East Asian Studies Center

Monday, March 24 | 4:00PM-5:30PM | SOS B40 | RSVP

Join us for an engaging discussion on development, waste and environmental governance in China moderated by Prof. Joshua Goldstein, EASC Director and Professor of History and East Asian Languages and Cultures. Our speakers will explore how visions of a “circular economy” 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 “circular economy” in China.

Tuesday, March 25 | 11:00AM-6:00PM | DML 240 | RSVP

This event launches the March First Symposium on History and Democracy, named after the March 1, 1919, protests—a key moment in Korean history. This conference will explore the history of colonial Korea (1910–1945) alongside the experiences of Koreans who lived in the U.S., China, and Japan during that time. Scholars of both colonial Korea and early Korean American history will discuss how global imperialism shaped personal and political struggles across the Pacific.

The conference is organized by Sunyoung Park (EALC) and Jungeun Hong (USC Libraries) and is co-sponsored by the Korean Studies Institute, the Korean Heritage Library, Shinso Ito Center for Japanese Religions and Culture, East Asian Studies Center, and Korea Foundation. 

Tuesday, April 1, 2025 | 5:00PM-6:20PM PT | Zoom Webinar | RSVP

Moderated by Prof. Jessica Zu, Santosh Raut (Harvard Divinity School) explores how Bhimrao Ambedkar writes about and expounds his vision of the Buddha-Dhamma as an instrument to reconstruct society and the peaceful transformation of an individual.

Wednesday, April 2, 2025 | 12:00PM-1:20PM  PT | Zoom Webinar | RSVP

Moderated by Prof. Jessica Zu,  Harsha Gautam (University of Texas at Austin) challenges the widespread notion that Navayāna Buddhism is exclusively a lay-focused tradition, emphasizing the pivotal role played by monastics, particularly nuns, within the movement. By focusing on the grassroots efforts of Navayāna nuns with oppressed communities, this talk will explore the innovative strategies the nuns employ to introduce Buddhism to unfamiliar audiences. It will also delve into how these Buddhist nuns navigate and resist the intersecting oppressions of caste and gender, while actively contributing to the broader struggle for social emancipation.

Friday, April 4, 2025 | 2:00PM-3:00PM | DML 240 | RSVP

Join us for a dialogue with distinguished speakers – former Ambassador Cho Hyun and Councilmember Jon Kaji – moderated by Prof. Jane Junn (USC).

The West Coast US-Asia Scholars Network is an event that brings together senior scholars and midcareer professionals who study topics related to US-Asia relations with some interest in policy relevance or public intellectual space. The event will address topics of importance to US-Asia relations in politics, economy, and diplomacy.

Organized by the USC Korean Studies Institute and the Korean Heritage Library. Sponsored by the USC East Asian Studies Center and Korea Foundation.

Monday, April 7, 2025 | 1:00PM-2:00PM | SOS 250 | RSVP

Moderated by Prof. Joshua Goldstein (EASC Director and Professor of History and East Asian Languages and Cultures), Prof. Nicholas Bartlett (Barnard College) explores the politics of speaking in contemporary China through Tavistock tradition Group Relations Conferences (GRCs). Prof. Bartlett refers to the distinctive genre of speech produced in these spaces as “speaking freely.” By attending to specific instances of speaking in Tavistock tradition groups hosted in a country frequently attacked for its failure to promote liberal ideas of free speech, this talk explores the possibilities and perils associated with encounters across difference in the People’s Republic and beyond.

This event is co-sponsored by USC Departments of History, East Asian Languages and Cultures, and Anthropology. 

Friday, April 11, 2025 | 4:00PM-5:30PM | THH 202 | RSVP

Moderated by Prof. Bettine Birge, Prof. Morris Rossabi (Columbia University) 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. He 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. 

Tuesday, April 15, 2025 | 11:30AM – 1:30AM | University Club Scriptorium | By Invitation Only

EASC is excited to host our annual Faculty Luncheon this spring! We look forward to having the opportunity to share recent developments and reconnect with each other. We will be hosting this year’s lunch party at the University Club Scriptorium. We look forward to celebrating the end of the semester with you!

Please RSVP by Tuesday, April 1. 

Tuesday, April 22, 2025 | 11:30AM – 1:30PM | CAS 100 | RSVP

EASC is excited to host an End of the Year Luncheon for our EAAS MA students! Join us for an opportunity to get together with your MA cohort, share recent developments, and enjoy some delicious food. We look forward to celebrating the end of the semester with you!

This event is by invitation only.

Please RSVP by Monday, April 14.