JSAA Postgraduate Workshop 2021: Navigating Asian Studies in a Post-COVID Environment

About the Workshop

Registration website

In conjunction with the Japanese Studies Association of Australia (JSAA) and with support from the Asian Studies Association of Australia (ASAA), the University of Queensland will be hosting an online postgraduate workshop on the 28th of September 2021 entitled ‘Navigating Asian Studies in a Post-COVID Environment.’

Postgraduate research students in Australia have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many have had their research plans and careers changed or postponed due to restricted international travel and domestic lockdowns. This is particularly the case for those working in Asian Studies and Japanese Studies, who are not only facing challenges relating to COVID-19, but have also been impacted by other events including closures to library collections and a reduction in language teaching programs across several Australian universities.

This workshop aims to support postgraduate scholars substantively (considering its ongoing implications for Asian societies) and methodologically (assessing the impact on research strategies and tools). We hope to create opportunity out of adversity, helping students by showcasing strategies and resources that will help them build skills they can take into a precarious future. Participants will hear from experts, participate in discussions, and have opportunity to collaborate and network with peers in their field of study.

This workshop is organised by postgraduate chairs of the JSAA 2021 conference, PhD candidate Rebecca Hausler and PhD candidate Aoife Wilkinson.

The workshop program schedule will be released soon. Register for the workshop to keep up to date on the latest news and receive a copy of the program when it is released.

The day will begin with two round table sessions on library resources and editing & publishing strategies respectively.

The Library Resources roundtable will feature presentations from University of Queensland senior librarian Felicity Berends, Monash University and University of Melbourne librarian Ayako Rankins, and National Library of Australia (NLA) program manager of the NLA Reading Room, Rika Wright and librarian coordinator of the NLA Asian Collections, Bing Zheng.

The Editing and Publishing roundtable will feature presentations from New Voices in Japanese Studies chief editor, Elicia O’Reilly; journalist, author and executive editor of The Conversation, Liz Minchin; editor in chief of Japanese Studies, Professor Carolyn Stevens (Monash); and editor of Asian Studies Review, Associate Professor Rebecca Suter (USYD). Presenters will each make a short presentation on their respective topic followed by an open Q&A session with the audience.

Roundtables will be followed by an open mentor session hosted and coordinated by Dr Laura Clark, who previously coordinated the successful ‘Research at a Distance: Japan Studies in an Age of COVID-19’ (2021) mentor workshop with Dr Hannah Gould. At the mentor session, participants will have opportunity to sit in on a postgraduate student being mentored by an expert in their field. Participants can opt to sit in on a session of their choosing and participate by asking questions of the mentor and mentee in a designated Q&A session. More details about the mentor session will be announced soon.

Closing out the day is acclaimed Australian National University Director of Research Development, Professor Inger Mewburn (a.k.a., The Thesis Whisperer). Her lecture, “So, you’re finishing your PhD in a pandemic, what’s next?” will help develop student confidence in the job market by exploring alternative career options for postgraduates.

After the workshop we welcome you all to watch a short film with us via Zoom and enjoy a casual online networking session with BYO drinks and nibbles so you can get to know your Asian Studies and Japanese Studies peers!

Registration for the JSAA Postgraduate Workshop is free.

Register now here. Registration opens on Monday 28 June and will close on Tuesday 31 August at 5:00pm (AEST).

This workshop is recommended for postgraduate students working in areas relating to Asian Studies or Japanese Studies.

All postgraduate participants who attend the workshop will be eligible for free registration to the JSAA Conference 2021. Postgraduate participants who register for the workshop will receive a voucher code via e-mail on Sunday August 1st or Wednesday September 1st to use when they register for the JSAA Conference.

More information about the JSAA Conference is available here.

Should you have any questions, please contact our team at [email protected]