Campus Humanities Calendar
Monday, April 14, 2025
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The Constitution of Japan, the oldest unamended constitution in the world, has become the focus of renewed partisan debate, with government leaders increasingly advocating for revision. However, whether this elite-driven initiative aligns with public sentiment remains uncertain.
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This talk examines the factors shaping civic support for and opposition to constitutional change by analyzing two key dimensions of constitutional legitimacy. Drawing on original surveys and experiments, this study sheds light on the evolving role of constitutionalism in Japan and its broader implications for democratic governance.
Tuesday, April 15, 2025
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After a delayed impeachment process lasting over three months, South Korea faces a critical juncture. The Constitutional Court’s ruling on Yoon’s impeachment will be a decisive moment, shaping the trajectory of South Korean democracy or exposing systemic vulnerabilities. In this roundtable, four Korean experts from UIUC will discuss the ongoing political turmoil and...
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The Interdisciplinary Sport Studies Research Cluster is pleased to host Dr. Letisha Brown, Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Brown will give a guest talk on her upcoming book titled, Say Her Name: Centering Black Feminism and Black Women in Sport, with Rutgers University Press
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Please join us to celebrate the book launch of LLS professor, Aja Y. Martinez's new book The Origins of Critical Race Theory: The People and Ideas That Created a Movement, co-authored with Robert O. Smith (University of North Texas). The book weaves together the many sources of critical race theory, recounting the origin story for one of the most insightful and...
Wednesday, April 16, 2025
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Free lunch and informal talk for undergraduates of any major. With poet and essayist Ross Gay.
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Join us for a lecture in the Illinois Forum on Human Flourishing in a Digital Age Speaker Series with Christine Rosen. Her lecture "Defending the Human in a Technological World" will explore what it means to be human in a world that promises near-endless opportunities for virtual, disembodied experience.
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A public reading and book signing with award-winning poet and essayist Ross Gay.
Thursday, April 17, 2025
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Join us for a lecture from Dr. Robert O. Smith (Chickasaw), a professor at the University of North Texas, titled "Red Power, Black Power: Vine Deloria, Derrick Bell, and the Critique of Liberalism."
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World War Zoos: Humans and Other Animals in the Deadliest Conflict of the Modern Age. Guest speaker John M. Kinder, Professor of History and Director of American Studies at Oklahoma State University, discusses his new book just out from the Univ. of Chicago Press on zoos, animals, and war.
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From confrontation to engagement to rivalry, U.S.-China relations have undergone a dramatic transformation over the past seven decades. This talk traces key patterns and turning points leading to today’s tensions over trade, technology, security, and global influence. As the two superpowers navigate a new phase of strategic competition and mutual suspicion, what are...
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Kang Endowed Lecture with Professor Dali Yang (Univ. of Chicago) traces the dramatic transformation of U.S.-China relations over the past seven decades, from confrontation to engagement to rivalry. It focuses on key patterns and turning points leading to current tensions over trade, technology, security, and global influence, and explores future prospects.
Friday, April 18, 2025
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The SKY Happiness Retreat is an internationally acclaimed life-skills program that helps participants develop a relaxed, stress-free mind and an energetic, healthy body. The retreat teaches tools such as evidence-based meditation, yoga, breathwork and self-exploration in a fun and an experiential format.
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Join us for a lecture by ethnomusicologist Olga Zaitseva-Herz on the role of music in Russia’s war on Ukraine. She explores how state-controlled and grassroots music scenes shape the war’s political and social dynamics. A postdoctoral fellow at the University of Alberta, Zaitseva-Herz examines music as a tool of resistance, diplomacy, and identity.
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Join the Department of Philosophy for a lecture with John D. Norton, a distinguished professor at the University of Pittsburgh. His lecture "How the material theory of induction dissolves the problem of induction" will explore Hume's problem of induction and argues that attempts to revive the problem within material theory fail.
Saturday, April 19, 2025
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The SKY Happiness Retreat is an internationally acclaimed life-skills program that helps participants develop a relaxed, stress-free mind and an energetic, healthy body. The retreat teaches tools such as evidence-based meditation, yoga, breathwork and self-exploration in a fun and an experiential format.
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At Spurlock Museum in the Knight Auditorium, Japan House is pleased to welcome Japanese calligrapher Seiran Chiba for a performance and lecture. Chiba's performance will be interactive with the audience and features musical accompaniment from Ho Etsu Taiko. Doors to the Knight Auditorium will open at 12:45PM. Registration is strongly recommended and seating is first-come..
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Japan House is pleased to partner with the Spurlock Museum to feature the exhibition opening of Kogei: Traditional Japanese Arts and Crafts of Fukushima, Japan. The reception and artist meet and greet features Fukushima artists Seiran Chiba, Akie Hashimoto, and Ayako Hirai. There will be light refreshments served and visitors can mingle with the artists and view their...