Next Pardee House Seminar (February 14): What is Asia?

The Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future will hold a Pardee House Seminar on Monday, February 14, 2011, on ‘What is Asia?’ The seminar will feature Prof. David Eckel (BU Religion), Prof. Robert Hefner (BU Anthropology) and Prof. Eugenio Menegon (BU History). The seminar will be moderated by Prof. Adil Najam, Director, Pardee Center.

This seminar is organized in collaboration with the Boston University Center for the Study of Asia (BUCSA). The panel will continue on the theme of BUCSA’s 2009 conference which was titled “The Idea of Asia” and in the shadow of the recent special issue of the Journal of Asian Studies which included a forum of special articles on the ‘meaning’ of Asia. It will also look at what an Asian identity might mean in the future and in the context of what is already being called by some as an ‘Asian Century.’

The Seminar will be held on Monday, February 14, 2011 (lunch will be available from 12Noon, seminar starts at 12.30pm. Please note that this is a different time from when these seminars usually start).Please RSVP to pardee@bu.edu by Wednesday, February 9, 2011. Seating is limited to 30 participants.

Malcolm David Eckel is Professor of Religion and Director of the Core Curriculum at Boston University. At Boston University, Professor Prof. Eckel teaches courses on Buddhism, comparative religion, and the religions of Asia. In addition to writing many articles, he has published two books on Buddhist philosophy: To See the Buddha: A Philosopher’s Quest for the Meaning of Emptiness and Buddhism: Origins, Beliefs, Practices, Holy Texts, Sacred Places.

Robert W. Hefner is Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Institute on Culture, Religion, and World Affairs (CURA) at Boston University, where he served as associate director from 1986-2009. At CURA, he has directed the program on Islam and society since 1991; coordinated interdisciplinary educational programs on religion and world affairs; and is currently involved in research projects comparing responses to modern social change (“modernity”) in Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism.

Eugenio Menegon is Professor of History at Boston University. He teaches courses in Chinese history (premodern and modern periods) and in World History. His interests include Chinese-Western relations in late imperial times, Chinese religions and Christianity in China, Chinese science, and the intellectual history of Republican China. He is presently working on a book entitled Ancestors, Virgins and Friars on the life of Christian communities in late imperial south China.

The Pardee Seminar Series focuses on a variety of issues and invites experts from different disciplines to discuss the long-range challenges and trends in that particular issue.

The Seminar will be held at Pardee House (67 Bay State Road, Boston) on Monday, February 14, 2011. A light lunch will be available from 12.00Noon, and the seminar itself will start at 12.30PM. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS SEMINAR WILL START 30 MINUTES LATER THAN OUR USUAL SEMINARS. Please RSVP to pardee@bu.edu by Wednesday, February 9, 2011. Seating is limited to 30 participants.