"Private Tutoring impact On Junior High School Students' Performance In China: Fast Lane or Placebo Effect?" September 14 at Pitt.

Via spencerauthor.com

The University of Pittsburgh's Institute of International Studies in Education will present two speakers on September 14 in the first installment of the 2018 Symposium Series: Lunxuan Sun and "Private Tutoring impact On Junior High School Students' Performance In China: Fast Lane or Placebo Effect?," and Humin Chen and "Research on Endowed Chairs in American Top Research Universities."

Lunxuan Sun is a lecturer from School of Education in Tianjin Normal University, China. He is currently serving as a visiting scholar at the Institute for International Studies in Education (IISE), University of Pittsburgh. His faculty counterpart at the University of Pittsburgh is Prof. Maureen McClure and his current research project is “The Act of the State in the Development of Higher Education of China and the United States: A Comparative Perspective.”

He received his Ph.D. degree in Science of Public Management at Nankai University. Dr. Lunxuan Sun’s current research includes a comparative study on government’s action in higher education funded by the Ministry of Chinese Education and research on Non-monetary of education Funded by China Postdoctoral Science Foundation. He teaches courses in the sociology of education, research methods of applied educational science and advises Master students in comparative education.

The panel discussion begins at 10:30 am in 4318 Posvar Hall (map) and is free and open to the public.

"Sounds of China" in Pittsburgh, February 8.

Sounds of China will perform in Pittsburgh on February 8 as part of an American tour in 2019.

Sounds of China Guzheng Music Promotion Center was founded by Carol Chang (aka yukina) in 2005. With a group of guzheng-loving friends, Carol also founded Sound of China Guzheng Ensemble. The group promotes the music of guzheng, also known as Chinese zither, and the guzheng instrument itself. They work closely with guzheng instrument makers and musicians to bring most updated guzheng music and instruments on tour.

Tickets for the 7:30 pm show at the Byham Theater are now available online from $25.

Sennan Asbestos Disaster (ニッポン国VS泉南石綿村), winner of 2018 Pittsburgh Japan Documentary Film Award, free at Pitt on September 27.

The first-ever winner of Pitt's first-ever Pittsburgh Japan Documentary Award, Sennan Asbestos Disaster (ニッポン国VS泉南石綿村), will screen on September 27 in Oakland.

More than ten years in the making, Sennan Asbestos Disaster follows a dwindling group of dying former asbestos workers as they seek justice and recognition from an indifferent Japanese government As Mr. Hara follows these plaintiffs through their successes and failures, his film also examines the power of the Japanese state and its continued responsibilities to its citizens. In praising the film for its profound effect, Mr. Soda notes that Sennan Asbestos Disaster “shows the painstaking process of the eight years of lawsuits. I was able to physically experience what it's like to fight against the Japanese government.” Mr. Hara, whose previous works include The Emperor’s Naked Army Marches On (1987), is well known for being unafraid to punch through walls of conventional society. Sennan Asbestos Disaster has already received the 2017 Audience Award at the Tokyo Filmex International Film Festival and the 2017 BIFF Mecenat Award at the Busan International Film Festival.

The movie starts at 6:00 pm at the Frick Fine Arts Auditorium in Oakland (map). The screening is free but tickets are required (and can be reserved online).

The Voice of Pipa: Yang Jin and Friends, September 9 in Oakland.

Numerous performers of traditional Chinese music will collaborate in Oakland on September 9 for "The Voice of Pipa: Yang Jin and Friends" on September 9. The program includes pipa virtuoso Yang Jin, the Afro Yaqui Music Collective, the HarmoniZing Ensemble, the Purple Bamboo Ensemble, and the Helio Phoneix Trio.

The show runs from 7:00 to 8:30 pm on the 9th at the Frick Fine Arts Auditorium in Oakland (map). It is free and open to the public, though a donation is suggested.

WholeRen Education (美国厚仁教育集团) hiring Financial Analyst.

Pittsburgh-based Chinese education consulting and placement firm WholeRen Education (美国厚仁教育集团) has announced an opening for a Financial Analyst.

Satoshi Kon's Perfect Blue (パーフェクトブルー) in Pittsburgh, September 6 and 10.

The 1997 film Perfect Blue (パーフェクトブルー) will play in the Pittsburgh area on September 6 and 10, followed by a run at the Row House Cinema later in the month. A 1999 Variety review summarizes:

Forsaking the usual anime fantasy terrain for a straight suspense plot that might easily have been executed in live-action form, director Satoshi Kon’s debut pic, “Perfect Blue,” is a psychological thriller that intrigues without quite hitting the bull’s-eye. Animated feature is currently getting limited U.S. release in an English-dubbed version.

The movie will play at Pittsburgh-area Cinemark theaters in Greensburg, Monroeville, and Robinson on September 6 (Japanese with English subtitles) and September 10 (dubbed in English). Tickets are available online at those links. It will also play at the Row House Cinema from September 21 through 27 as part of an Anime film series.

GlobalPittsburgh Happy Hour with visiting Yasuda Women's University students, September 6.

Interior of Pitt's Cathedral of Learning, from the 2019 Yasuda Women's University promotional catalog.

GlobalPittsburgh's next First Thursdays Happy Hour on September 6 will welcome students from Yasuda Women's University (安田女子大学) in Hiroshima.

Meet globally-minded people from Pittsburgh and all over the world to make new friends and learn more about different cultures at our GlobalPittsburgh First Thursdays monthly happy hour. Bring your friends, family, and colleagues or come alone - we are a very friendly group!

In September, our guests will be a group of female students from Yasuda University in Japan. They will be coming to Pittsburgh to study English at the University of Pittsburgh English Language Institute.

A cohort of undergraduates has studied each fall at the University of Pittsburgh's English Language Institute since 2016.
The event runs from 5:30 to 8:00 pm at Roland's Seafood Grill in the Strip District (map), and tickets are available online.

Pittsburgh Dragon Boat Festival (匹茲堡龍舟節), September 30 at North Park.

The Pittsburgh Chapter of the Organization of Chinese Americans will present the Pittsburgh Dragon Boat Festival on September 30.

Join us at the Pittsburgh Dragon Boat Festival on September 30, 2018 for a day of fun at North Park Lake! Watch exciting races or form your own dragon boat and compete against other community teams for medals and awards. Cultural demonstrations, food, marketplace and other activities will be available, so bring the whole family to this FREE event!

The event starts at 8:30 am and runs until 5:00 pm, with cultural demonstrations running from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. It will be held at and around the Boathouse at North Park Lake in the North Hills (map) and is free and open to the public.

Haikyuu!! The Movie: Battle of Concepts (ハイキュー!! コンセプトの戦い) and My Hero Academia: Two Heroes (僕のヒーローアカデミア THE MOVIE ～２人の英雄) will play at Hollywood Theater, too, in September.

Haikyuu!! The Movie: Battle of Concepts (ハイキュー!! コンセプトの戦い) and My Hero Academia: Two Heroes (僕のヒーローアカデミア THE MOVIE ～２人の英雄), already scheduled to play at the Southside Works Cinema next month, will play at the Hollywood Theater, too.

Haikyuu!!: The Movie will play there on the 19th, 22nd, and 23rd, and My Hero Academia: Two Heroes will play on the 25th, 26th, 27th, 29th, and October 2nd. Tickets for those are available online at the Hollywood Theater's website. The new incarnation of the Hollywood Theater, which for many years was about the only place in Pittsburgh to see new Japanese animated movies, is located at 1449 Potomac Ave. in Dormont (map), and is accessible by Pittsburgh's subway/LRT at a block south of Potomac Station.

Free performance by Taiwan Acrobatic Troupe, September 28 at Carlow University.

The Troupe of Acrobats at National Taiwan College of Performing Art will give a free performance, titled Taiwan Acrobatic Troupe: A Cultural Celebration, on September 28 at Carlow University.

The inspiration of the performance is founded on Taiwan's diverse heritage. Integrating elements of modern performance, the show will also incorporate folk dance, juggling, martial arts, and Taiwanese opera to showcase various expressions of Taiwanese lifestyle. The audience can look forward to this interactive performance!

The show runs from 7:30 to 9:00 pm at the Rosemary Heyle Theater in Antonian Hall at Carlow University in Oakland (map). The performance is free but advanced registration is required and can be completed online.