CAS Prof Elected VP of Association for Asian Studies
CAS Prof Robert Hefner is the new vice president of the Association for Asian Studies
Robert Hefner, a College of Arts and Sciences professor of anthropology, was recently elected vice president of the Association for Asian Studies (AAS). He hopes to use this position to address Asia’s importance in the economy, the media, the arts, and popular entertainment.
Hefner, who has been studying Asia for more than 30 years, will officially assume the office following the annual AAS meeting in April in Atlanta. After a year as vice president, he automatically becomes president for a year.
“I have always been active in, and had a special affection for, the AAS,” Hefner says. “It’s a wonderful association that brings attention to the most dynamic yet most culturally diverse continent in the world.” The AAS, which has 7,000 members worldwide, is a professional association open to all those interested in Asia.
Hefner hopes to increase support for programs for undergraduates, graduate students, and the general public. “The 21st century is going to be a great time for Asia and an equally fascinating time to be in Asian studies,” he says. “The association needs to bring a new generation of Americans and Canadians into the study of the languages, culture, and politics of this region.”
Rebecca McNamara can be reached at ramc@bu.edu.
Comments & Discussion
Boston University moderates comments to facilitate an informed, substantive, civil conversation. Abusive, profane, self-promotional, misleading, incoherent or off-topic comments will be rejected. Moderators are staffed during regular business hours (EST) and can only accept comments written in English. Statistics or facts must include a citation or a link to the citation.