News Archive 2009

Dr. Randy Kluver, Executive Director of the Institute for Pacific Asia, recently gave a presentation on the role of the Internet on social change in China at the "Emerging Technologies and Media Mythologies" conference at Calvin College. The conference explored a variety of issues, including media development and communication, the relationship between technology and religion, the impact of emerging communication technologies, and ethical issues of developing in Third World Countries.

Asia has joined the rest of the world in condoling the passing away of Nobel laureate Dr. Norman Borlaug, the Father of Green Revolution. A thoroughbred scientist and a true humanitarian to the core, Dr. Borlaug stepped up to the behemoth task of stymieing the march of starvation.

Dr. Randy Kluver, Executive Director of the Institute for Pacific Asia at Texas A&M University, recently presented the results of his research on the impact of new media on international relations at a conference at Columbia University. The conference, entitled "New Media and Global Transformation," was convened at Columbia as a venue to explore the impact of the advent of digital technologies on social life, particularly within the context of Chinese law and journalism.

President Barack Obama has honoured Mahatma Gandhi on the Indian leader’s birthday, saying his teachings transformed American society. Gandhi’s birthday, or Gandhi Jayanti, is celebrated every year as the International Day of Non-Violence. The Mahatma, who was born on 2 October 1869, would have turned 140 this year. The President said "Gandhi's teachings and ideals, shared with Martin Luther King Jr. on his 1959 pilgrimage to India, transformed American society through our civil rights movement. "

Dr. Stephen Owen, James Bryant Conant Professor at Harvard University and an expert on classical Chinese poetry, delivered a public lecture exploring the political and social fabric of ancient China through the capital city, Chang’ an. Dr. Owen, a renowned scholar of Chinese literature and poetry, visited Texas A&M from September 24 to 25 and also made in-class presentations at the English and History Departments at Texas A&M.

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has condoled the passing away of Dr. Norman Borlaug. The Prime Minister in his condolence message said Dr. Norman Borlaug’s life and achievements are testimony to the far reaching contribution that one man's towering intellect, persistence and scientific vision can make to human peace and progress. Sanjiv Arora, the Consul General of India in Houston, has also sent his condolences.

Texas A&M professor Norman Borlaug, the father of the "Green Revolution", died Saturday in Texas. He was 95. He won the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal for his pioneering humanitarian efforts towards dispelling mass starvation by inventing high-yield, disease-resistant hybrid wheat varieties. Building on Dr. Borlaug's work, the Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture at Texas A&M employs agricultural science to feed the world's hungry, and to support equity, economic growth, quality of life, and mutual respect among people.

The Institute of Pacific Asia welcomed a group of twenty administrators and faculty members from the Beijing Institute of Graphic Communication (BIGC) to Texas A&M. The delegation was led by BIGC Vice President Wehong Zheng to learn about potential collaborations with Texas A&M and the University’s faculty development programs.

Six representatives of the Confucius Institute at Texas A&M attended the Annual Conference for the Chinese Language Teachers Association of Texas, or CLTA, held in San Antonio. Dr. Yirong Luo, Ms.. Ying Wang, Dr. Yanfei Wang, Mr. Weidong Shi, Ms. Yuan Liu, and Mrs. Martha Green attended the one-day conference that was sponsored in part by the Confucius Institute at Texas A&M.

The Confucius Institute at Texas A&M University welcomed Dr. Yirong Luo, Dr. Wang Yanfei, and Ms. Yuan Liu, three long-term visiting scholars from Qingdao, China. Dr. Yirong Luo and Dr. Wang Yanfei are visiting scholars from Ocean University of China, the cooperative partner of Texas A&M University in the the Confucius Institute, and Ms. Yuan Liu is from the Qingdao University of Science and Technology.

On August 13, 2009, the Institute for Pacific Asia and Confucius Institute staff members attended the VIP Party for museum members at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Despite a menacing thunderstorm and torrential rains in the Houston area hundreds of HMNS members turned out for the VIP access to the Terra Cotta Warriors, an exhibit cosponsored by IPA in conjunction with the Confucius Institute.

The Confucius Institute (CI) at Texas A&M has successfully concluded the second community-based introductory Chinese language and culture class offered by the institute. The non-credit course began on February 5 and attracted 42 participants from the communities of Bryan and College Station, an increase from the 38 that participated in the inaugural class during the fall semester.

Two Texas A&M Students are traveling to China due to a scholarships provided by the Chinese Ministry of Education. Wei Liqing, Consul of Education for the Chinese Consulate notified Texas A&M students Thomas Kearney and Brianna Lervig of their successful application to the prestigious scholarship.

Texas A&M University hosted a campus visit by Consul General Sanjiv Arora of the Consulate General of India in Houston on July 8, 2009.

The Social Science Research Council (SSRC), the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership (CGP), and the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) announce the annual Abe Fellowship Program competition. Funding for the Abe Fellowship Program is provided by CGP.

On May 19th, 10 members of the Corps of Cadets 2009-2010 leadership embarked on an traveled to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Qingdao, and Beijing, with a focus on strengthening the language and cultural competency of future military officers. The program was designed to give the cadets insight into potential geopolitical conflicts in Asia, as well as a greater understanding of the culture, language, and history of China. Cadets commented that the excursion helped them to obtain “a real feel” for China’s major role in the world.

The Confucius Institute at Texas A&M cosponsored the media preview night for the Terra Cotta Warriors Exhibit at the Houston Museum of Natural Science in late May.

Chinese language classes and Construction training are among four school projects that will be supported through nearly $18,000 in grants from Navasota's Education Foundation, officials announced this week.

On May 22, 2009, the IPA in conjunction with the Confucius Institute at Texas A&M will be cosponsoring the Terra Cotta Warriors Exhibit at the Houston Museum of Natural Science.

IPA assistant director Christine Yang along with visiting language instructor Ying Wang attended the National Chinese Language Conference, last week in Chicago, Illinois. They were joined by hundreds of educators from 44 states and 8 different countries to promote unified and sustainable Chinese language and cultural programs.

The Chinese language and culture class which began on February 5th, 2009, will certify its graduates at their final class on the evening of May 7, 2009. This introduction to mandarin, is a non-credit baring course which is provided free of charge to the Brazos Valley community by the Confucius Institute at Texas A&M University. This course is provided bi-annually, and focuses on basic conversational Chinese and cultural competence.

The Institute for Pacific Asia in conjunction with the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets have established a summer leadership emersions program, to entice future ROTC Cultural and Language Study Aboard participation.

The Confucius Institute at Texas A&M University, hosted an honorary degree ceremony for the University of Macau, which presented President George Herbert Walker Bush a Doctor of Social Sciences honoris causa.

Dr. Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense and former Texas A&M President, was the Speaker for the 2009 Muster. International observance has been reported from TAMU China Club, Beijing.

Dr. Mel Stewart, Peking University presented a symposium on "Confucianism & Christianity" on April 9 at TAMU.

The global economic crisis has accelerated the need for Asian universities to engage internationally, and to create regional mechanisms through which students and faculty members can move more easily from one country to another.

Hoi-eun Kim, Asst. Professor of History, in the College of Liberal Arts at Texas A&M University was awarded a Japan Society for the Promotion of Sciences (JSPS) Fellowship for a 16-month research stay in Japan.

Experience@Singapore is an exclusive programme that includes visits to companies, economic agencies and key infrastructural projects. It provides students with insights to Singapore as an Engineering & Technology hub.

The Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office in Houston has been entrusted to invite an American professor to visit Taiwan and do some Taiwan-related research as a “Taiwan Research Scholar”.

Dr. Norman Borlaug, father of the original Green Revolution, is inviting this generation to begin a second, more extensive, rebellion against world hunger.

The students of National Taiwan University, a partner institution of Texas A&M University, are hosting their annual Global Initiatives Symposium (GIS) July 6 - 12, 2009. Grants are available for student leaders who wish to attend the conference.