2025 Asian Studies International Speaker Series a success
The 2025 Asian Studies International Speaker Series talks, held on March 27 and April 3, were very successful, said Dr. Edward Chung, director of Asian Studies and the Centre for Korean Studies at UPEI.
“The seminars attracted a great combination of many students, professors, and staff members,” he said. “Many thanks to Dr. Greg Naterer, Vice-President, Academic and Research; Dr. Sharon Myers, Dean of Arts; and those faculty members, students, and staff members who supported and participated in these international scholarly events at UPEI.”
On March 27, Dr. Richard Kim, associate professor, Department of Philosophy, Loyola University, Chicago, presented a lecture titled “The Contemporary Significance of Confucianism: A Guide to Wellbeing and Good Life”. And on April 3, Dr. Jin Y. Park, chair and professor, Department of Philosophy and Religion, American University, Washington D.C., gave a talk titled “Contemporary Buddhism: A Guide to Good Life”.
Dr. Kim specializes in comparative ethics, Confucian philosophy, and moral psychology. He has recently published a monograph, Confucianism and the Philosophy of Well-Being (Routledge), as well as many journal and book chapter articles. He has presented numerous conference papers in his areas of expertise. He is currently preparing a major book manuscript, Ritual and Human Flourishing in Confucianism (under contract with Cambridge University Press). Along with Justin Tiwald, professor of philosophy, University of Hong Kong, he is the co-host of “This is The Way,” a podcast on Chinese philosophy. His lecture was part of the Asian Studies International Seminar: Confucian Studies Speaker Series 2025.
Dr. Park is the author, co-editor, or translator of over 10 scholarly books (since 2006). She has published 60 articles and presented about 200 keynote speeches, invited lectures, and conference papers in modern Korean (East Asian) Buddhism, women and Buddhist philosophy, and postmodernity and deconstructionism. Her lecture was part of the Asian Studies International Seminar: Korean Studies Speaker Series 2025.
The Confucian Studies International Speaker Series is funded by Dr. Chung’s International Lab Program for Korean Studies grant at UPEI (AKS-2022-LAB-2230002), and the Korean Studies International Speaker Series by his Korean Studies Seed Program grant (AKS-2022-INC-2230004), thanks to the Korean Studies Promotion Service, the Academy of Korean Studies, Ministry of Education, Government of South Korea.
