The Cornell Center for Historical Keyboards presents “Chao Yuen-Ren’s Art of Songs,” a concert-symposium-exhibit that explores the musical legacy of the pioneering Chinese-American polymath and Cornell alumnus (class of 1914). Through performances, scholarly discussions, and an online exhibition, this two-day event celebrates Chao’s groundbreaking contributions to modern Chinese art music.

Central to the event is Chao’s innovative “Chinese lieder” (1922-1927), a song collection that represents a bold experiment in merging Chinese and Western musical traditions and a creative use of music as a vehicle for reforming the Chinese language.

Friday evening’s concert will bring Chao’s experimental compositions to life, alongside works by his compatriot contemporaries—Chinese composers who were also studying in the U.S. at the time—and select European lieder that inspired him. The concert will feature guest artist Stephen Ng alongside Cornell students and faculty, including Rachel Cheang, Vera Hsu, Roger Moseley, Yen-Hsiang Nieh, Morton Wan, and Cici Zhou.

A Saturday morning symposium will assemble an interdisciplinary panel to examine Chao’s music within the broader contexts of early 20th-century Chinese-American intellectual life, East-West musical exchange, and the keyboard’s role in the global transmission of musical knowledge and creativity. The panelists include Corey Earle (History, Cornell), Addi Liu (Music, Cornell), Morton Wan (Music, Cornell), Ding Xiang Warner (Chinese Literature, Cornell), Chen-Pang Yeang (History of Science and Technology, University of Toronto), and Sarah Yu (History, DeSales University).

An accompanying online exhibition, launching at the event, will invite visitors to explore a curated selection of photographs, letters, and musical works from Chao Yuen-Ren’s extensive archives at both Cornell University and UC Berkeley. These archival materials will illuminate Chao’s lifelong commitment to and fascination with music—as a scholar and musician, and as an influential Chinese-American intellectual on both sides of the Pacific.

The event, led by the Cornell Center for Historical Keyboards, is co-sponsored by the Cornell Council for the Arts, East Asia Program, Einaudi Center, Society for the Humanities, and the Departments of Asian Studies, Music, and Science and Technology Studies, with additional support from the Cornell Office of Alumni Affairs.

The East Asia Program (EAP) offers several categories of fellowships and grants to support student and faculty research and study related to East Asia:

EAP Graduate Area Studies Fellowships East Asian Language Study Grants EAP Research Travel GrantsCan’t attend? Contact eap@cornell.edu.

Come enjoy Korean games and baked goods from Paris Baguette. There will be 5 stations of Korean games (hardboard battle from Squid Game, playing jackstones, hacky sack, paper-folding, and writing your name in Korean) and those who got all 5 stamps from each station by completing the activity can redeem a treat from Paris Baguette (French style Korean bakery). Children-friendly!

You're invited to join Cornell alumni, friends, and collaborators in Guangzhou for Cornell's annual Forum in China, organized by the Cornell China Center. This year's Forum promises a unique opportunity to learn from Cornellians joining prominent Chinese academics and industry leaders in insightful panel discussions on the themes of sustainability, aging society, future cities, and Cornell's approach to higher education. These conversations involving Cornell's Vice Provost for International Affairs Wendy Wolford, Dean and Vice Provost of the Cornell Tech Greg Morrisett, Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences Peter Loewen, and multiple faculty members will share insights and spark innovative ideas on pressing global topics.

Cornell faculty who will be in China and want to attend in-person may email the Cornell China Center for more information. Cornell alumni and friends can register here to join the Forum in Guangzhou.

Updated event format: The 2024 Forum will be in-person in Guangzhou. We sincerely apologize that a virtual join option is not available as originally planned.

Go global in summer 2025! Global Internships give you valuable international work experience in fields spanning global development, climate and sustainability, international relations, communication, business, governance, and more.

This session will discuss opportunities with the Universidad San Francisco de Quito, a Cornell Global Hubs partner in Ecuador.

Register for this virtual session.

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The Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies hosts info sessions for graduate and for undergraduate students to learn more about funding opportunities, international travel, research, and internships. View the full calendar of fall semester sessions.

Bartels World Affairs Lecture

The bestselling author of Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World joins us for a personal journey down the conspiracy rabbit hole to explore why our political sphere has become dangerously warped.

When author and social activist Naomi Klein discovered a writer with the same first name but radically different political views was chronically mistaken for her, it seemed too ridiculous to take seriously—until suddenly it wasn’t. As the pandemic took hold, she absorbed a barrage of insults from her doppelganger’s followers.

Klein’s 2023 book Doppelganger follows Other Naomi into a digital underworld of conspiracies, anti-vaxxers, and right-wing paranoia. Klein’s journey reveals mirrored concerns and unlikely connections between well-meaning liberals and the right-wing voices that relish “owning” them.

After a talk sharing her insights, Klein joins distinguished global democracy experts from Cornell to lift the lid on this surreal election moment and examine how our politics have become so twisted and polarized. What can we do to escape our collective vertigo and get back to fighting for what really matters?

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Panelists

Read election remarks from the panelists in Chronicle coverage of global democracy activities on campus.

Thomas Garrett, Einaudi Center Lund Practitioner in Residence, Distinguished Global Democracy Lecturer (Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy)Suzanne Mettler, John L. Senior Professor of American Institutions, Department of Government (College of Arts and Sciences)Kenneth Roberts (moderator), Einaudi Center Democratic Threats and Resilience faculty fellow, Richard J. Schwartz Professor, Department of Government (A&S)

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This event is sold out.

All free tickets are reserved. If you don’t have a ticket but would like to attend, please arrive 15 minutes early to be put on our wait list.

A reception with refreshments will follow the lecture and panel.

Lecture and Panel: 5:00 | G10 Biotechology BuildingReception: 6:30-7:30 | Biotechnology Building Atrium

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About Naomi Klein

Naomi Klein is an award-winning journalist and international bestselling author of nine books published in over 35 languages, including No Logo, The Shock Doctrine, and her most recent book Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World (2023). A columnist for The Guardian, her writing has appeared in leading media around the world. She is a tenured professor of climate justice at the University of British Columbia, founding codirector of UBC’s Centre for Climate Justice, and honorary professor of media and climate at Rutgers University.

About the Bartels World Affairs Lecture

The Bartels World Affairs Lecture is a signature event of the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies. This flagship event brings distinguished international figures to campus each academic year to speak on global topics and meet with Cornell faculty and students, particularly undergraduates. The lecture and related events are made possible by the generosity of Henry E. Bartels ’48 and Nancy Horton Bartels ’48.

The Cornell China Center, through Global Cornell and its Global Hubs initiative, is offering faculty research grants for collaboration with Zhejiang University (ZJU).

Global Hubs collaborative research seed grants bring together Cornell and partner institution faculty to develop joint projects with the potential to create new or expanded research partnerships and cutting-edge scholarship with academic and societal impact. These international seed grants provide initial financial support for early-stage research projects or capacity-building efforts to create and sustain long-term collaborations and secure external funding.

Please join us on September 18, 11:00-11:45 a.m. EDT for a joint info session to learn more about the ZJU-Cornell grant opportunity. A short presentation will be followed by time for Q&A.

Up to four (4) research proposals will be funded. Each successful proposal may receive up to $20,000 from Cornell (for Cornell expenses) and up to CNY 150,000 from ZJU (for ZJU expenses), with each university funding its own side of the project budget it its own currency.Application deadline: October 14, 11:59 p.m. EDT Project duration: January 1–December 31, 2025Register for the Cornell faculty info session on Zoom.View the grant RFP and application form here.The grant RFA and application links will be provided here shortly when available.

Learn about additional seed grants available with other Global Hubs partners.

Come to the LRC to practice your language skills and meet new people. Conversation Hours provide an opportunity to use the target language in an informal, low-pressure atmosphere. Have fun practicing a language you are learning! Gain confidence through experience! Just using your new language skills helps you learn more than you might think. Conversation Hours are open to any learner, including the public.