The conference programme for BCLTS 29 Jun-01 Jul is now available to download along with cross-referenced abstracts. The conference dinner will take place on Wednesday 29 June and non-members are requested to book and pay online if they wish to attend the dinner which is charged at only £15.
Category: announcements
Studies in Chinese Cinema – July 2011
Join us on Saturday 2nd July 2011, Rainy Hall, New College, the Mound, Edinburgh, to consider aspects of Chinese Cinema in the company of four renowned experts in the field.
Our speakers come from the USA and the UK and all four are contributors to The CHINESE CINEMA BOOK published earlier this month which was edited by our two UK experts.
Dr Song Hwee Lim, co-editor of The Chinese Cinema Book, is Senior Lecturer in Film Studies at the University of Exeter. He is the author of Celluloid Comrades: Representations of Male Homosexuality in Contemporary Chinese Cinemas (University of Hawaii Press, 2006), co-editor of Remapping World Cinema: Identity, Culture and Politics in Film (Wallflower Press, 2006), and founding editor of the Journal of Chinese Cinemas. He recently completed a book manu entitled Tsai Ming-liang and a Cinema of Slowness. He is Chief Editor of the Journal of Chinese Cinemas.
Dr Julian Ward, co-editor of The Chinese Cinema Book, is a Senior Lecturer in Chinese Studies at the University of Edinburgh. Research interests include travel writing, particularly in the travel diaries of Xu Xiake. He is Associate Editor of the Journal of Chinese Cinemas.
Wendy Larson is Professor of Chinese Language and Literature in the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures at the University of Oregon. Her research includes Women and Writing in Modern China (Stanford, 1998), and the co-edited Gender in Motion: Divisions of Labor and Cultural Change in late Imperial and Modern China (Rowman and Littlefield 2005)
Jason McGrath is Associate Professor of Chinese film and literature at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. He is the author of Postsocialist Modernity: Chinese Cinema, Literature, and Criticism in the Market Age (Stanford UP, 2008), and his essays on Chinese film have appeared in journals such as Modern Chinese Literature and Culture as well anthologies including Chinese Films in Focus II, and The Urban Generation: Chinese Cinema and Society at the Turn of the Twenty-first Century. His current projects include an anthology of Chinese critical writings on film and a book entitled Inscribing the Real.
The event will run from 2pm-6pm followed by a reception. The topics on which our speakers will focus are:
2.30pm Wendy Larson `Chinese Culture on the Global Stage: Zhang Yimou and the Fifth Generation Filmmakers`
3.15pm Jason McGrath `Realism and Chinese Independent Cinema
4.15pm Julian Ward `The history of the August First Film Studio: from Socialist Realism to Main Melodies` 5pm Song Hwee Lim `Tsai Ming-Liang and the Cinema of Slowness`
This event is free but to ensure your place please register by email to jie.chen@ed.ac.uk
If you have any questions please call us on 0131 662 2180.
John Chinnery – Tribute Talk at AGM
The Confucius Institute for Scotland is the venue for this year`s Scotland China Association AGM held on the morning of Sat 11 June.
Following the AGM which will start at 11am there will be a special talk given by Frances Wood, Head of the Chinese Department at the British Library. Her talk is entitled `John Chinnery, A Seriously Witty Sinologist`
As well as being SCA`s Honorary President, John Chinnery became the the first head of the department of Chinese in the University of Edinburgh in 1965. His early work laid the foundations for the vibrant relationship the University has today with China.
Attendance at the AGM and talk is free but to help us manage numbers please email billandlesley@yahoo.co.uk to your attendance. There is also an option to attend a buffet lunch at the Institute. Bookings and payment are required in advance by Wed 1st June. The cost is £10 per person inclusive of a glass of wine or a soft drink.
For further information or to book either for the AGM/Talk or AGM/Talk and Buffet Lunch please contact billandlesley@yahoo.co.uk
SCA is a non-profit, non-political and non-sectarian organisation for people who have an interest in all aspects of Chinese life and civilisation. Please visit their website for more information.
Scholarships to China – deadline 26 May
The Confucius Institute Scholarships for 2011 have just been announced and this year there are three types of scholarship on offer.
Type A
Scholarships for four weeks to be taken between July-Aug 2011 or Sept 2011-Jan 2012
Type B
Scholarships of one academic year focusing on Chinese language & culture, education or Chinese history as a major.
Type C
Master in International Education of Chinese Language scholarship
The deadline for submission is Thursday 26 May 2011. Please download the PDF guidelines below. Please note online application to the global database via http://cis.chinese.cn/ and written application to the Confucius Institute are both required
Please read through the information provided in the PDF below and on the Hanban website shown above. Should you have any questions please contact us on 0131 662 2180 or email info@confuciusinstitute.ac.uk.
As you will see applicants should have or be awaiting results of the new HSK exam. For those who do not hold HSK at present a special HSK exam will take place on 21 May. Please register by 19 May. Full details on the HSK and the registration form can be found at www.confuciusinstitute.ac.uk/hsk
Good luck!
Application Procedures for the Confucius Institute Scholarship | 孔子学院奖学金申请办法 (2011)
Chinese Language Acquisition Seminar 20 April
A special seminar on Chinese language acquisition will be held on 20 April when Tim Dodds, Principal of Chatswood Public School in New South Wales will share with us the experiences of that continent.
Australia has for many decades had a strong Chinese community and has an established Asia Literacy Programme from which we can learn a great deal.
On this research fellowship visit, Tim is looking into the leadership implications of establishing Confucius Classrooms, and his work has many synergies with educational priorities here in Scotland.
The seminar which is scheduled 2pm-3.30pm has been arranged for members of SCEN. To book a seat please email JudithMcClure12A@aol.com.
VENUE: Confucius Institute for Scotland, Abden House, 1 Marchhall Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 5HP
DATE : Wed 20 April
TIME : 2pm-3.30pm.
Chinese Bridge Winner
The overall winner of the 10th Chinese Bridge competition held in London on 19 March is Peter Dolby, a 4th year undergraduate from Chinese Studies at the University of Edinburgh who, after a long day of competition, was awarded first prize by Chinese Ambassador Liu Xiaoming.
This nationwide heat saw the three Edinburgh students each gain a place in the top ten. The Chinese Bridge competition has been running for ten years but this is the first time that Edinburgh has sent students to compete.
Accompanying the students were He Jin, one of the Institute`s Chinese language teachers who teaches all three students, and Wang Shunqing recently arrived co-director.
In addition to a cash prize,Peter will go forward to the global competition which will take place in Beijing in July 2011.
Ambassador Platt-China Boys – April 2011
Thurs 21st April will see former Ambassador Platt, long time China specialist, author of `China Boys` and President of the Asia Society in New York for 12 years, address a full house at the Confucius Institute.
As a young diplomatic officer in the early 1960s, when Communist China was firmly closed to the west, Platt took the unusual step of studying Mandarin. This put him in a key position when U.S. relations to China suddenly opened. Platt was one of the State Department officials chosen to accompany President Nixon on his historic visit to China in 1972. The following year he and his family were stationed in Beijing with the opening of a U.S. Liaison Office, the forerunner of the U.S. Embassy in the PRC.
Showing some of his ‘home movie’ footage of the Nixon trip, and film of family and diplomatic events, and reading from his memoir, Platt will talk about life in China in 1973. As a former President of the Asia Society, which oversees numerous contacts and exchanges with China, and a frequent visitor and lecturer in the PRC, Platt is in a unique position to compare those early days of diplomatic contact to relations with the West today, as China now emerges as a major player on the world stage and an economic power house.
The talk takes place in the Confucius Institute for Scotland at Abden House from 6pm-7.30pm and will be followed by a drinks reception.
All available seats for this talk are now booked.
Chinese New Year in Schools – February 2011
February, being Chinese New Year period is a month when demand for China Days are at their peak. Many schools use the combination of the half term break and the Chinese New Year to fit in some non-curricular activities.
The Institute is organising a number of China Days for Confucius Classrooms in February.
If you go down to the Gyle today….
This half term week at the Gyle, you will have the chance to meet Edinburgh Zoo`s large and cuddly Giant Panda mascots!
Stop by the Confucius Institute activity area where there are activities for kids and info for adults including
Dot-to-dot panda pictures with Chinese numbers
How to draw bamboo
How to write the Chinese character for `bamboo`
Get your name written in Chinese
Test your chopstick skills
Have your picture taken with a panda mascot (11am – 3pm)
See Chinese learning materials, videos, pictures, and more
Pick up your free copy of a China Daily European edition newspaper,
as well as lots of info on China and learning Chinese.
Enter our simple survey and each day one lucky winner will be drawn who will receive a family ticket for four to visit Edinburgh Zoo.
See you at the Gyle!
Year of the Rabbit-New Year Party – February 2011
The annual Spring Festival party on Friday 4 February was a huge success and this year, there were enough jiaozi for everyone!
The celebrations saw over 200 Chinese and western friends congregate to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit wherethe entertainment, games, Mah-jong, Chinese chess and of course, the ever popular Karaoke ensured a lively atmosphere and that a good time was had by all.
See you next year!
Research Universities in China: Pressures & Challenges – November 2010
This guest lecture from Prof Shen Li of Fudan University, Shanghai is based on Professor Shen’s reflections on the many students she has taught at Fudan University in the past decade. A thumbnail picture emerges of the prevailing trends among young students in their 20’s as they come and go on campus.
To the fore of their minds is the risk of being pushed to the sidelines, as the legion of students, undergraduate and postgraduate alike, strives to achieve academic excellence and retain their integrity.
Sentiments generally called 浮躁 (fú zào) in Chinese, which include anxiety, uncertainty, and restlessness, are creeping in – largely due, in Professor Shen’s view, to the widespread social maladies known as ‘get-rich-quickism’ , ‘cutting corners’, and ‘easy gains with little effort’.
Professor Shen Li is based in the College of Foreign Language and Literature at Fudan University, Shanghai where she specialises in Metaphor Studies and Second Language Acquisition.
DATE: Tuesday 30 November 2010
TIME: 2.30pm-3.15pm
VENUE:Confucius Institute for Scotland, Abden House
Lunchtime Talk-John Dudgeon – November 2010
Guest speaker Prof Gao Xi from Fudan University, Shanghai will mark the life of John Dudgeon who at one time was the most famous doctor in Beijing in her lunchtime talk on Tuesday 30th November 2010.
This famous physician was a son of Glasgow and student of Edinburgh.
In the mid 19th century it was said `From the emperor and officials down to the common people, there was practically no one who did not know about his good work in establishing hospitals`.
John Dudgeon was a son of Glasgow, a student at Edinburgh and at one time was the most famous doctor in Beijing, China. In 1863 with his wife in China with his wife in Shanghai in 1863 in the capacity of a medical missionary of London Medical Missionary Society.
His notable achievements include:
- The opening in 1865 of Peking Hospital
- implementation of a new model for medical instruction in China
- the translation of `Gray’s Anatomy` into Chinese
He studied Chinese healing arts and explored the new diseases in Beijing before contributing his research to the Western world, especial to Edinburgh`s medical profession.
In 1884 Dudgeon resigned from the London Missionary Society and concentrated his efforts on modern medical education and the study of Chinese medical culture. He was a medical cultural exchange emissary between China and the Western World in the 19th century.
John Dudgeon died in 1902 and was buried in Beijing in where he had lived for more than 38 years.
Join us to hear more of the work and impact of this 19th century physician.
DATE: Tuesday 30 November 2010
TIME: 1.10pm-2pm
VENUE: 27 George Square, Celtic and Scottish Studies Conference Room, first floor
SPEAKER: Professor Gao Xi, History Department, Fudan University, Shanghai
Confucius Institute leads world
For the fourth consecutive year, the University’s Confucius Institute has been honoured as ‘Institute of the Year’.
The Institute of the Year 2010 Award was collected in Beijing by Principal Professor Sir Timothy O’Shea. It was bestowed upon the Confucius Institute for Scotland by Hanban, sponsor of the global network of Confucius Institutes and Classrooms.
The prizegiving was a highlight of the opening ceremony of the 2010 Fifth Worldwide Conference of Confucius Institutes on Friday, 10 December.The ceremony, at the China National Convention Centre, was chaired by Chinese State Councillor Liu Yandong and Minister of Education, Yuan Guiren.
The Principal received the award in front of an audience of more than 3000 people including VIPs from foreign embassies, senior government officials and principals from universities around the world.
Both the Principal and the Director of the Confucius Institute, Professor Natascha Gentz, gave presentations at the President’s and Director’s Forums on the following day of the Worldwide Conference.
“Many institutions recruit Chinese students or provide language training. What sets the Confucius Institute for Scotland and the University apart is the depth of our engagement – we actively promote new cultural ties and educational links between Scotland and China. This award shows that our approach is recognised and rewarded at the highest levels.” Professor Natascha Gentz, Director of the Confucius Institute for Scotland.
World leading activities
There are now 322 Confucius Institutes and 369 Confucius Classrooms in 96 countries, serving almost 400,000 learners.
The Confucius Institute for Scotland at the University of Edinburgh was established in 2005 as a partnership between the University and Fudan University in Shanghai.
The Institute’s work in 2010 included hosting a touring exhibition on the city of Shanghai and the 2010 Expo and working in partnership with China’s Ministry of Culture to bring ethnic performers to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. These were among the highlights of a packed schedule of conferences, lectures and film screenings. The institute also runs a programme of Chinese language classes.
Shanghai Museum curator talk – October 2010
Shanghai Museum is one of the famous in China housing a diverse and accessible collection of over 120,000 pieces.
The Institute is delighted to host a special lecture by Ms Bao Yanli, Head of the Ethnography and Textiles who will share with us her knowledge and love of Gu Embroidery (Gu Xiu) in a talk on Tuesday 26 October from 6.30-7.30pm.
This is a lesser known art form which originated in one family during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644. In Gu Xiu the artist combines embroidery needlework skills with those used for traditional Chinese painting. This style proved very influential and remained popular until the late 18th century. It is today enjoying a resurgence.
This talk will be in Chinese with translation.
VENUE: Confucius Institute for Scotland
DATE : Tuesday 26th October 2010
TIME : 6.30pm-7.30pm
Join in – Membership Programme
To gain access to a wide range of services and resources, enrol now in membership.
The membership scheme has a number of benefits – benefits for members and for the Institute, more efficiencies and the ability to offer more services.
A summary of benefits is shown below. For full details please see the Membership section of the website.
Access to Confucius Institute services designed to simplify engagement with China
Borrowing rights at the Institute and University libraries
Advance booking options and privileged invitations
Regular updates
Individual membership for one year costs just £25 with a concession price of £10. The Institute is not for profit and our aim in introducing this membership package is to find a more effective way to deliver value and services to those people who support the aims of the CIS. If you share our aims to build bridges and enhance understanding of China please take out membership today. Register today!
Video Conference classes
This autumn students in Argyll, Elgin and Lewis will have the opportunity to learn Chinese with the Confucius Institute for Scotland in partnership with UHI Millenium Institute.
Following a successful pilot last year this autumn will see Video Conference classes running on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings. Students who enrol for these classes will have the opportunity of a face to face meeting with their tutor prior to the first class before meeting via the video conferencing network.
Last year`s pilot group of students and their teacher found the experience very satisfying and excellent progress was made by the students. While last year we offered a taster session this year`s students will be able to progress each term to the next level of learning.
Classes cost £135 which includes learning materials with a concession rate of £110.
More information is available from the Institute or from our local partners as shown below.
Lews Castle College, Stornoway Tuesday 6.30-8.30pm
Catherine Donald T: 01851 770 202
E:Catherine.Donald@lews.uhi.ac.uk
Moray College, Elgin, Wednesday 6.30-8.30pm
Helen Ospazuk T: 01343 576 326
E: helen.ospazuk@moray.uhi.ac.uk
Argyll College Thursday 6.30-8.30pm
Contact: Helen Gillies T: 01631 559 675
E: helen.gillies@argyllcollege.ac.uk
Students can also book directly with the Confucius Institute for Scotland by downloading and returning the booking form here.
Shanghai Exhibition at Scottish Parliament – September 2010
September sees the Institute`s touring exhibition on Shanghai and the 2010 Expo sited at the Scottish Parliament. The exhibition will be sited in the MSP`s lobby, the gathering point for MSP entering and leaving the debating chamber.
Since its first appearance in February 2010 at Atlantic Quay, the Exhibition has been seen by an estimated 50,000 people in locations including Atlantic Quay, Victoria Quay, the University of Edinburgh`s main library, Ocean Terminal and finally the Scottish Parliament.
Relating the story of Shanghai`s growth from a small fishing village to a world city hosting the world`s largest ever Expo, the exhibition and accompanying leaflet has been lauded by those who have been able to see it.
For a virtual visit to the touring exhibition and for more information on Shanghai Expo 2010 please visit our microsite.
Exhibition Location:
MSPs Lobby, Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh
Dates
20-24 September 2010
Fringe Show – Lauded by the List
Rhythm of the Drums: Song of the Cicada is described by the List as a `series of virtuoso displays, infectiously enjoyable` and is awarded three stars for the show which closes this Sunday 22 August.
Audiences have grown throughout the run thanks mainly to word of mouth and with only a few lunchtime shows (13.40-14.40) left till the run ends on 22 August make sure you find a slot to enjoy the exuberant drumming, dramatic dance, heartfelt singing, and glorious ethnic costumes in this spectacular show. From the Wood Drum Dance of the Miao people – known as ‘oriental disco’ for its frenetic movements – to the ethereal beauty of the love songs of the Dongzu, the ensemble, wearing stunning headdresses, amazing silver jewellery and playing ethnic instruments will enthral, delight and reveal the rich cultural heritage practiced even today in their remote mountain homes in southwest China.
The Politics of Multiculturalism in Taiwan – June 2010
Friday 4th June at 6pm will see this topic being addressed by widely published Mau-kuei Chang, research fellow of the Institute of Sociology, Academia Sinica, and adjunct Professor of the Department of Sociology, Taiwan University.
On considering the question ‘Is Taiwan a multicultural country? Is multiculturalism an official position of the country?’ the answer must be ‘yes’. Not only do both the DPP and the KMT parties mention multiculturalism in revision articles of the Constitution (1996), but also it has become a “must learn” subject in the high school curriculum since 2006. How has this development come about? How do we make sense of this in Taiwan where politics are always about “unified” and one nation-ness? And, what does this term mean for the general public?
Chang will address this with a quick sketch of different political discourses on nationhood, on people, on difference and on civil rights since 1970’s and examine how these diverse discourses somehow suddenly converge on a very vague, little understood notion of multiculturalism, which in reality and through institutional arrangements affect the daily lives of the people.
Mau-kuei Chan received his PhD sociology degree from Purdue University and has visited U.C. Berkeley and McGill University as Fulbright and exchange scholar. His research and teaching interests include social movement studies, identity politics, and ethnicity and nationalism. He is widely published in both English and Chinese with his most recent being an edited volume titled “Nation and Identity, ideas of some Waishengren” (2010).
Date: Friday 4 June
Time: 6pm-7.30pm followed by a drinks reception
This event is free. To reserve a seat for this talk please email info@confuciusinstitute.ac.uk or call 0131 662 2180.
Win trip to Shanghai-closing date 31 July
Borrow a book from the Confucius Institute`s `Window of Shanghai` section in our library and you could win a trip to this year`s Expo City. To enter the competition simply write a piece of between 1500-5000 words in English or 1000-3000 words in Chinese as a book review, or an essay on your personal musings as stimulated by the book selection.
T&Cs
All entries should be completed and submitted by July 31, 2010.
All entries should be submitted in word format and to be emailed to dnli@libnet.sh.cn or sent on CD-ROM to
Ms Dennie Lee
Shanghai Library Competition
Room 1310
1555 Huai Hai Zhong Lu
200031, Shanghai, China
All writing must be original and no liability is accepted by the organisers for any infringement of copyright or IPR.
SELECTION PROCESS
A total of 20 top entries will be selected by a panel of professional judges. The result will be notified in August 2010.
AWARDS
The first place prizewinner and three second place entrants will each be invited to an award ceremony in Shanghai. The airline and accommodation costs will be covered by the organisers.
The additional 16 finalists will each receive gift with a value of US$100.
ACCESS TO THE LIBRARY
Please contact the Confucius Institute on 0131 662 2180 or email us on info@confuciusinstitute.ac.uk to request access and borrowing rights to the library.