AAS Annual Meeting Hawaii

The Association of Asian Studies is the largest scholarly body of its kind, bringing together about 7000 researchers worldwide involved in the study of Asia. It was founded in 1941 as the publisher of the Far Eastern Quarterly (now the Journal of Asian Studies). Over time, it steadily expanded in membership and reach to represent all the regions and countries of Asia, and all academic disciplines engaged with the study of Asia. In recent years, it has also reached out to people outside the university like journalists, activists, film makers, and artists for creative collaborations and critical interactions.

Its 70th anniversary this year will be marked by a special conference in Honolulu, Hawaii from March 31 to April 4, 2011, organized in conjunction with the International Convention of Asia Scholars (ICAS). The conference will host about 5000 attendees from across the world interested in a range of themes exploring Asia not only through the format of paper presentations and panel discussions, but also through musical performances and film screenings. Indeed, this year’s conference will feature the Film Expo 2011: Seeing Asia Eye to Eye, a rich collection of films from across the region including Bhutan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Japan, China and Cambodia. This year’s keynote speakers include the noted ecological historian, biographer and public intellectual, Ramachandra Guha from India who will speak on ‘Arguments with Gandhi’ on March 31, as well as the brilliant scholar of modern Japanese politics, Shinici Kitaoka, who will speak on “A new Asian order and the Role of Japan” on April 2.

K. Sivaramakrishnan, Professor of Anthropology and Forestry & Environmental Studies, and Chair of the South Asian Studies Council at Yale University is the President of the Association. He will deliver the Presidential Address on April 1 titled “Environment, Law, and Democracy in India” based on his on-going research on the legal construction of the environment. A special reception on the evening of March 31 at 7pm in Room 301A at the Hawaii Convention Center, will be hosted by Yale Asian Studies’ Councils comprising of the South Asian Studies Council, the Council on East Asian Studies, and the Council on South East Asian Studies, to which you are cordially invited.