Text
Rosenberg Institute for East Asian Studies at Suffolk University
Annual Report for 2009-2010
Ronald Suleski, PhD
Director
Overview
The Rosenberg Institute had an extremely active program of events during the
2009-2010 academic year. We established ourselves as a very visible entity on the
Suffolk campus and in the Boston community. We used many channels of
communication to accomplish this, including the web sites of the Institute and the
University, its iTunes presence, its publications, and a number of well-targeted
email lists. As a result, the audiences that attended our programs included not only
Suffolk officers, faculty and students, but visitors from Harvard, MIT,
Northeastern, Boston University, Boston College, UMass Boston, Emerson and
Emmanuel. Many members of the general public, including those from nearby
Beacon Hill, were also welcomed.
The success of the Rosenberg Institute in establishing a presence for itself as the
lead platform for Suffolk’s initiatives toward East Asia were acknowledged during
the course of the year by our President, Provost, Dean, several members of the
Board of Trustees, several departmental chairs, and many faculty and students.
Because of our proactive outreach, programs of the Rosenberg Institute were
reported in Chinese language publications and media. Many members of the
Chinese community in Boston told us they read the stories about Suffolk in the
Chinese language newspapers. The Institute also got a mention in a local Korean
language newspaper, which we hope will bring in new students to Suffolk from the
large Korean community in New England.
1
The Rosenberg Institute was involved, either as a sponsor or co-sponsor (meaning
we endorsed the activity), in twenty-six events during the year. The most important
of these are listed below.
A. The section below lists the activities of the Rosenberg Institute
conducted in conformance with the Terms of Agreement signed in July
2007, as modified by the Memorandum by Dean Greenberg agreed to in
Fall 2008. These two documents call for a series of Distinguished
Visitors and for the publication of academic papers .
Rosenberg Institute Distinguished Visitors Series
Our core activities during the academic year were the series of seven outstanding
scholars who were invited to lecture on the Suffolk campus as part of our
Distinguished Visitor Series. Each lecture was widely advertised, was free and
open to the general public. In addition to their main lecture, the Distinguished
Visitors also gave classroom lectures, and they spoke with students both in the
classrooms and following their public lecture. Further, faculty met with the
Visitors for more extensive and specialized conversation, either at faculty
workshops or over the course of a luncheon seminar. The typical audience for
each public lecture was forty to sixty individuals.
In several cases the Rosenberg Institute cooperated with other organizations on
campus to host our Distinguished Visitors. Cooperation involved assistance in
preparing posters, covering some of the expenses, and combining their email lists
with those of the Rosenberg Institute to advertise the event and draw an audience.
This co-sponsorship also illustrated for the Suffolk community the sense of
cooperation and mutual excitement we share by having the Rosenberg Institute as
an active unit of Suffolk.
2
Rosenberg Institute Distinguished Visitor Series in 2009-2010
Famine and Socialism: Exploring the Cases of China and the Soviet Union. Felix
Wemheuer, PhD. University of Vienna. A young Visiting Scholar at the Fairbank
Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard. Faculty from both our Asian Studies and
European Studies concentration in the History Department joined us. He also gave
a class lecture and met with faculty. September 2009.
Chai Qian (Demolition 拆遷), a 62 minute documentary with subtitles in English.
The producer, J.P. Snaidecki, is a PhD Candidate at Harvard University. This was
presented as part of the Suffolk Cinema Series, in cooperation with the Department
of Communication and Journalism. November 2009 .
Tibet and China: How to Solve the Problems. Lobsang Sangay, PhD. Harvard
University Law School. This scholar works with both the Chinese and the Tibetan
exile community trying to bring about dialogue between both sides. He met with
many students, and later with faculty. November 2009.
China in World History. Paul Ropp, PhD. Clark University. The author talked
about his forthcoming book to be published by Oxford University Press. The
illustrated talk was well-received, and the book has now been published. He also
gave a class lecture, and had a luncheon with faculty. February 2010.
Challenges in Chinese Economic Development. Huang Yasheng, PhD. MIT. One
of the most original thinkers in the field of contemporary economic studies
focusing on China, Professor Huang initiated a lively debate during the talk, which
was attended by many members of our Economics Department, as well as many
students. He conducted a lunch workshop with faculty from the College, the
business school and the Law School. March 2010.
Asians in America. Maxine Hong Kingston. Award-winning author. The author
spent a full week on campus, and this was the major public address she delivered.
Students were enthralled by her recollections of her own “illegal” immigrant
parents, and she spoke about her own immersion into American culture. The
Creative Writing Program of the English Department was also active in arranging
3
her schedule, which included class visits, seminars, and a lecture at the
University’s Poetry Center. March 2010.
Can Japan Be an 'Asian' Power? William Grimes, PhD, founding director of the
Boston University Center for the Study of Asia. Our special guest for this lecture
was the Hon. Masaru Tsuji, Consul-General of Japan in Boston. The speaker
discussed Japan’s strategic security relationship with the United States. Some of
our international students from Japan met with the speaker, and he also later had
lunch with faculty. April 2010.
All of the Rosenberg Institute lectures have been recorded, aurally or on
video. The video versions will be put on iTunes and on blip.tv (two venues
popular with young people worldwide) and we plan links from our
University web site to these venues. Some Institute lectures are already
available at these sites.
Special Public Event: The China Town Hall Meeting
A public event to discuss current issues in United States relations with China was
held at Suffolk in December 2009. The Rosenberg Institute was invited by the
National Committee on United States-China Relations to participate in its third
China Town Hall meeting. The National Committee is headquartered in New York
and since the 1960s it has been recognized by government, civic and academic
leaders in both China and the United States for its programs to foster mutual
understanding and to promote communication between the peoples of both nations.
In the 8 December 2009 China Town Hall meeting, a live video feed was set up in
the office of Kurt Campbell, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific
Affairs. Secretary Campbell has a PhD from Oxford. He has written five books,
the most recent being Difficult Transitions: Foreign Policy Troubles at the Outset
of Presidential Power (Brookings, 2008). The feed was received by 39 universities
and colleges across the United States, including Yale, Michigan, Cornell,
Pennsylvania, and Ohio State. West Coast sites included Westmont College in
4
Santa Barbara and the Asian and Pacific Affairs Council in Honolulu. In addition,
the live broadcast was shown in Beijing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Taipei. The
audience at each school was invited to submit questions to Secretary Campbell by
email (we provided a person to send the written questions by email during the talk).
The National Committee moderator read selected questions live, and the Secretary
answered them. Two of the questions from our Suffolk audience were selected and
discussed by Secretary Campbell. Because of Suffolk’s central location in Boston,
we had many members from the general public, from other universities, and from
several non-profits in the area that deal with China. A similar China Town Hall
meeting will be held at Suffolk in October 2010.
Rosenberg Institute’s First Occasional Paper
In fall 2010 the Rosenberg Institute will issue its first “occasional paper,” a new
series of academic monographs that will be published by the Institute and made
available to scholars worldwide. The first paper will be titled: Biomedicine, State
Medicine, and the Rise of China’s National Medical Colleges. The paper is by
John R. Watt, PhD, who is Vice-President of the American Bureau for Medical
Advancement in China. This is based on original research utilizing a number of
archival documents in Chinese and English. We are planning for a wide
distribution for the Rosenberg Institute Occasional Papers, including advertising on
our web site and through the Newsletter of the Association for Asian Studies;
mailing to Departments, Centers and Institutes of Asian Studies; and mailing to
targeted business, medical or political leaders and journalists, depending on the
topic.
Dr. Suleski’s Asia Trip. In May and June 2010, the Institute’s Director made a
visit to Asia in conjunction with a conference he attended in Beijing. The purposes
of the trip were: to recruit international students for Suffolk (eight presentations);
5
to set-up an internship program for Suffolk students in Nagoya (two will be sent in
late summer 2010); to fund-raise for the Asian Studies programs at Suffolk (five
individuals visited); to help inaugurate the Chinese language summer program for
Suffolk students in Shanghai (ten students attended in early summer 2010).
B. Without drawing any money at all from the income of the endowed fund,
Suffolk University has been careful to honor the specific terms listed in
the original agreement with Barbara and Richard Rosenberg. The
University has hired a full-time administrator (the Director) for the
Institute (going well beyond the part-time position called for in the
original agreement), provided professional and suitable office space for
the Director, and has made available all of the necessary facilities and
support services for Rosenberg Institute activities . It has also supported
the marketing and communications activities of the Institute. We have
used University email lists, as well as the email lists developed by the
Institute, to advertise all of its programs and activities.
During the 2009-2010 academic year the University did not draw upon
the income from the funds generously contributed by the Rosenbergs,
but instead used University funds to cover the salary and expenses of
the Director and the Institute and funded all of the sponsored programs
listed in this Annual Report.
This Report is submitted in accordance with the original Terms of
Agreement.
C. Cooperation with the Asian Studies Program. As administrator of the
Rosenberg Institute, the Director was asked by the University to
cooperate with the new Asian Studies Program established in fall 2009.
In some cases the Rosenberg Institute lent its name in support of these
activities and used its email lists to help draw an audience, but in
6
general the meetings were organized and advertised by the members of
the faculty-led Asian Studies Committee, chaired by Professor Da
Zheng. The activities of the Asian Studies Program were covered
entirely by Suffolk University funds. We used these programs to
promote an interest in Asia on the campus and to encourage interested
students to select an Asian Studies major or minor. Some students from
other campuses in the area attended these events, though the majority
were Suffolk students. At the film showings, pizza or popcorn or soft
drinks were provided. Many faculty members were also present at all
of these events.
Asian Studies Program Events
Maya Lin. 林纓. Originally a PBS documentary, the film was shown by the Asian
Studies Program. Maya Lin is a Chinese-American whose design was chosen for
the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, DC, while she was still an
undergraduate at Yale. September 2009.
Slumdog Millionaire. This Indian made film was a major hit in spring 2009.
Suffolk obtained special permission from the US distributor to show the film in an
academic setting. Snacks provided during the event included home-made Indian
samosa. October 2009.
Celebrating the Lunar New Year in Hong Kong. Dr. Janet Lee Scott, a cultural
anthropologist who taught for many years at Hong Kong Baptist University. Dr.
Scott brought in many holiday items she has collected over the years. The students
attending were particularly engaged in this talk. February 2010
Chinese New Year Celebration. The international students from China attending
Suffolk were all present, along with many other Suffolk students, to enjoy the food,
games and video slide shows. Traditional food from the Qingdao Garden
Restaurant in Cambridge was provided. February 2010.
Revisiting the ‘Google in China’ Question. Four faculty members of our Asian
Studies Committee teamed up to talk about this controversial issue. They were
7
Professor Micky Lee from Communication and Journalism; Professor Christine
Westphal from Education and Human Services; Professor Xue Yong from History,
and Dr. Christopher Dakin from the Language Lab. March 2010
Japanese film Maboroshi (幻の光 Phantom Light). Dr. Arthur Nolletti, an
expert in modern Japanese film, led a discussion following the film. This was
presented as part of the Communication and Journalism Department’s Suffolk
Cinema Series. March 2010.
Chiang Yee: The Silent Traveler. Chairman of the Suffolk Asian Studies
Committee Professor Da Zheng talked about his new book published by Rutgers
University Press, 2010. Following the talk, Professor Zheng accompanied
members of the audience to tour the Adams Gallery at the Suffolk Law School,
where an exhibition of paintings and calligraphy by the author and painter Chiang
Yee were on display. April 2010.
Advances in Health Care in Taiwan: And their Application to International
Health Care 1950-2000 年台灣醫療服務與國家發展. John R. Watt, PhD, who
is Vice-President of the American Bureau for Medical Advancement in China. The
audience consisted of members of the Taiwan diplomatic office in Boston, which
co-sponsored the event and provided the drinks and snacks, along with reporters
from three Chinese language newspapers, and a visiting Dean from the City
University of Hong Kong. April 2010.
Suffolk’s First Language Program in China
A group of ten Suffolk students and alumni were led by Professor Da Zheng, Chair
of the Asian Studies Program at Suffolk, to study Chinese language and culture
during June 2010 at the spacious campus of Shanghai Normal University. Their
study activities included study visits to the nearby famous cities of Hangzhou and
Suzhou, as well as to the impressive World Fair being held in Shanghai. At the
opening ceremony, the students and their teachers were joined by Dr. Ronald
Suleski, Director of the Rosenberg Institute at Suffolk, and Professor James
8
Cataldo, a specialist in accounting at the Sawyer Business School, who was in
Shanghai delivering lectures at nearby Lixin University.
Artist Gowri Savoor was on campus over a period of several days to construct a
rangoli. This was a “sand-painting” using geometric designs constructed of rice,
wheat and other natural grains. She also gave a lecture to students at NESAD (the
New England School of Art and Design), the Art Department in the College. The
purpose of the rangoli was to celebrate the new building scheduled to be built on
the Suffolk campus which will house facilities for NESAD students. April 2010.
D. Every attempt was made to increase the visibility of the Rosenberg
Institute and the Asian Studies Program at Suffolk. The section below
indicates the major categories of these activities: Welcoming Visitors to
the Institute; Community Outreach Programs; Encouraging Faculty
Research.
Visitors to the Rosenberg Institute
A number of individuals came by to learn about the Rosenberg Institute and its
programs and to discuss their research and academic interests. The visitors, all
from outside institutions, gave us an opportunity to extend Suffolk’s outreach well
beyond the campus and to gain supporters from among this wider public.
Zhang Guanzi 长冠梓, PhD, Director of the Center for the Humanities and Social
Science Studies by Young Scholars at the Chinese Academic of Social Sciences in
Beijing. He is active in promoting cooperation between American and Chinese
scholars. July 2009.
9
Chou Chu-tse, 周菊子 , a reporter for the well-known Hong Kong-based
newspaper Xingdao ribao (Sing Tao Daily) 星島日報. She has published stories
about Suffolk. August 2009.
Yang Guo-tong 楊國棟, Director-General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural
Office (TECO). He was about to leave the US, being re-assigned to take over a
major governmental office in Taipei. August 2009.
Matt Kawecki, Acquisitions Editor for Brill USA, He was helping Brill to expand
its range of titles about Asia by acquiring new manuscripts. (He joined the US
Department of State in spring 2010.) August 2009.
Joanne Baldine, PhD. She is a specialist in Chinese philosophy. She has worked
in the Law School at Harvard and has lectured at several institutions in the area.
September 2009.
Rowena He (He Xiaoqing 何曉清), PhD, University of Toronto. Rowena holds
the prestigious postdoctoral fellowship from the Social Sciences and Humanities
Council of Canada. Her work is on human rights issues in China. September 2009.
Mark Lenhart, Director of the CET Academic Programs. Based in Washington,
DC, this organization is one of the more established in the US and offers academic
programs in China. October 2009.
Onitsika Hiroshi 鬼塚博. Mr. Onitsuka has been a researcher working with the
Nagano Prefectural Government and with Iida City, to gather and publish historical
materials about Farmers from Nagano. They were participants in the Japanese
efforts to colonize Manchuria with Japan citizens between 1932 and 1945. He
wanted to discuss research issues and to learn about the Rosenberg Institute.
November 2009.
Janet Lee Scott, PhD. Professor Scott lived and taught in Hong Kong, recently at
Hong Kong Baptist University, for many years. Her recent publication is For Gods,
Ghosts and Ancestors: The Chinese Tradition of Paper Offerings (University of
Washington Press, 2007). She was invited to teach a course at Suffolk in the future.
December 2009.
10
Robert Snow, PhD. Dr. Snow is Director for Development and Strategic Planning
of the Association for Asian Studies. The role of the Rosenberg Institute at Suffolk
and funding programs in the field of Asian studies were discussed. December 2009.
John Chuan Tiong Lim 林泉忠, PhD. Dr. Lim teaches Asia-Pacific regional
studies at the University of the Ryukuys in Okinawa. He has been a Fulbright
Scholar studying in the United States for the past year. March 2010.
Mark Monfasani. Mark is the new Acquisitions Editor for Asian Studies at the
US office of Brill Publishers in Boston. He has endorsed the Rosenberg Institute
forthcoming Occasional Paper Series, described below. March 2010.
Alister Inglis, PhD. Dr. Inglis teaches in the Chinese Language Program at
Simmons College in Boston. Simmons also has an exchange agreement with
Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, and issues of mutual concern were discussed.
March 2010.
Um Taeyun, PhD. Dr. Um is Consul at the Consulate-General of Boston office of
the Republic of Korea. He was interested to learn about the new Rosenberg
Institute at Suffolk. March 2010.
Community Outreach Programs
The Rosenberg Institute lent its name and its energies to a number of community
groups during the 2009-2010 academic year. The purpose was both to increase
awareness of the Institutes programs among members of the wider community, and
to forge ties with the public beyond our campus. A few of the events in which the
Rosenberg Institute name was cited are given below.
Student Leaders of the Taiwan Student’s Association . The meeting was
organized by the Boston TECO office (Taipei Economic and Cultural Office) and
student leaders from the New England area attended. It was held at the Suffolk
Law School. Dr. Suleski spoke to the group to welcome them to Suffolk and give
some words of encouragement for their study. One of Suffolk’s Chinese language
teachers, Professor Yang Suhjen was also at the event. 12 September 2009.
11
A lecture at the Boston University Academy (the high school affiliated with
Boston University) was given by Dr. Suleski. The class was Chinese Classical
Literature in Translation, taught by Professor Philip Gambone. Dr. Suleski spoke
on Basic Confucian Values. 18 September 2009
Chinese Historical Society of New England, Seventeenth Annual Meeting and
Dinner. Dr. Suleski attended this meeting and dinner along with other Suffolk
professors: Professor Da Zheng, a board member of the Society; Professor Allen
Tow, whose article on early Chinese restaurants in New England was included in
the Fall 2009 edition of the CHSNE Newsletter; and Christina Chu from the
Suffolk Law School. 25 September 2009
Chinatown Tour sponsored by the Asian Community Development
Corporation (ACDC). Dr. Suleski joined with twenty students of Suffolk
professor Micky Lee’s class in Gender and Film in Asia. The tour was followed
by a seminar session given by the ACDC. Both the tour and the seminar featured
the history of community organizing and pressing issues facing Chinatown
residents in Boston. 26 September 2009.
Visitors from Ritsumeikan University 立命館大學 in Kyoto. Professor
Nakagawa Yukozhong 中川優子, Director of the International Center, and
Takehana Yasuko 竹花安子, Office of International Education, both from
Ritsumeikan, visited the Suffolk campus. They met with Director Suleski of the
Rosenberg Institute, Professor Da Zheng 鄭達, Chair of the Asian Studies Program,
Professor John Berg, Chair of the Government Department, and Professor Simone
Chun of the Government Department, to discuss exchange agreements between
Suffolk and Ritsumeikan. 3 March 2010.
A Chinese New Year Banquet to benefit BCNC (Boston Chinatown
Neighborhood Center) was held at the Empire Garden Restaurant. Suffolk
sponsored a table of ten, attended by Suffolk faculty and guests, and placed an ad
in the banquet program. 5 Mar 2010.
12
Promoting Academic and Faculty Research
The Rosenberg Institute organized faculty delegations from Suffolk on two
occasions to attend academic conferences in the area. These were opportunities to
meet fellow Asian Studies specialists from New England and to share research
interests. These opportunities were enthusiastically welcomed by our faculty
members.
Association for Asian Studies New England Regional Meeting at Brown
University in Providence, RI. A delegation of seven Suffolk faculty and one
graduate student attended the day-long conference. October 2009. Scholars from
all major universities in New England were present.
Contemporary South Asia: Emerging Trends and Voices, a full-day conference
was organized by Middlesex Community College on 26 March 2010. A delegation
of seven Suffolk faculty attended the conference. It was held at the Federal
Reserve Building in Boston.
30 Aug 10
13
Annual Report for 2009-2010
Ronald Suleski, PhD
Director
Overview
The Rosenberg Institute had an extremely active program of events during the
2009-2010 academic year. We established ourselves as a very visible entity on the
Suffolk campus and in the Boston community. We used many channels of
communication to accomplish this, including the web sites of the Institute and the
University, its iTunes presence, its publications, and a number of well-targeted
email lists. As a result, the audiences that attended our programs included not only
Suffolk officers, faculty and students, but visitors from Harvard, MIT,
Northeastern, Boston University, Boston College, UMass Boston, Emerson and
Emmanuel. Many members of the general public, including those from nearby
Beacon Hill, were also welcomed.
The success of the Rosenberg Institute in establishing a presence for itself as the
lead platform for Suffolk’s initiatives toward East Asia were acknowledged during
the course of the year by our President, Provost, Dean, several members of the
Board of Trustees, several departmental chairs, and many faculty and students.
Because of our proactive outreach, programs of the Rosenberg Institute were
reported in Chinese language publications and media. Many members of the
Chinese community in Boston told us they read the stories about Suffolk in the
Chinese language newspapers. The Institute also got a mention in a local Korean
language newspaper, which we hope will bring in new students to Suffolk from the
large Korean community in New England.
1
The Rosenberg Institute was involved, either as a sponsor or co-sponsor (meaning
we endorsed the activity), in twenty-six events during the year. The most important
of these are listed below.
A. The section below lists the activities of the Rosenberg Institute
conducted in conformance with the Terms of Agreement signed in July
2007, as modified by the Memorandum by Dean Greenberg agreed to in
Fall 2008. These two documents call for a series of Distinguished
Visitors and for the publication of academic papers .
Rosenberg Institute Distinguished Visitors Series
Our core activities during the academic year were the series of seven outstanding
scholars who were invited to lecture on the Suffolk campus as part of our
Distinguished Visitor Series. Each lecture was widely advertised, was free and
open to the general public. In addition to their main lecture, the Distinguished
Visitors also gave classroom lectures, and they spoke with students both in the
classrooms and following their public lecture. Further, faculty met with the
Visitors for more extensive and specialized conversation, either at faculty
workshops or over the course of a luncheon seminar. The typical audience for
each public lecture was forty to sixty individuals.
In several cases the Rosenberg Institute cooperated with other organizations on
campus to host our Distinguished Visitors. Cooperation involved assistance in
preparing posters, covering some of the expenses, and combining their email lists
with those of the Rosenberg Institute to advertise the event and draw an audience.
This co-sponsorship also illustrated for the Suffolk community the sense of
cooperation and mutual excitement we share by having the Rosenberg Institute as
an active unit of Suffolk.
2
Rosenberg Institute Distinguished Visitor Series in 2009-2010
Famine and Socialism: Exploring the Cases of China and the Soviet Union. Felix
Wemheuer, PhD. University of Vienna. A young Visiting Scholar at the Fairbank
Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard. Faculty from both our Asian Studies and
European Studies concentration in the History Department joined us. He also gave
a class lecture and met with faculty. September 2009.
Chai Qian (Demolition 拆遷), a 62 minute documentary with subtitles in English.
The producer, J.P. Snaidecki, is a PhD Candidate at Harvard University. This was
presented as part of the Suffolk Cinema Series, in cooperation with the Department
of Communication and Journalism. November 2009 .
Tibet and China: How to Solve the Problems. Lobsang Sangay, PhD. Harvard
University Law School. This scholar works with both the Chinese and the Tibetan
exile community trying to bring about dialogue between both sides. He met with
many students, and later with faculty. November 2009.
China in World History. Paul Ropp, PhD. Clark University. The author talked
about his forthcoming book to be published by Oxford University Press. The
illustrated talk was well-received, and the book has now been published. He also
gave a class lecture, and had a luncheon with faculty. February 2010.
Challenges in Chinese Economic Development. Huang Yasheng, PhD. MIT. One
of the most original thinkers in the field of contemporary economic studies
focusing on China, Professor Huang initiated a lively debate during the talk, which
was attended by many members of our Economics Department, as well as many
students. He conducted a lunch workshop with faculty from the College, the
business school and the Law School. March 2010.
Asians in America. Maxine Hong Kingston. Award-winning author. The author
spent a full week on campus, and this was the major public address she delivered.
Students were enthralled by her recollections of her own “illegal” immigrant
parents, and she spoke about her own immersion into American culture. The
Creative Writing Program of the English Department was also active in arranging
3
her schedule, which included class visits, seminars, and a lecture at the
University’s Poetry Center. March 2010.
Can Japan Be an 'Asian' Power? William Grimes, PhD, founding director of the
Boston University Center for the Study of Asia. Our special guest for this lecture
was the Hon. Masaru Tsuji, Consul-General of Japan in Boston. The speaker
discussed Japan’s strategic security relationship with the United States. Some of
our international students from Japan met with the speaker, and he also later had
lunch with faculty. April 2010.
All of the Rosenberg Institute lectures have been recorded, aurally or on
video. The video versions will be put on iTunes and on blip.tv (two venues
popular with young people worldwide) and we plan links from our
University web site to these venues. Some Institute lectures are already
available at these sites.
Special Public Event: The China Town Hall Meeting
A public event to discuss current issues in United States relations with China was
held at Suffolk in December 2009. The Rosenberg Institute was invited by the
National Committee on United States-China Relations to participate in its third
China Town Hall meeting. The National Committee is headquartered in New York
and since the 1960s it has been recognized by government, civic and academic
leaders in both China and the United States for its programs to foster mutual
understanding and to promote communication between the peoples of both nations.
In the 8 December 2009 China Town Hall meeting, a live video feed was set up in
the office of Kurt Campbell, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific
Affairs. Secretary Campbell has a PhD from Oxford. He has written five books,
the most recent being Difficult Transitions: Foreign Policy Troubles at the Outset
of Presidential Power (Brookings, 2008). The feed was received by 39 universities
and colleges across the United States, including Yale, Michigan, Cornell,
Pennsylvania, and Ohio State. West Coast sites included Westmont College in
4
Santa Barbara and the Asian and Pacific Affairs Council in Honolulu. In addition,
the live broadcast was shown in Beijing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Taipei. The
audience at each school was invited to submit questions to Secretary Campbell by
email (we provided a person to send the written questions by email during the talk).
The National Committee moderator read selected questions live, and the Secretary
answered them. Two of the questions from our Suffolk audience were selected and
discussed by Secretary Campbell. Because of Suffolk’s central location in Boston,
we had many members from the general public, from other universities, and from
several non-profits in the area that deal with China. A similar China Town Hall
meeting will be held at Suffolk in October 2010.
Rosenberg Institute’s First Occasional Paper
In fall 2010 the Rosenberg Institute will issue its first “occasional paper,” a new
series of academic monographs that will be published by the Institute and made
available to scholars worldwide. The first paper will be titled: Biomedicine, State
Medicine, and the Rise of China’s National Medical Colleges. The paper is by
John R. Watt, PhD, who is Vice-President of the American Bureau for Medical
Advancement in China. This is based on original research utilizing a number of
archival documents in Chinese and English. We are planning for a wide
distribution for the Rosenberg Institute Occasional Papers, including advertising on
our web site and through the Newsletter of the Association for Asian Studies;
mailing to Departments, Centers and Institutes of Asian Studies; and mailing to
targeted business, medical or political leaders and journalists, depending on the
topic.
Dr. Suleski’s Asia Trip. In May and June 2010, the Institute’s Director made a
visit to Asia in conjunction with a conference he attended in Beijing. The purposes
of the trip were: to recruit international students for Suffolk (eight presentations);
5
to set-up an internship program for Suffolk students in Nagoya (two will be sent in
late summer 2010); to fund-raise for the Asian Studies programs at Suffolk (five
individuals visited); to help inaugurate the Chinese language summer program for
Suffolk students in Shanghai (ten students attended in early summer 2010).
B. Without drawing any money at all from the income of the endowed fund,
Suffolk University has been careful to honor the specific terms listed in
the original agreement with Barbara and Richard Rosenberg. The
University has hired a full-time administrator (the Director) for the
Institute (going well beyond the part-time position called for in the
original agreement), provided professional and suitable office space for
the Director, and has made available all of the necessary facilities and
support services for Rosenberg Institute activities . It has also supported
the marketing and communications activities of the Institute. We have
used University email lists, as well as the email lists developed by the
Institute, to advertise all of its programs and activities.
During the 2009-2010 academic year the University did not draw upon
the income from the funds generously contributed by the Rosenbergs,
but instead used University funds to cover the salary and expenses of
the Director and the Institute and funded all of the sponsored programs
listed in this Annual Report.
This Report is submitted in accordance with the original Terms of
Agreement.
C. Cooperation with the Asian Studies Program. As administrator of the
Rosenberg Institute, the Director was asked by the University to
cooperate with the new Asian Studies Program established in fall 2009.
In some cases the Rosenberg Institute lent its name in support of these
activities and used its email lists to help draw an audience, but in
6
general the meetings were organized and advertised by the members of
the faculty-led Asian Studies Committee, chaired by Professor Da
Zheng. The activities of the Asian Studies Program were covered
entirely by Suffolk University funds. We used these programs to
promote an interest in Asia on the campus and to encourage interested
students to select an Asian Studies major or minor. Some students from
other campuses in the area attended these events, though the majority
were Suffolk students. At the film showings, pizza or popcorn or soft
drinks were provided. Many faculty members were also present at all
of these events.
Asian Studies Program Events
Maya Lin. 林纓. Originally a PBS documentary, the film was shown by the Asian
Studies Program. Maya Lin is a Chinese-American whose design was chosen for
the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, DC, while she was still an
undergraduate at Yale. September 2009.
Slumdog Millionaire. This Indian made film was a major hit in spring 2009.
Suffolk obtained special permission from the US distributor to show the film in an
academic setting. Snacks provided during the event included home-made Indian
samosa. October 2009.
Celebrating the Lunar New Year in Hong Kong. Dr. Janet Lee Scott, a cultural
anthropologist who taught for many years at Hong Kong Baptist University. Dr.
Scott brought in many holiday items she has collected over the years. The students
attending were particularly engaged in this talk. February 2010
Chinese New Year Celebration. The international students from China attending
Suffolk were all present, along with many other Suffolk students, to enjoy the food,
games and video slide shows. Traditional food from the Qingdao Garden
Restaurant in Cambridge was provided. February 2010.
Revisiting the ‘Google in China’ Question. Four faculty members of our Asian
Studies Committee teamed up to talk about this controversial issue. They were
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Professor Micky Lee from Communication and Journalism; Professor Christine
Westphal from Education and Human Services; Professor Xue Yong from History,
and Dr. Christopher Dakin from the Language Lab. March 2010
Japanese film Maboroshi (幻の光 Phantom Light). Dr. Arthur Nolletti, an
expert in modern Japanese film, led a discussion following the film. This was
presented as part of the Communication and Journalism Department’s Suffolk
Cinema Series. March 2010.
Chiang Yee: The Silent Traveler. Chairman of the Suffolk Asian Studies
Committee Professor Da Zheng talked about his new book published by Rutgers
University Press, 2010. Following the talk, Professor Zheng accompanied
members of the audience to tour the Adams Gallery at the Suffolk Law School,
where an exhibition of paintings and calligraphy by the author and painter Chiang
Yee were on display. April 2010.
Advances in Health Care in Taiwan: And their Application to International
Health Care 1950-2000 年台灣醫療服務與國家發展. John R. Watt, PhD, who
is Vice-President of the American Bureau for Medical Advancement in China. The
audience consisted of members of the Taiwan diplomatic office in Boston, which
co-sponsored the event and provided the drinks and snacks, along with reporters
from three Chinese language newspapers, and a visiting Dean from the City
University of Hong Kong. April 2010.
Suffolk’s First Language Program in China
A group of ten Suffolk students and alumni were led by Professor Da Zheng, Chair
of the Asian Studies Program at Suffolk, to study Chinese language and culture
during June 2010 at the spacious campus of Shanghai Normal University. Their
study activities included study visits to the nearby famous cities of Hangzhou and
Suzhou, as well as to the impressive World Fair being held in Shanghai. At the
opening ceremony, the students and their teachers were joined by Dr. Ronald
Suleski, Director of the Rosenberg Institute at Suffolk, and Professor James
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Cataldo, a specialist in accounting at the Sawyer Business School, who was in
Shanghai delivering lectures at nearby Lixin University.
Artist Gowri Savoor was on campus over a period of several days to construct a
rangoli. This was a “sand-painting” using geometric designs constructed of rice,
wheat and other natural grains. She also gave a lecture to students at NESAD (the
New England School of Art and Design), the Art Department in the College. The
purpose of the rangoli was to celebrate the new building scheduled to be built on
the Suffolk campus which will house facilities for NESAD students. April 2010.
D. Every attempt was made to increase the visibility of the Rosenberg
Institute and the Asian Studies Program at Suffolk. The section below
indicates the major categories of these activities: Welcoming Visitors to
the Institute; Community Outreach Programs; Encouraging Faculty
Research.
Visitors to the Rosenberg Institute
A number of individuals came by to learn about the Rosenberg Institute and its
programs and to discuss their research and academic interests. The visitors, all
from outside institutions, gave us an opportunity to extend Suffolk’s outreach well
beyond the campus and to gain supporters from among this wider public.
Zhang Guanzi 长冠梓, PhD, Director of the Center for the Humanities and Social
Science Studies by Young Scholars at the Chinese Academic of Social Sciences in
Beijing. He is active in promoting cooperation between American and Chinese
scholars. July 2009.
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Chou Chu-tse, 周菊子 , a reporter for the well-known Hong Kong-based
newspaper Xingdao ribao (Sing Tao Daily) 星島日報. She has published stories
about Suffolk. August 2009.
Yang Guo-tong 楊國棟, Director-General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural
Office (TECO). He was about to leave the US, being re-assigned to take over a
major governmental office in Taipei. August 2009.
Matt Kawecki, Acquisitions Editor for Brill USA, He was helping Brill to expand
its range of titles about Asia by acquiring new manuscripts. (He joined the US
Department of State in spring 2010.) August 2009.
Joanne Baldine, PhD. She is a specialist in Chinese philosophy. She has worked
in the Law School at Harvard and has lectured at several institutions in the area.
September 2009.
Rowena He (He Xiaoqing 何曉清), PhD, University of Toronto. Rowena holds
the prestigious postdoctoral fellowship from the Social Sciences and Humanities
Council of Canada. Her work is on human rights issues in China. September 2009.
Mark Lenhart, Director of the CET Academic Programs. Based in Washington,
DC, this organization is one of the more established in the US and offers academic
programs in China. October 2009.
Onitsika Hiroshi 鬼塚博. Mr. Onitsuka has been a researcher working with the
Nagano Prefectural Government and with Iida City, to gather and publish historical
materials about Farmers from Nagano. They were participants in the Japanese
efforts to colonize Manchuria with Japan citizens between 1932 and 1945. He
wanted to discuss research issues and to learn about the Rosenberg Institute.
November 2009.
Janet Lee Scott, PhD. Professor Scott lived and taught in Hong Kong, recently at
Hong Kong Baptist University, for many years. Her recent publication is For Gods,
Ghosts and Ancestors: The Chinese Tradition of Paper Offerings (University of
Washington Press, 2007). She was invited to teach a course at Suffolk in the future.
December 2009.
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Robert Snow, PhD. Dr. Snow is Director for Development and Strategic Planning
of the Association for Asian Studies. The role of the Rosenberg Institute at Suffolk
and funding programs in the field of Asian studies were discussed. December 2009.
John Chuan Tiong Lim 林泉忠, PhD. Dr. Lim teaches Asia-Pacific regional
studies at the University of the Ryukuys in Okinawa. He has been a Fulbright
Scholar studying in the United States for the past year. March 2010.
Mark Monfasani. Mark is the new Acquisitions Editor for Asian Studies at the
US office of Brill Publishers in Boston. He has endorsed the Rosenberg Institute
forthcoming Occasional Paper Series, described below. March 2010.
Alister Inglis, PhD. Dr. Inglis teaches in the Chinese Language Program at
Simmons College in Boston. Simmons also has an exchange agreement with
Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, and issues of mutual concern were discussed.
March 2010.
Um Taeyun, PhD. Dr. Um is Consul at the Consulate-General of Boston office of
the Republic of Korea. He was interested to learn about the new Rosenberg
Institute at Suffolk. March 2010.
Community Outreach Programs
The Rosenberg Institute lent its name and its energies to a number of community
groups during the 2009-2010 academic year. The purpose was both to increase
awareness of the Institutes programs among members of the wider community, and
to forge ties with the public beyond our campus. A few of the events in which the
Rosenberg Institute name was cited are given below.
Student Leaders of the Taiwan Student’s Association . The meeting was
organized by the Boston TECO office (Taipei Economic and Cultural Office) and
student leaders from the New England area attended. It was held at the Suffolk
Law School. Dr. Suleski spoke to the group to welcome them to Suffolk and give
some words of encouragement for their study. One of Suffolk’s Chinese language
teachers, Professor Yang Suhjen was also at the event. 12 September 2009.
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A lecture at the Boston University Academy (the high school affiliated with
Boston University) was given by Dr. Suleski. The class was Chinese Classical
Literature in Translation, taught by Professor Philip Gambone. Dr. Suleski spoke
on Basic Confucian Values. 18 September 2009
Chinese Historical Society of New England, Seventeenth Annual Meeting and
Dinner. Dr. Suleski attended this meeting and dinner along with other Suffolk
professors: Professor Da Zheng, a board member of the Society; Professor Allen
Tow, whose article on early Chinese restaurants in New England was included in
the Fall 2009 edition of the CHSNE Newsletter; and Christina Chu from the
Suffolk Law School. 25 September 2009
Chinatown Tour sponsored by the Asian Community Development
Corporation (ACDC). Dr. Suleski joined with twenty students of Suffolk
professor Micky Lee’s class in Gender and Film in Asia. The tour was followed
by a seminar session given by the ACDC. Both the tour and the seminar featured
the history of community organizing and pressing issues facing Chinatown
residents in Boston. 26 September 2009.
Visitors from Ritsumeikan University 立命館大學 in Kyoto. Professor
Nakagawa Yukozhong 中川優子, Director of the International Center, and
Takehana Yasuko 竹花安子, Office of International Education, both from
Ritsumeikan, visited the Suffolk campus. They met with Director Suleski of the
Rosenberg Institute, Professor Da Zheng 鄭達, Chair of the Asian Studies Program,
Professor John Berg, Chair of the Government Department, and Professor Simone
Chun of the Government Department, to discuss exchange agreements between
Suffolk and Ritsumeikan. 3 March 2010.
A Chinese New Year Banquet to benefit BCNC (Boston Chinatown
Neighborhood Center) was held at the Empire Garden Restaurant. Suffolk
sponsored a table of ten, attended by Suffolk faculty and guests, and placed an ad
in the banquet program. 5 Mar 2010.
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Promoting Academic and Faculty Research
The Rosenberg Institute organized faculty delegations from Suffolk on two
occasions to attend academic conferences in the area. These were opportunities to
meet fellow Asian Studies specialists from New England and to share research
interests. These opportunities were enthusiastically welcomed by our faculty
members.
Association for Asian Studies New England Regional Meeting at Brown
University in Providence, RI. A delegation of seven Suffolk faculty and one
graduate student attended the day-long conference. October 2009. Scholars from
all major universities in New England were present.
Contemporary South Asia: Emerging Trends and Voices, a full-day conference
was organized by Middlesex Community College on 26 March 2010. A delegation
of seven Suffolk faculty attended the conference. It was held at the Federal
Reserve Building in Boston.
30 Aug 10
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