Asian Studies Center at Michigan State University

10/10/2026

Last Saturday, October 3, we co-hosted the 31st Global Korea Awards with The Council on Korean Studies at MSU, honoring two accomplished scholars: Dr. Elizabeth Son of Northwestern University and Dr. Ji-Yeon Jo of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The awards recognized their significant contributions to cross-cultural understanding, global education, and the well-being of Korean communities in the United States and around the world.

Our sincere thanks to the CKS board members and students whose dedication and hard work helped make this annual event a success. We are grateful for the time, care, and support you brought to the celebration.

Thank you also to our friends and colleagues who spent their Saturday morning with us honoring this year’s award recipients. We hope you enjoyed the food, conversations, and company as much as we did!

10/10/2026

Discover the art of Korean calligraphy! 🖌️ Join calligraphy specialist Pastor Byungman Park for a hands-on workshop.

📅 Monday, October 12
🕔 5–6 PM
📍 Wells Hall B106

Only 25 spots available—scan the QR code on the flyer to reserve yours!

10/09/2026

A belated look back at our annual Fall Reception, co-hosted with Asia Hub on September 23. After a busy few weeks, we’re pleased to share highlights from an evening that brought together over 100 faculty, students, and friends from across campus and beyond to catch up, exchange ideas, and make new connections. We wish everyone a successful new academic year!

We also celebrated the retirement of our dear colleague, Julia Grimm, after twenty plus years of dedicated service to the university. Thank you, Julia, for your many contributions and for being such a valued colleague. We’ll miss working with you and wish you all the best in retirement!

We hope you enjoyed the food and the company. Go Green 💚

10/03/2026

See you today at our annual Global Korea Awards event, International Center, Room 115 (lobby floor)

The Council on Korean Studies at MSU cordially invites you to attend the 2026 Global Korea Awards (GKA) ceremony on Saturday, October 3, 2026 at 10:00 AM at MSU International Center, Room 115 (427 N Shaw Ln, East Lansing, MI).

Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of remarkable individuals who have promoted Korea globally and contributed to humanity and goodwill. We will also present several endowed scholarships to outstanding MSU students whose academic achievements deserve recognition.

The award ceremony is open to the public and free to attend, including the Korean luncheon. All MSU students, faculty, staff, and community members are welcome.

RSVP is required: https://tinyurl.com/GKA2026

Parking is free right adjacent to the international center (Lot 50).

10/03/2026

Our OER Asian Language Textbooks are on display at the Midwest Conference on Asian Affairs (MCAA) at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse this weekend 📚🌏

We’re excited to showcase MSU’s growing collection of free, open-access Asian language textbooks, designed to expand access to high-quality language learning resources for students and educators everywhere.

A special thank you to our two MSU students, Kara and Megumi, for representing MSU and managing the booth at the conference!

10/01/2026

Find Asian Studies Center Booth at the 2026 GLOBAL LEARNING EXPO
Thursday, October 8, 2026, 1:00 - 5:00pm, Breslin Center

Stop by the booth (tables 113 & 114) to learn more about Asia-related resources and programs available to students, faculty, staff, and the broader community.

The Global Learning Expo is a comprehensive information event for anyone interested in learning more about the many exciting global opportunities available at Michigan State University.

More than 145 exhibits displaying information about MSU's wide variety of programs and support services will be available for students to browse and ask questions. If you've ever thought about domestic or international study, the Global Learning Expo is the perfect place to begin your search.

Click here to learn more: https://educationabroad.isp.msu.edu/global-learning-expo

09/25/2026

The Blakemore Foundation is accepting applications for 2027–2028 intensive language study in Asia.

Blakemore Freeman Fellowships support advanced study of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Khmer, Thai, and Vietnamese for U.S. citizens and permanent residents who have completed at least three years of language study.

Blakemore Kingfisher Art History Language Fellowships support Chinese or Korean language study for students intending to pursue doctoral-level research in pre-20th-century Chinese or Korean art history. Eligibility includes U.S. and Canadian citizens/permanent residents and eligible foreign nationals studying in the U.S. or Canada.

💰 Fellowships provide full tuition plus funding for living, travel, and study expenses at approved intensive language programs in Asia.

📅 Application deadline: December 30, 2026

🔗 Apply: blakemorefoundation.communityforce.com
🌐 Learn more: www.blakemorefoundation.org

09/24/2026

Join us for a talk by Professor Federico Marcon of Princeton University as he examines the historical record and evolving scholarly interpretations of fascism in Japan.

Drawing on his recent book, Fascism: The History of a Word (University of Chicago Press, 2025), Professor Marcon will explore how the concept of “fascism” has been defined, debated, and applied—and what those debates mean for our understanding of modern Japanese history.

📅 Tuesday, October 6, 2026
🕟 4:30 PM
📍 303 International Center, Michigan State University

Sponsored by the MSU Asian Studies Center, MSU Department of History, and Center for European and Eurasian Studies.

09/22/2026

Take your language learning abroad and build skills for your future career!

U.S. students applying to the Gilman Program may also apply for up to $3,000 through the Critical Need Language Award.

This supplemental scholarship supports Gilman applicants studying one of 10+ languages critical to U.S. national security and economic prosperity, including Arabic, Bahasa Indonesian, Chinese (Mandarin), Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Russian, Turkish, and Urdu.

The application deadline is Thursday, October 1 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time.

Learn more at: https://www.gilmanscholarship.org/program/critical-need-languages/

09/22/2026

There is still time to sign up for 2026 Asia Hub & CIAERA Annual Meeting at Nanjing Agriculture University, October 27 -29, 2026. See link below for more details.

Join the Asia Hub and CIAERA Annual Meeting, featuring the World Agriculture Prize (WAP) award ceremony to celebrate accomplishments in agriculture and the 10th anniversary of Asia Hub. The meeting will focus on Ecosystem Resilience in 2 main areas (Resilient Agroecosystems: water, food security and...