PhD Studentship in East Asian Cinema and Media

The National Institute for Excellence in the Creative Industries at Bangor University is offering a part-funded PhD position in the area of East Asian cinema and media. This PhD programme will allow students to conduct in-depth research focusing on a broad range of topics. Applications are welcome in any field of East Asian cinema and media, though the School has particular strengths in:

* gender in East Asian media, cinema and culture
* early and contemporary Japanese cinema
* post-war and contemporary South Korean film
* questions of politics and nationhood in Chinese, South Korean and Japanese film
* cinema and media of the Japanese colonial period
* globalisation and East Asian film and media industries

Students should hold, or expect to obtain, either a Master’s level qualification or at least an upper second class degree (or equivalent). Additionally, students who do not have English as their first language must have attained a score of at least 6.5 in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

Application forms can be downloaded here:
http://www.bangor.ac.uk/courses/postgrad/apply.php.en?catid=&subid=1838
In addition, applicants are asked to provide a 500 word synopsis of their proposed PhD topic. Informal enquiries should be directed to Dr. Kate Taylor,
k.taylor@bangor.ac.uk; +44 (0) 1248 383656.

Dr. Kate Taylor
Lecturer in Media Studies
National Institute for Excellence in the Creative Industries
Bangor University
Bangor, LL57 2DG, UK.
Tel: +44 (0) 1248 383656
Email: k.taylor@bangor.ac.uk
Visit the website at http://www.bangor.ac.uk/creative_industries/kate_taylor.php.en

John E. O’Connor Film Award

The American Historical Association seeks applicants for the 2008 John E. O’Connor Film Award, which recognizes outstanding interpretations of history through the medium of film or video. See http://www.historians.org/prizes/index.cfm?PrizeAbbrev=O%27Connor for details about eligibility and the application process.

Prize Administrator
American Historical Association
400 A Street SE Washington DC 20003

Email: info@historians.org
Web: http://www.historians.org/prizes/index.cfm?PrizeAbbrev=O%27Connor

Dare 2 Document Film Proposal

Calling All Filmmakers and Activists!

the 5th annual Freedom Film Fest (FFF) began its campaign to promote and highlight socially conscious film making and films about human rights. the launch also signifies the calling for submissions for the “Dare 2 Document” film proposal competition 2008. the 2008 logo and theme “Democratic Space – Making Room for Human Rights” was also unveiled.Democracy is deteriorating in Malaysia. There are increasing restrictions to freedom of speech, assembly, information, free and fair elections, religious practice and other basic rights. Hidden behind the facade of economic progress is an authoritarian state using its machinery to deny our inherent human rights!

The questions that beg to be asked are: “What really is Democracy in Malaysia?”, “Where are the Democratic Spaces, if any, in Malaysia?” and “What can we do as citizens to reclaim our democratic rights?”

KOMAS invites members of the of public to send in their proposals before the deadline on the 31st March, 2008 to compete for the chance to be one of the three lucky people to receive a RM5,000 grant each to turn your film into a reality!

Winners will also receive the Justin Louis Award and technical assistance from KOMAS to produce their winning stories. Completed films will premiere at the FFF2008 screenings and will ultimately compete for the “Most Outstanding Human Rights Film” title.

For the past five years, FFF has earned a strong reputation for catalyzing and creating an open space for sharing socially engaging media and critical discussions among different sectors of the Malaysian public. Last year, the FFF2007 screened 32 social documentaries and independent films from all over the world in Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Johor Bahru and was received with great enthusiasm from the public. This year, we hope to extend the FFF2008 film screenings to East Malaysia.

As part of the build-up to FFF2008, KOMAS will also be organising a series of video workshops throughout the year for community members, film makers and social activists to learn how to highlight human rights issues through the powerful medium of film. Special forums and dialogue sessions with renowned social film makers and activists from Malaysia and other countries will also be organised.

http://www.freedomfilmfest.komas.org/2008/news/dare-2-document-2008-calling-for-film-proposals/

Citizen Media and the Civic Journalist

Dear All,

The Center for the Study of Citizenship at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan is pleased to announce:

Citizen Media and the Civic Journalist: March 3, 2008 – 7 p.m.

McGregor Memorial Conference Center, Wayne State University

Renowned journalist Nick Clooney and citizen media advocate Dan Gillmor will speak on at Wayne State University’s Center for the Study of Citizenship. The event will be moderated by Mary Kramer, publisher of Crain’s Detroit Business. Clooney, currently the host of “Moments that Changed Us” on American Life TV, will discuss the civics of traditional and new journalism, alongside Dan Gillmor, director of the Center for Citizen Media at Arizona State University. Both veteran newsmen offer insight into the state of professional journalism, how news is collected and disseminated, and how the boundaries between citizen and journalist often overlap. As CSC’s director Marc Kruman explains, “the global nature of citizen-produced media does not recognize established, traditional borders, which is why we need to talk about contemporary definitions of citizenship and what it means to be a journalist today.”

Please come out and join us for an evening of lively conversation and dialogue. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact: Marc Kruman, CSC Director

(313) 577-2593

m.kruman@wayne.edu

Cheers,

Renee Bricker, Ph.D. Candidate

Wayne State University, Dept. of History

Digital Asia Workshop

Digital Asia: Documentary Digital Video Workshop

The Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies (EAPS), the Asian Educational Media Service (AEMS), and Applied Technologies for Learning in the Arts & Sciences (ATLAS) at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, invite applications for a weekend workshop on documentary digital video for scholars in Asian Studies, May 16-17, 2008, in Urbana, Illinois.

This workshop is intended for faculty and graduate students who are interested in turning a current Asia-focused research project into a documentary digital video for an educational or public audience. Today’s user-friendly media inspires many scholars to envision an audio-visual expression of their research.  We will offer eight such scholars introductory training towards the creation of a professional
video, in the context of an academic career.

The workshop will provide an introductory overview of the filmmaking process, from framing your project, through funding and planning, to filming in the field, and finally, to post-production and distribution. Equipment choices, ethical issues, and resources for further assistance will be discussed.  Both lecture and hands-on
components will be included.  Participants will produce a short interview project in the course of the weekend.  No prior experience or training in media design or techniques is assumed.  The workshop will be led by both academics with filmmaking experience and professional filmmakers with research experience.

Eligibility: Scholars at any level of seniority affiliated with an academic and/or research institution.  Graduate students should have already defined their dissertation project.  Applicants must have an original, current research project on an Asian topic (any discipline), a portion of which they envision expressing in documentary video format.  Participation is competitive; successful applicants will have delineated a video project which addresses a gap in available Asian Studies media and will have the potential for bringing this project to fruition.  Those accepted must complete a questionnaire and prepare assigned readings prior to attending the workshop.  Accommodations for May 15-17 and meals for May 16-17 are included; graduate students will be offered assistance with transportation costs up to $400.

After completing the workshop, participants will be eligible to compete for two small seed grants to produce pilot videos to launch their projects.

Applications and more information are available at:
http://www.aems.uiuc.edu/events/educator_events/digitalasia.html
Deadline for receipt of applications: February 28, 2008.

With further inquiries, please contact:

Tanya Lee
Program Director
Asian Educational Media Service (AEMS)
Center for East Asian & Pacific Studies
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
805 West Pennsylvania Avenue, MC-025
Urbana, IL  61801
TEL: 217-265-0642 or 888-828-AEMS
FAX: 217-265-0641
tanyalee@uiuc.edu
www.aems.uiuc.edu

Corrected Call for Authors on Animal Rights Movement

Corrected Call for Authors on Animal Rights Movement

An error in an earlier posted call for authors for the Encyclopedia of American Reform Movements guided potential contributors to the wrong web address for this new reference work from Facts-on-File. The correct address is:

www.americanreformmovements.com

The editors of the Encyclopedia of American Reform Movements plan a chapter in the forthcoming work on the topic of the “Animal Rights Movement.” The editors are still looking for authors for the following seven unassigned entries in this chapter:

CHAPTER 2: ANIMAL RIGHTS MOVEMENT

1. Introductory Overview Essay on Animal Rights Movement [5K Words]

2. Theory of Animal Rights as Reform: Theoretical Range of Arguments: Pro and Con (e.g. Speciesism, Inherent Value Theory, Utilitarianism, Equal Consideration of Interests Approach, Legal/Rights-Based Approach, Abolitionist View, Moral Vegetarianism/Veganism, Eco- Anarchism) [2-5K Words]

3. Historical Development of Animal Rights Reform Movement: Organizations (e.g. American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ASPCA (1867), Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) 1954, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Animal Liberation Front (ALF), The Fund for Animals (2005), Doris Day Animal League (2006)) [1-2K Words]

3. Historical Development of Animal Rights Reform Movement: Tactics (e.g. Resistance to use of animals in human product testing, Resistance to use of Fur/feathers/Leather in human apparel industry, Trophy hunting reform, Outlaw of horse slaughter, animal fighting, and boycotting killing of seal pups in Canada, Decreased use of animal products in restaurant industry (Burger King and Wolfgang Puck) and cage-free” egg-purchasing policies by universities and corporations [1-2K Words]

4. Historical Development of Animal Rights Reform Movement: Legal Protections (e.g. Legal Actions Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (1958), Laboratory Animal Welfare Act (1966), U.S. Department of Agriculture agrees to enforce laws regarding transportation of farm animals, Animal Bill of Rights movement, Passage of the federal PETS Act in October 2006 after Hurricane Katrina requires local, state, and federal agencies to include animals in their disaster plans) [1-2K Words]

5. Key Moment: Operation Backfire (2006) [500-1K Words]

6. Intersection of Animal Rights with Other Reform Movements [1-2K Words]

7. Furure Trends in Animal Rights Movement [2-5K Words]

For more information about becoming a contributing author for this project, readers of H-Animal should consult the www.americanreformmovements.com website or email: americanreform@gmail.com

HB-00334: School Health and Nutrition Modernization Act, Cong. Edcel Lagman

A good bill to have if it becomes a law so that our children will not just rely on instant “pancit canton” for food and nutrition.

NO. HB00334

FULL TITLE : AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE MODERNIZATION OF THE SCHOOL HEALTH AND NUTRITION PROGRAM (SHNP) OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, AUTHORIZING THE APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
SHORT TITLE : “School Health and Nutrition Modernization Act”

ABSTRACT : “School Health and Nutrition Modernization Act”. This bill seeks to modernize and upgrade the School Health and Nutrition Program by prioritizing the following concerns: a. the recruitment of school health and nutrition personnel; b. the upgrading of the salary of health and nutrition personnel to be at par with their counterparts in other Departments; c. the provision of equipment, medical and dental supplies and medicines; and d. health examination of all GRade I entrants and provision of supplementary feeding to Grade I pupils.

BY CONGRESSMAN LAGMAN, EDCEL C.
DATE FILED ON 2007-07-02
CO-AUTHORS: LACSON, JOSE CARLOS V., PRIETO-TEODORO, MONICA LOUISE

REFERRAL ON 2007-07-24 TO THE COMMITTEE ON BASIC EDUCATION AND CULTURE
SECONDARILY REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE(S) ON HEALTH
SIGNIFICANCE: NATIONAL
SUBJECT:SCHOOLS;NUTRITION

Source: congress.gov.ph 

Transformations: Researching Asia

Call for Papers: TRANSFORMATIONS: RESEARCHING ASIA

York Centre for Asian Research Graduate Student Conference – York University, Toronto, Canada September 26 to 28, 2008

Call for Papers deadline: April 1, 2008

What does it mean to “research Asia”? Asian Studies is a growing field within and, we hope, beyond Area Studies.
Recent developments in Asian research reflect modern and contemporary events across a wide range of disciplines. As the body of research on Asia grows, questions concerning the production and mediation of ?Asia? become more pressing. The critical and fundamental questions ?What is Asia?? and “How to study Asia“? remain unresolved and contested. As a field, moreover, Asian Studies remains driven by disciplinary divides; interdisciplinary intersections remain disappointingly rare. With this conference we seek to address the epistemology and methodology of
researching Asia within and beyond the geographical and disciplinary constraints traditionally associated with Area Studies. We invite papers from graduate students engaged in interdisciplinary research in Asian Studies focusing on the modern and contemporary periods.

Possible paper topics could address (but are not limited to) these sub-themes:
Epistemology of Asian Studies
Methodology and Practices in Asian Studies
Orientalism & Re-Orientalism Knowledge/Power
Time and Temporality Modernity
North/South Divide Globalization
Race and Ethnicity Migration and Diaspora Race,
Gender, and Class Positioning and Subjectivity Body and Representation Sexuality
Media and Technology Environmental Challenges Art
Visual Culture Music and Performing Arts

Interested participants should submit a paper title, abstract (250 words maximum) and brief biographical information by April 1, 2008. Selected participants must submit completed papers by August 1, 2008. Inquiries and
email submissions can be sent to the conference organizers at: transformationsasiaconference@gmail.com. More information about the conference can be found on the conference website:
www.yorku.ca/ycar/Events/graduate_conference.html.

This Conference is hosted by the York Centre for Asian Research at York University. York University has a proud history as a leader in innovative and creative learning approaches with an emphasis on multidisciplinary research that covers wide geographical areas. This Conference reflects the strengths of York faculty and students in interdisciplinary approaches to research and learning. For more information about the Centre: please
visit: www.yorku.ca/ycar.

Mortimer Adler: Books

“In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but how many can get through to you,” (Mortimer Adler: quoteworld.org).

The Media and Human Rights in Asia, February 22-23, 2008

Call for papers: The Media and Human Rights in Asia, February 22-23, 2008,
Asian Studies Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI

Please note that this call includes journalists, professional academics and graduate students. FFC

The Asian Studies Center at Michigan State University, in cooperation with MSU’s Department of Journalism, is hosting a one day conference on “The Media and Human Rights in Asia” on Feb. 23, 2008. The evening before, Feb 22, will feature a talk and film showing by Ellen Bruno, film-maker who has produced controversial films on human rights issues in Asia. We are seeking paper proposals from graduate students, faculty and practicing journalists who deal with Asia and human rights issues. Please send all proposals to Marilyn McCullough (email is fine) by January 25. In addition to an invited keynote speaker we will feature panels for graduate students, faculty and, journalists.

Marilyn McCullough, Assistant Director, Asian Studies Center, 301 International Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824
phone: 517-353-1680
Fax: 517-432-2659
Email: mccull67@msu.edu