Welcome to the Asian Studies Centre at the University of Münster

Prof. Dr. Griet Vankeerberghen from McGill University will give a guest lecture on Monday, 21 October 2024, at 6 PM c.t. in the seminar room of the Institute of Sinology and East Asian Studies. The topic is "Local Officials and the Making of Empire in Western Han (202 BCE-8 CE)". Interested participants are very welcome!

Abstract
The Western Han empire impresses observers by its uniformity, able as it was to impose administration via commanderies and counties even on its remote territories. To accomplish such rule, the court relied on a cadre of loyal officials who staffed the bureaucracy and applied court-issued legal regulations throughout the realm.
This paper will look behind this apparent uniformity and reevaluate the role played by low- and mid-level local officials in governance. They will be presented not as instruments of the will of the central government, but as agents. Attracted by the possibility of upward career and social mobility, these local officials wanted to serve; but they also brought to the official corps of complex identities rooted in local configurations of power. As such they helped the court to bridge the divide between the political-cultural world of the capital and the diverse cultures of the regions.

Prof. Dr. Abe Yukinobu 阿部幸信 from Chuo University 中央大学 will be a guest at the Institute of Sinology and East Asian Studies on Wednesday, 30 October 2024, and will give a lecture on the topic "Usage of local governor's seals andstate structure of the Han dynasty". The lecture will start at 6 PM c.t. in seminar room RS 23. Interested participants are very welcome!

The Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies is organising a lecture series on "History and Culture of the Palestine Region" in the winter semester 2024/25, which is aimed at students and members of the University of Münster as well as the interested public. We look forward to welcoming many visitors!
Some lectures will also be broadcast via Zoom. You will find the link to register after the respective lecture title. You will receive the access data as soon as your registration has been confirmed.

The programme [in German]:
17.10.2024 | Palästina verstehen – Prof. Dr. Alexander Flores (Zoom registration)
31.10.2024 | Palästina auf Münzen – Prof. Dr. Thomas Bauer & Prof. Dr. Achim Lichtenberger (Zoom registration)
14.11.2024 | Gaza, Hebron und Tiberias: Vormoderne Stadtansichten und Erinnerungsorte – Prof. Dr. Syrinx von Hees (Zoom registration)
12.12.2024 | Sehnsucht und Anspruch: Die Heiligkeit des Heiligen Landes für Juden, Christen und Muslime – Prof. Dr. Gudrun Krämer (Zoom registration)
09.01.2025 | Die osmanische Moscheebibliothek des al-Jazzār in Akka – Prof. Dr. Konrad Hirschler (Zoom broadcast still unclear)
16.01.2025 | „Wir haben ein Land aus Worten“ : Palästinensische Literatur zwischen Politik und Ästhetik – Dr. Barbara Winckler (Zoom broadcast still unclear)

The lectures will take place in Schloss Münster, Schlossplatz 2, lecture room S 2 and will start at 6.15 PM.

On November 8th from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM, we are offering an exciting calligraphy workshop specifically aimed at students. The workshop will be led by Dr. Yu Hong and Iyad Shraim, M.A., providing a unique opportunity to explore both Chinese and Arabic calligraphy.

After a theoretical introduction by both instructors, participants will gain a fascinating insight into the respective styles of calligraphy. In the practical part of the workshop, they will have the chance to create their own calligraphic artwork in one of the two styles.

This workshop is a great opportunity to learn more about the art of calligraphy and to get hands-on experience in this creative field.

Registration via email to: asienzentrum@uni-muenster.de.

07 - 08 November 2024

Photography has been an important tool among the Western imperialists colonizing Asia.  Having been invented in the mid-nineteenth century, the images that it captured were quiet but effective mediums of categorization, racialization and epitomization and were also used for missionary aims.
This workshop, therefore, will delve further into this topic discussing the most recent trends and perspectives on colonial photography with a regional focus on Southeast Asia. Featuring researchers from Germany, the Netherlands, the Philippines, and the United States, this event will discuss the logics behind the photographs, their relationship with religion, modes of resistance against them as well as approaches as to how to deal with them in the present.

The first Asian Studies Centre's general meeting will take place on Monday, 28 October 2024, from 6 to 8 pm. Further information will follow.

We are delighted to welcome the first two graduates of the Greater China Certificate. Students Julian Sandten and Monja Anna Horstkötter received their certificates this week. Congratulations on their successful graduation!

Since July 1st, we offer consultations for students with an Asian connection (from Asia, with an interest in Asia, enrolled in Asia-related subjects, etc.) on Tuesdays between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. These consultations cover topics such as studies, university life, or acclimatization in Münster.

The phone number is: +49-251-8329836. You can also find it on the Asia Center's website under: Services.