USC East Asian Studies Center

We always have such a wonderful time hosting our annual EASC Faculty Luncheon! Thank you to everyone who came and shared their recent achievements and updates with our community 🥰🎊🌷

EASC wants to highlight Maple Yang, a graduating Master’s student in East Asian Area Studies in Dornsife! EASC had the opportunity to ask Maple about his experience with the program. Maple’s research focuses on comparative studies of English and Chinese translations of Japanese literature during its vernacular movement. Maple’s advice to incoming students is to build a relationship with mentors and look to them for insight and inspiration. After graduation, Maple will be pursuing a PhD in Comparative Literature at UC Davis.

Congratulations Maple! 🎉

Please see Maple’s full feature here: https://bit.ly/3YdzpU0

EASC wants to highlight Zerui Pan, a graduating Master’s student in East Asian Area Studies in Dornsife and a Summer 2024 EASC Graduate Fellowship recipient! EASC had the opportunity to ask Zerui about his experience with the program and as an awardee. Zerui’s research focuses on digital nationalism in China through the exploration of Chinese travel vlogs to overseas destinations. With the fellowship, Zerui was able to attend the Hokkaido International Foundation (HIF) Summer Program which allowed him to engage in intensive language study. Zerui also had the opportunity to present at the 2024 Harvard East Asia Society Graduate Student Conference where he presented his senior thesis written at UCSD titled “The Body and the Song: East Asian Women Writers Experimenting with a Feminine Mode of Science Fiction Writing.” He noted that the conference gave him the opportunity to revise his work and present it to a greater audience. Zerui’s advice to incoming students is to find value in the experiences of your path rather than the achievements you accomplish. After graduation, Zerui plans to spend some time with his family before moving to Japan to seek work.

Congratulations Zerui! 🎉

Please see Zerui’s full feature here: https://bit.ly/3E5gLXB

The East Asian Studies Center invites you to “EASC Guest Speaker Series: China's Relations with Central Asia: Why Should Americans Care? - Talk by Morris Rossabi” on Friday, April 11 from 4:00PM to 5:30PM at THH 202. The talk will be presented by Prof. Morris Rossabi (Columbia University) and moderated by Prof. Bettine Birge.

Based on research and travels in Central Asia over the past three decades, Prof. Rossabi first describes traditional Chinese relations with Central Asia, including the so-called Silk Roads, but he then focuses on China's increasing interest and involvement in the region since the 1990s collapse of the Soviet Union. As China plays a greater economic role in Central Asia, he also discusses the impact on Xinjiang and on China's relations with Russia. Prof. Rossabi concludes with an explanation of the importance of these developments for the U.S.

This event is co-sponsored by the USC Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, Department of Political Science and International Relations, and Center for International Studies. Register for this event here: https://bit.ly/3Y8Tzi0)

EASC wants to highlight Ike Tamanaha, a graduating senior in East Asian Area Studies in Dornsife! EASC had the opportunity to ask Ike about his time as an undergraduate, his studies, and what interested him in the major. When Ike first started at USC, he was unsure of what to study, pursuing his interests in business and engineering before a study abroad trip to Japan. After spending some time in Japan, he decided to pursue East Asian Area Studies with a focus on Japan and Okinawa, tying his interest to his cultural heritage. Ike recounts two courses that have stuck with him throughout his time in the major: a history class concerning the Allied Occupation of Japan after World War II taught by Professor Ben Uchiyama, and EASC’s Maymester offering, Global East Asia, Kyoto. Currently, Ike is researching the US-Japanese Status of Forces Agreements and completing his senior thesis on Okinawa under the U.S. military government after World War II. His most recent article, “Comparing Medical and Mass Media Discourse on Male Prostitutes in Occupied Japan, 1945-1952,” was published in the 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘢 𝘑𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘴𝘪𝘢'𝘴 December 2024 issue. After graduation, Ike will be back at USC to pursue his MA in East Asian Area Studies! His advice to incoming students is to find your niche, be honest with yourself, and follow something that is close to your identity and experience.

Congratulations Ike! 🎉

Please see Ike’s full feature here: https://dornsife.usc.edu/eascenter/2025/03/26/ike-tamanaha/

Thank you to all who joined us for our "Running in Circles?: Visions of Circular Economies from Mao to Xi" event yesterday where Brian Spivey (Australian National University) and Amy Zhang (New York University) discussed development, waste, and environmental governance in China. The event was moderated by EASC Director, Joshua Goldstein (History and East Asian Languages and Cultures).

The East Asian Studies Center invites you to “EASC Guest Speaker Series: The Perils and Possibilities of “Speaking Freely” in the People’s Republic - Talk by Nicholas Bartlett” on Monday, April 7 from 1:00PM to 2:00PM at SOS 250. The talk will be presented by Prof. Nicolas Bartlett (Barnard College) and moderated by Prof. Joshua Goldstein.

This talk explores the politics of speaking in contemporary China through Tavistock tradition Group Relations Conferences (GRCs). In ritualized events where paying participants must navigate frequently stressful encounters, everything from geopolitical tensions to intimate dreams are spoken and made available for the group to connect, critique, and reflect upon. Prof. Bartlett refers to the distinctive genre of speech produced in these spaces as "speaking freely." This talk explores the possibilities and perils associated with encounters across differences in the People's Republic and beyond.

Register for this event here: https://bit.ly/4leVVGf

EASC wants to highlight Aina Jinguji, a graduating Progressive Degree Master’s student in East Asian Area Studies in Dornsife! EASC had the opportunity to ask Aina about her time as a student, her studies, and what interested her in the program. Aina’s studies are informed by her Culture, Media, and Entertainment minor and focuses on Japanese media with an emphasis on pop culture, literature, and video games. Additionally, Aina has an interest in the U.S.-Japan relationship. Her advice to incoming students is to “pursue everything you are interested in, even if it is not in your field of study. Things will connect when you least expect it.” After graduation, Aina plans to break into the games industry as a designer or work in U.S.-Japan localization.

Congratulations Aina! 🎉

Please see Aina’s full feature here: https://bit.ly/4bSG2AH

Congratulations to all the USC panelists at the 2025 Association for Asian Studies conference! We were so excited to see such a strong USC presence and had a wonderful time listening to all your panels, discussions and presentations.

Prof. Jessica Zu invites the wider community to two thought-provoking online discussions on Navayana Buddhism with Dr. Santosh Raut (Harvard Divinity School) and Dr. Harsha Gautam (University of Texas at Austin). These talks are part of Prof. Zu's REL 135: Chinese Religions and Culture and REL 342: Buddhist Modernism courses.

The East Asian Studies Center invites you to “EASC Guest Speaker Series: Dr. Ambedkar and Navayana Buddhism: Opening New Forms and Approaches to Liberation - Talk by Santosh Raut,” on Tuesday, April 1 from 5:00PM to 6:20PM on Zoom. Dr. Santosh Raut examines Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s vision of Navayana Buddhism, its potential to create new pathways for liberation, and its transformative possibilities. Dr. Raut will explore how Ambedkar reinterpreted Buddhist teachings to challenge caste hierarchies and reimagine social justice.

The East Asian Studies Center invites you to “EASC Guest Speaker Series: By the Women, For the Revolution: Gendered Struggle of Navayāna Buddhism - Talk by Harsha Gautam,” on Wednesday, April 2 from 12:00PM to 1:20PM on Zoom. Dr. Harsha Gautam sheds light on the critical role of women in the Navayana Buddhist movement. This talk examines how women have shaped and sustained the movement, challenging patriarchal norms and expanding the liberatory potential of Navayana Buddhism.

Register for these events here: https://bit.ly/4itlTnk, https://bit.ly/4hCKUeC

EASC wants to highlight Seth Marshall, a graduating Master’s student in East Asian Area Studies in Dornsife and a Summer 2024 EASC Graduate Fellowship recipient! EASC had the opportunity to ask Seth about his fellowship project and experience as an awardee. Seth’s project focuses on Japanese and Pacific histories and cultures. With the fellowship, Seth was able to visit Japan and immerse himself in the country. He spent some time in Japan exploring climbing gyms and interviewing rock climbers and gym owners for his project. Seth’s advice to incoming students is to not only become familiar with your professors, but to focus your studies on something you are passionate about beyond academics.

Congratulations Seth! 🎉

Please see Seth’s full feature here: https://bit.ly/3XQh3Iv

Thank to everyone who joined us for yesterday's Spring Grad Mixer despite the bit of rain! We loved catching up with everyone and meeting a few new students as well 😊 We are so grateful for this community we've built!

We had a great time catching up with everyone over some onigiri and spam musubi at our Spring Undergrad Mixer on Friday! Thank you to everyone who stopped by 😊

The East Asian Studies Center invites you to “Running in Circles?: Visions of Circular Economies from Mao to Xi,” on Monday, March 24 from 4:00PM to 5:30PM at SOS B40. The talk will be presented by Amy Zhang (New York University) and Brian Spivey (The Australian National University) and moderated by Prof. Joshua Goldstein.

Our speakers will explore how visions of a “circular economy,” in which technology and policy convert all forms of waste back into resources, have been integral to the PRC state’s visions of development across decades of tumultuous and transformative change. From Mao-era policies of "comprehensive utilization" that sought a uniquely Socialist solution to the elimination of wastes to today’s China where hundreds of waste-to-energy incinerators are presented as a circular solution to the country’s explosive growth in post-consumer wastes, our speakers explore over 50 years of “circular economy” in China.

Register for this event here: https://bit.ly/43iBTE5

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our MYAKU-MYAKU Meet and Greet on Tuesday! We had so much fun learning about Expo 2025 and getting to take photos with the official mascot, MYAKU-MYAKU himself! Expo 2025 Osaka, Japan is a world expo set to take place from April 13 to October 13, 2025, on Yumeshima, an artificial island in Osaka Bay. Visit the official Expo 2025 website to learn more: https://bit.ly/3XlLExt

Please join us for the Spring 2025 EASC Grad Mixer on Tuesday, March 11 from 4:00PM to 5:30PM in CAS 100! Enjoy food, drink and conversation with fellow students across USC. Graduate students from any field are welcome to join, so it is a great opportunity to meet fellow students with East Asia-related research topics and interests!

Please RSVP by Monday, March 3, so we can order enough food and drinks for everyone! Register for this event under “Upcoming Events” in our LinkTree.

Please join us for the Spring 2025 EASC Grad Mixer on Tuesday, March 11 from 4:00PM to 5:30PM in CAS 100! Enjoy food, drink and conversation with fellow students across USC. Graduate students from any field are welcome to join, so it is a great opportunity to meet fellow students with East Asia-related research topics and interests!

Please RSVP by Monday, March 3, so we can order enough food and drinks for everyone! Register for this event here: https://bit.ly/4h22SH8)

Please join us for the Spring 2025 EASC Undergraduate Mixer on Friday, March 7 from 2:00PM to 3:30PM in CAS 100! Come meet other East Asian Area Studies and Korean studies majors and minors while enjoying some food and drinks. We would love for you to also invite any other students interested in East Asian media, research, or study abroad opportunities!

Please RSVP by Friday, March 7 so we can order enough snacks and drinks for everyone! Register for this event here: https://bit.ly/4bbq30q