Because of the dramatic growth of Asian economies, the salience of Asia among world historians has risen significantly in the past decades. We can see this prominence in the greater space devoted to Asia in world history textbooks, curricula, and to some extent in faculty positions. Yet because of the lingering influence of Eurocentrism and the constraints imposed by traditional Area Studies, gaps and discrepancies remain.

From a global perspective, even using the term "empire" in relation to Japanese history is not just about the past but about modernity—colonial modernity—and its implications for the present. My talk will consider various recent trends in approaching the Japanese empire writ large. Particular focus rests on the enduring problem with many broader imperial studies' continued failure to examine and/or incorporate Japan's experience into their theoretical frameworks, which only perpetuates exceptionalist ideas about Japan as "different" from home pre-supposed norm.

Arif Dirlik is now an Independent Scholar living in Oregon. Arif Dirlik was Professor of History at Duke University from 1971 – 2001. He was then Knight Professor of History and Anthropology and Director of Center for Critical Theory and Transnational Studies at the University of Oregon. Dirlik is one of the leading experts on the political culture and party politics of the People’s Republic of China. He is the author of more than a dozen books on Chinese Communism, Revolution, Chinese Historiography, and historiography from such presses as Oxford, California, and Duke.

What are the elements of Japanese aesthetics and design?
How is the Japanese approach to creativity different from the American approach? How can you apply these principles to your daily life?

Nicole Constable is a professor in the Department of Anthropology and the director of the Asian Studies Center at the University of Pittsburgh. Her latest book, Born Out of Place: Migrant Mothers and the Politics of International Migration was co-published by the University of California Press and Hong Kong University Press, and had its first official launch in Hong Kong in June. At this University of Pittsburgh book launch, Constable will speak on her work, and Shalini Puri (Department of English) and Lara Putnam (Department of History) will respond.

Welcome to a new academic year at Pitt! Join the Asian Studies Center for a welcome reception, where you can learn about the Asia-related programming we offer, including certificate programs, courses from many departments across the university, and lectures and conferences throughout the year. You can also connect with student-run clubs such as the Origami Club and the Chinese Student Association.

Join the The Director of the Fulbright Student Program Outreach for an information session to learn more about the The Fulbright US Student Program, which promotes mutual understanding through educational and cultural exchange. Fulbright awards provide research/study or English teaching grants in 150+ countries for seniors, graduate students and alumni (US citizenship required). Often students must begin networking before the end of the spring semester to be a competitive applicant. Summer preparation is necessary to meet the campus deadline.

Dr. Givens seeks to explain why unrest has continued to rise in China, despite a major attempt by the Chinese government to reduce peasant tax burdens, previously the largest source of unrest. He hypothesizes that local officials, strapped for cash after a series of tax reforms, increasingly resorted to another form of extraction: the expropriation and sale of land used by peasants.

In the globalizing world, what are the determinants of fisheries income in South Korea? What should be considered and investigated before formulating, designing and implementing fisheries policies? Hwang’s research starts with a concise history of fisheries management before and after colonialism based on a literature review and proceeds with the analysis part using an econometric model and quantitative analysis.

The eighth edition of the Carnegie Mellon International Film Festival is dedicated to the legacy of world-renowned filmmaker, psychologist, and Carnegie Mellon professor, Paul Goodman, and to his professional focus on the human challenges and achievements of diverse groups of workers worldwide.