September 30, 2013

Asian Institute Launches New Website

The Asian Institute has launched a new website: http://munkschool.utoronto.ca/ai. Be sure to check regularly for AI news, events, and opportunities.

September 27, 2013

Asia Pacific Reader 2013-2014 Call for Editors and Senior Editors

Application Deadline: Friday, October 11 , 2013. The Asia Pacific Reader is currently recruiting new undergraduate and graduate student editorial staff. Learn more.

September 21, 2013

Call for Submissions: Imaging the Asia Pacific Photo Contest 2013-2014

Application Deadline: January 13, 2014. The Dr. David Chu Program in Asia-Pacific Studies at the Asian Institute, Munk School of Global Affairs, seeks photographic representations of the Asia-Pacific (East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific) that incite us to imagine the region from unique perspectives. The judges are seeking photographs of high artistic quality that offer thought provoking images, including those that may be highly abstract. Learn more.

May 15 , 2013

Dr. David Chu Scholarships Recognize Student Leadership

Carmen Ho, Aaron Wilson, and Betty Xie have been selected as winners of the Dr. David Chu Leadership Award for 2012–13. The award recognizes undergraduate and graduate student leadership and academic achievement in pursuing and promoting extra-curricular research related to the Asia-Pacific region in the Faculty of Arts and Science at the University of Toronto.

		Carmen Ho, a PhD student in the Department of Political Science, served as manager of the 2012–13 Global Ideas Institute, overseeing the entire operation of the research and mentorship program run by the Asian Institute and University of Toronto Schools. This year’s GII brought together high school students from across the GTA with U of T student mentors and leading experts (both scholars and practitioners) to examine and propose solutions to the challenge of scaling up micronutrient programs for malnourished children in the developing world. Carmen managed the organizing committee, in addition to 25 undergraduate and graduate student mentors. She also curated the reading packages for the mentors and students and ran the high-profile seminar series and workshops throughout the year.
		Aaron Wilson, a fourth-year undergraduate student in Asia-Pacific Studies and Political Science, rallied his classmates to put together a compelling research proposal and secure funding from the A&S International Course Module (ICM) program so that students from CAS400Y: Critical Perspectives on Asian Modernity and JPA411H: Global Taiwan could travel to Taiwan and China over reading week to study migration and identity formation on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. Aaron took the lead in organizing the ICM from early conceptualization to logistical planning and finally presenting the research findings at U of T.
		Betty Xie, a third-year Asia-Pacific Studies and Cinema Studies student, has made a wide array of contributions to the extra-curricular study of the Asia-Pacific region.  She shot and edited a thought-provoking film documenting the 2012 Taiwan elections, which the Asian Institute and Cinema Studies Institute screened publicly in fall 2012. She also co-chaired this year’s INDePth conference, a major student-led conference on development issues in Asia that she co-founded in 2011–12. This year’s conference focused on the sustainability of China’s developmental model and attracted 180 students from across North America and Asia.

Imaging the Asia Pacific Photo Contest Winners Announced

February 12, 2013. In fall 2012 the Dr. David Chu Program in Asia-Pacific Studies launched the inaugural Imaging the Asia-Pacific Photo Contest. Open to all students at the University of Toronto, the contest invited entrants to imagine and represent the Asia-Pacific from unique perspectives.

At a reception in late January to celebrate the new year, Dr. David Chu Professor and Director in Asia-Pacific Studies, Takashi Fujitani, announced the winning photos. The Grand Prize was awarded to Isabelle Cote, a PhD student in Political Science, for her photograph “Asia Pacific 011.” Cote took the photo during fieldwork in China, which, coincidentally, was funded by a Dr. David Chu travel award. The photo depicts a child in a red dress on a rooftop in old city, Kuqa City, Xinjiang, China.

The runner-up photos belong to fourth-year Asia-Pacific Studies student Zhiying Zhang and Rotman Finance student Edward Tse. Zhang’s photo, “Forecasts,” was taken in Koh Samui, Thailand. Tse’s photo, “Progress,” was taken in Kowloon, Hong Kong.

Submissions were judged and winners chosen by Professor Fujitani and Professor Tong Lam. The winning photos will be displayed at the Asian Institute and on the upcoming new Dr. David Chu Program in Asia-Pacific Studies website. The Chu program plans to hold the photo contest every year and encourages all students at the University of Toronto to consider entering the next contest. Details will be announced in fall 2013.

Asia-Pacific 011, by Isabelle Cote. "On the roof, old city, Kuqa city, Xinjiang, China."

Forecasts, by Zhiying Zhang. "The unpredictable and changeable tropical weather reminds one of the bittersweet relationships among the Asian neighbours."

Progress, by Edward Tse. "Change, as it approaches the old apartments of Kowloon. The old apartments are being neglected as tenants anticipate the purchase of their property by developers."

Internship Opportunities at Canadian Missions in China | Beginning December 2012

Call for Applications
Position Descriptions
Candidate Internship Form

Internship Opportunities at Canadian Missions in China | Beginning September 2012

Call for Applications
Position Descriptions
Candidate Internship Form

Internship Opportunities at Embassy of Canada to China | Beginning July 2012 

Please visit the student resources page of the Asian Institute website for more information on this opportunity, including position descriptions, application deadlines & requirements, and eligibility.

Internship Opportunities at Canadian Trade Office in Taipei | Beginning July 2012

Please visit the student resources page of the Asian Institute website for complete position descriptions, as well as application requirements and eligibility.

2012 Young Leaders Delegation to Taiwan | Deadline Apr 18

Please visit the student resources page of the Asian Institute website for more information on this opportunity, including eligibility, application deadlines, and application requirements.

Deadline for Dr. David Chu Leadership award nominations extended | Due March 23

For more information regarding the nomination process and eligiblity please visit the Asian Institute's student resource page

Summer Internship Opportunites at the Asian Institute

Please visit the Asian Institute's student resource for more details including position descriptions and application requirements. Application deadline: Monday April 16, 2012

Internship Opportunities at Canadian Consulates and Embassies in China | Beginning May 2012

Pan-Asia Cultural Showcase: A Night to Celebrate Diasporic Arts in Music, Film, Dance, & Literature, January 26, 7-11pm

The Pan-Asia Cultural Showcase sets to celebrate Asian culture by displaying local talents of Asian arts, ranging from music to film. The event invites students to explore the diversity and richness in Asian art forms, and thereby understanding the region in new light.

For the complete program and other event details please click here.

This event is presented by the Pan-Asia Student Society (PASS) and South Asian Development Council (SADC) at the University of Toronto

Collaborative Master's in Asia Pacific Studies Information Session, January 12, 2:00-4:00pm

Call for Applicants | University of Toronto Delegation to Taiwan Elections, January 9-15, 2012

*CLOSED*

The Asian Institute will grant travel awards to three (3) students to travel to Taipei, Taiwan to be observers of the Taiwan presidential and legislative elections on January 14, 2012. The Call for Applications is available here.

**please note there is an error in the original Call for Applicants. Please send your completed application to ai.asianstudies@utoronto.ca.**

Toronto ALPHA is hiring

November 21, 2011. Toronto Association for Learning & Preserving the History of WWII in Asia is hiring for the following positions:

1) Project Coordinator (full-time)
2) Project Assistant (part-time)
3) Video Archival Intern

Please click here for complete job descriptions and information on how to apply.

Asia Pacific Reader Presents Third Annual Student Journal Passages

August 23, 2011. The Asia Pacific Reader has published the third volume of its e-journal Passages on their website. This year's publication features work from students who participated in exchanges to Indonesia, China, and Taiwan, as well as work from graduate students across the country. Please click here to view it.

Asia-Pacific Studies Program Welcomes New Director, Professor Takashi Fujitani

July 29 , 2011. The Asian Institute is pleased to announce the appointment of the new Dr. David Chu Professor in Asia-Pacific Studies, Takashi Fujitani. Professor Fujitani will be cross-appointed with the Department of History and the Asian Institute and will also serve as Director of the Dr. David Chu Program in Asia-Pacific Studies beginning fall 2011.

A graduate of UC Berkeley, Professor Fujitani comes to the University of Toronto from the University of California, San Diego, where he has been a professor of modern Japanese history for two decades.  Professor Fujitani’s books include Splendid Monarchy: Power and Pageantry in Modern Japan (University of California Press, 1996), Perilous Memories: The Asia Pacific War(s) (Duke University Press, 2001), and the forthcoming Race for Empire: Koreans as Japanese and Japanese as Americans in WWII (University of California Press).

Please join us in welcoming Professor Fujitani to the Asian Institute and the University of Toronto. 

Internship Opportunities at Canadian Consulates and Embassies in China

July 27 , 2011. Please check the Asian Institute's student resource page for details. Click to view the Call for Applications, Position Descriptions, and Statement of Interest Form. (UPDATED AUGUST 9, 2011)

Logo Contest for Pan-Asia Student Society

May 13, 2011. The newly formed student group PASS (Pan-Asia Student Society) is holding a contest for the design of its official logo. All University of Toronto students are eligible make a submission. For complete contest details, click here.

Asia-Pacific Club folds 2190 Cranes for Japan

But they didn’t do it alone.  In addition to the many students, faculty, and passersby who took part, the Asia-Pacific Club was joined on the project’s final day by 38 grade nine students from Bloor Collegiate Institute’s TOPS program. The high school students contributed $200 and over 200 cranes to the cause. Also in attendance was the Consul-General of Japan, Tetsuo Yamashita, and his expert origami-folding staff, who helped show students how to fold the paper cranes.

There is a Japanese legend that states that any person who folds 1000 origami cranes will be granted a wish. The cranes are often folded and strung together as a symbol of hope and peace in times of struggle. The Asian Institute wishes to thank everyone who participated or donated to the One Thousand Cranes Project.

Read More:

Faculty of Arts and Science
U of T Bulletin Slideshow
Consulate General of Japan in Toronto

Oxford Interns Write Up

Mar 17, 2011. Last summer, the Dr. David Chu Program hosted two graduate student interns from Oxford University in England. The students conducted research on Indonesian migrant workers in Saudia Arabia and women's rights. Read about their experience here.

Summer 2011 Internship Opportunity at Mercy Corps Indonesia

Mar 11, 2011. We are pleased to offer an internship opportunity at Mercy Corps in Jakarta, Indonesia for the second year in a row. Mercy Corps is a non-profit international NGO. Their program in Indonesia strives to address the root causes of poverty, thereby improving the quality of life for disaster and conflict affected, urban, and coastal communities. The intern will support English language publications and edit reports related to a variety of ongoing development projects. The application deadline is March 14, click here for further details on the internship and how to apply.

Student Papers from April 2010 Indonesia Trip Online

Introducing the New Minor Program in Asia-Pacific Studies

Feb 8 , 2011. The new Minor Program in Asia-Pacific Studies is the perfect fit for students pursuing a specialist in another field but who want to complement their disciplinary knowledge with an Asia-Pacific-focused area specialization. The minor will consist of 3 FCEs, including our newest course, debuting in 2011-12: ASI200Y1: Global Asia. Check the Undergraduate Program page for details.

Asia-Pacific Course Offerings Continue to Expand

Feb 8 , 2011. The Asia-Pacific Studies program will be offering a variety of exciting new courses in 2011-12, including ASI200Y1: Global Asia. This course will act as a gateway into both the major and the new minor in Asia-Pacific Studies, introducing students to Asia’s growing role in the contemporary global economy.  It will provide an interdisciplinary lens onto key themes and topics in the study of Asia with a particular emphasis on the dynamic movement of people, ideas, and resources across borders in the region.

Two more new courses to be introduced in 2011-12 are JPA331Y1: Issues in Contemporary Chinese Politics and JPA411H1: The Political Economy of Global Taiwan, both jointly offered with the Department of Political Science. We are thrilled to be offering these new course options for our students!

Careers in Asia Panel Discussion: February 15, 2011

Jan 26, 2011. Please join the Asia-Pacific Club on February 15 from 4-6pm in the Munk School room 208N for Careers in Asia: Striving and Achieving. To register, click here.

FAS Sends Asia-Pacific Studies and Geography Students to Chengdu, China

Jan 26, 2011. Students in the Dr. David Chu Program’s capstone course Issues in Asia-Pacific Studies (ASI400Y) and Geography’s Changing Geography of China (GGR 343F) were successful in their application for Internationalized Course Module (ICM) funding from the Faculty of Arts and Science. Led by Professor Alana Boland, the students will travel to Chengdu, China, in May 2011 to conduct field research. Congratulations Professor Boland and students!

This is the second year in a row that ASI400 students have received ICM funding. Last year, the class conducted field research in Bandung and Jakarta, Indonesia, led by Professor Rachel Silvey.

Careers in Asia Panel Discussion: December 9, 2010

Nov 30 , 2010. The Asia-Pacific Club has organized its first event of the year. Please join them on December 9 from 4-6pm in the Munk School room 108N for Careers in Asia: Connecting the Generations, Disciplines, and Professions. To register, click here. To view the poster for further details, click here.

New Minor Program Announced

Nov 16 , 2010. The Dr. David Chu Program in Asia-Pacific Studies is pleased to announce that it will be introducing a new minor option in fall 2011. Please check back soon for details.

Summer 2011 Research Opportunity in Indonesia

Nov 16 , 2010. Professor Tania Li (Department of Anthropology and the Asian Institute, University of Toronto) and Dr. Pujo Semedi (Department of Anthropology, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia) are offering an Independent Research Opportunity in rural Indonesia from May to August 2011. For details on the course, entitled ANT497Y: Producing Wealth and Poverty in Indonesia’s New Rural Economies, see the course description. To signal your possible interest in this course, to find out about the December 1 information session, and to obtain the application form, please contact the course assistant jacob.nerenberg@utoronto.ca by November 26, 2010.

Taiwan Field School 2010

Oct 14 , 2010. Last year's Taiwan Field School was such a success, it has been renewed for another year. Please see the Call for Applications for details, and attend the info session on October 25. The application deadline is October 29.

Summer Internship Opportunities in Taiwan

Oct 6 , 2010. The Asian Institute and the Dr. David Chu Program in Asia-Pacific Studies are pleased to announce two internship opportunities for undergraduate students at Taiwanese NGOs that promote domestic and international political-economic development.  Please see the Call for Applications for details.

U of T Welcomes Two Summer Interns from the University of Oxford

May 17, 2010. Dr. David Chu Program in Asia-Pacific Studies Director Rachel Silvey will host two summer interns from the University of Oxford, UK.   Sahana Ghosh and Nora Danielson are PhD Candidates in Migration Studies and Anthropology.  They will work with Professor Silvey on her SSHRC-funded research project, “Transnational Mobilities: Rights, Religion, and Indonesian Migrant Women in Saudi Arabia.”  These internships mark the beginning of a reciprocal relationship between the two institutions, laying the groundwork to send a U of T student as an intern to Oxford next year.

ASI400 Students Depart for Indonesia

April 23, 2010. Students in the Asia-Pacific Studies 400-level capstone course leave for Indonesia tonight to take part in a two week Internationalized Course Module (ICM) funded by the Faculty of Arts and Science.  Professor Rachel Silvey is taking eleven students to the city of Bandung, where they will work closely with local students and faculty at the Bandung Institute of Technology to learn about urban issues.  They will also visit the ASEAN and World Bank headquarters in Jakarta.  The trip aims to give students a firsthand look at themes they have covered in class, including development, migration, and environmental issues in Indonesia.

2009-10 Dr. David Chu Scholarship winners announced

April 19, 2010. The Dr. David Chu Scholarship supports undergraduate and graduate students pursuing study or research related to the Asia-Pacific region. Congratulations to this year's winners:

Asia-Pacific Reader publishes 2009-10 edition of Passages

April 15, 2010. The Asia Pacific Reader has just published its second volume of Passages.  Click here to download.

A message from the editors, Yao Adam Liu, Faith Pang, and Sherry Lu:

We are very proud to announce the publication of Passages 2009-2010. Building on the inaugural volume, this year's draws from a much wider range of student research - U of T Summer Abroad program in Shanghai; ASI400 class trip to South Korea; and, as always, research notes on East and Southeast Asia by Dr. David Chu Scholarship recipients. What is more, we are absolutely delighted to have received submissions from graduate students from Columbia University, Fudan University and Harvard University. This marks an important step of the Passages - and the APR - expanding its international reach. Above all, we are indeed privileged to publish an op-ed from Mr. Gordon Chang, forbes.com columnist and author of "The Coming Collapse of China".

www.asiapacificreader.org

Asia-Pacific Studies Info Session - April 1, 2010

There will be an information session for prospective students on Thursday, April 1 2010 from 4:30-6:00pm. The info session will be located at the Munk School, 1 Devonshire Place, room 208N. Visit the event page for more info and to register.

Funded research opportunity in Indonesia - May-July 2010

March 10, 2010. Professor Tania Li will lead a group of students on a 399Y research course entitled "Producing Wealth and Poverty in Indonesia’s New Rural Economies." The application deadline is March 22, 2010. Please read the announcement, or email sherigibbings@gmail.com for further information.

Asia-Pacific Studies Program announces internship opportunities

January 20, 2010. We are pleased to announce that three exciting new summer internship opportunities are now being offered to ASI students. Two are located in Taiwan; one at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and one at the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy. The third position is in Ottawa, with Defence Research and Development Canada. Some funding will be available to offset travel and living expenses associated with the internships. Please check back soon for details on how to apply.

ASI400 students awarded funding from the Faculty of Arts and Science to take a research trip to Indonesia during reading week

December 17, 2009. Students enrolled in the program's capstone course, ASI400Y: Issues in Asia-Pacific Studies, recently learned that their funding proposal was successful for a research trip to Bandung, Indonesia. They will be visiting Bandung with their professor, Rachel Silvey, during reading week 2010. There are also spaces available for additional students who are not enrolled in ASI400 to take part in this exciting opportunity. Please click here for information on how to apply. The application deadline is January 11, 2010.

Undergraduate student delegates return from a successful trip to Taiwan

Field Course and Research Opportunity in Indonesia, Summer 2010

Professors Joshua Barker and Tania Li from the Department of Anthropology are offering a field course and a joint research opportunity in Indonesia this summer for undergraduate students, in collaboration with the Asian Institute. Some funding will be available.

Read more about the field course and the research opportunity.

Faculty search for Dr. David Chu Professorship in Asia-Pacific Studies

The Faculty of Arts and Science invites applications and nominations for an endowed chair at the level of Associate or Full Professor at the Asian Institute. Read more...

Rachel Silvey appointed Director in 2009-10

The Asian Institute is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Rachel Silvey as Director of the Dr. David Chu Program in Asia Pacific Studies.

Three newly created Asian Institute courses include...

Jacques Bertrand's "Democracy and Identity in Asia", Joseph Wong's "Asia and the New Global Economy" and new faculty, Yiching Wu's "Nationalism, Revolution and Reform in Asia: China in Comparative Perspective"

To obtain full course descriptions and timings, click here...

The Creative City, The Mall, and the Slum: Urban Planning and Culture in Bandung, Indonesia

Three groups of students (from anthropology, geography and planning) who participated in a PLA 1150, a recently completed field studies course based in Bandung, Indonesia will briefly present their research focusing on dynamic change in urban Indonesia. The course, which was sponsored by the Asian Institute,the David Chu Scholarships, the Department of Anthroplogy and the Friends of Planning, was conducted during three weeks in May 2008. It involved travel as well to Yogyakarta, one of Indonesia's most important cultural centres, and a number of meeting and research activities with Indonesian bureaucrats, entrepreneurs, academics and urban activists. Register online

Going Behind the Camera -- Hong Kong Films About Films

2007 Dr. David Chu Scholarship winners

We would like to congratulate the following recipients of the Dr. David Chu Scholarship in Asia Pacific Studies for 2007:

Asia Pacific Reader seeks undergraduate collaboration

November 15, 2007. This year, the Asia Pacific Reader has proposed to get undergraduate students more involved in the website as a way of reviving the Asia Pacific Club (APAC).

The APR can help students who are interested in taking a leadership role in the club to sign up with Student Affairs, so APAC will once again have official club status and funding.  APAC can use the APR to advertise social events, organize conferences, and have a section of the site devoted to undergraduate students.  There are also a few new projects the APR is working on, including a wiki knowledge database and a printed publication, with which Asia Pacific Studies students are encouraged collaborate.

If you are interested in taking a leadership role, getting involved on a more casual basis, or if you just want to talk to us to find out more, contact us at info@asiapacificreader.org.  We will arrange a meeting so that we can discuss these ideas further.