Sahie Kang to present on Korean language careers on March 23

The Institute for Korean Studies will present a lecture by Sahie Kang, Middlebury College, on Wednesday, March 23 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. online (registration required). Dr. Kang will present "Korean Language Careers and the Required Level of Korean Proficiency."

Abstract: While foreign language class enrollments in college campuses are decreasing to about 7.5% of student population, the demand for foreign language or bilingual speakers in the U.S. job market is rising. Between 2010 to 2015, the online job listings from US employers targeting bilingual employees rose by 15.7%, while the raw number of bilingual job postings more than doubled according to 2017 report of New American Economy. It also reports Korean speakers are highly sought after in the pharmaceuticals, education, telecommunications, and banking industries. This increase of bilingual employment seems reasonable because American companies lose over $2 billion annually on cultural or language misunderstandings. Many government agencies and private companies offer employees with an additional compensation for their language skills expecting more returns. In this talk, Dr. Kang will explore different jobs in U.S. government and private sectors that need Korean language skills. She will also discuss what level of Korean proficiency is required or recommended for them and what each proficiency level means in terms of job-related performances. So, job seekers with Korean language skills could prepare themselves with more appropriate Korean proficiency.

Hwasoo Yeo to present on Korean smart cities on March 24

The Institute for Korean Studies will present a lecture by Hwasoo Yeo, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, on Thursday, March 24 from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. online (registration required). Dr. Yeo will present "Building Digital Infrastructure for Korean Smart Cities: AI Applications to Transportation Infrastructure Management and Operation."

Abstract: Smart cities can be understood as "Digital Transformation" in the area of urban infrastructure planning, management and operation using advanced technologies such as Big data and AI. Developing "digital infrastructure" enabling better decision making is the core component of the smart city implementation. In this talk, the presenter will introduce the concept of the smart city, predictive management strategy for smart city operation, and research efforts using AI-combined technologies. The concept of Korean smart cities, digital infrastructure platforms, pilot projects and service planning, and current status of development will also be introduced.

Gavin Lee to present on musical alienation on March 7

The School of Music will present a lecture by Gavin Lee, Soochow University, China, on Monday, March 7 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. online (registration required). Dr. Lee will present "Alienation and Marginality in Music: Race, Gender, Sexuality."

Abstract: Alienation is a condition of life and especially the lives of the marginalized, but this topic has not been systematically explored in music studies. Breaking down the boundaries between the speaker's life experiences, musical research subjects, and pedagogical approaches to students, this presentation explores the ramifications of musical alienation from sonic reverberations to the dynamics of music education and sociality. Lee meditates on sounds drawn from across the past millennium, showing how dispersion, segregation or separation in music is intertwined with race, coloniality, gender and sexuality. Looking beyond Adornian takes on Schoenbergian alienation, Lee examines the claustrophobic cadences of A chantar, reined in by patriarchy; the rejected bachelor in Die schöne Müllerin who fails to achieve heteronormative union; global avant-gardist Joyce Koh’s retreat from her Chinese ethnic identity because of racist Chinese stereotypes; and the representation of the alleviation of alienation in Bach’s Mass in B minor. Lee draws ethical lessons from these case studies, exploring the vagaries of oppression, delusion, salvation and emancipation as they relate to alienation. Alienation is painful and is caused by marginalizing forces, yet it remains a form of subjective expression that either protects the subject or indicates a degree of protection. Rather than being compelled to be what oppressive forces command, alienated subjects distance themselves from stereotypes, from suffocating normativity, and from a reality too painful to face immediately. In the face of a violent world, alienation may be the only form of authentic existence and it can even become the foundation of resistance.

AUCA to hold China career fair, career events in Spring 2022

American Universities' China Association (AUCA), an association of professionals representing international higher education institutions in China, will hold a career fair and several career events during Spring 2022. These events are open to both graduate and undergraduate students looking for career opportunities in China.

Applications open for the 11th Annual Summer Workshop on Asian Art, Religion, and History at Fudan University