The Sixth Annual American Studies Network Conference
The Obama Phenomenon: Reassessing our Understanding of America
September 19-20, 2009, Beijing Foreign Studies University
The Sixth Annual Conference of the US-China Education Trust’s American Studies Network was held at Beijing Foreign Studies University’s Foreign Language Training and Research Press (FLTRP) International Convention Center on September 19-20, 2009. As part of an initiative to internationalize the field of American Studies in China, the Conference was held in tandem with the International American Studies Association Congress, enabling attendees to interact with Americanists from around the world.
This year’s Annual Conference attracted the participation of a number of prominent speakers. Recently appointed US Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman and Chinese Vice Minister of Education Hao Ping each described international education and exchange as long-term investments in positive US-China relations in the Opening Ceremony. Minister Hao was honored for his past service as a member of USCET’s ASN Advisory Council during his appearance.
The Conference theme was “The Obama Phenomenon: Reassessing Our Understanding of America,” and themes of race relations were central to the agenda and addressed by many panelists. Eddie Glaude, Director of the Center of African American Studies Professor of Religion at Princeton University, set the tone for a frank discussion of race with a keynote address on “Theorizing Race in the Age of Obama.” Professor Glaude delivered a rousing talk that engendered much further conversation – both formal and informal – over the weekend. A subsequent Keynote Panel regarding “Obama and the World: Redefining American Soft Power” brought together USCET Journalist in Residence Bernard Gwertzman of the Council on Foreign Relations, Tsinghua University Professor Sun Zhe, and former CASS Director Zi Zhongyun.
The Conference attracted 22 panelists that subsequently delivered papers on topics ranging from History to Literature to Politics. A full Conference program can be downloaded in PDF format by clicking on the link at the bottom of the page.
The Conference concluded with a Closing Plenary panel review of a USCET-commissioned paper by the China Academy of Social Sciences on “American Studies in China: Moving Forward: Review of American Studies in China: A 30-Year Retrospective”. Fudan University Professor Ni Shixiong chaired the panel, with discussants including Beijing Foreign Studies University Professor Mei Renyi and University of Hong Kong Professor Priscilla Roberts. This closing discussion serves as a prelude to USCET’s Chinese Views of America: 30 Years of American Studies Roundtable, to be held in Washington, DC on November 9-10, 2009.
Attendance at Conference sessions was as high as 120, as the combined ASN and IASA conferences attracted a large number of participants. USCET thanks Beijing Foreign Studies University’s American Studies Center for its collaboration and for serving as host of the event.
To download a full Conference Program Guide including abstracts of all papers presented at the Conference, please click on the link below.
第六届美国研究联络会会议
“奥巴马现象：重新评估我们对美国的理解”
2009年9月19-20日，北京
北京外国语大学
第六届美国研究联络会会议于2009年9月19-20日在北京外国语大学外语教学与研究出版社（外研社）国际会议中心召开。作为在中国将美国研究领域国际化的一项倡议的一部分，这次会议与国际美国研究协会大会(International American Studies Association Congress)联合举办，使与会者能够与来自世界各地的美国学者进行互动。
今年的年会吸引了许多著名演讲者的参与。不久前，美国驻华大使Jon Huntsman和中国教育部副部长郝平在开幕式上分别表示，国际教育和交流是对中美关系的长期投资。郝部长因过去在USCET的美国研究联络会顾问委员会任职而受到表彰。
本次会议的主题是“奥巴马现象：重新评估我们对美国的理解”，而种族关系是会议议程的中心问题，也被许多学者们所讨论。普林斯顿大学（Princeton University）宗教学教授、非裔美国人研究中心主任Eddie Glaude发表了题为“奥巴马时代的种族理论”的演讲并为讨论奠定了基调。Glaude教授在周末还发表了一篇振奋人心的演讲，引发了更深入的讨论——无论是正式的还是非正式的。随后，一个关于“奥巴马与世界：重新定义美国软实力”的主题小组聚集了外交委员会、USCET常驻记者Bernard Gwertzman、清华大学教授孙哲以及前CASS主任资中筠。
这次会议吸引了22名专题小组成员，他们随后发表了题目范围从历史、文学到政治的论文。
会议在中国社科院名为“在华美国研究：向前发展：美国在中国的30年的回顾”的论文讨论中结束了。复旦大学倪世雄教授主持了研讨会，与会者包括北京外国语大学教授梅仁毅和香港大学教授Priscilla Roberts。最后的讨论是即将于2009年11月9-10日在美国华盛顿特区举办的题为“中国观点看待美国：30年的美国研究”圆桌会议的序幕。
ASN与IASA的会议吸引了大量的参加者，高达120名。在这里，USCET要感谢北京外国语大学美国研究中心的合作。