亲爱的朋友:

 

在北美,今天是传统春节新年的第一天。请先允许我们恭恭敬敬地向您拜个年。

俗话说:一年四季春为首,十二生肖鼠为先,我们衷心地祝福您和您的亲人:

 

一年开开心心, 一家和和睦睦, 一生快快乐乐,一世平平安安!


农历正月初一的春节,是中国民间节日中规模最大,礼仪最隆重的节日。海外华人以及亚洲一些国家的人民,都有欢度春节的习俗。 春节的前夜是除夕,一家老小围坐在一起吃年夜饭。往年年夜饭可算是家宴中最丰盛的一顿,气氛极为欢乐祥和。即使是远在千里之外的人也要赶回家中,与家人一起吃团圆饭。吃罢年夜饭,开始“辞岁”。家中的晚辈一一向长辈祝福拜年,长辈向晚辈表示各种良好的祝愿。接着,一家人坐在一起“守岁”。现在,人们守岁时,常常一边叙旧话新,一边观看中央电视台举办的春节联欢会。 迎接悠扬的新年钟声。初一的早晨,人们穿上新衣,吃过一年中的第一顿早饭后家家户户喜气洋洋外出拜年

可是不知怎的,今年迎接春节心情特别沉重,每当看到电视和媒体有关大陆雪灾的报道,就格外惦记远在大洋彼岸的亲人们。低温雨雪冰冻灾害造成浙江、江苏、安徽、江西、河南、湖北、湖南、广西、重庆、四川、贵州、云南、陕西、甘肃、青海、新疆等19个省、区不同程度受灾。因灾死亡逾百,紧急转移安置175.9万人,倒塌房屋22.3万间,损害房屋86.2万间,因灾造成的直接经济损失已经达到了537.9亿元。受灾省份中,湖南、湖北、贵州、广西、江西和安徽六省区灾情最为严重。

中国红十字会日前紧急呼吁,目前灾区急需御寒衣被、粮食、药品及其他御寒生活用品。急需的救助物资包括:棉衣(每件约五十七元人民币)、棉被(每床五十五元)、粮食(为每人每月十五公斤约四十五元),方便食品以及饮用水,棉帐篷,可以供一四口之家的临时性住所(约二千元人民币)以及呼吸道、皮肤病及冻伤常用药品。中国红十字会总会已向十六个受灾严重的省份提供了八百余万元人民币的救助款物,其中包括八万六千三百件衣被以及大批粮食、呼吸道药品和棉帐篷。

CSA
教授协会理事会每时每时刻都在关注在春节期间依然挣扎在刺骨寒风和凛冽冰雪中苦熬的骨肉同胞。为了表达全体美裔华人教授学者会员的爱心,理事会决定向灾区人民捐献8000美元,其中前会长陈钧铭教授夫妇捐助2000美元、秘书长许凯莉教授捐助1000美元。年初一上午10时,郦永刚教授,周崇武教授、陈钧铭教授夫妇、许凯莉教授代表全体会员前往中国驻洛杉矶总领馆献上支票。虽然数额不大,但充分体现了海外学人的一片真情,也表达了所有原本来自两岸三地炎黄子孙的共同心声:祈愿我们的亲人能过一个温馨的新年。

 

为方便广大华侨华人朋友捐款,中国驻美洛杉矶总领馆现公布捐款方式如下:一、请个人或组织以支票形式捐款,收款方为:Chinese Consulate General in LA,支票上请注明中国雪灾捐款。总领馆将及时转交灾区。 支票可通过面交或邮寄方式提供。面交或邮寄前请以电子邮件方式与侨务领事侯艳琪联系,电邮地址为:hou_yanqi@mfa.gov.cn 。邮寄地址为:Hou Yanqi, 443 Shatto Place, Los Angeles, CA90020。请捐款人留下具体姓名和联系方式,以便总领馆开具收据、及时反馈和致谢。您也可以将捐款通过教授协会(CSA) 转交 - 支票请注明“雪灾捐款":黄冰教授Prof.. Bing Huang, CSA TreasureP.O. Box 3416Cypress, CA 90630,  bhuang6560@gmail.com.

 

今年我们CSA教授协会2008年新春联欢会将于2月23日在祥和的西来大学(U-West)召开。我们最诚挚地欢迎一切来自两岸三地的教授和专家能与我们一起同贺新春、共度佳节(邀请柬-附后)。西来大学校长黃茂樹博士(原北科羅拉多州州立大學的校務長及首席副校長)将在晚会上亲切致欢迎词。西来的专业大厨将亲自为您掌勺。五湖四海、精英聚会、欢声笑语、不亦悦乎?

 

CSA虽说只是一介书生、两袖清风,但是对我们的会员或届时将加入我们的教授学者,一概免费款待,并备抽奖薄礼。欢迎您搀老携幼,带领家人和我们一起欢庆新春佳节。谈天说地,道古论今、迎新叙旧、不亦悦乎?

 

说好了,咱们不见不散!

 

最后祝您和您的亲人在2008年:

 

好事、喜事、美事、乐事、“鼠”也“鼠”不完!

 

您的老朋友


特别附注:

1.    来越多的学者和专家阅读我们的电子邮刊,为了避免造成学院网络教育的拥堵现象,我们已在 2008 年一月起,

改用Scholars' Net [editor@scholarsupdate.com ] 给您发信,请您谅解。有的伺服器也许会把我们从Scholars' Net [editor@scholarsupdate.com ] 来的邮件归入Spam或“垃圾邮件”,请您留心筛选。多谢。

 

 2.由于您的电脑设置不同,有时也许无法正确显示我们《即时通讯》的文字和图像。最好的方法是每周直接点击我们的网址http://www.scholarsupdate.com/UpdateJournal/main.htm 查阅(寒春暑假除外), 谢谢您。

 

 

Table of content - 本期重要目录

Upcoming Events and Call for Participation

v    请柬:南加州华裔教授学者协会2008年新春联欢会 - 热烈欢迎您 (2/23 星期六)

v    Invitation to CAFA 37th Anniversary (3/1/07)

v    请您伸出援手,献出一份爱心,救助深陷雪灾的中国大陆的孩子们

v    President Zihe Rao of Nankai University to Visit USA 南开大学校长访问南加州(2/10

v    北大校友会庆祝2008年春节联欢暨理事会换届选举(2/9/08

v    [CSSA-UCLA]: Chinese New Year Celebration 2/9 Register Now

v    2008 喜迎新年 & 情人节联欢 (2/9)

v    ICSPAH call for nominees

v    2008北京国际電子商务會議邀請北美地區有關專業人士参加

v     CSUN “Chinese New Year’s Banquet” (3/8)

 

News and Announcements

v    学者报道:过程哲学家和教育家联手探讨教育创新 (樊美筠)

v    鸿雁传书:我是一只蓝鸟 (鄢利群 教授)

v    Political discussion develops critical thinking, American educators say

v    杜绝“官场废话”

v    中国,梦幻般的经济-梦魇般的环境

v    Chinese Independent Documentary Series (UCLA 2/14-3/6)

v    拟储备关键语言人才 美国五角大楼招中文专家

v    美排全球間諜機構   中國國安部列第二

v    American Online education creates nationwide debate

v    中国留学生问题报告: 妖魔化还是留学垃圾

v    大學貧富懸殊 緊張對立  哈佛、耶魯等頂尖名校超級富裕高薪挖角 被抨擊不公平競爭

v    USC US-China Institute: Talking Points

v    美富人穷人寿命差距拉大

v    台湾来电:獲五年五百億補助 政大:將投注教學研究

v    Study finds no link between MMR vaccine and autism

v    老鼠身上測試成功 英國國會擬修例准實驗  男女皆有望單性繁殖後代

v    程根宏、何鼎研究新療法露曙光 奈米科技治癌效佳副作用少

v    The Criminalization of Adultery in 20th Century China

v    美指中國有地下「五角大樓」

v    未來5年內將有5000萬人次的中國遊客造訪洛杉磯 - 洛市世界級大城綠皮書出爐

v    U.S. policymakers backing STEM education

v    大陆奇景:向前(钱)看  [附图]

v    海歸創業趨向年輕化

v    Private colleges wrestle with affordability

v    专家来稿:自卫防身系列之六 - 知己知彼百战百胜

v    专家来稿:自卫防身系列之 - 了解暴力基本犯罪过程

v    专家来稿:自卫防身系列之八 -了解歹徒的阴谋诡计

v     Carnegie China Insight Monthly卡内基中国透视

 

移民、留学、签证、及工作机会

v     開放中國民眾旅美估計年底成行 中領館: 受邀參與北京奧運 享免簽證待遇

v    H-1B身份持有人最好“腳踏兩隻船”!

v    申请不到H-1B怎么办? USCIS 41日开始接受申请 估计当天即额满

v    美國護照費加價 入境要示證件   16歲以下辦護照須父母到場

v    親屬移民經濟擔保必知 全美貧困線 新標準公布

v    不限額H1B 送件須寄加州

v    美国华裔医学科学家协会 (NSMS-CAA)Job Opportunities

v     Job opening: Vice President, Credit Risk Management

 

============================

请柬:南加州华裔教授学者协会2008年新春联欢会 热烈欢迎您(2/23 星期六)

 

                                    南加州华裔教授学者协会2008年新春联欢会

 

                CHINESE SCHOLARS ASSOCIATION SPRING GATHERING

                          February 23, 2008

Sponsored by CSA and University of the West

 

 

Dear CSA Members and Friends:                                                               

 

Happy Chinese New Year! You and your family are cordially invited to join us in celebrating the Year of the Rat at our spring gathering on the beautiful campus of the University of the West 西来大学! This is a great opportunity to socialize with fellow members and meet new friends!

 

Time:                Saturday, February 23, 2008, 5:00-9:00 P.M.

Location:          University of the West, 1409 N. Walnut Grove Ave., Rosemead, CA 91770

                                    Driving Directions (626) 656-2125

            Highlights:         Dinner, socializing, entertainment, raffle 美食、社交、演出、抽奖                                                 

Keynote:          “Rank-Promotions of Professors in American Universities”

By Dr. Allen Huang, President of the University of the West

 

 

Please RSVP to Professor Bing Huang at bhuang6560@gmail.com by February 13, 2008 to reserve your seat. Space is limited, so please make your reservation early. Make your check payable to CSA and send it with your reservation form to Professor Huang at P.O. Box 3416, Cypress, CA 90630.

 

Lifetime and current members:               Gratis (免费)

New and renewing members:                Gratis if you join or renew your membership

Non-members:                                     $10

Teenagers:                                                        $5 (no charge for children 12 years or under)

 

We strongly encourage you to become a lifetime member! CSA membership dues: $200 for lifetime members, $25 for regular members, and $10 for associate members.

 

We also welcome and appreciate your donations (tax deductible) to our activities, and your gifts for our raffle! Please RSVP and bring your donations and gifts to the gathering on that day. We look forward to seeing you soon!

 

2008-2009 CSA Board of Directors and Organizing Committee:

President                                              Dr. Yong-Gang Li 郦永刚

Vice President                                      Dr. Lianlian Lin 林连连

Secretary                                              Dr. Kylie Hsu 许凯莉 (Organizing Committee Chair)

Treasurer                                              Dr. Bing Huang 黄冰

Science/Engineering Director                 Dr. Chongwu Zhou 周崇武

Social Seience Director                         Dr. Qian Lu 吕倩

Outreach Director                                 Dr. Daniel Kwong 邝仲豪

 

President Council

Chair    Dr. Zhenying Jiang

            Dr. Lianlian Lin

            Dr. K. Ming Chan

            Dr. Zhensu She

 

 

 

 

                         REGISTRATION FOR CSA SPRING GATHERING

 

RSVP (报名):   Please return your registration form by February 13, 2008.

               Reservations are on a first-come-first-served basis.

 

 

Please fill in the information below and send your reservation to Professor Bing Huang at P.O. Box 3416, Cypress, CA 90630, or contact her at bhuang6560@gmail.com.

 

Yes, I will be participating in the spring gathering!

 

1. Myself only:  Name ________________________________          Email address _____________________________

 

2. My family will come with me:                         Number of adult(s) _____         Number of children _____

 

3. My friend(s)/guest(s) will come with me:         Number of adult(s) _____         Number of children _____

 

˜v–z–v˜      –v˜v–      ˜v–z–v˜      –v˜v–      ˜v–z–v˜

 

_____ I am a lifetime member of CSA                           _____ I will renew my membership for 2008

_____ I am a new member of CSA as of 2008

 

š›  。。š›  。。š›  。。š›  。。š›  。。š›  。。š›

 

Please select one of the following roundtables from 4:30-5:00 that you wish to attend. For additional information, please contact the corresponding director.

 

_____ Science and Engineering Roundtable                    Dr. Chongwu Zhou周崇武:      chongwuz@usc.edu

_____ Humanity and Social Science Roundtable             Dr. Qian Lu吕倩:                     lvqian2000@yahoo.com

_____ Development and Outreach Roundtable               Dr. Daniel Kwong邝仲豪:        ghh_dwk@sbcglobal.net

 

 

 

 

 

We welcome volunteers! Please let us know which project you would like to participate in.

 

_____ Fundraising Committee                                       _____ Gathering Organizing Committee

_____ Website Committee                                            _____ Conference Program Committee

 

–v˜    ˜v–   ˜v–   –v˜   ˜v–   ˜v–   –v˜   ˜v–   ˜v–

 

For general information about the spring gathering, please contact the following board members.

 

President Yong-Gang Li郦永刚:            ygli@usc.edu

Vice President Lianlian Lin林连连:       llin2@csupomona.edu

Secretary Kylie Hsu许凯莉:                 prof.kyliehsu@gmail.com

Treasurer Bing Huang黄冰:                  bhuang6560@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

=======================================================

Invitation to CAFA 37th Anniversary (3/1/07)

Chinese American FacultyAssociation - Southern California

 

January 23, 2008

 

Dear CAFA members:

 

This year is the 37th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese-American Faculty Association Southern California (CAFA).  During the past 37 years, we have welcomed many new members who dedicate their lives to the education, service and research on many campuses in Southern California, and we have shared many good and tough moments in our professional and personal lives.  Now we would like to invite you once again to join us to celebrate CAFA's 37th birthday and to meet with old and new friends.

 

Time:          6 pm, Saturday, March 1, 2008

Place:         Monterey Hill Restaurant

3700 W. Ramona Blvd., Monterey Park, CA 91754

Tel: 323-264-8400


It is our honor that Dr. Qingyun Ma, Dean of the School of Architecture and holder of the Della and Harry MacDonald Dean’s Chair in Architecture, University of Southern California, will present the keynote speech.  We also would like to ask for your approval of CAFA 2008-2009 officers (see below) and seek your continuing support to CAFA.

 

CAFA Officers (2008-2009) Nomination

President:                                Jeffrey Wang
President-Elect:                       Edward Hsieh
Vice President:                        Horng-Yi Lee
Treasurer:                                Otto Chang
Secretary:                                Yi Cheng
Board Members:                     David Ann, Kwang-Wen Chu, Cindy Fang,

Lianlian Lin, Charles Liu, Wei-Chiang Shen,

Kirk Shung, Daniel Yang, Andy Yao.

Immediate Past President:      Shiuan Chen

 

Please let me know if you have objections to any name on the list above.

Our best wishes to you for a productive and rewarding year.

Sincerely,

 

 

Shiuan Chen, Ph.D.

President

======================================

请您伸出援手,献出一份爱心,救助深陷雪灾的中国大陆的孩子们

2008年开年,中国南方连降大雪。年关将至,人们归心似箭。21日早晨六点,中
央气象台再次发布橙色暴雪警报,贵州、湖南、湖北、江西、浙江、江苏、安徽、四川
、云南等地将迎来又一场暴雪或冻雨。中国被雪包围着,雪花漫卷,纷纷扬扬,覆盖了
大片华夏大地。

和所有的海外华人一样,美国海外中国儿童救助基金会(OSCCF)密切关注着这一场
意外的灾难。OSCCF国内志愿者已经开展了相应的救助活动。

其中贵州、湖南、湖北等中西部重灾区目前为止得到的援助相对较少,停水停电导
致贵州的消息很少。然而透过网络和我们当地的义工获得的信息,贵州、湖南、湖北的
情况不容乐观:高速公路路面厚厚的冰层导致多起车祸,京珠高速上湖南境内大面积堵
车,很多孩子已几天缺食少衣,寒气刺骨,很多婴儿和父母一起被堵在路上,尿不湿和
奶粉都用完了,宝宝染上感冒或冻伤;两湖和贵州的车站里,妈妈孤身带着孩子又拖着
行李,孩子们坐在冰冷潮湿的地面,有些孩子在挤压中晕倒和被踩踏;贵州雪情严重,
山区房屋倒塌,城镇里物资即将告罄,孩子们穿不暖。

雪灾中的儿童是OSCCF的关注和救助重点。贵州、湖南、湖北当地的志愿者正努力为
困在路上的孩子们和受灾地区的孩子们送去御寒衣物、药品和食品,同时也和国内网络
更完善的慈善组织合作行动。救助正在进行中。

然而我们的资源实在有限,期待您伸出援手,献出一份爱心,让雪灾远离孩子们。
腊月二十六了,随着新一轮暴雪和冻雨的来临,任何一点救助都可以减轻一个孩子的伤
病和冻累之苦。我们将用您的捐款购买御寒衣物、防潮垫、食品、药品等,以最快的速
度送到雪灾中的孩子们手中。如果您愿意参与我们的救助,您可以通过OSCCF为国内在
雪灾中的孩子们捐款(请注明雪灾专用)您有任何疑问请与我们联系。非常感谢您的关注

美国海外中国儿童救助基金会(OSCCFhttp://www.osccf.org/donate.aspx

======================================

President Zihe Rao of Nankai University to Visit USA 南开大学校长访问南加州(2/10

 

President Ziher Rao will visit Irvine on February10, 2008, following his participation in the 2008 Biophysical society annual meeting in Long Beach, California. In Irvine, the President Rao will celebrate Chinese lunar spring festival with Chinese students & scholars, and Nankai alumni. President Rao is member of China Science Academy who had numerous prestigious international publications, most important, all these papers based on research in China.

 

Nankai University locates in Tianjin, sharing its special experiences with the booming economy with Beijing, Bohai economic special zone and 2008 Olympic Games. Nankai University has made important contributions in support of politics, economy, culture and international cooperation in China.

 

The President looks forward to the opportunity to discuss with Chinese Students and Scholar in Southern California. The President also wants to recruit new faculty members in the field of Environment Protection, Power Industry, biological & Medical Engineering, Information Technology, and high technology related subjects.

 

Time: 7 pm-9 pm February 10th 2008

Location:  Civil and Environmental Engineering conference room. The conference room is located in Engineering Gateway Building room 4171 (4th floor).

 

Contact information:

Dr. Huaiyu Gu Email: guh@uci.edu 949-9231152 (cell)

 

For the detailed driving directions and parking information, please visit these websites.

http://www.nacs.uci.edu/org/directions.html

http://www.uci.edu/campusmaps.shtml

======================================

北大校友会庆祝2008年春节联欢暨理事会换届选举(2/9/08

Dear alumni and friends,

We are pleased to invite you to our party on this Saturday (Feb 9th) to elect the new president and executive committee of Peking University Alumni Association of Southern California (PUAASC) and to celebrate the 2008 Spring Festival with karaoke and social dance.

The candidatesʼ bios and their statements are available on our website at http://pku.org/archive/2008/Feb/election.htm . The location of this party is at the 1st floor of China Press at: 2121 W. Mission Road, Alhambra, CA 91803.

The dinner and the dance party are free to the alumni of Peking University including their direct relatives. We require small fees for non-alumni however, specifically, $10 for either dinner or dance party, and $15 for both.

Please register at http://pku.org/rsvp/election , so we can prepare enough food for our attendees. The program of this event is as follows:

2:00 - 3:00 pm, registration and karaoke
3:00 - 3:30 pm, president candidates present their statements and visions
3:30 - 4:00 pm, question and answer
4:00 - 4:30 pm, alumni cast votes, Board Of Directors (BOD) confirms the election result
4:30 - 6:30 pm, karaoke
6:30 - 7:30 pm, dinner
7:30 - 11:30 pm, dance party

Best regards,

PUAASC

=======================================

[CSSA-UCLA]: Chinese New Year Celebration 2/9 Register Now

Dear CSSA members:

The 2008 Chinese New Year is just around the corner!

http://cssa.ucla.edu/archive/08-09/CSSA_UCLA_2008_New_Year_Flyer.jpg

Still remember your wonderful experience at CSSA's New Year celebration last year - described by many as "the absolutely fascinating night"?  The magic night is coming again!  Fabulous Chinese folk dance, Tango dance, Indian dance, stylish dance, wonderful kids chorus, amazing folk songs and Chinese traditional instrument ensemble, special 2008 Beijing Olympic skit, Korea drumming, and many more. This year's program also features fun games that could win you big prizes!!!

So --

Come celebrating the Chinese New Year with new firends!

Come cheering for your family members or friends on the stage!

Come for the lucky-lottery to win prizes up to $150!

Event: CSSA-UCLA 2008 Chinese New Year Cultural Night

Time: Feb 9th, Saturday, 2008

      5:30pm - 6:50pm Exhibitions and Games

      7:00pm - 10:00pm Performances

Location: Ackerman Union, 2nd Floor, Grand Ball Room

      (Map: http://www.ucla.edu/map/map_central.html)

Admission: Free

Registration: Required

Deadline: 11:59am, Feb 9th.

Please send an email to cssa.ucla.08newyear@gmail.com and include

1) Subject as "[2008 CSSA New Year Celebration]" (IMPORTANT!!)

2) YOUR NAME (IMPORTANT!!)

3) # of people in your group

4) YOUR contact phone # (cell phone preferred)

Due to the limitation of the room capacity (780 seats), registration confirmation will be distributed on the basis of first-come-first-serve, we thus encourage you to reserve your spots ASAP.

Ticket Distribution:

The first 780 registrants will receive a confirmation email regarding when and where to pick up the ticket.

We look forward to seeing you in the cultural night!

Wish you a great Chinese New Year!

CSSA-UCLA Committee http://cssa.ucla.edu/archive/08-09/CSSA_UCLA_2008_New_Year_Flyer.jpg

Note: 

* Due to limited room capacity, registrations beyond our allowed capacity are NOT guaranteed and will be placed on the waiting list. CSSA-UCLA will hold reserved seats until 7:15 pm. Wait-listed registrants will be given admittance according to the number of available seats, and it will be assigned on a first-come-first-serve basis. CSSA-UCLA reserves rights to close registration before the deadline.

* Refreshments will be provided.

* Attendees will be responsible for your own safety and the safety of their personal belongings.

* People without CSSA-UCLA’s permission are NOT permitted to distribute any commercial, political or religious materials.

* CSSA-UCLA reserves rights to deny anyone’s admittance to the event in special conditions.

======================================

2008 喜迎新年 & 情人节联欢 (2/9)

缘份的天空下, 让我们心手相牵;
2008 喜迎新年,用真情祝福永远...

活动时间: Feb. 09, 2008 (Saturday) 下午 2:00pm
活动地点: 钱柜KTV: 18015 Gale Ave., Industry, CA 91748

节目安排:

2:00–2:30:心情驿站——轻柔音乐;快乐交友,自由SOCIAL

2:30–3:30:轻歌曼舞——动态组合,卡拉OK, 连接你我;
3:30 –4:30: 非常游戏——动作传递和猜谜---以讹传讹;
4:30 –5:30:活力四射——DISCO; 浪漫舞姿;
5:30 –6:30:动态游戏——“争权夺位,开心一刻
6:30 –7:00:相约以后——彼此留下联系方式,相约以后
7:30 –9:00:晚餐同乐

欢迎想要参加活动的朋友提前报名,谢谢合作!!!
报名方式: E-mail: yangyang5599@yahoo.com

活动费用:      提前报名: $20 per person ;
                       
现场报名: $25 per person

======================================

ICSPAH call for nominees

Dear members of International Chinese Society for Physical Activities and Health,

 

First of all, the Executive Committee would like to express our sincerely appreciation to the current Executive Committee members: Dr. Lueng Mee-lee, Dr. Yuanlong Liu, and Mr.Tao Zhang for their wonderful service as members of Executive Committee for this Society. Dr. Lueng Mee-lee raised $2500 in Hong Kong for our Society in 2006. That was one of the best gifts for this society since ICSPAH was founded in 2006. Dr. Yuanlong Liu and Tao Zhang have also great contributions to this society in the past.

 

Based on our Society Bylaw as below, it's time to re-elect two two-year term general members and one one-year student member for the Executive committee.

"ARTICLE IV:  Executive Committee

Section 1: The Executive Committee shall consist of 7 members (six general members and one student member). The Executive Committee general members may serve for a term of two years, and the Executive Committee student member shall serve for a term of one year, and they may be re-nominated and re-elected one year after their prior term expires. Each year three general members shall rotate off the Committee.

Section 3: Any member of the Society may nominate any member of the organization, including himself or herself, for candidacy of membership for the Executive Committee."

 

Please nominate either yourself and/or someone you trust to be a leader to serve on the Executive Committee of ICSPAH. You may send 1) name of your nominee, and 2) 100-200 words biography as the required information of your nominee to Guoli Liang at liangg@uww.edu AND Jingjing Yang at yangj1@southernct.edu. You may nominate more than one person.

 

The deadline of the nomination is the midnight of March 2nd, 2008.

 

The election will be conducted at 4-6pm on Thursday, April 10, 2008 in Hilton Fort Worth, TX.

 

Happy Chinese New Year and please keep supporting our own society!

 

Best regards,

 

Guoli Liang

Secretary

ICSPAH Executive Committee

Associate Professor
Dept. of HPERC
University of Wisconsin at Whitewater
Email: liangg@uww.edu
Office Phone: 262-472-1369
Fax: 262-472-3221

=======================================================

2008北京国际電子商务會議邀請北美地區有關專業人士参加

 

第十一届會議定於四月十八日及十九日在北京国际會議中心舉行. 註冊費為美金六百五十元. 大會提供三晚食宿及出席全部會議,参觀奧運塲館, 及減免一年北美分會會費等优待, 詳情可与陳鈞銘教授联系. drkmchan@gmail.com 或查看網頁  http://ciecc.ed.org.cn

 

 

 

 

NORTH AMERICAN CHINA E-COMMERCE ASSOCIATION

 Non-Profit

 

The 11th China International E-Commerce Conference

2008 April 18th ~ 19th

At the Beijing International Conference Center

 

The package includes the following items:

Admissions to China International E-Commerce Conference opening on the 18th (starts at 9am) and 8 forums on the 19th

VIP entrance & seating

3-night hotel (17, 18 & 19th) at the Beijing Continental Grand Hotel; hotel website: http://www.bcghotel.com/

2 – breakfasts, 2 – Lunches & 1 dinner

Airport pickup and drop-off

Conference ruffles & gifts;

Conference catalogs, material, speech notes and etc.

One year NA CECA membership fee

A tour of Beijing 2008 Olympics Stadium and Sports Sites on the 19th PM.

 

Registration deadline: March15th, 2008

 

* NA CECA Members

$650 per person

Payment Information
 
Make your check payable to “NA CECA” and send it to the address below. Please enter the number of participants along with the full names on the left corner of the check.

NA CECA

P.O. Box 502293 

======================================

CSUN “Chinese New Year’s Banquet” (3/8)


THE CHINA INSTITUTE at California State University, Northridge

cordially invites you to attend our annual

                                               

  “Chinese New Year’s Banquet”to celebrate the Chinese Spring Festival

          

       On Saturday, March 8, 2008

 

6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

 

at Grand Salon - University Student Union

 

CSUN Campus

 

Please mail the enclosed membership and banquet reservation form before Feb. 23.

           

Location and Directions: Grand Salon, in the University Student Union Complex (USU), CSUN.  The USU is located just west of Parking Lot G4.  From Nordhoff Street, take Zelzah Avenue North and pass Prairie Street.  Entrance to Lot G4 is right on your left.  Parking is $4.00, payable at the entrance to the parking lot.  Please walk from Lot G4 to the Grand Salon via Prairie Street.  

The China Institute

California State University, Northridge

 

2008 Membership/Contribution Form

 

 

Name:__________________________________________________________________

 

Work Affiliation:_________________________________________________________

 

 

Address:________________________________________________________________

 

CSUN Department/Office (if applicable)_____________________________________

 

CSUN Campus Mail Code____________

 

Telephone:  Home________________________Work___________________________

 

E-Mail: Same as last year____    New or changed e-mail address_________________                

 

Please note that regular announcements of the China Institute’s activities will be e-mailed to you in the future.

 

I understand that my contribution/membership fee to the China Institute is tax-deductible and is voluntary.  I would like to contribute/pay the following:

 

Member:_____$55                  Supporter:_____$80               Patron  _____$100 and more

 

Please reserve _________seats for me for the Chinese New Year Banquet on

March 8, 2007 (membership fee covers two complimentary seats, and $25 for each additional guest).  Confirmation can be e-mailed to you upon request.

 

Check enclosed in the amount of $______________

(Please make checks payable to the China Institute)

 

Please return the form and your payment check before Feb. 23 to:

 

                        Dr. Justine Su

Director, The China Institute

Coordinator of International Programs

Office of Graduate Studies, Research and International Programs

Room 265, University Hall

California State University, Northridge

                        Northridge, CA 91330-8222

====================================

学者来稿:过程哲学家和教育家联手探讨教育创新 (樊美筠)

过程思维与学校教育创新国际学术研讨会在克莱蒙成功召开

 

    学校教育创新是目前世界各国基础教育改革中的一个重要问题。如何变革现有的学校教育理念,培养具有创新意识和创新能力的高素质人才,是一个摆在中国,美国和其他国家教育工作者面前的一个严重挑战。

由美国过程研究中心(Center for Process Studies)和中国教育学会教学论专业委员会,北师大教育学院联合主办, 中美后现代发展研究院, 匹泽大学和克莱蒙研究生大学协办的过程思维与学校教育创新国际学术研讨会(International Conference on Process Thinking and Innovation in Education Reform)200827-29日在全美最适合人居城市第五名的克莱蒙大学城(Claremont)召开。

来自北京师范大学,美国克莱蒙研究生大学,美国过程研究中心,中美后现代发展研究院,首都师范大学,浙江大学,黑龙江大学,美国匹泽大学,哈尔滨师范大学,盐城师范学院, 韩国大真大学校,美国西来大学, 中国《教育研究》杂志社,全球整合教育中心等中外十几家单位的40位哲学家,教育家和一线教师,就如何运用大哲学家怀特海的过程哲学推动学校教育创新和教育改革进行了深入的讨论

 

    长期投身中国教改第一线的中国著名教育改革家,北京师范大学教育研究所所长, 中国教育学会教学论专业委员会理事长裴娣娜教授和世界著名过程哲学家,美国过程研究中心创会主任,中美后现代发展研究院院长小约翰·柯布博士小约翰·柯布(John B. Cobb, Jr)博士做了主题发言。美国克莱蒙研究生大学教育学院院长马丽·鲍波林(Mary Poplin)教授, 北京师范大学国际与比较教育研究所所长项贤明教授, 美国过程研究中心中国部主任樊美筠博士,匹泽大学校长阿伦·卓尼斯(Alan jones)校长,匹泽大学莎伦·斯诺伊思(Sharon Snowiss)教授, 中美后现代发展研究院常务副院长王治河博士,美国妇女名人,全球整合教育中心特蕾莎女士,北京师范大学胡定荣教授,陈建翔教授,杨明全教授,首都师范大学张菁教授,天津和平区教育局张素华局长,盐城师范学院法政学院院长,美国过程研究中心访问学者顾玉兰教授,天津教师进修学校校长陈敏珠,深圳南头中学刘引校长等作了大会发言。

这些发言从不同角度探讨了现行中国教育理念和体系面临的问题。认为虽然教育改革成绩可喜,但不容乐观,因为我们的许多教育理念包括教育改革的理念都已过时。

    1897年废除科举制度以来,实现教育现代化或教育的现代化,不仅是百年来中国教育家的一个主要梦想,也是当代中国教育改革的一个主要方向。毋庸置疑,中国的教育取得了巨大的进步,教育的现代化取得了令人可喜的成就,这一点是不容抹煞的。但在我们欢庆教育现代化的积极成就的同时,也不应该忽视教育的现代化所带来的负面后果,诸如专业的条块分割,对科学的过度崇拜和人文关怀的缺位,对分数的病态追求,将学生视为知识的集装箱,其结果是学习对学生不是快乐而是一种苦役,一种对身心的摧残。据报道,我国青少年的近视率居世界第一位。初中生近视眼达60%,高中生达80%。这在世界教育史上都是

罕见的。在这个意义上可以说我们比西方现代化国家更加现代化或者说提前实现了现代化。

   显然,这种现代化是有问题的?一如倘若天空布满了灰尘,水污染的不能喝,工业的现代化就失去了意义一样,如果学生的幸福指数低下,孩子们个个眉山紧皱,带着厚厚的镜片,教育现代化的实现又有多大意义?也是值得怀疑的。

通过聆听著名过程哲学家柯布博士的大会发言,代表们认为以怀特海的过程哲学(或有机哲学)为基础的过程思维对于推动全球化时代教育改革和学校教育改革创新是不可多得的宝贵思想资源。它有助于我们创造性地寻找走出在中西方占统治地位的教育体系的途径与方法。

中美后现代发展研究院常务副院长,南加州教授学者协会会员,王治河博士在题为“中国的教育改革呼唤第二次启蒙”的大会发言中探讨了第二次启蒙对当代中国的学校教育创新的启示。

     他认为,正是第一次启蒙的局限(对自然的帝国主义态度;对传统的虚无主义姿态;对科学的盲目崇拜;对理性的过分迷信;对自由的单向度理解)导致了今日现代化之种种弊端。因此要超越现代化,实现从现代化向后现代化的转变,就有必要在反思第一次启蒙的基础上开展第二次启蒙,也就是后现代启蒙,就是呼唤新的学习/教育方式,新的经济发展思路,新的领导方法,新的管理概念以及新的更加复杂的思维方式。

他特别强调,所谓第二次启蒙,也就是后现代启蒙,并非对第一次启蒙(也就是现代启蒙)的全然拒斥,而是将许多或者大多数第一次启蒙的最伟大的成就整合起来

他将第二次启蒙的理论内容概括为以下五点:1 超越人类中心主义,高扬生态意识;2)超越西方中心主义, 推重文化互补意识3);挑战划一思维,欣赏多元,差异之美

4)拒绝抽象自由观,走向有责任的深度自由;5)超越工具理性,拥抱审美智慧。

他将第二次启蒙对教育的启迪概括为以下6点:

1.第二次启蒙呼唤我们关注中国传统的优秀教育理念和方法。

   与对传统采取虚无主义的态度,一心模仿机械照搬现代西方教育模式不同, 第二次启蒙呼唤我们从中国传统教育思想中吸取营养。运用互补思维,找到中西教育理念的最佳结合点,

从而走出一条有中国特色的学校教育改革之路。

2. 第二次启蒙强调知识和专业的综合视野,鼓励跨学科研究。

与现代教育重专业分化不同,从一种有机联系的整体概念出发,第二次启蒙强调智慧,也就是知识和专业的综合能力。世界本身是一个联系的整体,任何事物都不能离开其他事物孤立地存在于一个封闭的系统中,第二次启蒙要求人们研究问题的方法具有高度的综合性,前瞻性。比如面对环境这一复杂的、盘根错节的问题,单学科的知识和狭隘的专业化技能已经显得无能无力。因此之故,多学科合作和跨学科的综合研究实在必行。学校教育创新应该而且可以在打破学科条块分割上多下功夫。

3.第二次启蒙否弃竞争教育,推重和谐教育

     现代西方教育是一种追求 卓越的教育,因此它格外推崇竞争

欣赏top (顶尖),No.1。与这种建立在你输我赢思维基础上的竞争教育相反, 第二次启蒙强调合作, 鼓励双赢,共赢。提倡的是一种和谐教育。你的同学不是你的敌人,而是你的

合作伙伴。

4 第二次启蒙拒绝排他教育,提倡容他教育

   建立在第一次启蒙基础上的现代教育本质上是排他的,喜欢非此即彼,因此是狭隘的。第二次启蒙强调认识真理的方式是多样的,因此教育的方式和方法,学习的方式和方法也是多样的。不存在唯一正确的教育方法和学习方法。它鼓励宽容,欣赏差异。可称之为容他教育。容他也是新一代地球公民应有的美德。

5.第二次启蒙拒绝自我中心主义的教育,提倡感恩教育

  现代西方教育是建立在现代个性自由基础上的,它是一种自我中心主义的教育。它喜欢炫耀个人的成功,将一切成就归诸于个人的奋斗。

   而第二次启蒙则将大写的自我还原回社会关系之中,因此它强调责任和担待,鼓励谦逊,欣赏感恩。

6. 第二次启蒙否弃单向度教育,提倡成人教育

     在现代教育体系中,无论是专业化教育还是市场化教育本质上都是一种单向度教育

都是从工具理性出发的,也就是都是把学生当作客体,当作某种工具,某种有待剪裁的“材料”。

   第二次启蒙则倡导审美智慧,就是把学生看作鲜活的生命。认为每个学生都是主体,都有她(他)独特的价值,这既包括外在价值也包括内在价值。教育的目的不是使她/他纯粹成为大工业流水线上的一颗螺丝钉或一架消费机器,而是使他/她成人----成为全面

发展之人,成为感情丰沛,生命张扬的人,成为利益社会之人,成为得道之人。

代表们对上述观点进行了热烈的讨论提出了许多富有启迪的看法。

会后来自中国的教育家们参观了著名的克莱蒙橡树中学,收到校长Gary和全校师生的热烈欢迎。在旁听了科学,历史,英语,木工课后,与学校领导,教师和部分学生代表进行了座谈。宾主都觉得收获颇丰。

=========================================

鸿雁传书:我是一只蓝鸟 (鄢利群 教授)

 

亲爱的朋友们,春节好,我离开美国回家养病已半年多了,非常想念你们,至此新春佳节之际,谨向你们表示祝贺,祝你们节日快乐,身心健康,学习事业更上一层楼。借此机会,我也感谢你们对我的关心和帮助。我现在身体还好,就是眼睛看东西不清楚,不能读书看报,写字或看电视,上电脑。但在家人的帮助下,我还是有时写点东西,表达自己的感悟,鼓励自己。下面是一首我最近口述的打油诗,原与你们分享。

 

我是一只蓝鸟*

怀着希望,带着梦想

曾高飞在

美利坚上空

田纳西河畔

可恨癌疾缠身

折伤我翅膀

拖着病体,带着心伤

回到家乡把病养

但我没忘记

我是一只蓝鸟

仍怀希望,心存梦想

但愿有一天

我再展翅

在广阔无垠的天空

勇敢自由飞翔

 

*蓝鸟是田纳西的州鸟,它代表希望,癌症患者有个“蓝鸟营”

我曾参加过几次,所以,我是一只蓝鸟。

 

Liqun Yan, Ph.D

Associate Professor of Journalism

Tennessee State University

3500 John A. Merritt Blvd.

Nashville, TN 37209

(615) 963-5965

PS .My contact in CHINA is 011-86-737-4226413

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Political discussion develops critical thinking, American educators say

The Salt Lake Tribune (2/5, Fulton) reports, "The back and forth" discussion between adults and children about political policies "is a process more parents should embrace rather than fear," according to some educators. "Learning about politics and political processes, even at an early age, is not only vital to becoming an educated citizen, but an important part of developing critical-thinking skills that will help them discern propaganda from fact, refine expression of their opinions and cultivate civil dialogue with those they're bound to disagree with as adults." In Utah, the "Department of Education's policies regarding the recognition of constitutional freedoms and student expression in schools, teachers and administrators recognize that addressing political issues, and by extension oftentimes controversial issues, in the classroom requires a steady hand." And while "[r]estrictions on what students may discuss, and what teachers may say, are few," educators also "must be mindful of topics introduced relative to the age of students." Still, by focusing on issues rather than candidates, students and teachers can generally discuss topics without "any partisan tendencies."

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杜绝“官场废话”

香港《大公报》23日发表题为《杜绝“官场废话”》的评论文章说,官话从字面上理解,是指官员在官场或非官场说的话。虽然官话不能一律以贬意看待,但对于越来越多官话沦于毫无意义的开场白,却是值得关注的事,因此,有人把官话形容为“正确的废话”,一针见血直指它的虚伪性。

  文章原文摘录如下:

  在重庆市提案现场办理会上,重庆市常务副市长黄奇帆在听取汇报时突然打断正在念稿的官员,并呵斥该官员“这种场合就不要说这些官话了!没有必要!”的确,目前官场文化越来越出现先来一番绝对不会错误的官话,以达到两重目的,一是表白自己对当前政策的紧跟追随,一是减少接下来需要在具体或重要课题上作详述而犯错误。

  官场“正确的废话”很多,诸如“认真贯彻中央精神”、“努力领会领导讲话内容”、“发动群众打好宣传战”等皆是,这样的开场白绝对正确,半点也不会犯错,但与以下如何进入实质性内容或措施可以说并没直接关系,因此才被定格为“正确的废话”。

  官场会议,总会有一个主题,解决主题必须依靠官员的集思广益,坐下来即刻直奔主题,不但可以把与会者的精神集中到主题上来,而且可以在聚精会神之下,容易找出解决问题的方法。如果你来一轮官话,我也来一轮官话,除了造成时间浪费之外,还会令在座其它官员错误地认为,不作这样的一番开场白官话就不能表达自己的忠心或意志,是关系到立场的大事,这样的风气一开,不但造成时间上的浪费,而且在无形之中形成一种阻碍雷厉风行、立竿见影达共识歪风,而这种歪风尤其是当前办事处处讲究效率中无疑是一只拦路虎。

  喜欢打官腔的人,不论其位在官与否,都令听者十分讨厌,官腔容易给人一种狐假虎威的感觉,不少人也觉得喜欢说门面话的人多数不做实事,更有人认为善打官腔的官员是以找借口、说空话来敷衍塞责。

  为官者如何与人民建立融洽关系,不说官话是第一要求,官话泛滥,说的人感觉良好,听的人会觉得十分不舒服,会采取你说你的官话,我想我的事情的消极对抗意识,官民意识脱节之下,要令行政措施收效恐怕就不是易事。更严重的是,它可能变成掩盖社会矛盾的一个铁盖,人民不愿意把自己的想法说出来,当官者无法看到实际民情,于是,官话瞎说,社会脉搏瞎摸,评估瞎猜,最终只会令官民距离越拉越远。

官员乐于官话连篇而不疲,至少给人三种负面感觉:一是被认为炫耀自己的手中权力,凡开口先来一轮官话显示位在人民之上的威风。二是觉得这样可以向更高领导表示自己在宣传官方信息上不遗余力。三是为了让治下子民听其为官训示,以显官威。殊不知,这三种负面作用已经令官者陷于高高在上的不义,试想,如此又从何谈起与民共呼吸、共患难。(杜可风)

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中国,梦幻般的经济-梦魇般的环境

德国之声 2008-01-30

    去年,中国的经济增长率虽已攀升到11.4%这种梦幻般的高度,但也为此付出了高额代价:河流被污染,城市中烟雾蔓延,温室气体排放量“摘得头魁”- 2007年成为排放“世界冠军”。这几天,中国发生了百年一遇的雪灾,跟10年前的水灾一样,也许也是环境的一种报复。德国之声记者报导如下。

  在中国,人们逐渐意识到全球气候变暖所发出的危险信号,而环保问题也自然而然成为了一个吸引人眼球的热门话题。自本周四起开始访华的德国联邦环境部部长西格马尔?加布里尔对中德双方在环保领域的合作表现出极大兴趣。他也许到得正是时候。

  法新社称:尽管官方数据还未出来,但专家们一致认为,从绝对数字来看,中国在2007年已超过了美国,位居二氧化碳排放量的榜首。当然,就人均排放量而言,德国和美国分别比中国高出了2.5倍和5倍。但庞大的人口数也无法永远作为借口,因为从相对数字来看,中国的温室气体排放量也已很快向发达国家看齐,3.9吨的年人均排放量已远远超过了其他发展中国家,如印度和巴西。中国温室气体排放量增长如此之迅速,让世界上的其他国家都只能望“中”兴叹了。

  中国的水体污染程度同样令人咂舌,约每两条河流中就有一条的水体无法再用于灌溉。工业废水甚至几乎或根本不经过处理就直接排放。而在广东省,即加布里尔访华的首站,人口密集的工业区的污染程度更是令人触目惊心,如工业林立的珠江三角洲地区。在与它毗邻的香港,80%的大气污染都源自该地区的废气排放。就全国范围来看,自2005年以来,中国由于环境污染而导致的癌症病患人数增长了20%,畸形新生儿的数量从2001年至今也已增长了约40%

  正如世界上许多国家一样,经过几百年的砍伐,中国的天然林也已所剩无几了。1950年左右,全国的森林覆盖率还不到9%。经过实施大规模的植树造林工程,这一比率到2004年已超过了16%,这样的趋势将会持续。

  在2000年前建成的900多个自然风景保护区约占全国总面积的11%。但与此同时,土地沙漠化也在日益加重,这已波及4亿人口的生活。沙漠面积已占到中国国土总面积的18%以上,而伴随着全球气候的变暖,这一比例还会逐年增加。

  1998年,中国发生了罕见的水灾。10年后, 2008年初,又发生了罕见的雪灾。这些,在相当程度上是大自然的一种报复。雪灾已经初步显示,自然灾害不仅给人带来灾难(没法回家,甚至几十人在事故中丧生,冻死),也会给经济带来恶劣影响。且不说中国官方已经说的几十亿的直接损失。雪灾带来很多的问题,包括运输的停顿,缺能源和原料导致的停产,物价的进一步增长。甚至股市这些天的剧跌也未必与此无关,因为自然灾害既然能影响经济,也会影响人们对相关企业和经济领域的信心。德广联记者从中国发来的相关报导还提到:煤炭专家预计,中国停止煤炭出口将对世界能源市场产生影响,特别是对主要进口国,如韩国,日本以及台湾。同时,中国十分之一的冶金及金属加工企业也因原料和能源供应不及而停产。

  加布里尔部长离开德国前对德国之声说,由于环境问题,中国的经济发展等于零。这话听上去有点夸大其词,耸人听闻,但其中确实含有一种哲理,并非仅仅是环境投资额和经济增长率都是10%的问题,更是一个可持续性的问题。

中国最近在现代化目标中加入了“生态现代化”,这是一种可贵的觉悟。也许晚了一点,于是在觉悟之初,又让大自然给狠狠地敲了一记。看来,生态的事情不抓紧可真的危险了。

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Chinese Independent Documentary Series (UCLA 2/14-3/6)

Presented by the UCLA Center for Chinese Studies and the REEL CHINA Documentary Biennial

Time: Thursdays, 7:00pm

Titles:

Feb. 14, 2008:  Using
Feb. 21, 2008: Senior Year;  and We Are the … of Communism
Feb. 28, 2008: Gongbu’s Happy Life; and Blossoming in the Wind
March 6, 2008: Women’s Fifty Minutes; and Mei Mei

Venue: 2534 Melnitz Hall, UCLA

Admission: FREE

Screening Format: all films will be in DVD format with English subtitles.

Source of films:
• REEL CHINA Documentary Biennial, New York.
• Zero Channel Media Co., Beijing.
• Director Zhou Hao.

Preliminary Screening Program

History

The Hurricane, dir. Duan Jinchuan and Jiang Yue, 2005, 89m.
The Hurricane is a reinvestigation of the communist Land Reform (1946-1953) that started as a strategy to mobilize peasants to support the Communist Party in the civil war with the Nationalists (1946-49). This documentary, in the form of grassroots oral history, presents villagers in Northeast China, where the Land Reform was launched. The peasants speak from memory, giving accounts of manipulation, injustice, and cruelty.

Gai Shanxi and Her Sisters, dir. Ban Zhongyi, 2004, 130m. [TBA because of length]
This is the story of the courageous struggle of a Chinese comfort woman. The film focuses on the ordeal of Gai Shanxi (this is actually her nickname, which means “No. 1 beauty of Shanxi”), a peasant woman in Shanxi Province who took part in the resistance against the Japanese. Because of her good looks, she was twice held captive in the Japanese stronghold where she was brutally raped. Regardless of her own safety, she twice offered her body in order to protect other girls from her village. The ravages wrecked upon her by the Japanese left her barren and scorned by others after the war. Unhappy in her marriage and family life and suffering from poor health, she could no longer bear the psychological as well as physical pain, so she took her own life. When the filmmaker visited Shanxi Province, Gai Shanxi was already dead. Her story is told through the testimonies of other former comfort women, the village elders, and former Japanese soldiers.

Documentary Ethics

The Other Bank, dir. Jiang Yue, 1994, 140 min.
This is a documentary about a group of unusual actors, their training, their groundbreaking performances in contemporary Chinese theater, and what happened to them. In early spring of 1993, independent artist Mou Sen was invited by the Actors Exchange and Training Center of the Beijing Film Academy to take charge of an intensive, short-term performance workshop. More than thirty high school graduates from all over the country attended the workshop. Fourteen of them, who stay till the end of the training, performed The Other Bank: A Chinese Grammatical Discussion, a play written by Gao Xingjian (Nobel Prize Winner, 2000) and Yu Jian. The seven performances by the fourteen students stunned Beijing’s artistic and intellectual circles. These young actors were greeted with applause, flowers, and tears. The show was over. But where would these fourteen young people go? They chose to stay in Beijing. The reality they encountered was cruel. The dreams in the classrooms were broken. In the end, all the young actors left Beijing one after another. One student brought back two actor friends to his remote village in Hebei Province where he staged a theater piece they wrote together. The Black Bird that had Flown Over the Paradise. The filmmaker’s critical decision to shift his focus from the artists to the young peasant performers marks an important turning point at which independent Chinese documentary became critical of its intellectual advantage and instead tried to become closer to the grassroots.

Using, dir. Zhou Hao, 2007, 145m.
“Using” is the latest work by contemporary Chinese documentary filmmaker Zhou Hao. Shot over the last three years, the documentary follows the relationship between the filmmaker and two “friends” who were drug users in the city of Guangzhou. Apart from investigating at close range a dark and cruel layer of reality of contemporary Chinese society that has rarely been aired, the documentary is also provocative in baring the mutually using relationship between the filmmaker and the filmed subject.

Education

Senior Year, dir. Zhou Hao, 2005, 95m.
In No.1 High School of Wuping County in western Fujian Province, seventy-eight high school seniors have only one chance to advance to higher education, that is through the annual national entrance exam. Eighty percent of the students in this school come from surrounding rural areas. Their parents tell them that if they don’t want to become farmers, the entrance exam to higher education is their only chance to change their lives. The documentary records the hardworking, high-pressured as well as lonely lives of a group of seventeen and eighteen-year-old Hakkas.  As one student puts it, “I can’t stand the idea of going through another senior year.”


We Are the . . . of Communism (aka The School That Disappeared), Cui Zi’en, 2007, 94m.
From summer to winter, the number of students in the Yuanhai migrant community school dropped from 720 to 16.  Some were kicked outside and had to temporarily attend class in a workshop and in the street, until even that was taken away. Those students, once happily gathered together, lost everything. Some dropped out from school and stayed at home, others moved to far away schools with high fees, and still others returned to school in their hometown with their parents. With the arrival of winter, students below the third grade could only attend class squeezed inside a small van. Classes for students from fourth to sixth grades were held in the teacher's home. In spite of this, and even when it turned very cold, students still ran to the school's main door to play and never ceased to regard the school as a big and happy fairyland.

Documentaries on the Minorities

Gongbu’s Happy Life, dir. Ji Dan, 1999, 82m.
This meditative documentary about the life of a Tibetan villager displays a sensitivity and understanding that the filmmaker herself gained from her three years of living in the Tibetan village.

Blossoming in the Wind, dir. Sun Yuelin, 2005, 60 mins.
As the debut work of the young filmmaker Sun Yueling, Blossoming in the Wind won the Committee Nomination Prize at the 2005 Yunnan Multi-culture Visual Forum/Festival. It is an intimate and personal record of a blissful pilgrimage by Rinpoche, a Tibetan Living Buddha. Traveling with several of his disciples and the filmmaker, Ripoche heads for a Tibetan sacred mountain in Deqing, Yunnan Province. Marching through sleet and snow, Ripoche spreads his joy and wisdom throughout the whole journey. Blue skies, white clouds, the tinkling of bells, the sound of footsteps, smiling faces, and singing voices all bask in the glow of the transparent sunshine, amidst the joyous festivities of daily life. Animals and humans alike traverse freely through the realms of the sacred land.

Women and Gender

Women’s Fifty Minutes, Shi Tou, 2005, 55m.
This experimental documentary is a compilation of various shots and impressions of the filmmaker’s trip to her girlfriend’s hometown as well as her daily wandering in Beijing. Through the impressionistic non-narrative, the filmmaker presents a deeply personal observation of women’s changing roles in traditional ceremonies in provincial China as well as in modern metropolitan life.

Mei Mei, dir. Gao Tian, 2005, 82 mins.
Mei Mei is a transvestite male actor who is eager to find his true love. He searches among gays and transvestites. In 2004 he finally meets a man of his match who also accepts Mei Mei as he is. They have a public wedding ceremony. Mei Mei is very confident about his marriage and his future. His friends throw a farewell party for him before he leaves for Shanghai where he and his love are to embark on a life together.  However, things are not as perfect as planned, and his marriage proves harder than expected. Finally Mei Mei comes back to Beijing. He feels embarrassed when running into old friends. Also, he runs into financial problems worse than ever before.

 Cost: FREE

For more information please contact

Center for Chinese Studies Tel: 310-825-8683
china@international.ucla.edu

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拟储备关键语言人才 美国五角大楼招中文专家

http://www.usqiaobao.com  2008-01-31 00:06:48 (余东晖)

五角大楼周三宣布,开始招募中文语言人才,为美军服务。

  根据“国家语言服务兵团”项目,到2010年,五角大楼要招募千名会汉语普通话、俄语、斯瓦希里语等10种语言的专家,以备急用。

  “国家语言教育项目”主任斯拉特表示,过去510年,外语人才在美国是“稀缺产品”,联邦和地方政府无法处理所有的语言问题,所以要通过适当的项目,发现和储备语言人才。

  虽然斯拉特以卡特里那飓风灾难中,越南语人才稀缺带来灾民转移困难为例,说明外语人才的重要性,但观察家相信,所谓“知己知彼,百战不殆”,五角大楼对“国家安全语言”人才的重视,显示美军要加强对有关国家军事和安全形势的研究,并准备应付紧急状态。

  据悉,五角大楼储备外语人才包括两个层面,一个是“专业队”,为联邦特定部门输送专职外语专家;另一个是“国家队”,包括更大范围的兼职语言人才,需要时招之即来。

布什3年前提出“国家安全语言项目”,将阿拉伯语、汉语、俄语、印地语和波斯语列为事关美国国家安全的关键语种。目前美国正在通过请进来、送出去的方式,多部门、多渠道地培养语言人才。

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美排全球間諜機構   中國國安部列第二  

美國近日將目光關注到全球頂級的間諜機構上。美國《外交政策》雜誌近日刊登文章,評論全球最具實力的六大間諜機構。在公布的名單中,俄羅斯和中國的情報機關被美國媒體排在了第一和第二的位置。

據《環球時報》報道,《外交政策》稱,盡管冷戰已經結束很久,但美國中央情報局仍然面臨艱巨的挑戰。全球幾大間諜機構正在一如既往地忙碌著。在該雜誌公布的名單中,全球六大間諜機構的排名分別是俄羅斯對外情報局、中國國家安全部、印度調查分析局、巴基斯坦三軍情報局、英國軍情六處和以色列「摩薩德」間諜組織。

在名單的後半部分,該文章還詳細介紹了上述間諜機構的主要職能以及近年來的活動情況。分析人士認為,美國媒體刊登分析別國間諜機構的文章,一方面是為中情局在全球開展非法間諜活動開脫。因為這些年來,中央情報局在海外設立秘密監獄等醜聞使得美國情報部門顏面無光,政府也為此背負很多壓力。美國媒體希望通過報道別國間諜機構的情況,轉移世界輿論對中情局的關注。

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American Online education creates nationwide debate

On its front page, the New York Times (2/1, A1, Dillon) reports, "Half a million American children take classes online, with a significant group...getting all their schooling from virtual public schools." However, such online charter schools have "provoked debates in courtrooms and legislatures over money, as the schools compete with local districts for millions in public dollars, and over issues like whether online learning is appropriate for young children." Recently in Wisconsin, "the backers of" an online education school "persuaded state lawmakers to keep it and 11 other virtual schools open despite a court ruling against them and the opposition of the teachers union." The decision "followed the pattern in other states where online schools have proliferated fast," according to one education consultant, who added that most states have approved of online learning but also feel they "need to change some regulations and get some more oversight." Barbara J. Hinton, an auditor, said that the freedoms online education allowed "had great potential," but added that it "also creates certain risks to both the quality of the student's education and to the integrity of the public school system."

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中国留学生问题报告:妖魔化还是留学垃圾

     又到年初,又到留学申请高峰期,千军万马梦想着出国留学的莘莘学子们,不论是抱有何种目的,身处何种境地,都无一例外地被想象中的海外美景强烈吸引。然而,留学的光景却总是几家欢喜几家愁,也有陷阱、坎坷和失落。一句话,留学须谨慎——改革开放以后,中国曾经涌起过几股留学热潮。然而随着出国留学的泛滥,“海归派”风光不再,关于中国留学生在所在国家的负面消息似乎也不绝于耳。已经有国内媒体惊呼“中国盛产留学垃圾”,这是在妖魔化“留学生”吗?

  是“妖魔化”还是“留学垃圾”

  比富斗阔、凶杀、卖淫、勒索、吸毒、打黑工而成为非法移民等等,虽然目前来看是少数,绝大部分的留学生还是自强不息,但上述事件确使中国人的形象受到了损害。留学生的问题暴露的是国民性的问题,但是作为中国形象流动的广告牌,关注“问题”留学生是必要的。

  小留学生问题

  要送子女出国,中国的父母应帮助孩子在国内就尽早自立。对一个不能自制自律,没有分辨是非能力的孩子来说,出国留学更是一个陷阱。中国大陆每到高考结束,都有一批高考“落榜”或根本就没有参加高考的孩子要踏上出国的路。对于他们来讲,出国未必是每个人的最佳选择。做父母的要慎重,千万不要让孩子重复这种或那种不幸的留学故事。望子成龙的家长亲手把孩子送出了国,也亲手毁掉了孩子的一生。

  洋野鸡大学的诚信危机