Asian Studies Late October Updates

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 13:04:01 -0400

It's been a very busy Fall semester here in Asian Studies, and we've got lots of updates for you this week! Take a look:

Spring 2023 Schedule and Advising

The Spring 2023 schedule of courses is available online now! You can view it in your myUMBC account. We'll also have a listing of the specific classes that count towards an Asian Studies degree on our website soon - keep an eye out!

Do you need advising for Spring 2023? Dr. Oyen has written a quick and easy Advising Guide for Asian Studies students.

Critical Language Scholarship - App Deadline Soon!

Each summer, American undergraduate and graduate students can spend eight to ten weeks learning one of fourteen languages at an intensive study abroad institute through the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program. The CLS Program is designed to promote rapid language gains and essential intercultural fluency in regions that are critical to U.S. national security and economic prosperity. These languages include Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Hindi, Indonesian, and several of the languages of South Asia.

Applications are due November 15, 2022. For more information, check out the CLS website. Dr. Brian Souders, Associate Director of the UMBC Center for Global Engagement, is happy to advise any UMBC student wishing to apply. Please email him with any questions you might have!

International Education Week is Coming!

International Education Week 2022 will take place November 14-18, and will bring the world to UMBC! Events are planned throughout the week to celebrate our international community, support international initiatives on campus, and share international experiences!

Asian Studies is hosting or co-hosting two specific events for International Education Week:

- Monday, Nov 14, noon-1pm at the Sculpture Forum outside of the PAHB: Korean Games Corner! Stop by to try some Korean games and maybe win a prize!

- Wednesday, Nov 16, 7-9pm online: virtual China Town Hall! Join Dr. Oyen and Goucher College's Dr. Evan Dawley for the national virtual town hall program with Jon Huntsman, Jr., former U.S. Ambassador to China, Russia, and Singapore. Stick around after the national program for additional insight and conversation with Drs. Oyen and Dawley! Stay tuned for a link to this exciting program!

Winter Course Announcement: POLI 371 - Comparative Politics of Central Asia

Dr. Grodsky in Political Science is teaching POLI 371 during the Winter Session! This class has not been offered recently - consider enrolling this January!

With the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan, the historic “great game” competition for Central Asia has turned a corner, giving Russia and China an undeniable edge. But Central Asia is more than a battlefield for outside influence and geopolitical advantage. It is a vibrant region of largely Turkic and Persian peoples who, after centuries of imperialism, have spent three decades struggling to establish their new place in the world.

The goal of this course is to introduce students to the politics and societies of contemporary Central Asia and, in the process, provide a detailed case study of independence, de-colonization and democratization processes that play out across the world. If you would like to learn more about this class, please contact Dr. Grodsky or check out the attached flier!

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There's more happening in Asian Studies this fall, too, but we'll keep that for next week's newsletter. As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to email us, and we'll be happy to help!