Activities under the Freeman Foundation Undergraduate Asian Studies Initiative II began in 2009 and will continue through 2011, with each year of activity focused on a particular theme. The initiative is supporting faculty development, curriculum and partnership development, grants for student engagement, and programming and outreach around Asian studies. A gift from the bequest of Beloit College Life Trustee William Keefer and other donations are making activity in 2011 possible.

2011/2012 Theme:  Borrowing and Trading: East Asia and Beyond

• September 23-24, 2011:  Asian Studies Teaching Colloquium.  Keynote speaker:  Don Wyatt, Department of History, Middlebury College
• September 2011:  "Imaging Others," Exhibit, Wright Museum of Art
• September 28, 2011:  Vidya Dengle Concert (Indian Violinist), 7 p.m., Hendricks Center
• September-May 2012:  Silk Road faculty discussion series with May visit to Uzbekistan and Istanbul.
• October 27 - December 2, 2011: "American Japonisme: A New Perspective," Exhibit, Wright Museum of Art
• November 16, 2011:  "China's North Korea Policy, Stephanie Kleine-Ahlbrandt, China Adviser and North East Asia Project Director, International Crisis Group, 8:00, Richardson Auditorium.
• April 7, 2012: Chinese-Japanese Translation Contest, 10am, Science Center 201 & 202
• April 11, 2012: "Has the Great Game returned to Central Asia after 9/11?", Dr. Baktybek Beshimov, Harvard University Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian States.

Winter/Spring 2011 events

• January 20:  "Beloit College and the Asian Century" Talk by Warren Palmer, Economics
• February 17-20:  Filmmaker Xiao-Yen Wang in conjunction with the Beloit International Film Festival
• March 17-20:  Qi Shu Fang Peking Opera Company
• • March 18:  Exhibit opening of "Dual Lives: Chinese Opera in New York City" and gallery talk by photographer/filmmaker Alan Govenar
  • March 18:  Documentary film showing of "Master Qi and The Monkey King" by Alan Govenar
  • March 19:  Qi Shu Fang Peking Opera Company Performance
• April 9:  Third Annual Chinese and Japanese Language Translation Contest

 2010 Theme:  Science and Health in East Asia: History and Innovation

• February 17:  Filmmaker Tatsu Aoki in conjunction with the Beloit International Film Festival
• March 8-12:  Butoh Dancer Sean Simon
• March 23-27:  Traditional Chinese dance performance by Yu Wei
• March 24-28:  Chinese human rights activist Li Dan
• April 10:  Second Annual Chinese and Japanese Language Translation Contest
• Spring:  "Japan's First People: Ainu Life and Spirit" and "Harley Bartlett's Asia" exhibits, Logan Museum of Anthropology
• October 1-2:  Asian Studies Teaching Colloquium on Environment, Science and Technology

2009 Theme:  Arts and Material Culture

Spring 2009 semester

• January 29:  Sandy Kita, Chatham College, lecture in conjunction with Japanese Prints exhibit
• February 10:  "Wrapped in Fashion: Japanese Kimono" lecture by Janice Katz, Art Institute of Chicago
• February 14:  The Art of Translation: Chinese and Japanese Language Translation Contest
• February 25:  "IT'S GREAT 2B AMERICAN" performance by Dan Kwong
• March 30:  "Visual Parody in Edo Culture: Changing Images of the Third Princess from The Tale of Genji" lecture by Masako Watanabe, Metropolitan Museum of Art
• May:  Faculty seminar in Kunming on "Health and Environment in China"

Fall 2009 semester

• September 25-26:  Asian Studies Teaching Colloquium: Bringing Asian Arts and Material Culture into the Undergraduate Curriculum
• November 12:  "New Perspectives on the Origins of Civilization in China" lecture by Gwen Bennett, Washington University in St. Louis
• "Arts of Enlightenment: Asian Icons" and "Object Literacy in a Digital World" exhibits, Wright Museum of Art