Fisher Directs NY Conference on Asian Studies

Honors Core Faculty has been named program director for the 2022 New York Conference on Asian Studies which will be held on campus this October. The conference brings together scholars from across New York state and beyond to present panels and roundtables from a variety of disciplines on Asian Studies who will focus on the theme of “State and Society in Asia: Past and Present.”

Recent events such as the successes and failures of states at mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic; the targeting of religious, racial and ethnic minorities; widespread protests against military regimes; the possibility of a new cold war between China and the U.S.; and the dramatic takeover of Afghanistan by Taliban forces have highlighted the ever-crucial role of the state in Asian societies, both in its presence and absence.

In bringing scholarly perspectives to these current events, questions that interest us include: What historical legacies of the state persist in contemporary Asia? What roles do technology and urban development play in extending state power to unprecedented degrees?

For the first time since 1988, Syracuse has been selected as the conference host. Hosting the conference provides an important opportunity to showcase the strength and commitment of the Syracuse University Asian Studies program. For more about the conference, visit Maxwell’s website.

Gareth