Occasionally, an event captures with striking clarity the potential of the Center for Asian Studies (CAS) to connect diverse perspectives and disciplines, sparking new ideas and collaborations. This year’s Anlin Ku Lecturer, acclaimed author of science fiction and fantasy Ken Liu, began his thought-provoking presentation with the this question:
“What can the copying of manuscripts in the Middle Ages and the development of the camera in the 19th century tell us about the implications of Artificial Intelligence for the future of human creativity?”
From this intriguing starting point, Liu wove together concepts from science, art, advanced technology, and philosophy to create a compelling argument about the relationship between copying and creating. His lecture resonated deeply with the mission of CAS and our newest initiative, Charlie’s Tech Talk, which highlights the contributions of Asian Americans to the high-tech revolution and explores its profound implications for society.
This first public lecture to held at the stunning new Crow Museum of Asian Art drew a large and captivated audience, setting a tone that we hope has become a hallmark of CAS events: intellectual rigor, cultural exploration, and expansive imagination.
Liu himself is a testament to the boundless possibilities that CAS seeks to promote: a Chinese American who double-majored in Humanities and Engineering, began his career in high-tech, transitioned to law specializing in technology-related litigation, and ultimately became an internationally celebrated author. His journey exemplifies the dynamic convergence of technology, creativity, and human that we aim to foster at CAS.
We envision CAS as a hub/catalyst for transformative interactions—across ideas, cultures, and disciplines—that will make UTD a magnet attracting the next generation of students, faculty, and entrepreneurs from around the world.
To bring this vision to life, we need your partnership. Your financial support and/or active involvement on our Advisory Council or Executive Committee can help us expand our reach and realize our ambitions. Together, we can create a future where CAS is a driving force for creativity, ingenuity, and international understanding.
Join us on this exciting journey. For more information, please feel free to contact me directly at dkratz@utdallas.edu.
With gratitude,
Dennis M. Kratz
Director, Center for Asian Studies
January 18
"Walking Together, Walking Alone: Timeless Models of Independence" presented by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni as the inaugural Carmen R. & Joseph G. Schneidler Lecture on Asian Studies
February 10
Asian Lunar New Year Art Festival in collaboration with Texas Cultural Exchange Center (TCEC)
September 25
"Fantasy Sports and Beyond: Sleeper and the Esports Revolution" with Nan Wang, CEO of Sleeper, as the inaugural presentation of Charlie's Tech Talk
October 16
Dr. Meghna Sabharwal, a professor in the Public and Nonprofit Management program and Associate Provost for Faculty Success at the University of Texas at Dallas. She is a distinguished scholar in public human resources management with a specialization in diversity, equity, and inclusion.
As a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) and Editor-in-Chief of the Review of Public Personnel Administration, she has authored five books and over 80 peer-reviewed journal articles and chapters, earning six best paper awards. Dr. Sabharwal’s extensive research, including studies on high-skilled immigration of Asian Indians, the historical analysis of racism faced by Asian Americans, and comparative HR management practices between Asia and the West. Her expertise in promoting social equity and managing diversity in global contexts would significantly enrich the center’s academic and policy efforts, deepening the understanding of the Asian experience.
Xingyou (Iris) Wu is a PhD student in Humanities at UTD. She was born and raised in Beijing, China, and came to the US at the age of 13 for her education. Iris is interested in the differences and collisions between Western and Eastern ways of thinking, philosophically and linguistically, through the frameworks of translation studies, grounding the discussions in our current day and age through examining literary theories, the philosophy of science and technology, and German continental philosophy.
In 2018, Utah Poet Laureate Paisley Rekdal was commissioned to write a poem commemorating the 150th anniversary of the transcontinental railroad. The result is West: A Translation—an unflinching hybrid collection of poems and essays that draws a powerful, necessary connection between the railroad’s completion and the Chinese Exclusion Act (1882–1943).
Carved into the walls of the Angel Island Immigration Station, where Chinese migrants to the United States were detained, is a poem elegizing a detainee who committed suicide. As West translates this anonymous Chinese elegy character by character, what’s left is a haunting narrative distilled through the history and lens of transcontinental railroad workers, and a sweeping exploration of the railroad’s cultural impact on America.
Punctuated by historical images and told through multiple voices, languages, literary forms, and documents, West explores what unites and divides America, and how our ideas about American history creep forward, even as the nation itself constantly threatens to spiral back.