Student Report on Reading Group for “Embracing Diversity: Developing Cultural Competence for Inclusive Education”
Report by Yaxuan Wang, class of 2027 & Photo by Ruixiang Hu, class of 2027
On Friday, October 11, 2024, around 10 DKU faculty, staff, and students gathered for our second reading group session on “Embracing Diversity: Developing Cultural Competence for Inclusive Education.” We were delighted to welcome both returning participants and first-year students for this engaging and thought-provoking discussion.
This session began with the “Word of the Day” activity focused on intersectionality. Zhenjie Weng and Yanan Zhao led participants in exploring how various aspects of identity—such as gender, ethnicity, and social class—intersect and contribute to unique experiences of privilege or discrimination. Participants reflected on their own identities through a personal exercise, highlighting how intersecting components can shape individual experiences.
The session’s main reading was Xia (2024), which examined intersectionality and discrimination among LGBTQ+ Asian international students in the U.S. education system. This study highlighted the additional layers of discrimination that LGBTQ+ students from East Asia face due to cultural conflicts, including internalized homophobia, while attempting to adjust to a new educational environment. Participants engaged in an insightful discussion about the cultural norms in East Asia that influence the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals, as well as how these norms intersect with racial and gender identities to complicate the experiences of students studying abroad.
The session concluded with a group activity where participants worked on creating scenarios that reflected the intersectionality challenges faced by LGBTQ+ international students. This hands-on approach helped foster a deeper understanding of the topic, encouraging participants to consider how educators can create more inclusive and supportive environments.
The event was organized by Zhenjie Weng, Assistant Professor of English Language Education, and Yanan Zhao, Senior Lecturer of English for Academic Purposes, from the Language and Culture Center, and was sponsored by the Humanities Research Center. Student worker Yaxuan Wang also contributed to the success of the event. Our next reading group session will be held on November 8, 2024.
Rethinking English Poetics
Date: October 30, 2024
Time: 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Location: Water Pavilion
Guest Speaker: Prof. Dorothy Wang, Professor of American Studies at Williams College, Award-winning author of Thinking Its Presence: Form, Race, and Subjectivity in Contemporary Asian American Poetry (Stanford UP, 2013)
Join us for an insightful discussion on English poetics!
GENDER + COMMUNITY BUILDING
Join us for a thought-provoking discussion on Gender and Community Building hosted by HRC GENDER STUDIES LAB. Our panelists will delve into topics surrounding gender dynamics, inclusivity, and community-building efforts.
Date: Tuesday, October 22, 2024
Time: 6:00 PM
Venue: The Water Pavilion
Dinner will be provided!
Panelists:
- Professor Yeshim Iqbal
- Professor Andrew Wortham
RSVP by October 21, 2024
Exclusive Pre-Release Screening -The Dependence of the Old House
Exclusive Pre-Release Screening -The Dependence of the Old House
Date: October 22nd
Time: 7:30 PM
Location: IB 1008
Event Details:
Join us for an exclusive pre-release screening of The Dependence of the Old House, a captivating film that explores the intricate relationships between people and their surroundings. After the screening, stay for an engaging Q&A session with the director, Shi Anping, who will share insights into the filmmaking process, the inspiration behind the story, and the challenges faced during production.
This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with fellow film enthusiasts and gain a deeper understanding of the artistic vision behind the film.
Don’t miss out on this unique experience!
Reading Group: “Embracing Diversity: Developing Cultural Competence for Inclusive Education”
Reading Group: “Embracing Diversity: Developing Cultural Competence for Inclusive Education”
Location: AB3107 (3C)
Date & Time: Oct. 11th, 12:00–1:00 PM
About the Event:
Diversity, Equity, Inclusiveness, and Justice (DEIJ) are vital topics in academia. While these issues are widely discussed, putting them into practice remains a challenge for educators striving to improve their teaching methods. It is essential to ensure educational materials and curricula are inclusive, relevant, and engaging for all students, while fostering safe and welcoming learning environments.
Lunch will be provided!
How to Sign Up?
Scan the QR code to access the reading materials.
For questions, please contact:
Prof. Weng: zhenjie.weng@dukekunshan.edu.cn
Prof. Zhao: yanan.zhao@dukekunshan.edu.cn
Student Report for “Gender + Labor” Event
By Xinyu Liao, Class of 2027
On September 24, 2024, a thought-provoking panel discussion focusing on the intersection of gender and labor was held by the HRC’s Gender Studies Lab in the Water Pavilion. The panel featured distinguished professors, including Sajida Tuxun, who researches female waitresses and caregivers; Nellie Chu, who studies gender in the context of fast fashion and migrant labor; and Jaehee Choi, who examines social policy and labor market dynamics. Together, they shared insights on the experiences of women in the service industry and the broader implications of social norms and policies. About 40 students and 10 faculty members attended.
Professor Sajida Tuxun opened the discussion by addressing the emotional labor expected of female waitresses, emphasizing the challenges of representation in a male-dominated workplace. She highlighted the unique regional characteristics of caregivers and the impact of high mobility and instability on their experiences, noting that current policies significantly shape working conditions for women in these roles. This foundation set the stage for a deeper exploration of gender dynamics in the workplace.
Building on Professor Tuxun’s insights, Professor Nellie Chu elaborated on how gender divisions influence access to private spaces and field sites. She discussed the subtleties of gendered language in the workplace, particularly the reluctance of women to publicly claim authority, which reinforces traditional gender roles. She examined the distinction between “work” and “labor,” pointing out how much of women’s labor remains invisible and unrecognized, particularly in wage relations. Her contributions underscored the pervasive challenges women face in asserting their identities and roles within professional settings.
Transitioning to a broader context, Professor Jaehee Choi contributed by discussing the “M-shaped curve” labor force participation of Korean and Japanese women, characterized by declines in employment after childbirth and subsequent increases as children grow older. She then discussed a recent South Korean policy to improve the low fertility rate, in which the government provided monetary compensation to households for their childbirth. However, researchers found that parents spent it to invest in their children’s private education rather than basic child-rearing expenses as initially intended. This analysis highlighted the highly competitive Korean society that may deter childbearing among married couples and emphasized the need for systemic changes to support working families.
The conversation then shifted back to the experiences of women in the service industry, with Professor Tuxun highlighting the early pregnancies of many young migrant waitresses. These early pregnancies often lead to conflicts between work and familial responsibilities, complicating their professional trajectories. She contrasted high-end caregivers, who receive better pay and have different requirements compared to traditional “保姆” (nannies), reflecting on the global dynamics of domestic labor. This discussion illuminated the nuanced realities faced by women navigating both professional and personal demands.
In closing, Professor Chu emphasized the importance of understanding what constitutes a reproductive body within the labor context. She discussed the complexities of bargaining in workplace relationships, illustrating how women’s labor often goes unrecognized despite being crucial to family and societal structures. This final point reinforced the need for a comprehensive understanding of women’s contributions to both the economy and the home, calling for greater recognition and support in addressing gender disparities.
To conclude, the panel provided a comprehensive overview of the multifaceted challenges women face in the labor market, revealing the need for policies that recognize and address gender disparities. The insights shared by the panelists sparked meaningful dialogue about the future of women’s labor in an evolving economic landscape, concluding with a call for further research and advocacy aimed at improving the working conditions and recognition of women in various sectors.
DKU US-China Relations Symposium
Date: October 11, 2024
Location: AB1079
About the Symposium:
The DKU US-China Relations Symposium aims to promote meaningful dialogue among faculty and students on the topic of Sino-American relations. Participants will have the opportunity to share research, review course syllabi, and brainstorm innovative ideas for both academic and co-curricular programs. The goal is to help students gain a dee per understanding of this pivotal bilateral relationship. This one-day event will feature an esteemed panel of interdisciplinary scholars from DKU, Harvard University, Lingnan University, and NYU-Shanghai, exploring the evolving dynamics of China-U.S. relations within a global context.
Symposium Schedule:
9:00 – 9:15 AM: Opening Remarks9:15 – 11:15 AM: Faculty Research Presentations11:30 AM – 12:30 PM: Student-Faculty Discussion12:30 – 2:00 PM: Lunch2:00 – 3:30 PM: Syllabus Workshop3:45 – 5:15 PM: Pedagogy and Co-Curricular Programming Discussion
Speakers Bio
Professor Gurol Baba
Gürol Baba is a Professor at the Social Sciences University of Ankara;Faculty of Political Science, Department of International Relations. His research focuses on Middle Powers in International Politics, Asia-Pacific Regional Affairs and more. He published An Asymmetrical Transregionalism, in the Journal of Asian and African Studies, which he guest edited with his colleague Amit Ranhan. The issue features Baba and Ranjan’s introduction, as well as Baba’s research article Middle East–South Asia Relations: Transregional Minilateralism Cemented with Bilateralism. Baba, G. (2023). Journal of Asian and African Studies, 58(4), 500–517.
Professor Zach Fredman
Zach Fredman is an Associate Professor of History and Chair of the Division of Arts and Humanities at Duke Kunshan University. His research focuses on US-China relations. He is the author of The Tormented Alliance: American Servicemen and the Occupation of China, 1941-1949 (UNC Press, 2022) and co-editor of Uneasy Allies: Sino-American Relations at the Grassroots, 1937-1949 (Cambridge UP, 2024).
Professor Peter E. Hamilton (韓墨松)
Peter E. Hamilton (韓墨松) is the Assistant Professor in World History (Pacific World) at Lingnan University. He is the author of Made in Hong Kong: Transpacific Networks and a New History of Globalization (Studies of the Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University Press, 2021). It was recently translated into Chinese as 香港製造：跨太平洋網絡與全球化新史 (Monsoon Zone, 2024). His second book project is researching the history of scientific management across twentieth-century Chinese thought and society. Research from this project has recently been published in The Journal of Asian Studies, Business History, and multiple anthologies.
Professor Erez Manela
Erez Manela is the Francis Lee Higginson Professor of History at Harvard University, where he teaches international history and the history of the United States in the world. He is the author of the prize-winning book The Wilsonian Moment: Self-Determination and the International Origins of Anticolonial Nationalism (2007) and co-editor of four collaborative volumes, most recently The Anticolonial Transnational: Imaginaries, Mobilities, and Networks in the Struggle against Empire (2023). He also has a longstanding interest in the conceptual and methodological aspects of writing international history and is currently working on a collaborative volume titled Explaining International History.
Professor Ivan Willis Rasmussen
Professor Ivan Willis Rasmussen is the Undergraduate Coordinator of Social Sciences and an Associate Professor of Practice in Political Science at NYU Shanghai. He previously served as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Hamilton College and a Research Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center. His research includes contributions to the Asian Journal of Public Affairs and Chinese Yearbook of International Law and Affairs, and he co-authored the book At the Dawn of Belt and Road: China in the Developing World (RAND Report).
Professor Rasmussen has taught at institutions such as Tufts University and Boston College and has worked with the US Department of State, Duke University/Gates Foundation, and the RAND Corporation. He is a member of several associations, including the American Political Science Association, and has received the Teaching Excellence Award from NYU Shanghai. Recently, he was named a Mansfield Luce Asia Scholar.
Join Us:
Don’t miss this exceptional opportunity to engage with leading experts and enrich your understanding of US-China relations. Together, we can foster insightful discussions and innovative ideas that shape the future of this vital field. We look forward to seeing you there!
Student Report for the “LaunchPad” Event
By Graham Wood, class of 2024
Last Saturday night saw writing and literary groups come together and learn more about one another at the “LaunchPad,” organized byThe LilyPad, DKU’s premier independent student-run newspaper and magazine and sponsored by the Humanities Research Center (HRC).
The event aimed to bring campus writing and literary groups on together to foster collaboration and draw inspiration from one another. Students were given an opportunity to hear from a range of groups all seeking to share ideas, encourage critical thinking, and help students grow.
Held at the HRC’s new HUM Space in the Academic Building, around 40 students came together for some food and networking before listening to speakers from various DKU writing and literary organizations.
Editor-In-Chief Graham Wood and Deputy Editor-In-Chief Maya Peak of The LilyPad kicked off the event with a welcoming and update on the student newspaper before handing off the podium to Sebastian Portilla, The LilyPad’s News Editor.
Professors Austin Woerner, John Noonan and Sophia Zhou followed with a presentation on Intersections, a long-standing bilingual magazine founded by Woerner when he taught at DKU years ago.
Professor John Noonan spoke about the writing and journalism classes he teaches at DKU, which have helped train some students writing for The LilyPad currently. Professor Zhou concluded with an emphasis on international students’ opportunity to write in Mandarin for the magazine.
Superdeep, represented by Professor Nathan Hauthaler and students Felipe Silvestri and Philip Yanakiev, came next and covered a range of projects run by the HRC lab.
Amanda Niza-Golzalez and Cody Schmidt, representing South-North Scholars, talked next about the Nexus Global South Journal and their coming second issue.
DKU Student Broadcasting, represented by student Michelle Tom came next, where Tom described the club’s works in video journalism, the experience of club members and avenues of future growth for journalism at DKU.
Finally, Sydney Brown represented the Poetry Club, encouraging students to break into writing poetry and Brown’s own experience with the creative process of poetry writing.
The LilyPad concluded the event with highlighting open positions on the editorial board, with staff writers and the creative team. Before concluding the event, the theme of the next issue of The LilyPad Magazine was announced, called “community.”
US-China Relations Symposium Call for Student Proposals
Date: October 11, 2024
Location: Duke Kunshan University
The Duke Kunshan University (DKU) US-China Relations Symposium invites students to submit proposals for presentations at our upcoming event. This one-day symposium will bring together a distinguished group of interdisciplinary scholars, including faculty from DKU, Harvard University, Lingnan University, and NYU-Shanghai. The symposium will focus on exploring the complex and evolving relationship between China and the United States in a global context.
About the Symposium:
The US-China Relations Symposium at DKU aims to engage both faculty and students in meaningful discussions about Sino-American relations. Participants will have the opportunity to share research, discuss course syllabi, and brainstorm new ideas for pedagogical and co-curricular programming that can help students gain a deeper understanding of this crucial bilateral relationship.
Symposium Schedule:
- 9:30 to 11:00 AM: Faculty Research Presentations
- 11:15 AM to 12:30 PM: Student-Faculty Discussion
- 12:30 to 2:00 PM: Lunch
- 2:00 to 3:30 PM: Syllabus Workshop
- 3:45 to 5:15 PM: Pedagogy and Co-Curricular Programming Discussion
- 5:30 PM: Dinner
Invitation to Students:
We welcome all DKU students to submit proposals to present their own research on topics related to US-China relations. This is a valuable opportunity to showcase your work and engage in discussions with scholars working in this field. Students interested in presenting are invited to submit a 100-word abstract summarizing their research. Proposals should focus on any aspect of Sino-American relations, whether historical, contemporary, economic, political, cultural, or related to educational and co-curricular programming.
Submission Guidelines:
- Deadline: Please submit your abstract by September 30th, 2024.
- How to Apply: Send your proposal (100-word abstract) to Professor Zach Fredman at zsf5@duke.edu.
- Eligibility: All DKU undergraduate and graduate students are eligible to submit proposals.
About Professor Zach Fredman:
Zach Fredman is an Associate Professor of History and Chair of the Division of Arts and Humanities at Duke Kunshan University. His research focuses on US-China relations. He is the author of The Tormented Alliance: American Servicemen and the Occupation of China, 1941-1949 (UNC Press, 2022) and co-editor of Uneasy Allies: Sino-American Relations at the Grassroots, 1937-1949 (Cambridge UP, 2024).
We look forward to receiving your submissions and hope to see you at the symposium!
Student Report on Migratory Ghosts – Poetry Translation Workshop
Report by Rebecca Combs, class of 2025 & Photos by Ruixiang Hu, Class of 2027
On September 20th, 2024, HRC’s Migratory Ghosts reading series welcomed previous DKU Professor and University of Leeds Teaching Fellow Austin Woerner for an interactive discussion and workshopping of Chinese-English poetry translation. About 25 students and 3 faculty members attended the event at the HUM Space.
Prof Woerner started the event asking each student how many languages they knew, with the audience being filled with a thorough distribution of native Chinese and English speakers. He then began a discussion of how and why he became interested in poetry translation in the first place. He talked about his post-undergrad interests and perspectives, specifically esteemed contemporary Chinese poet Ouyang Jianghe and his desire to assist translating some of his poems into English. Prof Woerner had heard that Jianghe’s poetry was really hard to translate, some even saying his poetry was untranslatable.
His initial thoughts on the prospect were: “that’s what I want to do, I want to be the guy that translates the untranslatable poetry, and I want to be the first one to do it well”. Prof Woerner got the opportunity to fly out to Beijing where the poet lived, spending several weeks working with him in person to understand his poetry better in order to translate it better. “Maybe I could even do a version in English that is better than the original!” Prof Woerner thought at the time.
What he learned from that experience was that his desire to inhabit the author’s vision and channel it, a perfect version of translation, actually doesn’t male a lot of sense. What is powerful about a poem is not what it is in the author’s mind, but what is in the readers’ minds; “it was the conversations I had about the work I was translating that was the most interesting”.
Students were then given two poems and two choices: Sunday’s Empire by Peter Gizzi to translate into Chinese, or to edit an initial Chinese-to-English translation of Fake House by Lu Dong. They split off into groups to work for the rest of the event, coming together at the end to review each other’s work alongside Prof Woerner.
