February 2020 AAS Member News & Notes

#AAS2020 News

A reminder to lock in a lower rate and pre-register for the AAS 2020 Annual Conference in Boston by February 18. There are still rooms available in our blocks at the official conference hotels, so reserve yours today. Secure on-site childcare in advance by signing up your little one for this new service, offered by Accent on Children’s Arrangements, Inc.

Other conference events and resources to check out as you plan your AAS 2020 schedule:

  • The full program, which is now available online and in PDF form;
  • Information about the Keynote Address, which will be delivered by Pratap Bhanu Mehta on Thursday, March 19 at 6:00pm;
  • Our JAS-at-the-AAS roundtable on Thursday evening, which will feature Judith Butler and a panel of scholars discussing the topic “Revisiting Judith Butler’s Gender Trouble: Reflections and Critiques from Asian Studies”;
  • Winners of the 2020 Book Awards will be announced soon—make plans to attend the Awards Ceremony and Presidential Address on Friday, March 20 at 5:45pm. Presentation of the awards will be followed by AAS President Prasenjit Duara speaking on “The Art of Convergent Comparison: China and India in Modern Times”;
  • Our four Late-Breaking Sessions, on topics ranging from protest in Hong Kong to climate change and migration;
  • Special events organized by our Local Arrangements Committee to showcase Boston’s Chinatown, the Asian collections of the Harvard Art Museum, and innovative musical performances;
  • Our new AAS Conference Mentor Program, offering sessions on Friday and Saturday—graduate students and early career scholars are encouraged to sign up for their spots now;
  • The many Meetings-in-Conjunction held throughout the conference;
  • The list of exhibitors that will be in the Exhibit Hall Friday through Sunday;
  • Our About Boston links, to ensure you make time to experience everything Boston has to offer!

Students presenting at the Annual Conference in Boston should check out the requirements for our graduate student paper prizes. Each Area Council will select outstanding work presented in Boston and honor the author(s) at our 2021 conference in Seattle. All paper prize submissions are due on Sunday, March 22—the final day of AAS 2020. Requirements for submissions vary by council, so please make sure to consult the instructions for your prize competition.

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The AAS seeks applicants for the position of Editor of the Journal of Asian Studies. Candidates are asked to submit their applications by February 15, 2020; interviews will be conducted at the 2020 Annual Conference in Boston. The Editor’s term will officially begin on July 1, 2021, following a six-month transition period to facilitate a smooth handoff of the journal.

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We are also accepting applications for the spring round of AAS First Book Subvention Grants. All applications must come from a publisher on behalf of the AAS Member author, and we now require two reader report summaries (up to 300 words each) as part of the application package. The deadline for submission is March 1; more information can be found at the link above.

Regional Conferences

Asian Studies on the Pacific Coast has opened the call for proposals for its June 2020 conference at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, which will feature the theme “Asia: Our Global Future.” The proposal submission deadline is February 29, 2020.

The New York Conference on Asian Studies is now accepting proposals for its annual meeting, to be held September 11-12 at the College at Brockport, SUNY. All proposals must be submitted by April 1.

We welcome submissions for the AAS Member News & Notes column, so please forward material for consideration to mcunningham@asianstudies.org. Please note that we do not publish book announcements in this space; new books by AAS Members will be announced on the association’s Twitter feed (@AASAsianStudies) and Facebook page (@AASAsianStudies).