07/07/2008

A&S Awarded Japanese Studies Grant

The University of Kentucky has received a grant to develop a Japanese Studies concentration within the newly created College of Arts and Sciences major of International Studies. The grant, totaling $179,272, comes from the Japan Foundation, and will assist with the hiring of two new faculty members – one with a specialty in Japanese language and another with a focus on the visual culture of Japan. Interviews for the positions will begin in fall 2008, with the new faculty members scheduled to begin teaching in fall 2009.

Of 63 applicants, only nine institutions were chosen to receive Japan Foundation grants this year. UK is among the four new programs to receive funding. Others are: the University of Colorado, the University of Hawaii and the University of Virginia.

Doug Slaymaker, director of the Division of Russian and Eastern Studies and co-director of the UK Asia Center, will serve as the project director for administration of the grant. "Receiving this highly competitive grant places UK among the major institutions in the country. Our record of effective programs was key. What set us apart was the spirit of cooperation across colleges and among faculty and units, and also the cooperation within the community," Slaymaker said after a recent meeting with Japan Foundation officials.

The expansion of Japanese Studies at UK is one example of the university's increasing efforts toward internationalization. Ultimately the expansion of the Japanese Studies Program is projected to augment existing classroom offerings, bring related exhibitions and activities to campus, and encourage new exchange programs with universities in Japan. For the first time undergraduates will be able to complete four full years of Japanese language study at UK, and the Japan Studies concentration will open the way for a teacher certification program in Japanese language.

Other than the addition of new faculty, the grant will also provide money for library acquisitions, bringing Japanese university officials to campus, travel by UK personnel to Japan, and on-campus programming to benefit the UK community.

Allison Elliott - UK Public Relations