Michael Berry to present on translating Fang Fang's Wuhan Diary on January 21

The Ohio State University Center for Historical Research and Institute for Chinese Studies will present a lecture by Michael Berry, University of California, Los Angeles, on Friday, January 21 from 3:30 pm. to 5:00 p.m. online (registration required). Prof. Berry will present "Translation Diary: Disinformation Campaigns, US-China Relations, and COVID19."

Abstract: Wuhan Diary by Fang Fang began as a blog which ran for sixty days from January 25 through March 25, 2020, documenting the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China. The blog quickly became an online phenomenon, attracting tens of millions of Chinese readers. Wuhan Diary also provided an important portal for Chinese around the world to understand the outbreak, the local response, and how the novel coronavirus was impacting everyday people. The diary featured a curious mixture of quotidian details from Fang Fang’s daily routine under quarantine, medical insights from the author’s doctor friends, and brave observations about the official response. Eventually, Fang Fang’s account would become the target of a series of online attacks by “ultra-nationalists,” spawning debate about COVID-19, Sino-US Relations, and nature of civil society in China. As the English translator of Wuhan Diary, Berry will alternate between first-hand insights from the translation process and broader observations on how the diary became a lightning rod for fierce political debate in China, ultimately hinting at the power of writing.

John Bolam to present on working in the intelligence community on January 27

The Institute for Korean Studies will present a career talk with John Bolam, U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Intelligence Research (INR), on Thursday, January 27 from 6:00 pm. to 7:30 p.m. online (registration required). Mr. Bolam will present "How to Apply Your Knowledge of Korea to Work in the Intelligence Community." This event is restricted to students, faculty, and staff of The Ohio State University.

Abstract: John Bolam will explain what the intelligence community is, how it functions and what its ultimate purposes are. He will address the history of the Department of State’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research, and will describe his career path from being a double-major at The Ohio State University to working in government. He plans to address the various scholarships he was fortunate enough to be awarded as a student (Critical Language Scholarship and a Boren Scholarship) and how they shaped his career path and skillsets. He will also discuss how he has applied what he learned at OSU in his career through a basic overview of how to do analysis of North Korean state media. Finally, he will briefly address linguistic differences between North and South Korea.

Proceedings from the Buckeye East Asian Linguistics Forum 4 now available

The fifth volume of Buckeye East Asian Linguistics is now available on Knowledge Bank. It includes two papers (Ito et al. and Tobaru) from the Third Buckeye East Asian Linguistics Forum in 2018, which were not included in Buckeye East Asian Linguistics Volume 4, three keynote speakers' abstracts, and eight proceeding articles from the Fourth Buckeye East Asian Linguistics Forum, held on Friday, March 5, 2021, via Zoom, The Ohio State University (OSU) Columbus campus.

NSEP Boren Scholarship meetings available ahead of January 21 deadline

Boren Scholars and Fellows from diverse fields of study immerse themselves in the cultures in world regions underrepresented in study abroad, including Africa, Asia, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Students interested in applying may schedule a Zoom meeting with Rebecca Bias in advance of the OSU undergraduate application deadline of Friday, January 21.

Committee accepting submissions for NEKST 2022 Graduate Conference on Korean Studies

UMich's Liberthanl-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies accepting applications for postdocs