【Date and Time】
April 23 (Saturday), 2022, 10:00–13:00 JST
[April 22 (Friday), 21:00–24:00 EST, 20:00–23:00 CST, 18:00–21:00 PST]
*Pre-registration is required by April 21, 23:59 JST. Zoom ID and passcode will be sent to all registered participants on April 22.
【Place】
Online (on Zoom)
【Convener】
Mitsuhiro Yoshimoto, GISICCS, Waseda University
【Presenters】
–Aaron Gerow, A. Whitney Griswold Professor, Yale University
–Thomas Lamarre, Gordon J Laing Distinguished Service Professor, University of Chicago
–Daisuke Miyao, Hajime Mori Professor, University of California San Diego
【Background and Objective】
Since the outbreak of Corona pandemic, the University has changed fundamentally. We thought the effect of COVID-19 would be short-term and reversible. However, this initial optimism soon began to wane, quickly turning into a sense of frustration and even despair. As of this writing, there is not yet a light at the end of the tunnel. While long-term effects on the University is undeniable, we do not know exactly what they may be. We must endure and survive the dire situation without knowing what future awaits us in the post-pandemic world. Until recently, Japan’s national borders, except some short periods of time, have been virtually closed to all international students and scholars. With no new entry permit issued, many overseas students have not been able to come to Japan. In the Graduate School of International Culture and Communication Studies at Waseda University, some MA students finished the program without ever attending face-to-face classes on campus in Tokyo. And this is hardly unique to GSICCS or Waseda. Nor is it just individual universities and schools that suffer from the consequence of emergency measures taken to cope with new virus variants. The border closure means that many Japanese Studies specialists—established scholars and young researchers—and students interested in gaining knowledge of Japanese history, literature, media, subculture, etc. have not been able to conduct research or study in Japan for two years. In addition to serious personal difficulties created by this situation, it is increasingly becoming difficult to ignore the negative academic and institutional impact. When Japanese Studies scholars have no choice but temporarily halt their research projects, it can potentially result in long-lasting stagnation or a decline of Japanese Studies as a research field. When PhD candidates cannot come to Japan to conduct research, they may have to spend a few additional years to complete their dissertations or change the content of their research substantively. When study abroad programs are continuously suspended, undergraduate students outside Japan may give up on Japanese Studies and choose other majors.
GSICCS is organizing a colloquium to assess and critically reflect on the impact of COVID-19 on Japanese Studies in and outside Japan. Three prominent Japanese Studies scholars, whose works on Japanese literature, film, anime, and media have fundamentally changed the direction of the field, will make short informal presentations on key topics. However, the bulk of the colloquium will be devoted to an open discussion on a series of issues and questions among the presenters and the audience. We will also spend a substantial amount of time for critically reflecting on the future of Japanese Studies as a research field and institution, the state of the humanities, and the study of film and media in/of/outside Japan. The colloquium is open to all members of GSICCS, SILS, and Waseda community.
【Schedule】
Part 1: The Impact of COVID-19 on Japanese Studies (10:00–11:15)
Part 2: “Japan Is (Still) Not Interesting”? The Present State and Future of Japanese Studies (11:30–13:00)
【Pre-registration】
Pre-registration is required by April 21, 23:59 JST. Zoom ID and passcode will be sent to all registered participants on April 22.
Registration form:
https://my.waseda.jp/application/noauth/application-detail-noauth?param=3iBAgOb-7vK6p0mbp9S0IQ
