Announcements

Weatherhead East Asian Institute 75th Anniversary Award for Excellence Call for Nominations

November 10, 2023
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Weatherhead East Asian Institute 75th Anniversary Award for Excellence

Call for Nominations

In celebration of its 75th Anniversary, the Weatherhead East Asian Institute will offer awards in the amount of $5,000 to students studying issues related to the regions of East, Southeast and Inner Asia. To that end, the Institute is seeking nominations from faculty members across the University for outstanding student work in the following fields:

  1. History and Literature

Students nominated in this category should have completed research or be actively pursuing research interests relating to the modern history and/or literature of East, Southeast, or Inner Asia. Eligible disciplines of focus include, but are not limited to, East Asian Languages and Cultures, History, Creative Writing, Oral History, and Anthropology.

  1. Film and the Arts

Students nominated for this category should have completed projects or be actively working towards creative projects with a demonstrated connection to East, Southeast, or Inner Asia. Eligible candidates will be engaged in projects relating to Film, Film and Media Studies, Creative Writing, Visual or Sound Art.

  1. Policy and Climate

Students nominated for this category should have completed research or be actively pursuing research interests relating to political science, law, and/or climate studies as related to East, Southeast, or Inner Asia. Eligible areas of focus include, but are not limited to, Political Science, International Affairs, Law, Environmental Science, and Climate Studies.

  1. Journalism and Activism

Students nominated for this category should be engaged in journalistic or advocacy work on topics relating to East, Southeast, or Inner Asia. Eligible candidates will be engaged in print, video, audio, multimedia, or another format of journalism, or have a demonstrated record of advocacy on topics including, but not limited to, human rights, climate issues, or law/justice.

Required Materials

  1. Nomination Letter: The nominating University faculty member must submit a letter of recommendation via email to [email protected].
  2. Student Application Form (students must confirm their nomination with a faculty member before submitting the form)
    1. Curriculum Vitae
    2. Statement of Purpose: 1-page, single-spaced statement of purpose describing academic or professional work relevant to East, Southeast, and Inner Asia, as well as how this work promotes long-term academic and/or career goals.

Application Details

The deadline to submit all application materials, including the faculty nomination letter, is Monday, December 18, 2023. Awardees will be expected to attend an award ceremony on Thursday, February 1, 2024.

The awardee(s) in each of the categories will be selected by a WEAI faculty committee and receive a $5,000 award. Faculty members may nominate up to three (3) candidates each. Student nominees can be undergraduate or graduate students, but must be enrolled in a Columbia University school or Barnard College through May 2024. International students are eligible.

Please direct questions to: [email protected]