In May we welcomed the arrival of Dr. Eun-Young Jung, our new Assistant Director, who came to us with extensive training in East Asian histories and cultures and a passion for teaching and community outreach. After a busy summer, we at the center started the new school year with a high note. In June I made a fact-finding trip to Taiwan and held meetings with our counterparts at three major Taiwanese universities. The Taiwan response was most enthusiastic; they were eager to establish formal ties with us. Upon my return and after a series of meetings in late summer and early fall , we decided to go forward with our newly launched Taiwan Initiative. We will begin with a formalization of ties with these Taiwan universities. A new study abroad program and a plan for short-term faculty exchange are on the agenda. We hope that with the addition of Taiwan, our collective map of East Asia would be more complete and inclusive.
The Taiwan Initiative is but one of several important initiatives we are currently working on. The Korea Initiative is another important piece of the puzzle. We are excited by the recent new hire in Korea History and hope to build on that success and continue to expand Korea Studies on this campus. Richard Miller, our very capable Associate Director, is in the process of redefining the Asia Media Initiative in anticipation of additional research expertise with the arrival of new faculty in the years to come.
Our outreach staff has worked extremely hard to put together a series of exciting events for this fall. We are to continue with our Wednesday Brown Bag series featuring UW system scholars who are engaged in research of East Asia. Guest lecture series this fall promises an interesting mix. Faculty Tea, a forum created last year with the goal of fostering a cohesive community of scholars on campus, will also continue.
We hope you will visit our newly redesigned website often. Center staff has put much thought and creative energy as well as numerous hours in making this a reality. We hope this website is a dynamic meeting ground where we will continue to highlight many exciting projects we have in store for years to come. It will also be an effective tool assisting us in disseminating knowledge about East Asia to our students as well as to the larger community out there. I want to thank you all for the opportunity to serve as director of this strong program. I look forward to a productive year ahead.
Nicole Huang
Director, East Asian Studies
Associate Professor of Chinese Literature
Nicole Huang
Office:332 Ingraham Hall
Phone:(608) 262-3643
Fax:(608) 265-2919
