Asian Center for Women’s Studies Holds Conference on Its 30th Anniversary
- 작성처
- Date2026.07.22
- 2493
Asian Center for Women’s Studies Holds Conference on Its 30th Anniversary
In commemoration of its 30th anniversary, the Asian Center for Women’s Studies held an international conference titled “B/ordering the Global: Transnational Feminist Critiques from Asia” from July 9 to 11. The conference brought together more than 1,000 participants from 247 institutions across 33 countries, including researchers, educators, activists, and practitioners. It featured 117 panel sessions held both online and in person that addressed pressing contemporary issues such as care, migration and citizenship, artificial intelligence (AI), and the climate crisis.
Framing borders not simply as geographical boundaries but as practices of social ordering that govern mobility, labor, care, health, and survival, the conference explored from a feminist perspective how war, the climate crisis, and technological advancement are reshaping inequalities and power structures.
In her welcoming remarks, Ewha Womans University President Hyang-Sook Lee emphasized that, in an era shaped by AI and rapid social change, academia must contribute to addressing societal challenges, with a focus on human dignity and inclusion. Minister of Gender Equality and Family Min-kyong Won expressed her hope that the conference would serve as a platform for international exchange, showcasing the diverse realities and voices of women across Asia.
The keynote speakers were Distinguished Professor Mel Y. Chen of UC Berkeley, who introduced the concept of “unlearning” as a critical approach to examining established knowledge systems, and Professor Hyun Mee Kim of Yonsei University, who analyzed Korean masculinity in K-pop and digital culture from a feminist perspective and explored the potential of alternative forms of masculinity grounded in care and relationships. The conference featured a variety of programs, including a film screening and a book talk.
The three-day conference provided a meaningful opportunity to expand transnational feminist scholarship and international academic exchange, with Asia as a point of departure, and to explore the possibilities for solidarity and collective action across borders.