Spotlight All

Event Thursday - Exploring Careers in Teaching, Leadership, and Learning

Elizabeth Williams — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 19:20:53 +0000

Event Thursday - Exploring Careers in Teaching, Leadership, and Learning Elizabeth Williams Mon, 02/02/2026 - 12:20

Thursday, February 5, 2026
12:30pm-1:30pm
Denison Arts & Sciences Building room 146

Interested in careers that center education, global engagement, and leadership? Join us for a panel conversation with three professionals whose paths span K–12 teaching, higher education, libraries, international exchange, nonprofit leadership, and experiential learning.

Panelists will share how their careers evolved, how international and interdisciplinary experiences shaped their work, and what students should consider when pursuing futures in education, leadership, and learning-focused fields. The conversation will be especially valuable for students interested in teaching, libraries, study abroad, nonprofit work, curriculum design, and educational leadership.

Featuring:

Paul Dreyer – educator and consultant with global experience across experiential education, leadership development, and organizational strategy
Adam Lisbon – Japanese & Korean Studies Librarian at CU Boulder and JET Program alum
Christy Go – PhD candidate in Music Education and former K–8 teacher and JET Program participant

Please RSVP to lauren.collins@colorado.edu

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Event Friday - Geography Colloquium: An Indigenous Geopoetics for the Apocalypse

Elizabeth Williams — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 22:19:47 +0000

Event Friday - Geography Colloquium: An Indigenous Geopoetics for the Apocalypse Elizabeth Williams Thu, 01/29/2026 - 15:19

Friday, January 30, 2026 3:35pm to 5pm
Guggenheim Geography, 205

Dr. Mabel Gergan
Assistant Professor
Department of Asian Studies

Abstract:

Somewhere deep in the Dzongu valley, in the shadow of Mt. Kanchendzonga, lies a secret pathway to Mayal Kyong – a hidden paradise of abundance, home to seven immortal couples revered as ancestors by the Lepchas (Mutanchi Rongkup Rumkup). Mayal Kyong is one though perhaps the most significant of several hidden places believed to exist in Dzongu, where sacred scriptures, relics, religious teachings, and even precious jewels are said to lie concealed in rocky caves, crags, and waterfalls. These treasures are believed to reveal themselves only in moments of great need or at the end of the mortal world. One such sacred treasure is a pot filled to the brim with grains and seeds, meant to help the Lepcha people rebuild in the event of an apocalypse.

Since 2006, Dzongu has been the site of a vibrant anti-dam movement led by the Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT), which successfully pressured the state to withdraw four proposed dams on the River Teesta in Sikkim, India. Today, however, much of the Teesta has been dammed, and only a few free-flowing stretches remain. Hydropower development has also intensified the impacts of cyclical disasters, the most devastating of which include the 6.9 magnitude earthquake in 2011 and the 2023 Glacial Lake Outburst Flood. Despite significant pressure and criticism, ACT members continue to nurture the hope that the Teesta will remain a free-flowing river. Their activism is nourished and sustained by their belief in the power and protection of Sikkim's sacred landscapes. It is this act of nurturing hope, and the beliefs and practices that sustain it, that inform my analysis here.

In Lepcha oral histories and prophecies, the apocalypse much like in its original Greek meaning signals not only a time of disaster and doom but also a moment of sacred revelation. In conversation with Indigenous Himalayan and critical geographic theorizations of geopoetics, sacred landscapes, and prophecy, I understand these articulations as an Indigenous geopoetics: a praxis and philosophy grounded in the particularity of place, one that reads the earth and its signs in ways that maintain hope in times of crisis and uncertainty.

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Student Event Thursday: From Coursework to Career: Creating an Asia-Focused Digital Portfolio

Elizabeth Williams — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 22:21:05 +0000

Student Event Thursday: From Coursework to Career: Creating an Asia-Focused Digital Portfolio Elizabeth Williams Mon, 01/26/2026 - 15:21

Thursday January 29^th from 12:30-1:30
Denison Arts & Sciences Building, room 146

How do you translate academic work on Asia into a compelling professional narrative? This workshop supports undergraduate students in transforming their coursework, research, language learning, and global experiences into a digital portfolio using BuffsCreate. Designed for students across Asian Studies, Asian Languages and Civilizations, History, Anthropology, Religious Studies, and beyond, the session focuses on articulating skills, framing academic projects for non-specialist audiences, and creating a portfolio that supports applications for internships, jobs, graduate school, and fellowships. Participants will leave with a clearer sense of how to present their work—and a foundation for a polished BuffsCreate site.

This workshop will be led by Linguistics graduate student and FLAS recipient Sarah Maronick and Dr. Lauren Collins, Asian Studies Program Director.

Pizza will be served. RSVP to lauren.collins@colorado.edu as space is limited

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Hirshberg wins Khyentse Foundation Academic Development Grant

Elizabeth Williams — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 17:07:25 +0000

Hirshberg wins Khyentse Foundation Academic Development Grant Elizabeth Williams Tue, 01/20/2026 - 10:07

CAS Tibetan and Himalayan studies teaching associate professor Dan Hirshberg won a Khyentse Foundation Academic Development Grant cost matched by Daryl Maeda, Interim Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, to fund his position in academic year 2026–27.

Focusing on contemplative pedagogy in his course designs and his grant application, Dan wrote: "such high-impact experiential learning can be seen as a contemporary innovation of Tibetan and Buddhist contemplative techniques to benefit those who do not necessarily ascribe to their tenets. Moreover, at a time when the humanities and international area studies in the US are under severe threat, explicitly targeted for abolishment by the federal government, such interdisciplinarity across the humanities, arts and sciences extends a bridge to demonstrate the unparalleled depth and richness of these humanistic traditions, not just as historical and cultural artifacts, but as ever-relevant living processes, evolving and innovating such that they can be effectively applied in secular educational contexts. How can we demonstrate, through the curriculum we design and for the students we reach, that for over 2500 years, these lineages of extraordinary rigor, discipline, experimentation and innovation have offered diverse peoples, of countless cultural and historical contexts, the means for them to flourish? We must help students directly experience for themselves that they still do."

Khyentse Foundation is a global nonprofit organization established in 2001 to actualize the vision of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche by preserving and promoting the wisdom of the Buddha. It functions primarily as a funding institution that supports individuals and projects committed to the study, practice, and dissemination of Buddhist teachings across all traditions in a nonsectarian spirit. The foundation’s work encompasses major initiatives in Buddhist scholarship, text preservation and translation, monastic and teacher training, academic development, educational programs for children, and practitioner support. Through grants, scholarships, awards, and seed funding, Khyentse Foundation aids scholars, practitioners, translators, institutions, and emerging initiatives worldwide, with the goal of enabling the Buddha’s insights to flourish in contemporary contexts.

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FLAS (Foreign Language and Area Studies) Fellowships

Elizabeth Williams — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 19:33:46 +0000

FLAS (Foreign Language and Area Studies) Fellowships Elizabeth Williams Mon, 01/12/2026 - 12:33

Information Session: Tuesday, January 13, 2026, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., on Zoom

The Center for Asian Studies (CAS) is offering summer fellowships to all CU-Boulder students and MSU Denver undergraduates for summer 2026.

FLAS fellowships administered by CAS will be awarded competitively to students studying modern Asian languages. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) funds and oversees these awards, under the provisions of Title VI of the Higher Education Act.

As of fall semester 2025, CAS has been notified that this program is being discontinued and summer 2026 will be the final award period for the time being. We have significant funding remaining that must be used this summer, so we hope to be able to support a large number of students.

Eligible Languages

All modern Asia languages offered on the CU-Boulder campus; additional Asian languages can be considered for summer awards pending additional approval.

Arabic
Chinese
Hindi/Urdu
Indonesian*
Japanese
Korean
Tibetan*

* Additional approval required after selection; consult with CAS for information.

Award Benefits

Tuition: FLAS will cover up to $5,000 of tuition and fees.
Stipend: FLAS will provide a stipend of $3,500.

Optional Travel Award

Awards up to $1000 or actual cost of travel, whichever is lower, may be made in addition to FLAS Fellowship.
Pre-approval and compliance with the Fly America Act is required for international travel.

Check out this video about why to apply for FLAS.

Details and Application Forms:

Note that two letters of recommendation are required with the application, so we highly recommend that students look at the application information and request letters as soon as possible.

Information Session: Tuesday, January 13, 2026, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., on Zoom

Application deadline: Sunday, February 15, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. MST.

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Open Asia-related courses offered in the spring - Internationalize your semester!

Elizabeth Williams — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 18:42:05 +0000

Open Asia-related courses offered in the spring - Internationalize your semester! Elizabeth Williams Tue, 01/06/2026 - 11:42

ASIA 2852 Contemporary Southeast Asia: Environmental Politics

TTh 12:30pm-1:45pm
Shae Frydenlund (shfr8297@colorado.edu)

Examines globally pressing questions of environmental sustainability, regional inequality and development in the dynamic and heterogeneous landscapes of contemporary Southeast Asia. Focuses on interactions between histories of uneven development and contemporary debates over energy and infrastructure, food security, governance and access to land, forest and water-based resources.

ASIA 4500 Urban Asia: Tradition, Modernity, Challenges

T 3:30pm-6pm
Shae Frydenlund (shfr8297@colorado.edu)

Explores change in urban Asia, the representation of Asian cities, and the challenges of urban life through a transdisciplinary and thematic approach using academic articles, documentaries, and literary materials. The class discusses the role of tradition, concepts of modernity, the impact of tourism, rural to urban migration, poverty, the effects of war, legacies of colonialism, and environmental challenges.

INDO1120 Beginning Indonesian 2

MWF 2:30-3:20pm
Alifia Moci Maritta (Alifia.Maritta@colorado.edu)

Classes are offered in person or remotely using the Directed Independent Language Study method. Classes will employ "flipped" task-based learning approaches. Coursework includes reading, listening, grammar, answering questions, and speaking practice. Grades are based on demonstrated proficiency of written and spoken Indonesian through in-class performance and examinations.

INDO 2120 Intermediate Indonesian 2

MWF 10:10am-11am
Alifia Moci Maritta (Alifia.Maritta@colorado.edu)

In the second year, students will be exposed to more active communication The structure, vocabulary and language features and the four language skills are embedded within various topics. Throughout the semester, students will be exposed to Indonesian vocabulary, structure, and culture.

TBTN 1120 Beginning Tibetan II - DILS

MWF 8am-8:50am Meets Remotely
Dan Hirshberg (dan.hirshberg@colorado.edu)

Continuation of TBTN 1110; provides a thorough introduction to the colloquial and literary Tibetan language, emphasizing speaking and listening in the Lhasa dialect. Trains students in basic conversations and the idiomatic and syntactical features of Tibetan through drills and dialogues.

HIND 1020 Beginning Hindi 2

M-Th 10:10 am
Nidhi Arya
(Nidhi.Arya@colorado.edu)

Continuation of HIND 1010. Provides a thorough introduction to the modern Hindi language, emphasizing speaking, listening, reading and writing skills.

HIND 2120 Intermediate Hindi 2

M-Th 12:20-1:10 pm
Nidhi Arya
(Nidhi.Arya@colorado.edu)

Continuation of HIND 2110. Enhances students’ speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills and culturally appropriate language use.

CHIN 3363 Women and the Supernatural in Chinese Literature

TTH 12:30-1:45 PM
Antje Richter (antje.richter@colorado.edu)

In this course, we explore the relationship between the worlds of women and the supernatural as they are represented in Chinese literature and culture. We'll be discussing narratives about female ghosts, fox spirits, goddesses, women warriors, and human lovers.

RLST 3070 Islamic Mysticism: Ibn Arabi, Rumi, and the Sufi Tradition

M/W/F 1:25-2:15
Aun Hasan Ali (aun.ali@colorado.edu)

Are you interested in learning more about the Islamic tradition of Sufism? Did you know that Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, the 13th century Persian poet and Sufi master, is the best-selling poet in the US and one of the best-known poets in the world?

Introduces students to the philosophical, literary, and musical traditions of Islamic Mysticism or Sufism. Figures covered include: Rumi, Hallaj, Ibn Arabi, Mulla Sadra, Ghazali, Hafez, Ibn al-Farid, Ghalib, and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Students will learn how Islamic Mysticism differs across cultural contexts and how it compares to other mystical traditions.

RLST 3550 [Death and Rebirth in] Tibetan Buddhism

T/Th 2-3:15pm
Dan Hirshberg (dan.hirshberg@colorado.edu)

Explores Tibetan Buddhist theories and practices of dying and death to survey its diverse contemplative techniques, philosophical principles, and ultimate objective of total liberation from suffering. With its elaborate descriptions of the experience of death, the so-called Tibetan Book of the Dead has been an object of Western fascination for a century–but we will survey its complete form, not only as a manual for dying but for living, while placing it within its historical, textual, and literary contexts as a religious scripture and ritual liturgy.

HIND 1011 Introduction to South Asian Civilization

MWF 2:30-3:20
Nidhi Arya (Nidhi.Arya@colorado.edu)

This course offers a dynamic and immersive introduction to South Asia’s rich and multifaceted civilization. Beyond a mere geographical definition, South Asia encompasses a vibrant tapestry of cultures, histories, and traditions.

HIST 4648 Inventing Chinese Modernity

T/Th 12:30-1:45
Tim Weston (weston@colorado.edu)

This course covers the continuous revolutionary change that China underwent from 1800 to the successful Communist Revolution of 1949.

RLST 1810 Islamic Spain: Land of Three Religions

T/Th 930 - 10:45am
Brian Catlos (Brian.catlos@colorado.edu)

For nearly a thousand years Muslim Spain – al-Andalus – was the home to communities of Christians, Muslims and Jews who lived together in both cooperation and conflict.Explore the politics, culture and society of Islamic Spain and how it influenced the course of European history.

RLST 3801 Muslims, Christians, Jews & the Mediterranean Origins of the West

T/Th 1230 - 1:45pm
Brian Catlos (Brian.catlos@colorado.edu)

This course provides a historical foundation for the study of western Modernity, including the Anglo-European and Islamic worlds. It focuses on the Mediterranean region in the long Middle Ages (650-1650), emphasizing the role of Christian, Muslim and Jewish peoples and cultures, in Europe, Africa and West Asia in both conflict and collaboration.

ANTH 4760 Ethnography of Southeast Asia

T/Th 2-3:15pm
Carla Jones (carla.jones@colorado.edu)

This class introduces students to the vibrant cultural and political landscape of Southeast Asia, with a focus on urban and consumer culture, religion, and gender. Readings will situate phenomena like celebrity preachers, death, fashion, commodity subcultures, and state violence through the perspective of anthropological fieldwork conducted in Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia.

GEOG 3832 Love & War Geographies: Imperialism, Militarism, and Development in South Asia

T/Th 12:30-1:45 pm
Taneesha Mohan (Taneesha.Mohan@colorado.edu)

Experience the diverse societies and cultures of India, Nepal, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and the Maldives. Learn about the different belief systems, cultural practices, and environments in this region and how international relations and politics in this region influence global trade/economics, politics, conflict, and security.

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Event December 9 - Youth Protests in Asia: Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nepal, Mongolia (Webinar)

Elizabeth Williams — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 19:21:52 +0000

Event December 9 - Youth Protests in Asia: Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nepal, Mongolia (Webinar) Elizabeth Williams Tue, 12/09/2025 - 12:21

Tuesday, December 9
Time 5-6:30pm MST

Anti-government protests have rocked countries across Asia since 2024, with young people playing a prominent role. The speakers for this webinar will discuss the causes of this discontent, the goals and visions of the activists, and how the protest movements are connected across borders.

Panelists:
Musabber Ali Chisty is a PhD candidate in Sociology at the �Թ�� of Colorado Boulder. His research examines disaster vulnerability, environmental sociology, South Asian migration, and social policy. Formerly a faculty member at the �Թ�� of Dhaka, his work focuses on how natural hazards affect marginalized communities and how resilience can be strengthened through social capital and inclusive policy. Beyond academic research, he leads community-engaged projects that empower socially and economically disadvantaged groups to enhance resource access, build networks, and promote collective resilience.

Phurwa Dondrub Dolpopa is an Acting Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography at the �Թ�� of British Columbia, Canada. He has conducted research on wildlife conservation and state formation, Indigeneity and the environment, road building and development, multispecies and more-than-human geographies, and oral and textual traditions in the Nepal Himalayas.

im Halimatusa’diyah is a Professor of Sociology at Islamic State �Թ�� (UIN) Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta and a Deputy Director for Research at the Center for the Study of Islam and Society (PPIM) UIN Jakarta. She is also a Visiting Senior Fellow in the Regional Social and Cultural Studies Programme, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. Her research interests analyze the relationship between gender, politics, religion, and social development. Her most recent research projects have focused on youth civic engagement in Indonesia and Southeast Asian neighboring countries and religious environmentalism in Indonesian Muslim communities.

Anand Tumurtogoo is a Konrad Adenauer Media Asia fellow and an award-winning journalist in feature writing and has over eight years of experience covering contemporary Mongolia—from stories of herders weathering natural disasters to youth protests demanding accountability in the dead of winter. Anand has worked for local and international outlets, including Reuters, AFP, Nikkei Asia, and The Sydney Morning Herald. He currently hosts a societal and political podcast about Mongolia called The Great State Mural with his two other cohosts.

Moderator:
Rachel Rinaldo, Associate Professor, Sociology and Faculty Director, Center for Asian Studies, Rachel is a cultural sociologist interested in gender, globalization, social change, religion, and qualitative methods, with a special focus on the developing world and Muslim societies in Southeast Asia. She has conducted fieldwork in Indonesia since 2002. Her first book, Mobilizing Piety: Islam and Feminism in Indonesia (Oxford 2013) is an ethnographic study of Muslim and secular women activists in the country with the world's largest Muslim population. Her current research projects include a study of marriage and divorce in urbanizing Java, a study of how global and transnational processes are influencing the emergence of contemporary art in Southeast Asia, and a study of gender and family dynamics in the COVID-19 pandemic in the US.

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Veteran's Day Event: The End of the War in Việt Nam: Reflection, Recovery, Reconciliation

Elizabeth Williams — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 16:28:06 +0000

Veteran's Day Event: The End of the War in Việt Nam: Reflection, Recovery, Reconciliation Elizabeth Williams Thu, 11/06/2025 - 09:28

Tuesday, November 11, 4-6:30pm
Flatirons Room, Center for Community (C4C)

4:00pm Reception
5:00pm Introductory remarks
5:10 - 6:30pm presentations followed by Q&A

April 30th marked the 50^th anniversary of the end of the war in Việt Nam. In Việt Nam, the day was one of celebration, featuring an elaborate parade among other events. In the United States, reactions were mixed: relief, shame, gratitude for improved relations between the two countries, and perhaps confusion over the meaning of the war.

This program will prompt us to consider reflect on the impact that war has on soldiers, even in the absence of physical wounds or outwardly manifest psychic pain. In her 2021 book, And Then Your Soul is Gone: Moral Injury and U. S. War-Culture, Dr. Kelly Denton-Borhaug, Professor of Global Religions, Moravia �Թ��, writes, “…moral injury results from participation in the moral distortion of the world that is created by war (pp6-7). She will help us understand how the effects of war endure over time in the hearts and minds of veterans.

The people of Việt Nam continue to cope with the lasting environmental, health and emotional effects of the war. This includes the search for remains of missing relatives, the need to clean up the environment from the toxic chemicals sprayed to reduce tree cover, and not least the task of removing tons of unexploded ordnance that litter the land and pose a continual danger to farmers and children. Mr. Chuck Searcy, a veteran of the Vietnam War will share his thoughts on one path to recovery. After the war, Searcy returned to Vietnam and witnessed the damage unexploded bombs and shells were wreaking on the population and vowed to help. He founded the organization Project Renew to teach Vietnamese how to safely uncover and disarm or detonate these silent killers and to educate villagers and children to stay away from them and alert project staff. He will present an update on the work of Project Renew and its impact on the population.

The issue of post-war reconciliation is complex. Competing memories and narratives, serve to divide veterans from both sides of the war whether in the United States or in Vietnam and successive generations bear intergenerational burdens of incomplete understanding. Ms. Erin Steinhauer has chosen to grapple with the need to promote reconciliation among those marked by the war by founding the Vietnam Society. The Society fosters reconciliation through the arts and culture as a way to encourage conversation and healing.

Find more information on the event website.

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This week: Under Shared Blue Skies: Mongolia and the North American West Conference

Elizabeth Williams — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 19:22:49 +0000

This week: Under Shared Blue Skies: Mongolia and the North American West Conference Elizabeth Williams Mon, 11/03/2025 - 12:22

November 7-9, 2025 in Downtown Denver, Colorado

The American Center for Mongolian Studies, in collaboration with Metropolitan State �Թ�� of Denver and Ulaanbaatar-Denver Sister Cities Committee, is pleased to announce the upcoming joint conference entitled Under Shared Blue Skies: Mongolia and the North American West. This conference is scheduled to take place in downtown Denver, Colorado - home to one of North America's oldest and most dynamic Mongolian communities - from November 7-9, 2025 (November 7 event by invitation only).

Since the early 1990s, the connections between Mongolia and the North American West have grown into vibrant, long-term bridges of knowledge and culture. A wide variety of research and creative scholarship connects Mongolia to the North American West, ranging from archaeology to zoology.

At the same time, much of this scholarship is produced by members of Mongolian communities in the North American West. This conference seeks to bring together scholars, practitioners, students, and community members in the North American West who have engaged in or are simply interested in scholarship related to Mongolia. This will be a two-day interdisciplinary event to share knowledge and experiences while also providing opportunities for interaction and development of new ideas for collaboration.

For more information, visit the event website.

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Looking at the big picture (book) of East Asia

Elizabeth Williams — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 17:56:11 +0000

Looking at the big picture (book) of East Asia Elizabeth Williams Mon, 10/27/2025 - 11:56 Alexandra Phelps

An innovative project in the Program for Teaching East Asia brings culture and history to Colorado K-12 students

Colorado students don’t need to book a flight or get a passport to experience East Asia, because a program from the �Թ�� of Colorado Boulder is bringing the region’s culture and history to them.

For the past two spring semesters, students participating in a CU Boulder outreach program to K-12 classrooms have been using a favorite childhood medium: picture books.

The program is coordinated by Lynn Kalinauskas, director for the Program for Teaching East Asia (TEA); Catherine Ishida, assistant director for Japan and Korea Projects; and Christy Go, the program’s graduate student assistant. They have varied their program to involve many East Asian countries, yet the central goal of their program has always been to develop students' cross-cultural understanding.

Building a program

Three years ago, Kalinauskas, who is also the co-director of the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia, envisioned a new classroom outreach program that would bring East Asia into K-12 Colorado classrooms via picture books.

In spring 2024, with funding support from the Office for Public and Community-Engaged Scholarship and the Freeman Foundation, the program used books that taught elementary and middle school students about natural science. Books in the program, such as Moth and Wasp, Soil and Ocean and When the Sakura Bloom, allowed students to see agriculture and plant cycles within an East Asian context.

“Picture books offer a wealth of information. You can look at an image and learn so much,” remarks Kalinauskas. Go noted in an article about the first run of the program that teachers were receptive to the medium that offered a beautiful window into another culture. One educator who is grateful for what the program has done for their classroom said, “The carefully chosen picture book prompted interesting reflections and questions. The artifacts enhanced children's understanding and appreciation of the topic. I appreciated how the presenter drew connections between the children's lives and the experiences of the protagonist of the story.”

As the program progressed, Kalinauskas and her colleagues expanded its scope to cover a new topic. In spring 2025, students learned about the geography of East Asia, and the spring 2026 semester will center on learning about the contributions of famous Japanese people.

Read the full article in Colorado Arts and Sciences Magazine

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