Stony Brook University Faculty of Sciences and Humanities

    Professor Mengyang Jia participated in the 2026 Spring Academic Conference co-hosted by Keimyung University and the Korean Association of Chinese Linguistics (한국중국언어학회), which was held on May 30 at Keimyung University. Professor Jia served as a discussant for academic paper presentations and participated in scholarly discussions with researchers in the field. The conference was organized under the theme “The Essence and Expansion of Chinese Linguistics in the Age of Intelligence,” with more than 100 researchers from universities across Korea participating. A total of 32 research papers were presented in diverse fields including AI and linguistics, discourse and corpus studies, Chinese language education, contrastive and translation studies, and character and vocabulary research. Discussions particularly focused on the integration of artificial intelligence and linguistics, including machine translation, semantic structure comparison between Korean and Chinese, and AI-based language analysis methodologies. The Korean Association of Chinese Linguistics is a nationwide academic organization established to promote the development of Chinese linguistics in Korea. Its members include professors, teachers, lecturers, and graduate students engaged in Chinese language and linguistics education and research at universities and secondary educational institutions both in Korea and abroad. The association hosts annual academic conferences and publishes the journal Chinese Language Studies six times a year. Professor Mengyang Jia currently serves as a member of the editorial board of Chinese Language Studies, the association’s academic journal.   Reference: https://news.bbsi.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=4087469 https://www.newsfreezone.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=692760 https://www.ynenews.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=78714  

      Professor Mengyang Jia Moderates 第八届韩国中文教学专题与中韩人文研究国际学术研讨会(the 8th International Symposium on Chinese Language Teaching and Korea and China Humanities Studies), and Presents a Paper entitled “Chat GPT在初级汉语写作教学中的应用研究(The Application of ChatGPT in Beginner Chinese Writing Instruction).” The symposium, themed “Regional Knowledge Co-creation in the AI Era: Mobility, Dialogue, and Transformation,” brought together over 50 scholars and emerging researchers from more than 30 universities and research institutions across China, Korea, and Japan. Distinguished participants included representatives from the Chinese Embassy in Korea, academic associations, and leading Confucius Institutes. The conference focused on exploring new pathways, trends, and challenges in regional knowledge production and Sino-Korean humanities exchange in the age of artificial intelligence.   Reference: http://korea.people.com.cn/n1/2026/0427/c407926-40709720.html

  On April 10, the “2026 International Chinese Language Day – Chinese: Illuminating Colorful Dreams” event was held at the Seoul Chinese Cultural Center. Jointly organized by the China–Korea Studies Association and China Southern Airlines Korea Marketing Center.  Professor Mengyang Jia participated in the event and served as the host. Over 400 participants from government, academia, education, and cultural sectors in China and South Korea attended. Through lectures, exhibitions, and performances, the event highlighted the achievements of Chinese language education and the cultural significance of Chinese characters. International Chinese Language Day, also known as UN Chinese Language Day, is observed around Grain Rain (Guyu), one of the 24 traditional solar terms, which falls around April 20 each year. The day originates from the legend of Cangjie, the creator of Chinese characters. Today, it has evolved from commemorating linguistic origins to fostering global connections, becoming an important platform for international cultural and linguistic exchange.   The event received wide media coverage from major Chinese and Korean outlets, further demonstrating the growing global influence of the Chinese language and culture.   China–Korea Studies Association: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=MzA3NjQyMzA1NA==&mid=2247486995&idx=1&sn=0181c5fabd1a43ca0f504bb996143014 People’s Daily Online (International & Korea Channels, Chinese/Korean): http://world.people.com.cn/n1/2026/0412/c1002-40699680.html http://kr.people.com.cn/n3/2026/0414/c208059-20446327.html Xinhua News Agency: https://www.xinhuanet.com/world/20260413/c24d80d2a488414787965bb8b2f13d32/c.html Xinhua Korean Service: https://kr.news.cn/20260412/bbaaf29a56a54c74ab7c1b2e044a6e7e/c.html CCTV Asia Pacific: https://x.com/CCTVAsiaPacific/status/2043249214424223856?s=20 China News Service: https://m.chinanews.com/wap/detail/chs/zw/10602211.shtml Baidu Encyclopedia: https://baike.baidu.com/item/2026国际中文日/67608525 JoongAng Ilbo: https://chinese.joins.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=124128 Newsis: https://n.news.naver.com/article/003/0013880993?sid=103  

  ABSTRACT This article investigates the emergence of video sculpture and the development of related discourses in connection with major exhibitions held in the United States, Germany, and Korea, and situates the institutionalization of video sculpture from the 1970s through the 1990s within global networks. Employing electronic image technologies such as cathode-ray tubes, portable video recorders, closed-circuit systems, and slide projectors, video sculpture took shape as an artistic form that both reflected and materialized shifts within postmodern art during the transitional moment from analog to digital media environments. As “sculpture,” video reconfigured the non-artistic status of television—long regarded as a household appliance or machine—by reframing it within the domain of fine art. This shift was enabled not only by avant-garde artists but also through collaborations with experimental galleries, internationally active critics, and curators, who introduced an expanded concept of sculpture to establish television as a “creative medium.” With the release of the Portapak in 1965, artists gained new autonomy and mobility, producing gallery-based works that, in Nam June Paik’s words, took the “environment” as their subject. From the 1970s through the 1980s and 1990s, video sculpture gradually gained institutional recognition across major museums and exhibition spaces—often within broader frameworks of video art—including the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Kunstmuseum Düsseldorf, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, and Gallery Hyundai. Above all, the commercialization of color television in South Korea during the mid-to-late 1980s led to the formation of a media discourse by the mass media that differed from those in the United States and Germany; consequently, Nam June Paik’s video sculptures and installations were invoked at a national level as symbolic signifiers to showcase Korea’s cutting-edge technological prowess. From a global perspective, this study analyzes how video sculpture challenged the limits of traditional sculpture and expanded its scope through trans-genre artistic concepts. Focusing on the relationship between experimental artists, including Nam June Paik, and key historical exhibitions, the article reassesses the media-specific characteristics and arthistorical status of video sculpture, while highlighting how obsolete electronic devices function as residues of technological progress and time, embodying a dual temporality of generation and obsolescence.   For more details, you can read the full paper HERE.  

      Professor Mengyang Jia recently presented her paper titled “现代汉语否定词“没”的否定中心与定状补成分之间的关系” at The Sixth Harvard International Conference on Chinese Pedagogy (ICCP)-Beyond Boundaries: Embracing the Future of Chinese Language Teaching. The 6th Harvard International Conference on Chinese Pedagogy (ICCP) was successfully held on October 10–11, 2025, at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The two-day in-person conference featured plenary talks, roundtables, and panel sessions focusing on curriculum innovation, technology and AI integration, language skill development, diversity and inclusion, and cross-cultural pedagogy. Participants shared new research findings and classroom practices, addressing both long-standing and emerging challenges in the field. Professor Jia’s presentation sparked active discussion among attendees interested in modern Chinese grammar and its pedagogical implications. The conference provided a valuable platform for academic exchange and collaboration, encouraging participants to rethink the boundaries of Chinese language education in a global and digital era. For more information, visit: https://clp.hsites.harvard.edu/iccp-conference

    We are pleased to congratulate Professor Mary Gregg, who teaches Philosophy, on being selected as one of the winners of the Irene H. Chayes New Voices Award. This award, presented by the American Society for Aesthetics, recognizes emerging voices in the field of aesthetics. For more information, please refer to the link HERE.       The ASA is delighted to announce award winners for 2025!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Outstanding Monograph Prize: Kathleen Higgins for Aesthetics in Grief and Mourning: Philosophical Reflections on Coping with Loss (Oxford University Press, 2024)  Selma Jeanne Cohen Research Prize: Kate Mattingly for Shaping Dance Canons: Criticism, Aesthetics, and Equity (University of Press Florida, 2023) Honorable Mentions for the 2025 SJC award: Serouj Aprahamian and Megan Nicely Somaesthetics Research Prize: Stefano Marino for "Pragmatist Aesthetics, Ethics of Taste, and Feminism" in Somapower: Somaesthetics Reads Politics (Brill, 2024) New Voices (for 83rd annual meeting): Juan Carlos Gonzalez and Mary Gregg      

    ABSTRACT How should we understand the relation between the viewer and the object of a depiction in the context of a visual joke? In an attempt to understand some of the implications of Michel-Rolph Trouillot’s ‘Observer’- ‘Native’ relation, I’ll argue that the harm the ‘Observer’ commits against a subject (taken as ‘Native’) is made all the more damaging when someone takes themselves to be a passive ‘Observer’ rather than a participatory observer. This harm, I’ll attempt to show, can be committed by either of two separable roles: the role of the creator of the visual representation (depictor) and the role of perpetuator of the visual representation (the viewer). By creating and purveying a false category with which to pick out and make sense of the subject, the depiction does damage to its viewer not by instructing them about what to recognize but how to interpret and treat what they recognize.   For more details, you can read the full paper HERE.  

    Prof. Jungmin Hong (SUNY Korea) highlighted the importance of reminding the Trump administration that Korea and Japan are indispensable allies in the U.S.–China power competition. He noted that the two countries’ shipbuilding industries are vital to strengthening and maintaining U.S. naval power, and thus can be used effectively as leverage in relations with the U.S. government. Looking ahead, he predicted that a second Trump administration, like the first, would likely begin with a hardline approach but later soften. In this context, he stressed that Korea and Japan should respond with strategic patience, sustained dialogue, and negotiation.   Click here to read the article.

  Professor Jungmin Hong presented his paper, “U.S. Foreign Policy Shifts in the Trump 2.0 Era and the Prospects for U.S.-Korea-Japan Relations,” at the Joint International Symposium co-hosted by the HK+ National Strategies Research Project and Hokkaido University. The symposium was held at Hokkaido University in Sapporo, Japan, on April 28, 2025. It was supported by the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Sapporo and the National Research Foundation of Korea.

    [Hankyung Essay] Constitutional Amendment for a Great Nation Korean politics is in a crisis. The checks and balances have collapsed, and dialogue and compromise have disappeared. Following the president, the prime minister who acted as the president’s proxy was also impeached. Many argue that the issue lies in the imperial presidential system. But is that really the case? How did the United States become the world’s leading superpower? What is the core principle of the U.S. presidential system, and where does the power of American democracy come from? About 250 years ago, the Founding Fathers of the United States created the world’s first federal system and presidential system to form their constitution. What they disliked most was the British monarchy. Therefore, when they created the constitution, they made sure to divide the national power between the president and Congress to prevent the president from exercising power like a king. They also set up a system of checks and balances between the president and Congress. Political scientist Charles Jones, in his book , explains that the principle of checks and balances is naturally realized through the regular elections held every two years in the U.S. Every two years, the American people either empower the president further or give the opposition party more power in Congress to better check the president. Additionally, if the president performs well, the people can give them another four years; if not, they can change the president in four years. Through regular elections every two years, the American people evaluate and judge both the president and Congress, minimizing the harm of an imperial presidency. Because elections are held every two years, political parties focus more on healthy policy debates, driven by the constant fear of losing support from the people. Last week, the Heonjeonghoe (Association of Former Members of the National Assembly) suggested that the current political crisis presents an ideal opportunity for constitutional reform and proposed a single-point constitutional amendment. The proposed changes, including a 4-year presidential term with the possibility of re-election, a dual presidency with a vice president, and a bicameral legislature, all seem promising. The most important reform should be to establish a regular two-year election cycle in Korea. Both the president and the National Assembly should be held accountable every two years through elections. This would ensure that true national power comes from the people. Recently, the issue of the unclear legal authority of the acting president led to confusion during the impeachment process. In the United States, if the president is unable to perform their duties, power is transferred in a clear order: to the vice president, then the Speaker of the House, the President of the Senate, and finally the Secretary of State. About a decade ago, Goldman Sachs predicted that by 2050, South Korea would become the second wealthiest country in the world, after the United States. Through a favorable constitutional amendment, I hope that Korea too can aspire to become a great nation and eventually produce respected, successful presidents like Abraham Lincoln or Franklin D. Roosevelt. May the new year, 2025, be the year that South Korea takes its first steps toward becoming a great nation.   Click here to read the article.  

  [Hankyung Essay] The True Meaning of Christmas Former U.S. President Barack Obama emphasized cultural and religious diversity by greeting people with "Happy Holidays!" instead of "Merry Christmas!" during the Christmas season. Following this, many people in American society began to use "Happy Holidays!" as a more inclusive Christmas greeting. In contrast, Donald Trump who appeared in such an atmosphere, he boldly declared "Merry Christmas!" in public, saying, "It’s Christmas, so of course we should say 'Merry Christmas.'" This became an opportunity for Trump to gain great popularity among American conservatives. The true meaning of Christmas is service and love. Jesus came to this world not to be served, but to serve. While washing the feet of His disciples, a task traditionally performed by servants, Jesus said, "As I have loved you, so you must love one another."   On the day of the first snowfall this year, a special music concert, the Sejin Music Concert, was held at the Sejong Center. This concert, inspired by the movie ‘Harmony’, is a performance where inmates from the Ministry of Justice’s correctional facilities promise their change through a choir performance and cheer on their re-socialization process. When the youth under protection, whom I meet and mentor every Wednesday, appeared on stage and received a great round of applause as they sang, tears of deep emotion flowed. In our society, approximately 55,000 teenagers go through juvenile protection trials each year. Most of these children are not properly cared for at home. Many of them return to their homes, but are easily exposed again to environments that lead them back to crime. However, children who receive protection and care at the Juvenile Rehabilitation Support Centers show a significant decrease in recidivism rates, with the rate dropping by more than half. Therefore, it is essential for our society to show warm interest and love for these centers, to help these children grow into healthy and responsible members of society.  There was a TV program called ‘Finding Dad’, which depicted the journey of children seeking their fathers who had come to Korea to work. The scenes where the children were reunited with their fathers after years apart in the unfamiliar land of Korea were deeply moving. However, it is estimated that around 20,000 children, known as "Kopino" (children of Korean fathers), have been abandoned by their Korean fathers in the Philippines. Last month, an organization called Messenger International, which supports the education and living expenses of these Kopino children, invited around 10 of them to Korea. The goal was to allow them to experience happiness and create lasting memories in Korea, as well as to inspire them to dream bigger. One student, who received help from Messenger International and went on to study at university, recently passed the Philippine Bar Exam, bringing exciting news.   If we pay a little more attention, we can see children who need love and support. There are also foreign workers and students who are in Korea as strangers. I hope this Christmas season brings warmth and kindness to orphans and strangers around us. Merry Christmas!   Click here to read the article.

  The Theologian in the Attic: Jonathan Edwards and American Culture  by Donald C. Bellomy:   Introduction The presentation explores the legacy of Jonathan Edwards, a major figure in American religious thought, and his relevance to American culture. It references the idea from The Madwoman in the Attic, suggesting that Edwards, like other forgotten figures, has been rediscovered at critical moments.   American Culture and Jonathan Edwards Two approaches to American cultural studies: 1920s: American exceptionalism. 1940s-50s and beyond: America as a global cultural influencer. The presentation follows the latter approach.   Jonathan Edwards' Influence Over Time 18th Century: A precocious child who became a revival preacher, failed pastor, and theological giant. By 1800, dismissed by some as irrelevant (Ezra Stiles). 19th Century: Retrofitting Edwards Interest in his work due to theological debates and the rise of free will discussions. The Second Great Awakening shifted religious focus toward family-oriented love rather than Edwards’s intense divine love. Literary critiques (e.g., Harriet Beecher Stowe, Mark Twain) depicted his theology as harsh and frightening. 20th Century: American Studies and Theological Reassessment Vernon Parrington (1927): Criticized Edwards as an outdated, un-American figure. Perry Miller (1930s-60s): Reframed Edwards as a bridge to modern thought, leading to renewed scholarly interest. Modern Theological Engagement Princeton scholars and evangelicals reassessing Edwards’ theological insights. Questions of whether Edwards was "right" rather than just historically significant.   Open Questions The role of an interventionist God in Edwards’ theology. His experiences with the Holy Spirit. His absence in non-evangelical historical studies of the Great Awakening.   Conclusion Calls for a "real" engagement with Edwards' scholarship. Suggests Edwards’ theology connects with Transcendentalists and William James. Ends with a reflection on the necessity of verbalizing spiritual experiences.   For more details, please refer to the attachment.

  [Hankyung Essay] Education that Balances Happiness and Competitiveness Two weeks ago, there was a closing ceremony for the Global Citizenship University, a collaboration between the State University of New York (SUNY) in Korea and the Incheon Lifelong Education Center. The participants ranged from their 20s to their 70s. Their level of knowledge was high, and their enthusiasm was remarkable, as they asked questions and engaged in discussions based on actual university-level content during class. The participants gave similar feedback. “Maybe it’s because it’s an American university, but there’s something different about it. The professor constantly asked questions and encouraged us to speak, which made us keep thinking. By debating with people who had different opinions, I was able to broaden my perspective.” Last week, there was also a Commencement ceremony for students at SUNY Korea. Most of our students are from the engineering and business schools. After graduation, many of them will enter global companies such as Google, Apple, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon, as well as Korean corporations. I recalled when they first entered. Many students from regular high schools in Korea face significant challenges during their first semester. This is mainly because all classes are conducted in English, but an even greater challenge is that they are too accustomed to passive learning methods from middle and high school. Korean students are not used to freely discussing and presenting new ideas or differing opinions in class. In contrast, international students actively participate in presentations and debates and thoroughly enjoy the class itself. After studying diligently for four years at university, Korean students gain the confidence and ability to discuss and compete in their fields in English, no matter where they go in the world. I heard that many engineering and science students from Seoul National University repeat their studies or take a second attempt to enter medical school. Something is wrong. There is a great demand for talented individuals in engineering and technology fields, but most of the top students aim for medical school. I’m confused about when this started, and whether it’s something that our society has created.   People often say that if you want to understand why America is the world’s leading power, you should visit American universities. But I want to recommend visiting an American elementary school. In the U.S., children are encouraged from an early age to express their thoughts freely in class, fostering creativity naturally. During vacations, children eagerly await the start of school. In a happy school environment, they run, play, study, and discover what suits them, along with their dreams for the future.   Korean parents are suffering from the immense cost of private education. This is due to the educational culture that fuels competitive comparisons through rankings. In such an environment, individual dreams and creativity cannot flourish. Schools in Korea should also allow students to freely express their dreams and creativity. Even though Korea introduced the first social media platform, Cyworld, it lost its market to later platforms like Facebook and Instagram. I wonder if the reason for the short lifespan of Korean SNS is due to a culture that, trapped in a narrow domestic market, fails to dream of a broader, global future.   Click here to read the article.  

    [Hankyung Essay] Lessons from the U.S. Presidential System There is something admirable in American politics: the regularity of elections every two years. The U.S. has a four-year presidential term. Two years after a presidential election, congressional elections are held. The American people use these elections to assess the president's performance over the past two years, deciding whether to give power to the opposition or the ruling party in Congress. Then, another two years later, the presidential election takes place, where the American people decide whether to give the president another chance or elect a new president. With elections every two years, political parties in the U.S. immediately focus on policy battles for the next election after the current one. This regular cycle of elections effectively implements the principle of checks and balances. What about South Korea? Congressional elections are held every four years, and presidential elections every five years, so the cycles don’t align. Sometimes, the public must vote within just one year, and other times, they must wait for four years. As a result, when the opposition party is a minority, South Korea sometimes experiences abnormal legislative activities like physical clashes in the National Assembly or protests outside the legislature. When the opposition party is the majority, it often blocks government budgets or abuses impeachment procedures to disrupt governance. Last week, South Korea went through significant turmoil and crisis. President Yoon Suk Yeol entrusted his future to the ruling party, and ruling party leader Han Dong Hoon proposed suspending the president’s duties and promoting an orderly resignation. This presents a golden opportunity to advance Korean democracy. During the democratization movement in 1987, people were so excited about the direct election of the president that no one paid attention to aligning the election cycles. Without much thought, the three major Mr. Kim politicians who wanted to be a president at the time agreed to establish a five-year single-term presidency. Despite rapid economic growth, Korean democracy has remained unstable, and one of the main reasons we have been unable to address long-term national challenges like educational reform and pension reform is this issue. I hope that the National Assembly takes this opportunity to make a one-point constitutional amendment to establish a four-year presidential term with re-election. It would be ideal to hold the presidential election alongside the nationwide local elections on June 3, 2026. If an early presidential election is held on June 3, 2025, the five-year single term should be the last, and a constitutional amendment should be made to implement a four-year presidential term with re-election starting in 2030, in order to align the election cycles. This will allow the people to evaluate and judge the government through elections every two years, enabling them to choose their leaders." In 1762, French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau wrote in his that “the people are free rulers only when they vote; once voting is over, they become slaves.” The Founding Fathers of the United States, who designed the first presidential system in 1787, created the federal constitution in a way that ensured regular elections every two years, thus overcoming this issue. South Korea also needs a constitutional amendment to fully realize the sovereignty of the people.   Click here to read the article.

          [Hankyung Essay] Ways to Prevent Population Collapse A few days ago, Elon Musk posted on X (formerly Twitter) that, based on the current birth rate, South Korea will face population collapse in three generations. I appreciate Musk for raising awareness about the population decline, which many of us have been indifferent to. One interesting proposal from Donald Trump during the recent U.S. presidential election was to strictly control illegal immigrants crossing the border, but to offer permanent residency to foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges or graduate schools. What a clever idea. By stopping potentially harmful illegal immigration and instead offering green cards to educated and wealthy foreign graduates, smart and affluent people from around the world would flock to the U.S. Why do so many people around the world want to live in the U.S.? There are many benefits to U.S. permanent residency. Green card holders enjoy almost all the social benefits of U.S. citizens, except for the right to vote. They can receive free public education, pay more affordable college tuition (over 60% less than international students), and also receive financial aid and housing subsidies. After graduation, they can work without a visa, and if they are unemployed, they can receive unemployment benefits as well. If they give birth in the U.S., the child automatically becomes a U.S. citizen due to the Territorial principle. This is why, despite a declining birth rate, the U.S. has less concern about population issues. We should consider similar policies in South Korea. By attracting foreign students who love Korea, we could solve the problem of population decline and labor shortages, and even revitalize disappearing regional universities. More importantly, we could bring in bright minds to fill the shortage of graduate school researchers and make Korea a global leader in science and technology. So, what if Korea temporarily adopts the Territorial principle? Recently, a friend who runs an automobile parts company in the Namdong Industrial Complex in Incheon told me that the wife of a foreign employee had to return to her home country to give birth. Foreign employees cannot register the birth of their child in Korea, and it is legally complicated, so they return to their home countries to give birth. What if, like in the U.S., we allowed foreign parents to register their child’s birth in Korea, and the child could choose South Korean citizenship or dual citizenship when they graduate from elementary school or fulfill military service? This year, Incheon’s birth rate increase was the highest in the country, with an 8.3% rise. It seems that policies such as the “100 million won Plus I-Dream" and housing support for newlyweds implemented by Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok are showing results. It would be worthwhile for the Korean government to consider integrating these effective birth rate-boosting policies from Incheon into a nationwide strategy.   Click here to read the article.