The notion that the twenty-first century would be considered the “Asian century” emerged prior to the turn of the millennium and was initially fueled by rapid economic growth in Asia. The idea of an Asian century has taken on unexpected meanings in the past couple of decades due in part to cultural influences that have grown alongside the region’s economic strength. These economic and cultural transformations create opportunities but also geopolitical, environmental, financial, and public health challenges.

The NYCAS conference addressed these themes and many others during the 2-day conference at the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences on UB’s downtown campus.    

• Friday keynote address by Kaiser Kuo, founder and cohost of the Sinica podcast
• Saturday keynote address by Hyaeweol Choi, president of the Association for Asian Studies, C. Maxwell and Elizabeth M. Stanley Family and Korea Foundation Chair in Korean Studies at the University of Iowa, and Director of the Korean Studies Research Network
• Welcoming remarks by UB President Satish K. Tripathi (Friday)
• Performance by Family Funktion and the Sitar Jams    
• NYCAS reception (Friday evening)
• Teacher workshop on the History of Medicine and Healthcare in Asia (Saturday morning)
• More than 40 concurrent panels and roundtables by established and rising scholars