===================================== MONASH ASIA INSTITUTE BULLETIN 2/2006 15 February 2006 ===================================== In this bulletin 1. Seminar: Literature, Politics and Memory in Modern China 2. Seminar: Waste Management and Sustainable Living in Indonesia 3. Seminar: Where Did Shakyamuni (Buddha) Die? 4. Conference: Immigration Futures 5. CAPSTRANS Fellowships 6. Community Development in a 'Global Risk Society' conference 7. Five SA Research Fellows required 8. Conference: Borneo in the new century 9. Second World Congress for Middle Eastern Studies 10. Asia Pacific Mediation Forum - 3rd Conference 11. HPAIR Conference 2006 12. Working papers on Thailand and Laos International Poverty Centre (IPC) 13. Website of the month: id21 ________ Item 1. Literature, Politics and Memory in Modern China: A Special Double Seminar on China Hosted by Monash Asia Institute and Chinese Studies (Monash University) Friday 17 February 2006, 10.00 am -1.00 p.m. Room W809, Building 11 (Menzies), Monash University Clayton campus (Melway Ref: 70 G10) "Literature and Memory - the value of Chinese non-fiction" by Yu Jie "Regionalism and the Change of Political Form in Mainland China" by Wang Yi About the speakers Yu Jie and Wang Yi are both well-known and outspoken social commentators in China. As a consequence of their outspokenness on numerous issues of social injustice, they have encountered enormous difficulties in getting their writings published in the People's Republic of China. The lecture and discussion will be both in English and Chinese. RSVP with subject heading "Chinese Speakers - Seminar" to Dr Tony Donaldson, tony.donaldson@adm.monash.edu ________ Item 2. Lecture tour of Australia: Waste Management and Sustainable Living in Rural Indonesia The Monash Asia Institute is pleased to announce that a team of researchers led by the well-known Indonesian scholar Dr Lea Jellinek and the Indonesian Project Manager, Mr Iswanto, will present a series of illustrated lectures at universities and research institutes in Australia about the problems concerning waste management and sustainable living in rural Indonesia. These lectures will consider possible remedies and provide a forum for feedback into the project. The lecture tour will begin on 6 March in Brisbane. Tentative dates for other cities are as follows: Brisbane and Lismore: 6-17 March Armidale: 20-24 March Sydney: 27-31 March Canberra: 3-6 April Melbourne: 10-25 April Dr Jellinek, Mr Iswanto and Mr Ed Keifer will present their talk as a joint MAI/CSEAS seminar on Thursday 6 April 2006 at 11.00 am in the Manton Rooms, Monash University Clayton campus. More information: Juliet Yee (juliet.yee@adm.monash.edu.au) with “Recycle Programme” in subject heading of email. ________ Item 3. Seminar: Where did Buddha die? By the distinguished Humbolt University Scholar Professor Toni Huber Wednesday 15 March 2006, 1.00 pm to 5.00 pm Clemenger BBDO Auditorium National Gallery of Victoria, 180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne The lecture will be followed by questions and answers, afternoon tea and a viewing of the Gallery’s Buddhist collection. "Where Did Shakyamuni Die? Tibetan Buddhism and the Shifting Terrain of the Buddha" Speaker: Prof Toni Huber, Zentralasien-Seminar, Institut für Asien-und Afrikawissenschaften, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin About the speaker Professor Toni Huber is the world’s greatest authority on the tradition of pilgrimage in the Tibetan cultural world. His most recent work, The Cult of Pure Crystal Mountain: Popular Pilgrimage and Visionary Landscape in Southeast Tibet (Oxford Univ. Press, New York, 1999) is considered to be a standard work on pilgrimage. In part it deals with the cycle of pilgrimage every 12th year to Mount Tsari and the cultural practices attendant on it. Possibly the book’s most unique aspect is the attention Professor Huber has paid to the pilgrim’s varied acts of re-creating the actual landscape into a visionary one in which every facet of the mountain becomes vivified with deities. How to get to the National Gallery of Victoria: see http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/ngvinternational/location.html RSVP with subject heading "Tibetan Buddhism Seminar" to Dr Tony Donaldson, tony.donaldson@adm.monash.edu ________ Item 4. Conference: Immigration Futures International forum on Immigration Futures 18 - 19 May 2006 Monash University Prato Centre, Prato, Italy About the forum The international forum, Immigration Futures, will examine future migration flows, migration patterns (including circular, temporary and permanent migration) and the impact of out-migration on sending countries. As the competition for skilled migration grows and the world's population becomes increasingly mobile, these are issues of growing importance and interest. Countries are looking for policies to attract and retain the immigrants they need to meet labour demands and demographic realities, as well as the research to support their decisions. The forum will bring together some of the top academics, policy-makers and internationally-renowned migration thinkers to discuss and debate these issues. Key themes of the forum will include: - The pattern of skilled migration flows - which countries will be favoured by skilled migrants, what skills will be in demand, how will skilled migrants be retained? - A comparison of different approaches to the selection of skilled migrants - The strategic advantages of permanent migration vs temporary programs - The ethics of 'cherry-picking' - out-migration and its impact on source countries - Circular migration More details: http://www.monash.edu.au/cmo/immigrationfutures/index.html Enquiries Mrs Irene Thavarajah, Tel: +61 3 9905 1344, Fax: +61 3 9905 1343, Irene.Thavarajah@adm.monash.edu.au ________ Item 5. CAPSTRANS Fellowships The Centre for Asia-Pacific Social Transformation Studies (CAPSTRANS) at the University of Wollongong, Australia, is calling for applications from interested scholars for its Senior Visiting Fellowship scheme and Postdoctoral Writing Fellowship scheme. CAPSTRANS is an Australian Research Council (ARC) Key Centre for Teaching and Research. Established in 1999, the Centre conducts innovative research on social transformation processes in the Asia-Pacific region by combining methods from a variety of disciplines, including political science, economics, sociology, anthropology, social history and media studies. Senior Visiting Fellowship Scheme: CAPSTRANS invites senior researchers from outside the university to spend between 3-12 months as a Visiting Fellow located within the Centre. Grants of up to AUD$10,000 are available to assist Visiting Senior Fellows with travel and accommodation expenses and research costs, but no funding is available to support salaries. Postdoctoral Writing Fellowship Scheme: CAPSTRANS invites applications from postdoctoral researchers from outside the university to spend up to 6 months in the Centre as a Postdoctoral Fellow. Grants of up to AUD$5,000 are available to assist Postdoctoral Fellows with travel and accommodation expenses and research costs, but no funding is available to support salaries. Further information about these schemes, including the application process is available at: http://www.capstrans.edu.au/working/fellowship-schemes.html Closing date for first round applications in 2006 is 17 February 2006. Enquiries should be directed to Dr Lenore Lyons, Director, CAPSTRANS ( Lenore_Lyons@uow.edu.au or +61 2 4221 4894) ________ Item 6. Community Development in a 'Global Risk Society' conference Call for Papers (extended) & Registration The Centre for Citizenship and Human Rights, Deakin University, in conjunction with Borderlands Co-operative & the Int. Assoc. of Community Development (local network) Community Development in a 'Global Risk Society' conference 20 - 22 April 2006 (Conference Opening: Evening 19 April 2006) at Hotel Y, 489 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, Australia A number of social theorists are arguing that we now live in a global risk society where the identification of risk, risk assessment and risk management increasingly frame our everyday lives, often regardless of the objective reality of risk. Risk society enjoins us to think about threats and opportunities and to take responsibility for what happens in the future. The construction of risk society has important implications for the practice of community development. Community development is brought in to service civil society and the state, in times of disaster, to legitimate state action, and as a risk management strategy that offers to combat xenophobia and racism. Community development projects themselves are increasingly required to implement the tools of risk assessment, such as audits and evaluations. Community development programs also provide sites for creative risk-taking, for example, through the work of arts animateurs. There will be two separate streams to the conference running concurrently - academic papers and community workshops & forums. This three day conference is for academics, researchers, community development practitioners and practitioner activists. Details: http://www.deakin.edu.au/arts/cchr/CD/ Enquiries: Anne OKeefe, Centre for Citizenship and Human Rights, Deakin University, Geelong Campus, Australia. Email: anne.okeefe@deakin.edu.au ________ Item 7. Five Research Fellows Wanted The Institute of South Asian Studies was established in July 2004 as an autonomous research institute within the National University of Singapore. It is dedicated to the study of contemporary South Asia. It aims to generate knowledge and insights about the region, and to disseminate them in a manner that is useful to policy-makers, the business community, academia and civil society. The Institute invites applications from suitably qualified scholars for five research fellowship positions as follow:- 1) Pakistan’s regional and international relations, with particular focus on South Asia and Southeast Asia; 2) India-United States relations and linkages. Knowledge of the wider South Asia’s relations with the United States would be an advantage; 3) India-China relations and linkage. Knowledge of the wider South Asia’s relations with China and East Asia would be an advantage; 4) South Asia-Southeast Asian relations and linkages. 5) Economic development in India, with particular focus on infrastructure and real estate development, Special Economic Zones and townships. For all the above positions, applicants should possess a PhD with at least five years of research experience in the areas stated. Intellectual maturity and a good command of English are important prerequisites. Successful candidates will be offered a contract for one year. Scholars may also come for a shorter period on visiting appointments, particularly those on sabbatical leave. Remunerations will be commensurate with the applicants’ qualifications, experience and the level of appointment offered. The gross annual emoluments may range from S$42,000 to $115,000 (US$25,900 – US$70,900) per annum. Vacation leave and medical benefits will be provided. Depending on the type of contract offered, other benefits may include housing subsidy, travel assistance and settling-in allowance. Interested applicants may send their applications and curriculum vitae, together with the names and addresses of three academic referees, and samples of publications to: The Acting Director, Institute of South Asian Studies Hon Sui Sen Memorial Library Building, 1 Hon Sui Sen Drive, Singapore 117588 Email: isashs@nus.edu.sg Fax: (65) 6776 7505 Application closes 31 March 2006. Only short listed candidates will be notified. ________ Item 8. Borneo in the new century The Eighth Biennial Conference of the Borneo Research Council (BRC) will take place in Kuching, Sarawak from July 31 to 1 August 2006. It will be jointly organised by BRC and the Institute of East Asian Studies (IEAS), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS). The theme will be "Borneo in the New Century". Call for Papers Participants are invited to submit papers presenting original research in any field relating to Borneo Studies. Borneo refers to Sabah, Brunei, Sarawak, Kalimantan and its surrounding region. Individual papers and Proposals for panels are especially welcome. Each panel (max four papers) will be allocated 90 minutes. Paper abstracts, no longer than 100 words, must be submitted by email before 1 May to: Jchin@ieas.unimas.my or James.chin@lycos.com For details about abstracts and deadlines, see: http://www.borneoresearchcouncil.org/conferences.htm ________ Item 9. Second World Congress for Middle Eastern Studies Call for panels, papers and roundtables - Due date: 28 February 2006 Second World Congress for Middle Eastern Studies Amman, Jordan 11-16 June 2006 This is the first major congress of its kind to ever take place in the Middle East. About the conference WOCMES-2 will feature numerous academic panels and roundtable discussions by an international academic committee, as well as keynote addresses by prominent scholars, scholarly exhibitions, and cultural and other events relevant to the field. The cultural program will provide participants with the opportunity to visit sites of historical and contemporary interest in Jordan and neighbouring countries. Call for papers Proposals for panels, papers and roundtables for WOCMES-2 are now being accepted. Submissions of registration forms and abstracts may be made online or by fax. For information on how to register, visit http://www.wocmes2.org/ Enquiries to academic@wocmes2.org ________ Item 10. Asia Pacific Mediation Forum - 3rd Conference University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji, 26-30 June 2006 The theme of the conference is 'Mediating Cultures in the Pacific and Asia', and it seeks to explore the diverse ways mediation takes place throughout the social and legal systems in the Asia Pacific region. Themes for workshops include: basic mediation skills, advanced mediation skills, cultures of mediation, assessors of land courts, councils of chiefs, designing dispute resolution systems, mediation and family violence, gender and mediation, traditional mediation in Asia Pacific cultures, and victim offender conferencing. For more information http://www.usp.ac.fj/apmf Contact information Laura Seurynck, Conference Executive Secretary at laura.seurynck@usp.ac.fj ________ Item 11. HPAIR Conference 2006 18-21 August, 2006 LOCATION: Singapore WEBSITE: http://www.hpair2006.org FINAL APPLICATION DEADLINE: March 15th, 2006 The Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations (HPAIR) invites you to participate in our annual summer student conference in Asia. HPAIR is a partnership between the students and faculty of Harvard University, offering a sustained academic program and a forum of exchange to facilitate discussion of the most important economic, political, and social issues relevant to the Asia-Pacific region. HPAIR's international conference has emerged as the largest annual Harvard event in Asia and the largest annual student conference in the Asia-Pacific region, attracting a wide variety of distinguished speakers and future leaders as Harvard's student outpost in Asia. Past speakers at our conferences include South Korean President Kim Young Sam, Governor General of Australia Peter Hollingworth, Singapore President S.R. Nathan and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. To learn more about the HPAIR 2006 conference, please go to: http://www.hpair2006.org/ ________ Item 12. Working papers: Measuring the impact of prices on inequality, with applications to Thailand and Korea The International Poverty Centre (IPC), United Nations Development Programme, are pleased to announce a new issue of their Working Papers. The new issue is 'Working Paper # 11: Measuring the impact of prices on inequality, with applications to Thailand and Korea'. This Working Papers series seeks to quickly disseminate the findings of work in progress in order to encourage the exchange of ideas about development issues. Working Papers and publications by the IPC can be downloaded from their website at: http://www.undp-povertycentre.org/ipcpublications.htm Contact details povertycentre@undp-povertycentre.org Web site details http://www.undp-povertycentre.org/ ________ Item 13. Website of the month: id21 http://www.id21.org/ id21 is a research dissemination service provided by the UK based Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex. The website provides resources on international development research which is used by policymakers and practitioners worldwide on matters concerning health, education, global issues, urban development, rural development, and natural resources. ===================================================================== The Monash Asia Institute Newsletter incorporates news items from the six research centres of the Monash Asia Institute, partner organisations and other groups working to promote Asian Studies in Australia. For further information about the Monash Asia Institute and this newsletter: http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/mai/ To unsubscribe, please send an email to: monash.asia.institute@adm.monash.edu.au =====================================================================