ASIAN STUDIES NEWS AND EVENTS

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News

Confucius Institute Director Michele Heryford Honored with
Individual Performance of Excellence Award

James Cook, Madame General Xu Lin, Jennifer Creamer, and Michele Heryford at the Hanban Conference.

Michele Heryford displays her award.

At their annual Confucius Institute Conference this past December the Confucius Institute Headquarters designated outstanding contributors in both Confucius Institute of the Year awards and Outstanding Individual Performance of Excellence Awards.  This year Michele Ferrier Heryford, director of the University of Pittsburgh Confucius Institute was honored with a Confucius Institute Individual Performance of Excellence Award for 2011.  This award was given to 31 directors from Confucius Institutes/Confucius Classrooms around the world.  Currently there are 350 Confucius Institutes and 500 Confucius Classrooms internationally. Of the 850 directors 31 received this outstanding commendation for exceptional service and leadership.  Ms. Heryford was one of nine directors in North America to be selected for the award out of 110 CI's and Confucius Classrooms. 

AID India Program Offers Summer 2012 Internships

AID initiates efforts in various interconnected spheres such as education, livelihoods, natural resources including land, water and energy, agriculture, health, women's empowerment and social justice (www.aidindia.org). AID is offering internship opportunities at some of their partner non-governmental organizations in India in the field of education. Applicants can be Undergraduate or Graduate students of any discipline.

Opportunities include working on education for children in the slums of Mumbai; working to help make underprivileged locales self-sustainable through education; empowering local communities through projects in the fields of education, health and livelihood; and promoting value-based education to visually challenged girls.

The first deadline for applications for Internship is January 20th, 2012 and second deadline is Feb 14th, 2012. Preference will be given to early applications. More information on the Internship program will be posted here. AID is happy to answer any questions about the program and the application process at aidindia.intern@gmail.com.

If you are interested, you can download the application and the letter of recommendation form here in PDF format.

ASC Alumnus Eric C. Shiner Named Warhol Museum’s Director

            Eric C. Shiner, acting director and former chief curator of Pittsburgh’s Andy Warhol Museum, has been named the museum’s director. Shiner became the acting director in January 2011, and the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh announced in July that he would permenantly fill the position.  Former director Tom Sokolowski left the position at the end of December 2010 after serving as director for 14 years.

            Mr. Shiner’s fascination with art history began at Pitt, where he was graduated magna cum laude in 1994 with a BPhil and a focus on Art History and Japanese.    A New Castle native, Eric earned an MA at Osaka University in Japan where he interned at the National Museum of Modern Art in Kyoto during his final year.  While his first degree was in medieval Japanese architecture, his focus switched to contemporary art.  He interned at The Warhol while he was still at Pitt and recently commented, “My internship at the Warhol completely opened my eyes to contemporary art.”  Eric keeps close ties with his alma mater by giving guest lectures for the Asian Studies Center.  He also teaches classes at Pitt for the History of Art and Architecture department and the East Asian Languages and Literatures department.

            Congratulations, Eric!

Announcements

Here is a full list of important Asian Studies events coming up, arranged by month! Listing of Events

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Newsletters and Monthly Updates

The Asian Studies Newsletter was most recently released in Spring of 2010. The content is often contributed by ASC staff, affiliated faculty and students. Please browse the links below to see the current and previous issues, all in PDF format:

Current Issue: Spring 2010

Previous Issues: Previous

Monthly Updates contains a variety of Asia-related lectures and social and cultural events. If you have any questions about a particular event or wish to have an Asia-related event posted, please contact Ms. Dianne F. Dakis, Assistant Director, Student Affairs, Asian Studies Center, Newsletter Editor, via e-mail at dakis@pitt.edu.

• Download the latest issue of Monthly Updates in PDF format:
• April Monthly Updates

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Asian Studies Events Calendar