Sigur Center for Asian Studies
At the Elliott School of International Affairs
Sigur Center affiliated faculty remain quite active outside of the classroom, with many engaging in public debates, publishing articles, and being quoted or interviewed by a wide variety of news and media outlets.
Please note that any views expressed in highlighted articles, interviews, or such posts are solely those of the author and not of the Sigur Center. In the spirit of open academic debate and dialogue, the Sigur Center shares and highlights the works of its affiliated faculty.
If you find any noteworthy accomplishments from our affiliated faculty, send them to gsigur@gwu.edu to be featured on our website!
Please find our 2009-2018 news archive here: https://www2.gwu.edu/~sigur/news/in-the-news.htm
Former Sigur Center Visiting Scholar Catherine Craven recently released a free publication in the SOAS Journal of Postgraduate Research. The article, titled “Critical Realism, Assemblages and Practices Beyond the State: A New Framework for Analysing Global Diaspora Engagement,” proposes a unique perspective on global diaspora engagement and explores how this view can provide insight into the political struggles within.
In their latest issue of Education About Asia, the Association for Asian Studies included an article stemming from its workshop held in March 2018 at the Elliott School of International Affairs and supported by the Sigur Center for Asian Studies! The article, titled “Leaving North Korea: My Story,” is about the experiences of a North Korean defector whom spoke at the workshop, and has requested anonymity.
Dr. Michael Yahuda, current non-resident scholar with the Sigur Center for Asian Studies and Professor Emeritus of International Relations from The London School of Economics and Political Science, participated in a panel discussion about Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to Beijing and the current status of China-Japan relations. This discussion aired on CGTN America’s The Heat, hosted by Mike Walter on October 26, 2018.
Professor David Shinn, Adjunct Professor at the Elliot School of International Affairs, published an article in the East Asia Forum titled “Forum on China-Africa Cooperation meets the Belt and Road” on October 18, 2018.
Read the article here!
Professor Jisoo Kim, the Director of GW Institute for Korean Studies and Korea Foundation Associate Professor of History, International Affairs, and East Asian Languages and Literature, is set to give two lectures. On October 22, Professor Kim will give a lecture at the Foreign Service Institute entitled, “Historical Disputes in East Asia: Focusing on Korea.” On October 26, she will present a paper entitled, “The Practice of Forensic Medicine and Criminal Justice in Choson Korea” at a workshop on “Law and Religion in Asia” at Rutgers University.
Professor Jisoo Kim, the Director of GW Institute for Korean Studies and Korea Foundation Associate Professor of History, International Affairs, and East Asian Languages and Literature, gave two talks last week. On October 5, Professor Kim presented a paper titled “Gender, Sexuality, and the Law in Chosŏn Korea” at the University of Pennsylvania. Then on October 8, she traveled to Salisbury University to give a talk titled “The Emotions of Justice: Legal Equality in Early Modern Korea and Today.”
Professor David Shambaugh, Gaston Sigur Professor of Asian Studies, Political Science & International Affairs and the Director of the China Policy Program, was quoted in an article by the South China Morning Post about the Trump Administration being the first American administration explicitly labeling China as a “strategic competitor” in national security documentation. He also noted that the areas of competition between the United States and China “now far outweigh the areas of cooperation,” but that the United States would cooperate when it can on select issues. His comments were included in the article originally published on October 10th, titled “FBI chief tells US Congress that China poses bigger security threat than Russia.”
Professor Mike Mochizuki, Japan-U.S. Relations Chair in Memory of Gaston Sigur at the Elliott School of International Affairs, was quoted in an article by the South China Morning Post about the possible implications that the latest Okinawan gubernatorial race may have on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration. His comments were included in the article published on October 1, titled “Why the Okinawa election outcome may weaken PM Abe’s grip on power.”
Dr. Alexa Alice Joubin, professor of English and East Asian language and literature, was interviewed by the newspaper South China Morning Post about the cultural diplomacy of jointly sponsored literary and tourist ventures. Her comments were included in an article published on October 2 and written by Laurie Chen titled “Work to start soon on Chinese replica of Shakespeare’s birthplace in literary tourist town.”
The Sigur Center and Institute of Korean Studies together received the highly regarded designation of National Resource Center (NRC) for Asian Studies. The designation – the first time these two centers have received NRC status – enhances the institutes’ ability to engage the broader public community, including students, K-12 educators, HBCUs, policymakers, military veterans, journalists and the general public on regional and global issues of importance. With this award, GW joins a handful of other world-leading universities, including Stanford, Columbia and the University of Chicago, which have likewise been recognized with this honor.
“The recognition of our programmatic excellence significantly enhances our reputation and funding resources. It demonstrates the scholarly excellence and will increase public outreach which have long been hallmarks of the Center’s collective intellectual life,” Sigur Center Director Ben Hopkins said.
Additionally, the Sigur Center and GWIKS have been awarded funding for Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships which support undergraduate and graduate students studying modern foreign languages and related area or international studies.
Please click here to read the full press release!
About the Title VI:
Title VI is a provision of the 1965 Higher Education Act, funding centers for area studies that serve as vital national resources for world regional knowledge and foreign language training. National Resource Centers teach at the undergraduate and graduate levels and conduct research focused on specific world regions, international studies, and the teaching of less commonly taught languages. The FLAS fellowship program complements the NRC program, providing opportunities for outstanding undergraduate and graduate students to engage in area studies and world language training.
