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Ph.D. Student Rachel Levine Invited to Present Paper in Paris!

Ph.D. student Rachel Levine invited to present her paper entitled “Beyond the Black Box: An Analysis of Sexual Violence in the Japanese Media” in a panel on “Transnational Perspectives on the HIstory of Media and Sexuality” at the 2022 annual meeting of the International Communication Association, held in Paris, May 26th to May 30th. Congratulations, Rachel!
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UCSB’s Katie Wert Takes 2nd Place in the 46th Annual Chinese Language Teachers’ Association Speech Contest

We are proud to announce that Katie Wert, our current Chinese 3 student, won Second Place in the 46th Annual Chinese Language Teachers’ Association in California (CLTAC) Chinese Speech Contest at the college level beginning Chinese division on April 23, 2022. More than 245 students participated in the speech contest virtually this year, and Katie really stood out as a result of her dedication to practice. Congratulations Katie!!!

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Kaitlyn Ugoretz Publishes New Article: “Do Kentucky Kami Drink Bourbon? Exploring Parallel Glocalization in Global Shinto Offerings”

Congratulations to Ph.D. candidate, Kaitlyn Ugoretz, for publishing “Do Kentucky Kami Drink Bourbon? Exploring Parallel Glocalization in Global Shinto Offerings”

Special Issue: Globalization and East Asian Religions, edited by Ugo Dessi and Lukas Pokorny.  Link to article on Humanities Commons CORE: https://hcommons.org/deposits/item/hc:45237
Flyer for Gagaku: Sound of a Thousand Years with Naoyuki Manabe Gagaku Ensemble

Gagaku: Sound of a Thousand Years — Lecture + Performance

Gagaku: Sound of a Thousand Years
Lecture + Performance at UCSB’s ART, DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE MUSEUM
Naoyuki MANABE GAGAKU Ensemble with special guest Maestro Hideaki Bunno
Thursday, April 28 at 5:30 — 7:30 pm
https://bit.ly/Gagaku2022

The Gagaku orchestra at the Imperial Palace of Japan was established in 701; its music is recognized by the government of Japan as a national intangible cultural property, and by UNESCO as part of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.  The most ancient and continuously performed orchestral tradition in the world, Gagaku is exceptional in its combination of an archaic allure with unexpected contemporary features (free rhythms, complex sound clusters, controlled dissonance). In addition to the imperial court of Japan, Gagaku is also regularly performed at Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines in Japan as part of their respective liturgies.

In this lecture / performance, the musicians will demonstrate the sounds and techniques of their respective instruments and offer the audience a unique perspective on the appreciation of the millenarian world of Gagaku.  This event is organized by Fabio Rambelli (University of California, Santa Barbara) with Naoyuki Manabe, in collaboration with the Art, Design & Architecture Museum at UC Santa Barbara. Generous support is provided by the International Shinto Foundation Endowed Chair in Shinto Studies, UCSB; Robert N.H. Ho Foundation; and Michael Hurley/Manitou Fund.

Book Cover for "A Study on the Influence of Ancient Chinese Cultural Classics Abroad in the Twentieth Century", translated by Bin Yao and edited by Xipang Zhang

Ursula Friedman’s New Co-Translated Book Published: “A Study on the Influence of Ancient Chinese Cultural Classics Abroad in the Twentieth Century”

Congratulations to Ph.D. student, Ursula Friedman for publishing her new co-translated book, A Study on the Influence of Ancient Chinese Cultural Classics Abroad in the Twentieth Century, Springer, Singapore 2022.

This book presents an extensive literary survey of the influence of ancient Chinese cultural classics around the globe, highlighting a mammoth research project involving over forty countries or regions and more than twenty languages. As the book reveals, ancient Chinese culture was introduced to East Asian countries or regions very early on; furthermore, after the late Ming Dynasty, Chinese “knowhow” and ideas increasingly made inroads into the West. In particular, the translation of and research on Chinese classics around the world have enabled Chinese culture to take root and blossom on an unprecedented scale.

In addition to offering a valuable resource for readers interested in culture, the social sciences, and philosophy, the book blazes new trails for the study of ancient Chinese culture.

Ursula Deser Friedman (Translator) is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in East Asian Languages and Cultural Studies, with an emphasis in Translation Studies, at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Ursula holds an M.A. in Foreign Linguistics and Applied Linguistics with specializations in Translation and Conference Interpretation from Beijing Foreign Studies University, where she has taught Mandarin-English Translation since 2017. Ursula’s publications have appeared in Translation ReviewInternational Communications and Modern Chinese Literature and Culture.