Conventional wisdom holds that leadership transitions are periods of heightened uncertainty as foreign actors seek to probe the resolve of new and untested leaders. However, a careful examination of leadership transitions in the Asia-Pacific reveals a striking pattern of stability. What explains the absence of diplomatic and military conflict following the election or installation of new leaders? We argue that campaign rhetoric, whether hawkish or dovish, is a more credible signal of policy in the aftermath of leadership turnover than typically acknowledged.

The Asian Studies Discussion Group is an inter-disciplinary and international graduate student group that meets bi-monthly to discuss selected theoretical readings on "Asia" as method, field-site, and imagined region. They also discuss current scholarship in Asia-focused journals, regional politics, and the relevance of these to their own research.

Students interested are welcome to join discussions. The next meeting is an informal "mini-conference" on 12pm-1.30pm, 25 March (Tuesday), on the theme "Asian Intersections".

The Pittsburgh Asia Consortium (PAC) Undergraduate Research Conference is a one-day, interdisciplinary event for students from PA, WV, OH, MD, NY, NJ, and DE with an interest in any geographical region of Asia. Students will give a 15-minute presentation on Asia-related research topics from any discipline, with faculty from PAC overseeing each student panel. First time presenters are welcome! Students will meet other undergraduates and faculty with an academic interest in Asian Studies from throughout the region, and enjoy a keynote presentation and banquet lunch.

On April 4-6, 2014, the University of Pittsburgh will host the second of two
conferences that constitute the Voices of Asian Modernities Project (VAMP), a
consortium between the University of Pittsburgh, Leiden University, and the Royal
Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies (KITLV). The aim of
the conference is to properly historicize the artistic sounds, lyrical texts, visual
images, and social lives of female performers in Asian popular music of the 20th and
21st centuries.

Expressing her muse through ghazals and Punjabi folk songs, Kiran Ahluwalia explores the language of the heart with beautiful artistry and smoldering intensity. Born in India, raised in Canada, and now living in New York City, her enchanting and seductive music has garnered glowing praise from critics around the world. Kiran Ahluwalia is the winner of Canada’s Juno Award for World Music Album of the Year in 2004 (Beyond Boundaries) and 2012 (Common Ground). She will be accompanied by her band (guitar, bass, accordion, and tabla).

Tickets :
GENERAL ADMISSION $10
Seniors $8
Students $5

This is a must session for all students pursuing or considering pursuing a Bachelor of Philosophy in International and Area Studies. The session will cover ethical considerations when conducting research outside of the U.S. and details about submission to the Institutional Review Board.

Presented by Michelle Lemenager, EE Research Review Coordinator Global Research Outreach Coordinator

Expressing her muse through ghazals and Punjabi folk songs, Kiran Ahluwalia explores the language of the heart with beautiful artistry and smoldering intensity. Born in India, raised in Canada, and now living in New York City, her enchanting and seductive music has garnered glowing praise from critics around the world. Kiran Ahluwalia is the winner of Canada’s Juno Award for World Music Album of the Year in 2004 (Beyond Boundaries) and 2012 (Common Ground). She will be accompanied by her band (guitar, bass, accordion, and tabla).

Join the University of Pittsburgh Film Studies Program for a free lecture on Korean National Cinema in the Post-Film Era! Refreshments will be provided.

Unlike other American wars, the Vietnam War never really ended. It is being re-fought in scholarly works, at college reunions, in family living rooms, and among veterans. Aside from the Civil War, Vietnam was America's most divisive military conflict, and the University of Pittsburgh's Honors College program features some of the war's most outspoken scholars, participants and journalists.

A panel presentation featuring:
Sen. Bob Kerrey, former governor of Nebraska, Vietnam veteran
Peter Arnett, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of Vietnam

Attend this event to hear Thuan Nguyen, President of the National Asian Deaf Congress in Washington, DC discuss topics from the novel, The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. The book is a powerful collection of vignettes about the Vietnam War written from the soldiers’ perspective.