Asian media hits campus
By Kiflin Turner
Assistant News Editor
This weekend Notre Dame will host its first International Conference on Globalization and Media in Asia.
The conference is not only a first to Notre Dame, but it could also be a first in the United States as well.
"This is also, we believe, the first time this kind of conference is held in North America," said Mike Wan, conference organizer and an instructor in the department of film, television and theater.
"It's different than any other conference — we have a combination of leading figures of the entertainment world and also scholarship," said Wan.
What distinguishes this conference from most others is the presence of speakers other than those belonging to the scholarly community. Michelle Yeoh, acclaimed Asian actress and star of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" adds another dimension to the conference by bringing insider perspectives to the discussion.
"It is a conference which is unlike any other in that it provides for a gathering of figures from entertainment and media and scholars working in film and television," said Lionel Jensen, department chair of the East Asian languages and literatures department.
"It is really rare to have conferences in which there are anything more than just simply scholars — normally it's just scholars debating any number of issues relating to a field of focus for them," said Jensen.
Other panelists include senior Hollywood executives and major filmmakers from Asian and media scholars, including Notre Dame alumnus William Pfeiffer, CEO of Hong Kong-based Celestial Pictures. Pfeiffer will give the keynote address today in McKenna Hall at 4 pm. Pfeiffer has become the most influential Hollywood executive in Asia in the last 20 years, said Wan.
"[Pfeiffer] pioneered the globalization of media in Asia and the slogan now adopted by Hollywood studios is `think globally, script locally,'" said Wan. "We want to put Notre Dame on the map, in the national attention when it comes to media globalization."
The conference takes place at a momentous time in an expanding globalization trend of pan-Asian media.
"This conference focuses on media globalization, not just globalization in terms of economics, business or things like that," said Wan. "Media globalization has a huge impact on people around the world — not to mention culturally, economically and in cinematography."
Jensen pointed to the intensified interest in Asian studies and a substantial increase in student enrollment in the department of East Asian languages and literatures as factors contributing to the importance and success of the conference.
"There's been an enormous amount of growth in Asian studies at Notre Dame in the last year and a half," said Jensen.
The conference, sponsored by 20 University programs and organizations, received most support from the department of East Asian languages and literatures with Jensen's assistance and the department of film, television and theatre with the support of department chair Donald Crafton.
The panels will take place today and Saturday in McKenna Hall, and a special screening of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" followed by a discussion with star, Michelle Yeoh at 101 DeBartolo beginning at 4 pm. Panel information and times can be found at www.nd.edu/~eall/conference.
All News Stories for Friday, March 1, 2002
