In 2018W, the topic for HIST 105B is Pacific War in History and Film. This course interrogates Japanese Pacific War films to contemplate how Japan’s contemporary history has been shaped by, and shapes, the presentation and memory of World War II in the Pacific. A particular emphasis will be on how the war was presented during wartime and has been remembered on film thereafter.
Are you interested in how history is presented on film? Have you ever wondered whether film reflects or shapes society’s views of historical events, or maybe if it does both? This course examines the interplay between cultural production and conventional memory. In other words, how and why has the popular understanding of historical events changed over time, and how can we trace that shift?
To examine this question, we will focus on one medium (Japanese films) and one historical topic (Japan’s invovlement in the Pacific War, 1937-1945). Our material will be films about the Pacific War made by some of Japan’s most celebrated directors — from classic auteurs Kurosawa, Mizoguchi, Ozu, and Kinoshita in the 1940s-1950s, to lesser-known iconoclasts Suzuki Seijun, Kobayashi Masaki, Masumura Yasuzo, Shinoda Masahiro, and Imamura Shohei in the 1950s-1960s, to household names like Ghibli animators Miyazaki Hayao and Takahata Isao today. Viewing these films, the class will ask how the historical narrative of Japan’s role in the Pacific War was presented during the conflict and how it has changed since then alongside contemporary developments in Japan’s postwar history.
Monday lectures held from 17:00-18:00
Wednesday screenings and film discussions held from 17:00-20:00
Class Announcement: HIST 105B Pacific War in History and Film
Fully-funded PhD Positions in University of Basel Available
Your position:
You will contribute to the research project by writing a doctoral thesis on one of the two following topics:
1. Exiled at Home! Writing Confucian Philosophy under Conditions of Censorship in the PRC (1949–1976)
2. The Politics of Anti-Confucianism and Philosophical Argument: The Debates between Confucians and Liberals in 1950s Taiwan.
For details, please visit Europa.unibas.ch
Applicant Profile and Qualifications:
- MA thesis in a topic and discipline relevant to the PhD research project
- Proficiency in Modern Chinese and in English
- The pursued PhDs can be done in either Philosophy, Political Science or European Global Studies, depending on your profile and career plans.
- Integration in an active research group
- Participation at conferences with your own contributions
- Support for publishing your results in peer-reviewed journals
The salary and the conditions of employment will be those of the University of Basel and the SNF.
Please send your complete application dossier, including a letter of motivation and CV (all documents in one e-mail as a single PDF-document) via e-mail to: bewerbung-eib@unibas.ch. Please indicate which of the two projects you are interested in pursuing. The closing date is July 5, 2018.
In case you have questions about the positions, please contact the head of the research project, Prof. Dr. Ralph Weber: ralph.weber@unibas.ch.
International Conference on Romance of the Three Kingdoms
This conference aims to illuminate the interplay between traditional literary cultures in an East Asian context by examining the reception and narrative developments of the major traditional Chinese novels, especially Sanguozhi yanyi 三國志演義 (Romance of the Three Kingdoms; hereafter Three Kingdoms) in East Asia.
All are welcome! Light refreshments will be provided.
Programme for May 25th:
9:30 am
Opening Remarks
9:40 am
Keynote Speech: Robert Hegel (Liselotte Dieckmann Professor of Comparative Literature, Washington University in St. Louis): Rereading the Four Masterpieces of the Ming Novel
10:40 am
Section I
Hyuk-Chan Kwon (Organizer, University of Alberta): Political Implications of Three Kingdoms in Contemporary Korea
Kyoung Wook Min (Kyonggi University): Three Kingdoms as Quoted in Yi Sunsin’s War Diary
12:00 pm
Lunch
1:20 pm
Section II
Isaac Yue (University of Hong Kong): Yoshikawa Eiji’s Three Kingdoms as an Ode to Japanese Colonial Aggression
Eunbong Lee (Incheon National University): After the Korean War, Why Were Koreans Captivated by a Japanese Version of Three Kingdoms?
2:40 pm
Session III
Hirosawa Yusuke (Ritsumeikan University): Images of Mist and Wind in Woodblock Paintings of Three Kingdoms in Early Modern China and Japan
Barbara Wall (University of Copenhagen): Mapping The Journey to the West as Dynamic Text in Korea from the 14th Century
4:00 pm
Break
4:20 pm
Session IV
Shan Ren (University of Alberta): The Adaptation of Chinese Ming novels in Japanese late Edo novels: Takizawa Bakin and Nansō Satomi Hakkenden (Tale of Eight Dogs)
William Hedberg (Arizona State University): Romance of the Two Kingdoms: Chinese Fiction as Conduit and Barrier in Early Modern Japan
5:40 pm
Closing Remarks
This conference is supported by The Academy of Korean Studies, The China Institute, Kule Institute for Advanced Study, Prince Takamado Japan Centre for Teaching and Research, and Department of East Asian Studies at University of Alberta.
Looking to study in Taiwan but not sure how? Here are two scholarships that might help you get there.
The Huayu Enrichment Scholarship:
Purpose:
- To encourage international students (Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao SAR students are not eligible) to study Huayu courses in the Republic of China (Taiwan);
- To provide them with opportunities to increase their understanding of Taiwanese culture and society, and to promote mutual understanding and interactions between Taiwan and the international community
More details>>
The Taiwan Scholarship:
Purpose:
The Taiwan Scholarship Program was established by the Republic of China (Taiwan) — the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) to encourage outstanding international students to undertake degree programs in Taiwan. In addition to providing study opportunities for a wide range of disciplines at Taiwan’s universities and colleges, this program also aims to:
- Promote knowledge, understanding and friendship between people in Taiwan and in countries around the world.
- Provide opportunities to increase academic and educational links with international institutions of higher learning.
- Develop outstanding professionals and experts to meet the needs of the global society.
More details>>
Want to teach a language? Check out this Bachelor of Education Information Session.
Change the future, become a teacher! You can make a difference by teaching languages. Language teachers are in demand in British Columbia and elsewhere. A UBC Bachelor of Education can be earned post-graduation in 11 months and is highly regarded around the world. Languages taught in BC are French, Spanish, Japanese, Mandarin, German, Russian and English, and UBC’s Faculty of Education prepares educators to teach these languages at the secondary school level. French and Mandarin are also taught at the elementary level (in immersion, core and intensive contexts). The program also introduces other contexts in non-school settings where teaching and learning take place, and a strong language background can open doors.
UBC’s Bachelor of Education Program prepares educators for local, rural and global contexts!
Learn more about this exciting opportunity by attending a B.Ed. recruitment session hosted by the Faculty of Education.
More information here.
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
12:30-1:30 pm.
FHIS lounge, 7th floor Buchanan Tower (BuTo 799) (1873 East Mall)