Forty Years of Japanese Studies at Monash: 1966-2006
The Japanese Studies Program celebrated forty years of Japanese studies at Monash University on Friday August 25th, 2006.
The Department of Japanese was established in 1966 by Professor Jiri Neustupny, and the first student intake was 1967. In 1998, the Department became part of a School of Asian Languages and Studies, and in 2002 was incorporated into a new School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics. We are among the largest Japanese language programs in Australia, with around 1,000 students in first semester 2006, 12 full time teaching staff and an army of sessional teachers.
We were joined on the day by graduates, former staff, associates and friends to celebrate with us, and to contribute in this way to the 2006 Australia-Japan Year of Exchange.
During the day, we held a symposium at the Japanese Studies Centre, comprising research presentations by present and former Monash University Japanese studies researchers, focussing on the broad theme of Japanese diaspora (covering issues of language in contact, Japanese cultural communities in Australia, study abroad), a reassessment of Japanese studies as area studies, and the changing goals of Japanese language education. In the evening we adjourned to the Monash University Club for Alumni networking and a display over drinks, and then dinner. Our dinner speaker was Ms Caitlin Stronell (graduated 1990), now lecturer, editor, counsellor, AIDS activist and Shinto priest in Japan.