4th Annual Spring Symposium – Environment and Climate Challenges in Global Asia20.3.2026 {en}
The Center for East Asian Studies (CEAS) at the University of Kansas (KU) is delighted to invite you to the 4th Annual Spring Symposium “Environment and Climate Challenges in Global Asia,” to be held on April 3 – 4, 2026. This event will take place in a hybrid format, with sessions held virtually and in person on KU Lawrence campus.
Theme Overview
The 21st century has issued a dual challenge: a climate in crisis and an economy in flux. How is Asia responding? This two-day interdisciplinary symposium brings together an international cohort of scholars, students, and artists to examine the environmental and climate challenges through the lens of Global Asia. Bringing memory and technology, the symposium explores how Asian societies navigate the intersection of environmental crisis, cultural identity, and the digital futures.
From wild boars of urbanizing China to ecofeminist imaginaries of the sea; from the resources of a memorial piano performance to the high-stakes ethics of the global nuclear-AI alliances, participants will engage in critical reflection and forward-looking dialogue on Asia’s role in shaping planetary future.
Schedule at a Glance
Day 1: Friday, April 3 | 9:00 AM – 4:45 PM CT (Faculty presentations)
Note: Pannel 1-3 are Online Only; Keynote and Performances are Hybrid.
- Panel 1: Negotiating Urban Asia: Risk, Resilience, and Human-Nature Interactions – chaired by Joonmo Kang (Social Welfare, KU)
- Panel 2: Environmental Imaginaries: Arts, Literature, and Ethical Responses to Climate – chaired by Francesco Carota (Architecture & Design, KU)
- Panel 3: Floods, Fires, Infrastructure, and Policy in East, Southeast and South Asia – chaired by Megan Greene (History, KU)
- Keynote speech (In-Person & Online): Dr. Ryo Morimoto (Harvard University) – AI Use in Cultural Production: Shifting Asian Digital Culture
- Piano Performance (In-Person & Online): Dr. Yi-Yang Chen (Music, KU) – In Memoriam: Japan, March 11.2011
- Quilt Presentation (In-Person & Online): Cindy Party (Quilt Artist ) – The Tohoku Triple Disaster: Cindy stiches her response to the horrors of March 11, 2011 in Japan
Day 2: Saturday, April 4, 2026 | 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM CT (Graduate Presentations)
Format: Online Only
- Graduate Research Pannels: Featuring an international cohort of graduate student presenters (TBA)
Registration & Information
- Registration: Attendance is free, but registration is required. Register Here.
- Full Program: View the complete Day 1 and Day 2 schedule here.
- Website: Visit the official symposium page here.
Questions? Please contact Ayako Mizumura at mizu[at]ku.edu
Source: ANN: 4th Annual Spring Symposium – Environment and Climate Challenges in Global Asia (University of Kansas), H-Net: Humanities & Social Sciences Online, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 US.
