About the “Where We Are At” Series
What is the latest on Hong Kong? Why do we care if Kim Jong-Un made an appearance? Did I hear that the prime minister of Japan resigned? Is Wuhan really over the pandemic?
With a 24-hour uninterrupted, busy news cycle, it can be difficult to stay updated on East Asia and to grasp the relevance of the news we see. This online program series helped teachers with a recap of how China, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan stand on the domestic and international stage, provided a summary and the specific context of what happened in each East Asian country in the last few months, and allowed for a safe place for teachers to ask questions to a regional expert. Whether participants closely followed East Asia or wanted to learn more about why they should be paying attention to it, this program was be a great occasion to deepen their knowledge and understanding.
Attendees joined the EARC and guest speakers from the faculty of the Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington for a discussion on the contextual relevance of recent and current events.
Our second event of this series focused on South Korea and North Korea.
This program was sponsored by the East Asia Resource Center at the University of Washington, and funded by a Freeman Foundation grant in support of the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA).
South and North Korea: Where We Are At Session
Date: Wednesday, October 28, 2020.
Time: 4:00 to 6:00 PM, Pacific Time.
Format: This was an online program.
Regional Expert
Clark Sorensen has been Professor of International Studies at the Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington since 1992. He is Chair of the Korea Studies Program, and Director of the Center for Korean Studies there. Professor Sorensen provided a summary of the latest updates on the Koreas, followed by a moderated Q&A session. The last 10 minutes of the program were be dedicated to Professor Sorensen’s recommendations on what kind of topics, events or news to look out for in the next few months, as well as his own predictions.
Benefits
Two free WA OSPI clock hours were available for participants who requested them.
Registration
All current, in-service K-12 teachers (all subjects) were welcome to apply.