Community News and Opportunities
Community News
Prof. Keith Vincent’s Digital Humanities Work
Professor J. Keith Vincent, Associate Professor of Japanese & Comparative Literature at the Department of World Languages and Literatures, was featured in The Brink: Pioneering Research from Boston University for his digital humanities work. Prof. Vincent initiated and led the creation of Genjipoems.org, a database of Murasaki Shikibu’s The Tale of Genji poems.
Congratulations, Prof. Vincent!
You may read the article here.
Opportunities
Southeast Asian Flagship Languages Initiative (SEAFLI)
(From https://www.borenawards.org/initiatives#SEAFLI)
SEAFLI offers Boren Scholars and Fellows [see Boren Awards] the opportunity for intensive study of either Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia), Thai, or Vietnamese through a combination of domestic and overseas programs. As noted above, participation in the entire summer and fall programs is required for all SEAFLI participants. Applicants who wish to combine language study with other pursuits, especially Boren Fellows seeking to conduct research, during that period are encouraged to identify/design their own programs.
The domestic summer portion of SEAFLI is hosted by the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Applicants are encouraged to visit https://seafli.wisc.edu/ and to contact 608-265-9582 or seafli@lpo.wisc.edu
The overseas fall portion of SEAFLI can be found at https://seafli.wisc.edu/fall-abroad-program-indonesia/. Applicants are encouraged to contact 608-265-9582 or seafli@lpo.wisc.edu if they have additional questions.
SEAFLI – Indonesian in Indonesia
Language: Instruction in Indonesian for all levels
Domestic Program Destination: University of Wisconsin in Madison, WI
Domestic Program Start & End Dates: June 15 – August 7, 2026
Overseas Program Destination: The State University of Malang (Universiti Negeri Malang) in Malang, Indonesia
Overseas Program Start & End Dates: August 20 to December 5, 2026 or end date of self-identified program if extending into the spring
Summer costs covered by the Boren Awards include tuition, language partners, books and materials, excursions, housing, meals, and a set stipend towards round trip travel costs. Fall overseas costs include those same expenses as well as visa or residency permit costs, roundtrip FAA compliant airfare, homestay costs, and overseas health insurance.
Please note that certain costs are not eligible to be covered by the Boren Awards: passport fees; vaccinations and medical expenses; expenses related to dependents; and personal travel and entertainment expenses. Boren will not cover personal domestic expenses such as rent, credit card, college loans or car payments.
SEAFLI – Thai in Thailand
Language: Instruction in Thai for all levels
Domestic Program Destination: University of Wisconsin in Madison, WI
Domestic Program Start & End Dates: June 15 – August 7, 2026
Overseas Program Destination: Language Institute of Chiang Mai University (LICMU) in Chiang Mai, Thailand
Overseas Program Start & End Dates: August 20 to December 5, 2026 or end date of self-identified program if extending into the spring
Summer costs covered by the Boren Awards include tuition, language partners, books and materials, excursions, housing, meals, and a set stipend towards round trip travel costs. Fall overseas costs include those same expenses as well as visa or residency permit costs, roundtrip FAA compliant airfare, homestay costs, and overseas health insurance.
Please note that certain costs are not eligible to be covered by the Boren Awards: passport fees; vaccinations and medical expenses; expenses related to dependents; and personal travel and entertainment expenses. Boren will not cover personal domestic expenses such as rent, credit card, college loans or car payments.
SEAFLI – Vietnamese in Vietnam
Language: Instruction in Vietnamese for all levels
Domestic Program Destination: University of Wisconsin in Madison, WI
Domestic Program Start & End Dates: June 15 – August 7, 2026
Overseas Program Destination: The University of Languages and International Studies (ULIS) in Hanoi, Vietnam
Overseas Program Start & End Dates: August 20 to December 5, 2026 or end date of self-identified program if extending into the spring
Summer costs covered by the Boren Awards include tuition, language partners, books and materials, excursions, housing, meals, and a set stipend towards round trip travel costs. Fall overseas costs include those same expenses as well as visa or residency permit costs, roundtrip FAA compliant airfare, homestay costs, and overseas health insurance.
Please note that certain costs are not eligible to be covered by the Boren Awards: passport fees; vaccinations and medical expenses; expenses related to dependents; and personal travel and entertainment expenses. Boren will not cover personal domestic expenses such as rent, credit card, college loans or car payments.
Roosevelt Institute Graduate Humanities Internship
The Roosevelt Institute is pleased to announce the first annual Roosevelt Institute Graduate Humanities Internship. This paid, remote, two-semester internship offers current graduate students in the humanities hands-on experience in key areas such as policy research, grant writing, and communications to create clear professional pathways for humanities students to launch meaningful future careers in public service.
This program, supported by the Mellon Foundation, is for students from a wide variety of humanities backgrounds who are eager to learn how to connect their diverse research skills to the world of public policy. Whatever you currently study—medieval art history, modern ethical theory, literary studies, etc.—if you have a sincere interest in pursuing public service work after graduate studies, we can help you identify and highlight the methodological research and writing skills that are an asset in this sector.
For more information, please go to this website.
National Humanities Center
Fellowships (Faculty)
Purpose: To host fellows from across the humanities at the Center in NC for an academic year. Fellows are given the freedom to work on their projects while benefiting from the services of the Center. Applications are also accepted from individuals in the natural and social sciences, the arts, the professions, and public life who are engaged in humanistic projects.
Eligibility: Successful candidates typically earned a PhD in a humanities discipline, or equivalent (including MFA) from an accredited university at least 5 years prior to applying for a fellowship. Fellowships are awarded to established scholars, meaning that successful candidates usually have published at least one single-author book or a significant body of peer-reviewed scholarship.
Funding: Half-salary over 9 months and travel expenses, no IDC
Note: the program plans to host 40 fellows.
Key Dates: October 2, 2025 (applications due)
Details: http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/become-a-fellow/
The Infosys Prize endeavors to elevate the prestige of science and research in India and inspire young Indians to choose a vocation in research.
The award is given annually to honor outstanding achievements of contemporary researchers and scientists across six Prize Categories – Economics, Engineering & Computer Science, Humanities & Social Sciences, Life Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, and Physical Sciences.
Each prize carries a prize of a gold medal, a citation and a purse of USD 100,000 (or its equivalent in Rupees). The prize purse is tax free in the hands of winners in India.
For more information, please visit the website or email Serene Kasim at serene_kasim@infosys.com.
Fellowships & Grants [includes PhD students]
Purpose: To support cultural exchanges between artists, scholars, and arts professionals, with activities aimed at advancing international dialogue for better mutual understanding and respect between Asia and the U.S. ACC focuses on transformative cultural enrichment opportunities rather than production-based activities.
Organization Grants offer an opportunity for arts and culture organizations in Asia and the United States to pursue travel and activities that enable a deep cultural exchange experience for the organization, their staff, and other individuals and communities with whom they connect. Grants support a range of activities that advance international dialogue, the sharing of practices and ideas, and the building of relationships across borders.
The New York Fellowship is a 6-month program that offers artists, scholars, and arts professionals from Asia a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the rich and varied cultural life of New York City.
The Individual Fellowship program offers an opportunity for artists, scholars, and arts professionals in Asia and the United States to pursue research and a self-directed cultural exchange experience in another country, territory, or region. Individual Fellows are meant explore focused research questions and activities that enable and promote cultural immersion, dialogue, relationship-building, collaboration, and the exchange of knowledge and ideas among peers.
Graduate Fellowships to support the travel and living expenses of graduate students from Asia who choose to study in the United States
Eligibility:
Eligible destinations for Individual Fellowships and Organizations grants: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China (Mainland), East Timor, Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Macau SAR, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan ROC, Thailand, United States, and Vietnam.
Applicants must demonstrate 5+ years of experience in one of the eligible disciplines: Architecture, Archaeology, Art History, Arts Administration, Conservation, Dance, Film/Video/Photography, Literature, Museum Studies, Music, Theater, Visual Art, etc.
New York and Graduate Fellowships must take place in the U.S.
Graduate Fellowship applicants must be enrolled in full-time, in-residence degree programs within the US OR able to provide proof of admission and acceptance to an accredited university by April 1, 2026. US citizens, including dual-nationals, and U.S. permanent residents are not eligible to apply for a Graduate Fellowship.
Funding:
Organization Grant: Up to $50,000.
New York Fellowship: $35,000 for 6 months.
Individual Fellowship: Grants up to $35,000.
Graduate Fellowship: $15,000 per academic year, renewable for another year.
Key Date:
November 19, 2025 (application deadline)
Conference: December 4-6, 2025
Location: University of California-San Diego
Other News
Watch video of Author & Translator Event: Kaori Fujino & Kendall Heitzman
Watch the video below from the Boston University event on April 22, filmed inside the Boston University Riverside Room, for a sense of the tour.
Afro-Asian Diaspora and the Eaton Sisters at the Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center at the Boston Public Library
Who Are the Eaton Sisters?
Edith and Winnifred Eaton—or the “Eaton Sisters”—were born in the late nineteenth century to Chinese and English parents. In their writing, which transcended genres including poetry, short stories, journalistic articles, and travel nonfiction, the Eaton Sisters faced marginalization due to their mixed ethnic identities. Today, however, they are widely known as foundational figures in Asian American Studies, and their papers and writings are held made publicly available through institutions like the New York Public Library and the Winnifred Eaton Archive.
Though the Eaton sisters worked primarily in Western Chinatowns and Japan, their writing traverses and crosses into various spaces. In particular, their time in Jamaica and exposure to Blackness while there informed how they understood and performed their own ethnic identities—an understanding that is reflected in their later works. This essay provides a glimpse into their diasporic travel, publishing works, and textual networks in Jamaica, which have not been given much focus to date.
(From the Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center at the Boston Public Library. Please see their website for the rest of the web publication.)