|
FIU will showcase its expertise
in Japanese studies Nov. 4-5 with presentations exploring Japanese
religion, trade, art and dance
as part of Miami’s weeklong celebration marking 150 years
of Japan-U.S. relations.
An academic panel discussion will
be on Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 2 p.m. at the Tower Theater, 1508 SW
8th Street. Sponsored by the
FIU
Institute for Asian Studies and the Consulate General of Japan
in Miami, it is free and open to the public.
The panel includes FIU business professor
John Wrieden, who will lecture on “International Trade Issues and Japan’s
Role in Globalization.” Helena Thevenot of the New World
School of Arts will give a presentation on the history and impact
of the modern Japanese dance form, Butoh.
Asian Studies Institute Director
Steven Heine, a professor of religious studies, will present “Zen Buddhism and Japanese Business
and Social Values.” His lecture will look at the relationship
between the rise of the Japanese economy and Zen religious values.
“There was an effort to touch
base with several different audience groups,” Heine said
of the multidisciplinary scope of the panel. “The understanding
was how Japanese business and culture have impacted in America.”
On Wednesday, Nov. 5, the University
will host professor Daphne Rosenzweig of the Ringling School
of Art and Design in Sarasota.
She will give a lecture and slide presentation in GL 523, FIU-University
Park at 3:30 p.m. on the traditions and innovations of Meiji-era
art in Japan. The Meiji era from1868 to 1912 was a period of
modernization and Westernization in Japan.
FIU’s Institute of Asian Studies is an interdisciplinary
program that promotes faculty research, curriculum development
and student exchanges. The institute offers a bachelor’s
degree and certificate in Asian Studies. In addition, IAS sponsors
numerous community and cultural events working closely with local
organizations, schools and businesses.
“In the state of Florida, we
are trying to be a center for linkages of different resources
in Japanese culture,” Heine said. "The
Institute for Asian Studies reaches out beyond the campus to
work with local community organizations that disseminate Japanese
culture
in the region."
The sesquicentennial events commemorate
the inception of U.S.-Japanese relations in 1853 with the arrival
of Commodore Matthew Perry
in Japan and the subsequent signing of the Treaty of Peace and
Amity.
Special events are being planned around the nation to honor the
political, cultural and economic relationship between the nations.
Miami is celebrating its sister-city
relationship with Kagoshima, Japan with special events Nov. 3-9.
For more information on Miami’s
Kagoshima Week, see: http://www.miami.us.emb-japan.go.jp/kagoshimaweek.HTML
For more information on the FIU events, contact the Institute for
Asian Studies at 305-348-1914.
|