B.C. professor to speak on Korean Buddhism at UPEI

A leading scholar on East Asian history will be kicking off a new UPEI speaker series focused on Korean culture.
Don L. Baker’s presentation on Thursday, titled “From the Mountains into the Cities: The Transformation of Korean Buddhism in the Twentieth Century,” will serve as the inaugural lecture for UPEI’s new Asian Studies International Seminar and Korean Studies Speaker Series.
Baker, a professor of the University of British Columbia’s Department of Asian Studies, will give the presentation in the faculty lounge of the SDU Main Building today at 2:30 p.m.
The storm date is March 9 at the same time in SDU Main Building, Room 213.
The event is open to the public.
Edward Chung, co-ordinator of Asian studies and director of the Korean Studies Project at UPEI, said Baker’s presentation on modern Buddhism will be a wonderful starting topic for the series.
“Especially for understanding the religious and cultural transformation of Buddhism in 20th-century Korea under the influence of Japan, Christianity, Western ideas and socio-economic changes,” said Chung.
“This public talk is significant because of the growing popularity (public awareness) of Buddhism in our Island communities as well.”
A renowned scholar of east Asian history, especially Korea’s religious, intellectual and cultural history, Baker has spoken at many leading universities and research institutes around the world and has authored, edited or translated eight scholarly books since 1996.