China is the first country in the world to make wine, as the earliest archaeological evidence of wine fermentation has been found at sites in China (circa 7000 BCE). Although wine has been produced and consumed for millennia in China, it was the literati (i.e., primarily literary men but also some literary women) who added sophistication to the culture of wine. This lecture will use poetry, biographies, and historical anecdotes to delineate the relationship among wine, the ancient literati, and Chinese society.

 

Reception to follow

Panelists (all MSU):

Dr. Nassiri

Dr. Abbasi

Dr. Zaki

Dr. Mohammad Hussein

Dr Rowan McLelland, Senior Lecturer, Department of Dance,

University of Roehampton, London.

In the mid-twentieth century in the People's Republic of China, as part of the revolutionary project, Western performing arts traditions were consciously adopted and institutionalised by the state. This lecture takes the ballets The Red Detachment of Women (1964), and White Haired Girl (1965) as examples to illustrate how this systematic adoption was part of a nation building exercise which made use of artists for state ideology. It will explore the processes through which Western art forms were made relevant to the Chinese nation and will makes clear the importance of the Model Works not only to the Cultural Revolution, but also to the development of performing arts in China to the present day. Finally, we will consider how the dancers themselves, as highly refined and skilled artists, and are constituted in relation to Maoist thinking which promoted the development of physical virtuosity as a path to developing national health and international status. Under Mao, the cultivation of the physical body made links between individual virtuosity, personal morality and the success of the state. As such, dancers became tools of the revolution. University of Roehampton, London.

In the mid-twentieth century in the People's Republic of China, as part of the revolutionary project, Western performing arts traditions were consciously adopted and institutionalised by the state. This lecture takes the ballets The Red Detachment of Women (1964), and White Haired Girl (1965) as examples to illustrate how this systematic adoption was part of a nation building exercise which made use of artists for state ideology. It will explore the processes through which Western art forms were made relevant to the Chinese nation and will makes clear the importance of the Model Works not only to the Cultural Revolution, but also to the development of performing arts in China to the present day. Finally, we will consider how the dancers themselves, as highly refined and skilled artists, and are constituted in relation to Maoist thinking which promoted the development of physical virtuosity as a path to developing national health and international status. Under Mao, the cultivation of the physical body made links between individual virtuosity, personal morality and the success of the state. As such, dancers became tools of the revolution. 

Dr Rowan McLelland, Senior Lecturer, Department of Dance, University of Roehampton, London.

Arabic language practice and culture presentations.

Presenter: Sahar Khamis, Ph.D.

Muslims have been globally using the internet not just as a window to see the world and to be seen by the world, but also as a tool to push back against theirmisrepresentation and marginalization. Dr. Khamis tackles the efforts of modern Muslims to deploy digital media to resist their negative stereotypes, rectify their images, and spread correct awareness about their faith tradition and their multifaceted identities, amid a rising global wave of Islamophobia, through adopting new strategies and tactics, including online campaigns. Her talk unpacks the double-edged sword effect of social media, and digitally based discourse, in the contexts of spreading Islamophobia, on one-hand, and countering it, on the other-hand.

Co-sponsored with the School of Journalism and the Muslim Studies Program

Arabic language practice and culture presentations.

Indian and South Asian language & cultures brings you Chai & Chat. Join them for evenings of festivities, fun, food, and all things Indian and South Asian.
• Chai & Chat | October 19, 2021
• Diwali Celebration | November 4, 2021
• Chai & Chat | November 16, 2021
• Film Screening | November 30, 2021
Sponsored by the Hindi-Urdu Language Program and Asian Studies Center

Renownn classical Indian dancer and choreographer Oopali Operajita will present original research and insights on the choreography of Odissi style dance and explore the connection between the practice of Odissi,  temple sculpture, and classical music.

Reception to follow

The Midwest Conference on Asian Affairs (MCAA) 2020 Annual Meeting will be an online event. Michigan State University is pleased to co-host and manage the virtual platform. The MCAA seeks to promote Asian Studies at the university,  secondary, and primary levels, and particularly to encourage scholarly interchange between Asianists in the Midwest as well as with those from other parts of the country and the world. Scholars and students from all regions are invited to participate.

If you would like to register for this event please visit the MCAA 2020 Registration page. For more information on this event please visit the MCAA 2020 website. 

 

Co-hosted by a consortium of MCAA-affiliated universities