Japanese Religion and Culture Study Abroad Seminar

The following from Western Michigan University will be of interest to those of you who want to study in Japan.

Japanese Religion and Culture Study Abroad Seminar Location:
Japan Summer Program Deadline: 2010-02-15
Date Submitted: 2010-01-18
Announcement ID: 173364

Western Michigan Universitys Department of Comparative Religion in cooperation with Taisho University in Tokyo has developed a unique summer study abroad program. The Japanese Religion and Culture Study Abroad Seminar (now in its fourth year) is open to students outside of WMU. It is focused on undergraduates but graduate students are welcome to attend. A description of the program together with student comments follows. If you or one of your students is interested in applying, please e-mail Dr. Stephen Covell (s.covell@wmich.edu) or Eri Nishiyama (eri.nishiyama@wmich.edu) as soon as possible. The application deadline is February 15th. Application information and program details can be found at http://international.wmich.edu/content/view/754/356*299 .

The program runs from May 24th to June 8th.Program Description: We begin our stay in the heart of Tokyo. For most of the program students are housed in the classic Japanese style rooms of the priests dorms at Zojoji, a centuries old temple located just under Tokyo Tower. Using Zojoji as our base, we travel each morning to Taisho University for lectures and cultural exchange with Japanese students. Next, we head out to visit the headquarters and training dojo of major new religious movements (including Rissho Koseikai, Kodo Kyodan and Mahikari), ancient temples, and Shinto shrines. We also work into the schedule visits to some of the most famous museums in Japan. Free days have optional trips to shopping districts and parks.The highlight of the trip is the three-day, two-night excursion to Nikko. The trip begins at Manganji, a training temple and pilgrimage site. Students learn about and have the opportunity to experience a variety of Buddhist practices including sitting meditation, image copying, and the goma fire ceremony. Before leaving Manganji, students hike to its waterfall for a rare chance at waterfall practice. The rest of the Nikko trip is spent enjoying a hot spring resort and touring the famous world heritage sites.

The program is led by Dr. Stephen Covell. Dr. Covell earned his Ph.D. in Japanese Religions from Princeton University and is currently the Mary Meader (Associate) Professor of Comparative Religion and Director of the Soga Japan Center at WMU. Dr. Covell has drawn on his experience and contacts in Japan to put together a behind the scenes tour of Japanese religious life. For pictures and comments from a past trip see http://homepages.wmich.edu/~scovell.

Student Comments:[This trip] forever influenced my understanding of the depths of religious nature, the ways in which history should be remembered and preserved, and the influences both of these elements can have on present-day culture.In just twelve days, I have learned more and been exposed to more Buddhism than is possible in a lifetime of reading and studying in the United States.Stephen G. Covell, Ph.D.Director, Michitoshi Soga Japan CenterMary Meader (Associate) Professor of Comparative ReligionDepartment of Comparative ReligionWestern Michigan University

Undergraduate Asian Studies Conference

Below is information provided by Luding Tong for an undergraduate Asian Studies conference, Marietta College, April 15-17, 2010

Second Call for Papers: "Fourth Undergraduate Asian Studies Symposium" at

Marietta College, April 15-17, 2010

As part of the celebration of Marietta College's 175th anniversary, the

Asian Studies Program, in collaboration with The McDonough Center for

Leadership and Business, has organized a Fourth Asian Studies Symposium

for undergraduate students to share their scholarly interests in Asia and

present their research results in a supportive environment. The symposium

will be held at the college Thursday through Saturday, April 15-17, 2010.

The conference invites proposals for panels and papers from a wide variety

of academic disciplines. All proposals germane to Central, South,

Southeast, and East Asia are welcome.

Deadline for proposals: *March 1, 2010*

Send a one-page abstract of the paper or panel proposal to:

Luding Tong, Ph.D.

Director, Asian Studies Program

Chair, Department of Modern Languages

Marietta College

215 Fifth Street

Marietta, OH 45750

Or, submit an electronic copy of the abstract to: Luding.Tong@marietta.edu.

Those who submit proposals will be notified within two weeks of submission

whether their proposals have been accepted. Complete papers of accepted

proposals received by *April 1, 2010,* will be entered automatically in

the conference /Best Paper Award/ competition. Registration is required

for the competition. Conference proceedings will be published on CD in May

2010. The conference program will be posted on the conference web site by

*March 15, 2010*.

For details on how to submit a proposal, on registration, and other

information about the symposium, visit

http://www.marietta.edu/departments/Asian_Studies/symposium.html.

Contact Dr. Luding Tong at (740) 376-4640 or by

email Luding.Tong@marietta.edu with any

questions.

RELIGIOUS STUDIES MA (in English) AT CENTRAL EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY

RELIGIOUS STUDIES MA (in English) AT CENTRAL EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY
The Central European University is a vibrant, cosmopolitan and unique setting for the study of religion in a historical and comparative perspective. Situated at the crossroad of Empires and of world religions, Budapest offers a microcosm of the interactions of religions, cultures and societies.

Specialization in Religious Studies
The Specialization Religious Studies, offered by the School of History and Interdisciplinary Historical Studies, awards a non-degree certificate in Religious Studies. Students will enroll and receive their degrees in either the Department of History or Medieval Studies. As part of their MA in History or Medieval Studies, students of this Specialization will engage in the study of religious phenomena from a historical point of view, from Late Antiquity to modernity, and a variety of interdisciplinary perspectives. The Specialization Religious Studies is a young teaching unit, launched in 2007 by the Religious Studies Program. Its diverse course offers cover the three monotheistic religions multidisciplinary perspectives. To this end, apart from the Departments of History and Medieval Studies, more departments participate through their course offerings, such as Philosophy, Jewish Studies Program, Sociology and Social Anthropology, International Relations and European Studies. In the past, students were successful in receiving prestigious international scholarships and in entering challenging professional fields.

Religious Studies Program
The Religious Studies Program (RSP) is a research program and an academic forum at CEU fostering the academic study of religion. The mission of the program is to initiate and to coordinate research, academic events, and publications that address in critical ways religion-related questions in critical ways. The RSP is integrated into the School of History and Interdisciplinary Historical Studies and collaborates with relevant departments and academic units at the CEU. It crosses the borders of academic disciplines, confessional and geo-political categorizations. With an international advisory board and contacts with institutions throughout the region, as well as worldwide, the RSP provides an important site in Eastern Europe for academic research and communication on religion.

Source Language Teaching Unit
It is expected that as of Academic Year 2010/2011, students specializing in Religious Studies will be able to take intensive, high-level courses in classical and modern languages. The offering will include Greek, Latin, Arabic, Hebrew, Syriac, Ottoman as well as Russian and modern Turkish and Greek.

About CEU and the School of History and Interdisciplinary Historical Studies
Central European University (CEU) is a graduate, English-language, research-intensive university located in Budapest, Hungary, and is accredited in the USA and Hungary. While concentrating on the social sciences and humanities, CEU also offers programs in Business, Economics, Law, Environmental Sciences and Mathematics. With students coming from 100 countries, CEU is proud of its international community with no predominant national majority. The university offers small, seminar-style courses with student/faculty ratio 7:1, and individual consultations with professors. The School of History and Interdisciplinary Historical Studies brings together the Departments of History and Medieval Studies, the Nationalism Studies Program, the Religious Studies Program and Pasts, Inc. Institute of Historical Studies, as well as other research centers and programs related to the three teaching units with the aim to strengthen interdisciplinary studies. See: http://www.ceu.hu/node/2684

Faculty in Charge of the Specialization
Aziz Al-Azmeh (Department of Medieval Studies)
Nadia Al-Bagdadi (Department of History)
Matthias Riedl (Department of History)

Sample Courses
Approaching Religion
Bookish Traditions: Authority and the Book in Scripturalist Religions
Political Theology - Ancient and Modern
Christian-Muslim Polemics in the Middle Ages
Messianism - From the Age of Revelation to the Age of Revolution Religion and Authority Secularism and Religion - Comparative Perspectives on Christianity and Islam
Philosophy and Theology in the Middle Ages

Scholarships
CEU is committed to sustaining a geographically diverse and multi-cultural student body. To further this goal, the university welcomes financial aid applications from students around the world. Full scholarships are available for the Specialization Religious Studies. For more detailed information on financial aid, please visit www.ceu.hu/admissions/financialaid.

How to Start the Application Procedure
Students interested in the Specialization Religious Studies have a choice of applying to a One Year MA, Two Year MA or PhD. For research topics that focus on the period up to the end of the 15th century apply to the Medieval Studies Department (medstud.ceu.hu), for later topics to the History Department (www.hist.ceu.hu). Applications are accepted through an on-line system at http://www.ceu.hu/admissions/apply beginning on November 10, 2009. Candidates applying by January 25, 2010 are eligible to take the CEU-administered institutional TOEFL. Candidates who can provide evidence of proficiency in English or will organize their own TOEFL examination may apply by March 5, 2009. Full scholarships are available!

Application Deadlines
Deadlines for application to the CEU History and/or the Medieval Studies Department are: January 25, 2010: For applicants who wish/are required to take the CEU administered admissions examinations and /or are requesting exemption from the English language proficiency requirement. March 16, 2010: For applicants submitting applications complete with language scores and other applicable test scores. March 2010: For CEU Master's students and graduates applying to doctoral programs.

For detailed information about the academic programs and course, specific entry requirements, and a list of faculty, visit our website or contact us directly. Religious Studies Program Central European University (CEU) Nádor u. 11, room 211 h-1051 Budapest Telephone :+36.1/327-3000 ex 2170 E-mail: mailto:rsp@ceu.hu / Website: http://www.ceu.hu/religion RSP Director Nadia Al-Bagdadi (mailto:albagdadin@ceu.hu) RSP Program Coordinator Esther Holbrook (mailto:holbrooke@ceu.hu) CEU Department of History Nador u. 9, 1051 Budapest Hungary Telephone :+36 1 327-3022 / Fax:+36 1 327-3191 E-mail: mailto:history@ceu.hu / Website: http://www.ceu.hu/history CEU Department of Medieval Studies Nador u. 9, 1051 Budapest Hungary Telephone :+36 1 327-3024 / Fax:+36 1 327-3055 E-mail: mailto:medstud@ceu.hu / Website: http://www.medstud.ceu.hu You can also visit the Religious Studies group on Facebook.

Symposium on Medieval and Renaissance Studies

Symposium on Medieval and Renaissance Studies:

Wednesday, December 2 from 5:00 to 7:00pm
at Carnegie Mellon University, 237B Baker Hall (the long building across the bridge from Pitt).

An informal discussion with Pittsburgh faculty Allyson Creasman (CMU), Frank Toker (Pitt), Jen Waldron (Pitt), Dan Selcer (Duquesne), Adam Shear (Pitt), Renate Blumenfeld-Kosinski (Pitt), and Peggy Knapp (CMU), all of whom will briefly describe their fields of interest. Graduate and Undergraduate students can see who's doing what, what courses will be offered, and what books are hot.

As in Plato's day, a symposium is a festive occasion implying food as well as conversation; accordingly, the roundtable will befollowed by a light supper for everyone who comes, so we can converse in smaller groups. Please rsvp to Peggy Knapp at CMU, pk07@andrew.cmu.edu.

Sponsored by the Pittsburgh Consortium for Medieval and Renaissance Studies.

"Test Drive a Career"

The announcement below is from the advising center:

This upcoming Winter Break, Pitt students will have the opportunity to Test Drive a Career by shadowing an alum or employer.  Winter Break is an ideal time since your finals will be over!  What better occasion to participate in an a job shadowing experience that will give you the opportunity to shadow a professional and learn more about the potential field you want to enter.  If you are considering more than one career field then this is a great way to narrow down your options.  If you know what career you want to pursue, this is a great way to “reality check” that profession.

 

Job shadowing is especially important for sophomores as you will have to declare a major by the end of the academic year.  It is important to experience first hand a career field that you may be interested in before making this imperative decision.  Below are more details and instructions on how to sign up.  We look forward to hearing from you!

 

This is how the job shadowing will work:

• You will be matched with an alum or employer near your Winter Break residence.
• The experience can last from a half day to a full day of shadowing. 
• You will earn OCC credit.
• The shadowing dates are:
  • December 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, & 30

 

How to register:

• RSVP to the Panther Shadow Program through FutureLinks.
  • Click on “events”, then
  • Click on “workshops”, then
  • Click on Panther Shadow Program

 

• You must upload your resume on FutureLinks
  • Click on “documents”, then
  • Under the “documents” tab, then click “add new”

* If you do not have a resume you can use the Resume Architect on FutureLinks or come to walk-in hours at the Career Development Office from 1 to 4, Monday – Friday, on the 2^nd Floor of the William Pitt Union.

 

Email the following information to scottdl@pitt.edu – please use the subject “Panther Shadow Program Student”:

• Year in school.
• Industry/industries of interest – up to three.
• Cities you will be near during your Winter Break that are an hour or less away.
• Any dates listed above that you will not be available.

 

 

DEADLINE TO RSVP IS NOVEMBER 20, 2009

 

For any questions, please contact Danielle Scott at scottdl@pitt.edu.

Wittenberg in China

The following was posted on H-ASIA Oct 9 and will be of interest to those who want to study in China.

Wittenberg in China: On the Silk Road" summer program (mid-May 17 to mid-June).

This month-long program offers students an opportunity to explore China's past and present through a study of the historic and contemporary Silk Road through experiential learning activities, class discussions, and site visits. The program is flexibly designed so students can pursue their specific interests in business, medicine, education, art, religion, etc.. For example, Wittenberg Management students have received equivalency credit for International Business; art majors may complete their art history requirement; and pre-Med students can learn first hand about both traditional Chinese and Uigher medical systems. Students study as they travel along the Silk Road from Xi'an, Jiayuguan, Dunhuang, Turfan, Urumqi and Khotan; the program ends in Beijing. There are no prerequisites, and the program is open to all students regardless of their major or graduation year. Where translators arer equired, they will be provided. The program comprehensive fee of $4,780 to $5,780 (depending on number ofparticipants) includes all expenses in China (transportation, room, board,entrance fees, course materials, health & evacuation insurance, and anallowance) and six Wittenberg (four-hour) credits. Additional expenses arethe Wittenberg summer school application fee ($40), international travel,Chinese visa, and small gifts for Chinese hosts. Graduate students mayapply. For application materials, see www.wittenberg.edu/silkroad. Contact Dr.Marcia Frost at mfrost@wittenberg.edu or 937-327-7935 or Dr. Stephen Smithat srsmith@wittenberg.edu or 937-327-7506 or www.wittenberg.edu/silkroad formore information and application packets. Marcia J. FrostAssociate Professor of Economics & East Asian StudiesWittenberg UniversitySpringfield OH 45501

Grad School Fair

There will be an Idealist.org Graduate Degree Fair for the Public Good on Wednesday, September 23, 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the William Pitt Union, Ballroom.

To learn more about it, see idealist.org/gradfairs

Self-Service Enrollment

Starting this October you will be able to self-enroll for courses in the spring term. This will enable you to register, add, and drop courses at your convenience. The School of Arts & Sciences has provided the following information on how students can get started:

1. Log on the Student Center through the http://my.pitt.edu Web portal

2. View details about their enrollment appointment

3. Contact their academic advisors for a pre-registration appointment BEFORE their enrollment appointment begins.

As the Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Department of Religious Studies, I will post later this month a sign-up sheet outside my office (CL 2610) so you can sign up to see me before your enrollment appointment.

Before you come to your appointment, please make sure you fill out two checklists:
"GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS CHECKLIST"
"CHECKLIST FOR THE RELIGIOUS STUDIES MAJOR"

Both are available through the departmental website at

http://www.religiousstudies.pitt.edu/undergraduate/checklists.php

I look forward to talking with you about your future academic life here at Pitt.

---Clark Chilson

Career Kickoff

From the Vice Provost and Dean of Students:

"Career Kickoff with be held from September 14-18 and will provide students with a chance to network with employers and have their resume critiqued by seasoned professionals. Tables have been reserved in convenient locations across campus from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day to enable students to prepare for the career fair"

If you would like to learn more about this and the Student Employment and Placement Assistance (SEPA) offices, see http://www.hire.pitt.edu/.

A Peaceful and Orderly Transition in the Cathedral of Learning

Dear Religious Studies students,

As of today, I am relinquishing my duties as Director of Undergraduate Studies and closing up the Religious Studies advising office for the summer.

Professor Clark Chilson will take over as DUS and undergraduate advsisor for the department starting with the beginning of the fall term. He will post his office hours and contact information for the beginnning of the term on the blog soon.

In the meantime, if you have a question about advising--that cannot wait until the end of the summer--please e-mail Professor Chilson (chilson@pitt.edu) or Professor Orbach (orbach@pitt.edu).

I will be on leave in the fall term and back teaching in the spring.

I have enjoyed my time as DUS and I leave you in the capable hands of Prof. Chilson.

Sincerely,

Adam Shear

PS Two last notes about Peoplesoft which is not always up-to-date:

1) Prof. Chilson is the instructor for Religious Studies 1903 this coming fall term (2101) and not me.

2) A couple of you have asked me questions about the spring term schedule (2104). Although a "draft" version is now on Peoplesoft, this is simply the spring 2009 schedule carried over by the computer awaiting updates/corrections/deletions from the departments. Departments will submit schedule changes to Peoplesoft this month and next. You should not consider the schedule on Peoplesoft official until you get notification that the schedule has been published.