International Conference, University of Manchester, 24-26 January 2013, Organiser, Professor Dagmar Schaefer, Director of the Centre for Chinese Studies, University of Manchester.

While rice dominates the modern view of Asia, animals have always played a crucial in Chinese and Japanese society, history and thought. This workshop attempts to shift the perspective and discuss Asian notions of animals in their understanding and management of nature. Are animals an overlooked topic in Asian studies? What role did they actually play in Asian thought, as a resource, as a living being, and in state politics and individual lives? What was the relation between humans and animals and how can such an approach be used to understand changes in Asia society and approaches to fields of scientific and technological development? The workshop aims at historical and cross-cultural comparison. It has identified three core perspectives (1) Rites and resources; (2) Planning living beings, state management of animals and people. (3) Scholarly things, living creatures: animals in literature and art.

Scholars across the humanities, social sciences and science studies are invited to submit proposals on any topic pertaining to the study of animals in Asia. The conference will operate as a workshop (works-in-progress are welcome). Each paper will be discussed individually following a brief presentation by the author and discussion.

Confirmed participants include Roel Sterckx (Cambridge, UK), Vincent Goossaert (CNRS, France), and Han Yi (IHNS, China). View the programme here. Download the conference flyer.

Date of workshop:  January 24-26 January, 2013, Manchester