DURHAM, N.C. -- Five Duke University students and alumni have been named Schwarzman Scholars, a program that funds one year of study in Beijing, China.Seniors Charles Berman of Durham, North Carolina, and Max Labaton of Washington, D.C., were named Schwarzman Scholars. They join 2019 Duke graduates Yunjie Lai of Chongquing, China, and Kevin Zheng of Glenelg, Maryland, and 2017 graduate Steven Soto of Phoenix, Arizona, as members of the Schwarzman Class of 2021. They are among 145 scholars chosen from more than 4,700… read more about Five From Duke Named Schwarzman Scholars »
Duke University will host its sixth annual Critical Asian Humanities workshop on April 10-11, 2020. Integrating approaches and methodologies from cultural studies, critical theory, and area studies, we identify Critical Asian Humanities as an interdisciplinary field that emphasizes humanistic inquiry while critically interrogating many of the assumptions on which the humanities have traditionally relied. More information: https://asianmideast.duke.edu/cah-annual-workshop read more about Call for Papers: Sixth Annual Critical Asian Humanities Workshop »
Professor Nayoung Aimee Kwon has been named the 2019 winner of the Trinity College Dean's Diversity Award. An Associate Professor in the Department of Middle Eastern Studies and APSI, Aimee Kwon is also the founding director of the Asian American Studies Program at Duke University. She has been a strong advocate for social and racial justice on campus and in the broader community, devoting scholarly attention to portrayals of gender and sexuality in film and other popular media. In their nomination, her colleagues noted, “… read more about Nayoung Aimee Kwon named 2019 winner of Dean's Diversity Award »
After enjoying the cooking class from Hindi 101, we were really excited when Kusum Ji began to discuss plans for our cooking class for this semester. We discussed many ideas for what to cook this semester, including pav bhaji, bhel puri, and roti sabzi, but we quickly settled on one idea that sparked universal excitement from everyone in the class: pani puri. In fact, Kusum Ji even challenged us to eat as many as we could, as one of my classmates said she would try to eat 30! Kusum Ji told us she would buy the ingredients… read more about Holi Festival Celebration in AMES »
POSTED BY SERGIO MACIAS-VAZQUEZ ON JULY 30, 2019 Twelve hours after arriving in Tunisia, I found myself under a tent on the shores of the Mediterranean sipping tea. It was 1 in the afternoon and I was taking in the ancient ruins of the Roman baths of Carthage when the playful cry of a child from across the ruins in a hilltop compound split the whisper of the water and the others in the café. A pristine field, a line of tents, and armed guards manning the walls begged me to ask those next to me – ‘What’s that compound?’ ‘… read more about The President is Dead, Long Live Democracy »
Students in the Duke in the Arab World Program (DAW) attend a Carthage University Conference for a week of insight and experiences into the democratization process in Tunisia. Also, on the agenda, is a guided tour of Carthage ruins, Sidi Bou Said, Bardo Museum, the Parliament and old Tunis. Read about DAW's work at this link. read more about Students in the Duke in the Arab World Program Attend Carthage University Conference »
Thursday, April 25, 5:30-7:30pm, @ Leadership Center (FF 107 Few Quad) Pizza and Sushi Served read more about Japanese Program End of Year Party »
Providing a venue for the scholarly study of gaming, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences recently refurbished a classroom in the Link to create a new Game Lab. Link Classroom 6 is now decked out with popular gaming consoles — from Microsoft Xbox to Sony PlayStation to Nintendo Switch — as well as a growing collection of board and card games, and several high-end computers and monitors to give those using the facility an immersive gaming experience. But this experience is designed to go far beyond simply playing games.… read more about Let the Games Begin: Trinity Opens Lab to Study Game Development & Culture »
Every Thursday, Kusum Knapczyk tries to constantly challenge her Hindi students to understand the material they had learned during that week. Her philosophy is simple: students should not only do homework, class work, and quizzes to learn Hindi but also engage with the material through activities such as hosting a cooking class and creating a product advertisement in Hindi. This week, Kusum created a Scavenger Hunt that her students in 101 and 203 would participate in. In each class, students were broken up into… read more about The Hindi Scavenger Hunt and Gossip with Prof. Khanna »
Last Tuesday, our Hindi class embarked on a trek to the John Hope Franklin Center to meet our Professor, Kusum Ji, for a morning of cooking. As we walked down the hallways of the building, we could already smell the chai brewing. This instantly made my classmate Yash enthusiastic: “I loved how the second I stepped in the hallway, I could smell all the spices and flavors permeating through.” Upon entering the kitchen, we saw the beautiful set up of various ingredients that would be used during our cooking session. We… read more about Hindi 101 and 203 Cooking: Reconnecting with Indian Culture »
On November 8, the Arabic Program hosted Sara Taksler for her talk, ‘Are You Brave Enough to Tell a Joke.’ Roughly 40 members of the Duke Community made the trek to the John Hope Franklin Center to hear from the producer of the documentary, ‘Tickling Giants’ as she shared her experience producing and writing for four late-night shows, and the three years she spent visiting Egypt and creating the film. ‘Tickling Giants,’ follows the story of Bassem Youssef, known as the “Egyptian Jon Stewart.” Central to the… read more about Lunch with Sara Taksler: Talking with Students and Tickling Giants »
As a student of the Japanese language program at Duke, I've always enjoyed the chances for deeper cultural enrichment that my professors and the AMES department has provided. When I heard about the opportunity to participate in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, I couldn't pass it up. The gathering took place in the Duke Gardens' teahouse on a sunny autumn day, and upon arrival I was immediately struck by the uniqueness of the teahouse itself. With only three walls, the tea house is like a cross-section that made it both… read more about Traditional Japanese Tea Gathering »
Duke students, faculty, friends and family were treated to a unique performance by Egyptian rapper ATWA on October 24th. Approximately 60 members of the Duke community packed White lecture Hall to attend the show which included music videos and live performances. ATWA, real name Ahmad Moustafa Kamel, is from Cairo and began rapping in 2006. He is a founder of the growing hip hop movement in Egypt and is one of the most famous rappers in the entire Middle East. He routinely appears on TV shows, radio programs, magazines,… read more about Egyptian Rapper ATWA Treats Duke Community to Special Performance »
While studying in Germany, students worked at a nonprofit that creates learning opportunities for refugees seeking higher education. Duke students work at the headquarters of Kiron Open Higher Education, a nonprofit that supports online learning for refugees. Credit: Erdağ Göknar / Duke University During this past summer’s Duke Middle East in Europe program(link is external), nine Duke students spent their mornings in classrooms learning about migration, geopolitics and identity. In the afternoons, the group traveled… read more about Through Internships Abroad, Duke Students Boost Online Education for Refugees »
Rachel Leng participated in DukeEngage in 2012, where she taught at the Dandelion Middle School, a non-profit school for migrant children who have moved from rural areas throughout China to Beijing. She also worked on a project to draft a bilingual report of the school’s social history by interviewing school staff, students, and volunteers and researching Beijing’s migrant policies and community. Upon returning to Duke, Rachel designed and co-taught a seminar class, ‘Social Inequality in China: Education, Minorities, and… read more about Rachel Leng (’13) Continues to Champion Cross-Cultural Communication »
Students in the Duke in the Arab World (DAW) study abroad program visit the US Embassy in Rabat, Morocco. read more about DAW Students Visit the US Embassy in Rabat, Morocco »
AMES Graduates, Parents, Families and Friends, I wanted to open by saying “our students”, but you are no longer that, at least not in the institutional sense of these words. This very moment is a moment of transition for us all. As such, it is special, full of excitement, sadness, and anxiety, not only for you, but for us as well. What I am about to say is both true and trite: We have spent so many hours together: in classrooms and in offices, in hallways and in dining halls, talking and conversing, asking… read more about Congratulations AMES '18 Graduates »
Rachel Leng graduated with scholarships from Harvard University (M.A. in Regional Studies - East Asia) and Duke University (B.A. with double distinction and highest honors in Public Policy Studies, Asian Studies, and Economics). At Harvard, she was the recipient of a Harvard GSAS Merit Fellowship, and was named a 2015 Graduation Commencement Marshal. Born in Singapore and raised in Shanghai, China, Rachel has been recognized widely for her leadership and originality in approaching East Asian affairs. Duke BOW blog:… read more about DUKE BOW Spotlight on: Rachel Leng, T'13 »
President Price stopped by the John Hope Franklin Center this morning, April 27, 2018 to meet with leaders from African universities during the workshop, "Academic Networking in Sub-Saharan and North Africa: From Accreditation to Global Ethics. This workshop was organized by the Duke Islamic Studies Center under the interim direction of Dr. Mbaye Lo. Duke University Duke University Center for International and Global Studies West African Research Center (WARC) Fountain University Islamic University in Uganda Mohammed V… read more about Academic Networking in Sub-Saharan and North Africa »
Sieber double-majored in Asian and Middle Eastern studies and international comparative studies at Duke. Her coursework introduced her to the interrelation of food systems and energy systems, as well as the impact of energy on cultural trends in China, among other topics. She moved to China shortly after graduation, and now splits time between San Francisco and Shenzhen as EcoFlow Tech readies two more industry-first products for release this year. https://energy.duke.… read more about AMES Major Hannah Sieber named one of FORBES '30 under 30 in Energy' »
To succeed in the field, global health researchers and practitioners must become proficient in a number of skills, from project management to research methods to cultural literacy—and the Duke Global Health Institute (DGHI) works hard to give students opportunities to develop this expertise. This semester, we added a new approach to the undergraduate curriculum mix to get at the cultural literacy part of the equation: pairing the “Fundamentals of Global Health” course with weekly language tutorials offered in French,… read more about Language Labs Help Global Health Students Build Cultural Literacy »
By Daniela Flamini | 12/01/2017 One of the most peculiar things I have ever witnessed happened in the small, winding alleyways of Fez, Morocco, while I was studying abroad there with the Duke in the Arab World program. Our group of 14 students followed our tour guide to the entrance of one of the famous Fez tanneries—a place where leather gets washed and dyed—and promptly began climbing the never-ending staircase that led us to the stunning view of the basins of dye on the building's roof. See full article:… read more about 'That's Just How Life Goes", Sophomore Bryan Rusch isn't letting life in a wheelchair dull his shine »
The graduate student conference component of the workshop will feature papers by 6 graduate students, selected by a panel of Duke faculty and graduate students. Duke will cover the domestic travel and 3 days of room/board for the graduate students who are invited to speak. Although the workshop does not have a formal theme, preference will be given to graduate student papers that complement the keynote speakers' focus on work that foregrounds methodological considerations. Students working on Asia (including global Asia)… read more about Call for Papers, Deadline November 20, 2017 »
Duke students are invited to make 5-minute videos in Hindi, based loosely on a scene from their favorite Bollywood film. The video is to be shot entirely on the Duke campus, using no more than 5 fellow-students as actors. The videos should be original work (copyrighted to you). You can submit a maximum of 2 videos. By submitting your videos, you agree to let us use them on our Duke Website and Facebook. Send your YouTube video link, video title, your name and indication of your major (if you have one) to… read more about Video Skit Competiton »
The Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina invites applications for a position in Arabic culture at the level of assistant or early associate professor. The position is open to candidates with a Ph.D. in Middle Eastern or Near Eastern Studies, or related fields such as Comparative Literature, Film Studies, and Religion, whose research and teaching engages literature, visual media, popular culture, etc. Time period expertise is open, with a preference for the modern period… read more about Job Opportunity with AMES, Arabic Culture »
miriam cooke, a professor of Arab cultures, is one of several Duke faculty members releasing new books. cooke's publication — “Dancing in Damascus: Creativity, Resilience and the Syrian Revolution” (Routledge, Nov. 25, 2016) — traces the first four years of the Syrian revolution and the activists’ creative responses to physical and emotional violence. You can read about all the latest Duke faculty books on DukeToday, and watch an interview with miriam cooke below: read more about New Reads This Fall From Duke Faculty »
Two months after the 9/11 attacks, many of the major Islamic scholars gathered in Denver for their annual meeting. Omid Safi, the director of the Duke Islamic Studies Center and professor in the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, was one of the conveners and he couldn’t help but notice how his colleagues looked “miserable and exhausted.” For the previous eight weeks, they had repeatedly answered the same questions from the media: “Why do they hate us?” “Why is Islam so violent?” So Safi offered to take his… read more about The Growth of Islamic Studies »
1st and 2nd Majors Arabic: Leila Alapour Susanna Kate Booth Tessa May Deardorff** Alimat Emiola (1st) Jessica Ashley Gold (1st)** Maura Rose Guyler Zelie Alexandra Lewis Kehaan Hussain Manjee Tara Katherine Mooney Thao Thi Nguyen (1st)*** Eric Francis Peterson (1st) Nura Smadi Jack Brian Stanovsek (1st) Rosemary Odoaru Williams (1st) Chinese: Emma Mary Campbell-Mohn*** William Patrick Gallagher (1st) Hyeonmin Kim Iris Kim Sang-Hyeon Lee James Martin Lenihan Oyintarelado Deborah Osuobeni Corinne Luann Wallace (1st)… read more about Congratulations to the 2016 Asian & Middle Eastern Studies Graduates »
This year's Presidential Undergraduate Prize for Best Undergraduate Essay on a Comparative Topic goes to Rosie Williams of Duke University, for her paper, “Paradox of Innocence: Objects and Architecture and the Violence of Space”. The members of the ACLA Presidential Undergraduate Prize Committee unanimously agreed that your thesis is solidly theoretically grounded, well researched, ambitious, and that it offers a potential for a significant contribution to scholarship in Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies. Your… read more about Congratulations to the Winner of the 2016 Presidential Undergraduate Prize: Rosie Williams »
Love Marvel? Love Star Wars? AMES is offering a collaborative independent study course for the Spring 2016 semester! This course may count as an independent study under a number of different departments including AMES, CLST, AMI, and WST! Marvel VS. Star Wars: A Story of Two Franchises Topics will include: Fandom, Fan Labor, Fan Art, & Fanfiction Sequels & Reboots Authorship & Genres Contested Canons Gender, Desire, & Subversion Transmedial & Intermedial Storytelling Taught by Professors Eileen Chow,… read more about Marvel VS Star Wars Spring 2016 Course »