Wherever I am, the world comes after me.
It offers me its busyness. It does not believe that I do not want it.
Now I understand why the old poets of China went so far
and high into the mountains, then crept into the pale mist.
"The Old Poets of China" by Mary Oliver

Oral History of Chinese Studies Scholars in the Philippines: An Inception Workshop

Details

The Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman and the UP Third World Studies Center held a day-long “Oral History of China/Chinese Studies Scholars in the Philippines: Inception Workshop” last 18 August 2015 at the UP Third World Studies Center, Palma Hall, University of the Philippines Diliman.

The Oral History project research sets out to document the intellectual history of senior China/Chinese Studies experts in the Philippines through in-depth interviews. The narratives will contribute to different perspectives from all over the world in aid of an illuminating deconstruction of China Studies. Dr. Tina Clemente, Associate Professor of the UP Asian Center served as workshop director; she is collaborating with Professor Chih-Yu Shih of National Taiwan University on the project. 

The participants in the workshop, including several graduate students of the Asian Center, will be conducting the said interviews and documenting the responses. They received guidance on perspectives, approaches and contexts vital to carrying out the interviews.  Teresita Ang See, Founding President, Kaisa Para sa Kaunlaran, delivered a presentation on the study of Overseas Chinese in the Philippines. 

Below is the list of workshop participants: 

  • Cleve Arguelles, Political Science Program Chair, Department of Social Sciences, University of the Philippines Manila; Student, MA Political Science, College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, UP Diliman
  • Robin Garcia, Ph.D. Student, Fudan University; Lecturer, Asian Center, UP Diliman  
  • Reynard Hing, Oral history practitioner; member of Kaisa Para sa Kaunlaran
  • Marco Lagman, Assistant Professor, UP College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, UP Diliman; Tricollege Ph.D. Student, UP Diliman
  • JM Lanuza, Student, MA Philippines Studies, Asian Center, UP Diliman
  • Sining Kotah Marcos, Vice President for Secondary, Elementary and Kinder Departments, Philippine Cultural College
  • Lucio B. Pitlo III, Assistant Professorial Lecturer, De La Salle University (was not able to attend)
  • Dorcas Ramos, Student, MA in Asian Studies, Asian Center, UP Diliman
  • Meah Ang See, Managing Director, Kaisa Heritage Foundation 
  • Yvan Yonaha, Student, MA in Philippine Studies, UP Asian Center; Instructor, Department of Social Sciences; UP Los Baños

Photo: The workshop participants with Pamela Combinido, researcher; Dr. Shih; Dr. Clemente, Dr. Jose (Director of the UP Third World Studies Center.

Articles based on the interviews from the Oral History project are expected to be published either as a special journal issue or as an edited volume with an academic publisher. The workshop is part of a broader project of, “A Comparative Intellectual History of Chinese Studies” that has gathered hundreds of interviews with scholars from all over the world.   

The Asian Center offers M.A. degrees in Asian Studies with four fields of specialization: Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and West Asia. The Center also has an M.A. program in Philippine Studies that allows students to major in Philippine society and culture, Philippine foreign relations, or Philippine development studies. The Center offers a Ph.D. program in Philippine Studies in conjunction with the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy. For an overview of these graduate programs, click here. The Asian Center also publishes Asian Studies: Journal of Critical Perspectives on Asia, the latest issue of which can be downloaded at the journal's website. View recent and upcoming Lectures & Conferences and read other News & Announcements. Join our mailing list.