1. When Hangul Meets the Internet: South Korea 's Rise to IT Power
In our increasingly flat world, advancements in technology and communication lay the groundwork for a nation's political and economic power. This session traces Korean communication from the development of the writing system, Hangul, to South Korea 's being the most-wired nation in the world. A presentation on Korean food and dining is also included.
2. Japan 's Empire in East Asia
This session will examine the evolution of Japanese imperialism from the mid-nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century. We will consider how efforts to redefine Japan's relationship to China and the West led to the creation of new power structures throughout the Asia-Pacific region; the impact of these developments on societies in the region; and legacies for contemporary Asian relations.
3. Establishing Sister Schools in China
A Chinese school partnership provides on-going opportunities for student and teacher travel and for educational projects between schools. The connection impacts curriculum, facilitates mutual understanding, provides a great deal of fun, and extends learning beyond textbooks. Learn what is involved in building a Chinese school partnership at this session with Carolyn Henderson and Charlotte Mason of the China Exchange Initiative. Interested schools can sign up to begin the process of setting up a school partnership in China .
4. Princess, Geisha, Beauty Queen: Women and Democracy in Postwar Japan
This talk describes various ways in which democracy, women's rights, and new ideas of femininity excited both romance and controversy in Japan in the 1950s. While American films glamorized the geisha, Japanese popular culture looked to the new Crown Princess, the new Miss Universe, and middle-class housewives as symbols of Japan as successfully democratized, or as some would say, overly Americanized. By looking at Japanese fashion images, cartoons, and newspaper photos, the audience discusses how old and new Japan are represented through portraits of women.
1. Equity in Health and Health Care: The Case of China
A society's underlying values and organization are reflected in the health of its people. This talk will describe the evolution of China 's health and health care system as symptoms of both the best and the worst of the Chinese political economy during the 20th century. It begins before the 1949 Chinese Revolution--when China was considered "the sick man of Asia "-- and traces the miraculous improvements that took place during the Maoist era (1949-1976). It concludes with a mixed portrait as China has become part of the global economy in the post-Mao era.
East Asian religion forms a basis for much of this region's culture, thought, ethics, and world view. China , Japan , and Korea share a common Buddhist heritage. Taoism, a philosophy and religion that is one of the most important strains of Chinese thought, also had an important influence throughout the region, playing an important role in the development of Zen Buddhism. Confucianism is responsible for much of what we recognize as East Asian culture. This session focuses on Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism, the three great traditions of East Asian religion
3. Princess, Geisha, Beauty Queen: Women and Democracy in Postwar Japan
See description above.