China Week celebrates Chinese culture, business and academics Oct. 10-17
As part of UA's China Week 2011, "Chinese Characters, Sounds and Proverbs," will be offered from 11 to 11:50 a.m., Friday, Oct. 14, in the Student Union.
With topics ranging from Chinese parenting to Confucianism, a series of keynote presentations — along with demonstrations, a one-act play, a Chinese dumpling party and many more offerings — mark The University of Akron's third annual China Week, Oct. 10-17 on the UA campus.
Sponsored by the Confucius Institute, China Week's program lineup includes: Dialects of China; China Service Project: Aiding Special-Needs Orphans; Chinese Domestic Politics; Comparisons of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine; One Child Policy in China — Past, Present and Future; Opportunities to Study or Teach in China and more. For a complete listing, visit China Week.
Among the week’s highlights, Pulitzer Prize winning New York Times columnist and China expert Nicholas Kristof joins best-selling author and business executive Sheryl WuDunn, the first Asian American reporter to win a Pulitzer Prize, to present “Reflections on China: Tiananmen to Present,” Monday, Oct. 17, at 7:30 p.m. at E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall. Tickets for free admission are available from the Thomas Hall ticket office, 330-972-7570.
Lakewood Center offers programs
The University of Akron's Confucius Institute will host three keynote presentations at UA Lakewood Higher Education, located at 14725 Detroit Ave. Attendees will view live presentation broadcasts and participate in Q&A sessions following each program.
On Monday, Oct. 10, 7-8:30 p.m. Michael Sheng, chair of UA's Department of History, will present “China and the U.S.: Past, Present and Future.” On Wednesday, Oct. 12, 7-8:30 p.m. Edward Friedman, professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin, will present “China’s Domestic Politics.” Finally, on Thursday, Oct. 13, 9:15-10:30 a.m. Paul Weinstein, professor and coordinator of History and Culture from Wayne College, will present “They Took Our Jobs: A Short History of the Chinese in America.”
Parking is available directly behind the Bailey Building off of Warren Road, or in the public parking lot on Detroit Avenue.
For more information, visit UA Lakewood, or call 216-221-1141.
Another highlight is the presentation of the romantic film, "Under the Hawthorn Tree," which is the story of a young man and woman from opposite socioeconomic backgrounds during China’s Cultural Revolution. The UA showing on Thursday, Oct. 13, from 3:15 to 5:30 p.m. in The University of Akron Student Union Theatre marks the film's debut in the United States. Directed by Zhang Yimou, the story is set in the small village of Yichang City, where main characters Zhang Jingqiu and Lao San face personal obligations, challenges and danger.
Other special events will occur throughout the week, including "Trying to Find Chinatown," a staged reading of a one-act play by award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang; a Chinese marketplace enactment; Tai Chi and Qigong demonstrations; a Chinese costume and fashion display; and a session titled "Chinese Characters, Sound and Proverbs.
"China Week presents a venue for members of the Greater Akron community — both inside and outside the University — to explore, celebrate and experience Chinese culture through a series of insightful and engaging events and lectures," says Bill Lyons, director of the Confucius Institute and acting director of Academic Global Programs.
For more information, visit UA's Confucius Institute or call 330-972-2013.
About the Confucius Institute
The University of Akron's Confucius Institute is a cooperative project of The University of Akron, the National Office of Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language, Chinese Ministry of Education and Henan University in Kaifeng, China. The Confucius Institute promotes the expansion of Chinese language through a range of educational and outreach activities.
Media contact: Denise Henry, 330-972-6477 or henryd@uakron.edu.