China
& the Asia-Pacific Region – The new
US Focus
Interdisciplinary Chinese Studies Conference
March 7-8, 2013, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Utah Valley University, Library, 5th floor, Lakeview Room
Conference website: http://wiki.vm.rub.de/uvu/index.php/China_and_the_Asia-Pacific
Description
On November 17, 2011, President Obama announced that the Asia-Pacific region was now a top priority for the US. On January 5, 2012, President Obama announced that the US military will switch its focus to the Asia-Pacific region and on June 2, declared that the US will shift the bulk of its naval fleet to the Pacific by 2020 as part of new strategic focus on Asia, will secure trade routes and will help Japan with counter-missiles. The US challenges the rising regional power of China, as illustrated recently with China’s disputes with Japan and the Philippines on islands.
The new focus is not only meant in regards to military power, but it is even more meant economically. It shows also how important China has become to the US, both as global manufacturer and as a selling market. Will China overcome the US and prove that her model of an exploitative and corrupt economy which restricts people’s freedoms is more successful than a liberal economy based on laws and copyright protection?
This conference invites experts from different fields to discuss China’s role in Asia and the world, her special relation with the US and how this affects Utah and the China-related study programs at UVU, including language teaching. Local business leaders with China ties will identify expectations towards graduates, what they need to learn if they want to succeed in the China-related job-market. UVU professors will report on concrete examples how they helped graduates to build start-up companies in China and how they played matchmakers between Chinese and Utah businesses.
The conference will also explore the transitional Chinese identity at the beginning of the 21st century. It will report on the environmental impact of China on the region and on the world, on ethnic dissent, human right violations and problems to come to terms with the past.
Scope and target groups
This interdisciplinary conference will bring together speakers from UVU, neighboring universities, from all over the States and even two guest speakers from
China
. On the basis of experiences of the inaugural Chinese Studies Conference in March 2012, it is expected that around 50 student volunteers will help and participate as well as 100 interested members of the UVU and regional community. The main goal of the conference is to raise awareness of China-related study programs among the UVU community.
Preliminary Program
Panels
1. Asian and global effects of Chinese environmental policy
Panel Chair: Dr. Hong Pang (confirmed)
2. The
US
perspective on Developing Business in
China
and
Asia
1. Changing preferences in China for local manufacturers squeezing foreign companies.
2. Improving IP protections in China.
3. Low cost manufacturing shifting away from China.
4. Infrastructure improvements offering and facilitating Asian business opportunities.
3. Chinese 21st Century Identity in transition
Panel Chair: Dr. Martin Woesler (confirmed)
Speaker 1: Licia Kim, Chinese Identity in Diaspora Communities with a focus on Chinatowns today
Speaker 2: Christopher Wiltsie, 21 Century Chinese identity - Superpower of economy, developing country of freedom
Speaker 3: Martin Woesler, Chinese love and hatred of the USA - Attractiveness as main component of softpower
4. The Cross-Asian Turk Connection: Ethnic tensions in Northeast China
Panel Chair: Baktybek Abdrisaev, History/Political Science, UVU (confirmed)
5. Chinese
cities and transnational spaces
Panel Chair: Dr. Sam Liang (confirmed)
6. Human rights violations in China and Asia
Panel Chair: Dr. William Cobb (confirmed)
7. China and Asia : No coming to terms with the past and rising tensions about islands
Panel Chair: Dr. Michael Minch (confirmed)
Speaker: Geoff Cockerham (confirmed)
8. Foreign Media and Press Freedom in China and Asia
Panel Chair: N.N.
9. Chinese Language Education in the US
Panel Chair: N.N.
10. What
Utah
business expects from UVU graduates to be ready for the
China-
/Asia-related job market
(joint panel with lecture series)
Panel Chair: Dr. Jon Westover (confirmed)
Funding
CHSS, IDST, Chinese Lunch Club at UVU
Organization
The organizing committee consists of the panel chairs, Mark Olson from IDST, and is chaired by Dr. Martin Woesler.
The organization is highly transparent, with a Wiki website where everybody can shape the conference and bring in his/her ideas and other contributions. This has worked for the inaugural UVU Chinese Studies conference in March 2012 as visible on: http://tinyurl.com/uvuchina .