The symposium brings together leading scholars across a range of disciplines in the humanities and social sciences in order to discuss Central and East Asia’s diverse, multiethnic, multiscriptal experience with the aim of challenging conventional ideas on writing and its relationship to culture.
The symposium will begin on the afternoon of Friday, December 8th. The first day will feature a showing of rare books and manuscripts in various scripts and languages held by UCLA Library Special collections. This will be followed by a roundtable and discussion regarding the history of the collections, in particular its Middle East and East Asian holdings. It will be followed by a reception.
The next day, December 9th, will feature roundtable panels discussing script and literacy cultures along the land corridor stretching from Central to East Asia. The event will be open to members of the UCLA academic community as well as scholars, students, and the interested public in the Los Angeles area.
Please note, due to unforeseen circumstances, the keynote speech originally scheduled for December 8th has been cancelled.
Symposium Information and Registration
Textual Traditions Across Scripts: UCLA’s Special Collections
December 8th, 2023
Special Collections Materials Workshop
Led by Devin Fitzgerald
1:00–2:15 PM
(Los Angeles Time)
Charles E. Young Library
Access by Invitation and RSVP Only Due to Limited Capacity
Registration is now closed as we have reached full capacity.
Special Collections Roundtable
UCLA Luskin Conference Center
425 Westwood Plaza
Los Angeles CA, 90095
Laureate Classroom
Refreshments Served
2:30–3:00 PM
Refreshments Served
3:00–5:00 PM
Roundtable and Discussion
Followed by Reception
South Courtyard, Luskin Center
5:15 PM (Los Angeles Time)
Registration REQUIRED
Reed, Brush, Chisel: Symposium
Symposium Speakers
December 9th, 2023
8:30–5:00 PM
(Los Angeles Time)
Laureate Classroom, Luskin Center
Breakfast Buffet 7:00 AM
Lunch Buffet 12:30 PM
Plateia Restaurant, Luskin Center
Included for registered attendees.
Registration is REQUIRED but we are at full capacity and taking waitlist requests only.
Bursaries for Graduate Students
We have a limited amount of funding available for graduate students whose research would benefit from attending this conference. The funding would come in the form of reimbursements of travel and lodging costs for attending the conference (Up to $500 in travel and lodging costs). To apply for this funding, please sending in your application by November 10th, 2023.
The symposium is supported by UCLA’s Luskin Endowment for Thought Leadership and is co-sponsored by UCLA’s Center for Buddhist Studies (CBS), the Program on Central Asia (POCA), the CMRS Center for Early Global Studies (CMRS-CEGS), and the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures.
