I wish I could take credit for the resounding success of the past two conferences, but I have to admit that my role as been strictly limited to giving them my blessings and making a few opening remarks. All the hard work was performed by the members of HEAS, and all the praise for a job well done must go to them.
Conferences take an enormous amount of organizing.
The two HEAS conferences were as well organized as any I have attended. Participants were selected, panels sorted out, discussants lined up, abstracts printed, refreshments ordered and served. While the Core of HEAS consists of students in RSEA, the two conferences attracted students from Ph.D. programs in Anthropology, History, East Asian Languages and Civilizations, and Government. The first conference attracted over 100 participants, the second one an even larger number. Notable was the presence of students from other universities.