A panel discussion 

Memoirs from a Trailblazing Generation

This event features a multi-generational discussion about the diverse roles that women have played in fostering educational exchange between Japan and the US from the 1950s to today. Due to laws, social conventions, business practices, and additional factors, women have faced different choices in work and family and different access to education, jobs, and politics than people of other genders. We discuss how gender is one important factor that comprises identity; others include age, class, and location.

Panelists will explain how educational exchange has shaped their careers and offer suggestions for younger scholars. We will discuss the value of personal stories in disclosing hidden histories and challenging the dominant narratives that codify power structures. We hope to start larger conversations about educational exchange and gender and inclusion in the academy.

This event is inspired by Women in Japanese Studies: Memoirs from a Trailblazing Generation, edited by Alisa Freedman (AAS Asia Past and Present Book Series, Columbia University Press, December 2023) which features 32 scholarly memoirs.

Panelists (alphabetical order):

Janine Beichman, professor emerita, Daitō Bunka University

Alisa Freedman, professor, University of Oregon

Masako Iino, professor emerita and former president, Tsuda University

Kate Nakai, professor emerita, Sophia University

Anne Walthall, professor emerita, University of California, Irvine

Please register from here (or from the QR code below): https://forms.office.com/r/pqyeZAyBmm  

The event is supported by the Japan Foundation and hosted by Bettina Gramlich-Oka (professor, Sophia University) as part of the ICC Collaborative Research Unit "Network Studies."