September 23, 2010: 4pm-6pm, Davidson Conference Center, California Room
Professor Yang Zhongdong, a visiting scholar from Xinjiang University’s School of Humanities, talks about recent ethnic riots in China's Xinjiang Autonomous Region. Professor Yang argues against the use of the concept of "ethnic conflict" to describe of the 2009 riots in Xinjiang. He combines a comprehensive analysis of the riots with particular attention to social, economic, cultural, and historical factors with recollections of his own personal experiences in Xinjiang.
Professor Yang's research focus is contemporary Muslim communities in Xinjiang Province. Born in Urumqi, the region’s capital, Professor Yang is a Hui, a Muslim ethnic minority. This background helped inspire his study of the history and the culture of Xinjiang.
