University of Kansas's place as a great university to study East Asian Languages and Cultures. . To keep up on CEAS events, check out our events calendar or sign up to receive our newsletter! Calendar: https://ceas.ku.edu/events Newsletter Sign Up: https://lnkd.in/g4rvB9zE . #backtoschool #universityofkansas #kueastasia

👏 Our faculty contributes so much to KU's incredible scholarly community. Join us in congratulating them on their most recent work. 👏 . RAJ BHALA (School of Law) published the 6th edition of his textbook, “International Trade Law: A Comprehensive E-Textbook” (2024). Alison Gabriele (Linguistics) received a William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence. JEFFREY HOLLIDAY (Linguistics), with co-authors Hyunjung Lee and Eun Jong Kong, published “The Perception and Production of Korean Stops in Second Dialect Acquisition” in JASA Express Lett 4, no. 6 (2024). https://lnkd.in/g8vuy-WZ STEPHEN POLITZER-AHLES (Linguistics) received a Research-Intensive Course Grant from the Center for Undergraduate Research to redesign LING 420 – Capstone: Research in Language Science. MICHAEL TAYLOR (Geology) published “Quantifying Exposure Biases in Early Instrumental Land Surface Air Temperature Observations” in International Journal of Climatology 44, no. 5 (2024). https://lnkd.in/gG2D9yr9 . . #facultysuccess #universityofkansas #kueastasia

🏆 With the Olympics well underway, did you know that there is already a national champion attending KU? 🏆 . Earlier this summer, Ryo Higuchi won first place in the 1500m at the 2024 Japan U20 Championship. This win landed him a U20 national champion title. 🥇 . Ryo Higuchi will be a sophomore at KU this year and has participated in many CEAS opportunities such as the Japanese Language Table, the KU info session in Japan, and more! We are thankful to have Ryo as a part of the CEAS community and will continue to cheer for him in his future events. . https://lnkd.in/grvy43Sn . #studentathlete #nationalchampion #japan