"Telling the Stories of Vietnamese Women Educators and Their New Fields" — This new project tells the personal stories of female educators who are advancing gender equality in Vietnam by establishing academic fields based on cross-cultural knowledge, such as gender studies. Vietnam is witnessing the rise of a remarkable generation of female professors, who were born in the 1980s, grew up during national growth, and earned graduate degrees in the 2010s. They have increased knowledge production in Vietnam and improved women’s roles in the workforce. Several received fellowships to collaborate abroad, which shaped their teaching and research. Yet they face challenges, including lack of finances and resources. CSWS research fellow Alisa Freedman conducted interviews with and taught alongside these women, participated in their events, and cultivated a scholarly network. Her qualitative research is a humanistic companion to statistical surveys and encourages conversations about gender, agency, inclusion, access, and exchange. These stories highlight diverse ways professors are contributing to larger social and economic changes.

Freedman is a professor of Japanese literature, cultural studies, and gender. Her books include Tokyo in Transit: Japanese Culture on the Rails and Road, Japan on American TV, an annotated translation of Kawabata Yasunari’s The Scarlet Gang of Asakusa, edited volumes Introducing Japanese Popular Culture (2 editions) and Women in Japanese Studies: Memoirs from a Trailblazing Generation, and a coedited volume Modern Girls on the Go: Gender, Mobility, and Labor in Japan. 

12–1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26  |  330 Hendricks Hall |  1408 University Street, Eugene