Asian Culture Week begins at Creighton University this evening at 5:30 with a roundtable seminar called “Lesson Globally Not Learned: A Historical Look at the Fate of Indigenous Cultures.”
Dr. Maorong Jiang, Director of Creighton’s Asian World Center, says he and a colleague started Asian Culture Week 12 years ago with the firm belief that if people have a strong sense of self-identity through culture, they’re more likely to interact peacefully with other cultures.
Jiang says the week is full of presentations and discussions covering everything from Forced Federalism to the Reality of Chinese Muslims.
He calls Friday’s talk the highlight of the week. Dr. Gregg Johnson, Chair of the Department of Political Science at Valparaiso University, will talk about the role China plays in terms of US-Cuba Relations.
Jiang says Johnson will explore and analyze China’s role in this process, focusing on two main points.
"First, China can act as a model for the Cuban regime to follow as China has engaged in enormous economic changes while maintaining one party rule. Second, China’s involvement in key international organizations opens new avenues of trade and finance that were previously blocked.”
Tonight’s roundtable begins at 5:30 and takes place in the Skutt Student Center at Creighton.
Tomorrow, Dr. Jiang will present a session at 11:30 called “Official Religious Policy in China and Eyewitness Reality of the Chinese Muslims.”
All these events are free and open to the public. More information is available online at Creighton.edu. Once you’re there, search for Asian Culture Week.