News and Events

EALC Fall 2026 Majors/Minors Information Session
Monday, October 26, 2026
4:00 to 5:30 pm
Bryn Mawr Campus - Old Library London Room

Korean Language Table - Fall, 2026
Monday 11:40 to 12:40
BMC Erdman Dining Hall

Chinese Language Table - Fall, 2026
Thursday 12:00 Noon to 1:00 pm
BMC New Dorm Dining Hall
Thursday 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Haverford Pendle Hill Room, DC

BiCo Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures - Christopher Tan’s Visit and Artist Residency at Bryn Mawr College

Through the generous funding of an ASIANetwork “Embodied Learning About Asia” grant and additional support from the Agnes Chen Fund, BiCo EALC will be hosting cookbook author and culinary instructor Christopher Tan for a two week series of lectures and demonstrations. Christopher Tan will talk about historical recipes, how we learn about ourselves and where we come from through cooking, and he will also teach us how to work with ingredients from Southeast Asia. Events will also include guest appearances from Professor Yan Kung from Bryn Mawr Chemistry, Philadelphia potter Hiroe Hanazono, EALC professor Shiamin Kwa, and James Beard nominated chef Ange Branca of Kampar Philly.

Upcoming events:

WEEK ONE

Monday, 10/26 4.00 PM Quita Woodward Room (BMC)
Introductory lecture by Christopher Tan on “What is kueh?” with treats! This lecture is the opening event for Shiamin Kwas' “Food in Translation” seminar.

* Tuesday, 10/27 6:30 PM Community College of Philadelphia, Culinary Arts
A “NerdBaker Workshop with Christophar Tan” This event is co-sponsored by the Center City bookstore Binding Agents and the Sisterly Love “Cookbooks to Convos” 2026 festival that I coordinated for Chris with Catie Gainor, the owner of Binding Agents. The cooking event will take place at Philadelphia Community College’s culinary teaching kitchen.

Wednesday, 10/28 4.30 PM Park 245 (BMC)
“Cooking and Starches” is a conversation about the chemistry of cooking, with Chemistry Professor Yan Kung and Christopher Tan, who will demonstrate the way that different rice flours/starches behave with liquid and heat.

Thursday, 10/29 11.30 AM Dorothy Vernon Room (New Dorm) (BMC)
“The Art of Food” Local potter Hiroe Hanazono will be sharing works from her ceramics practice that are about featuring the food and beverage served on them. After her presentation, participants will design their own “reversible” serving ware for imaginary dishes that they may build next week.

Friday, 10/30 1.00 PM VCAM Kitchen (Haverford)
Christopher Tan will talk about making kueh and its history, while demonstrating how to cook some classic examples from the repertory.

WEEK TWO

Monday, 11/2 4.00 PM Quita Woodward Room (BMC)
“The Vintage Cookbook and the Home Cook” is a talk about how Christopher collects and researches cookbooks to explore history.

Tuesday, 11/3 10.00 AM Quita’s Corner in Canaday Library (BMC)
Office hours with Christopher Tan. Christopher will be sitting in Canaday Library and will be available for anyone who is interested in meeting him informally, as well as for seminar students to ask for guidance for their own research projects.

* Wednesday, 11/4 10-11.30 AM or 1-2.30 PM Blue Skies Pottery (Bryn Mawr, PA)
In this 90-minute handbuilding class, participants will build one of the designs they developed in the workshop with Hiroe Hanazono in the previous week.

Thursday, 11/5 4.00-6.00 PM Great Hall, Old LIbrary (BMC)
Shiamin Kwa launches her book THE SECRET MENU in conversation with Ange Branca (Kampar Philly group) and Christopher Tan, moderated by Kae Lani Palmisano (WHYY) and with opening remarks by President Wendy Cadge. Event will be catered by Mod Spuds and Christopher Tan.

Friday, 11/6 1.00 PM VCAM Kitchen (Haverford)
For Christopher Tan’s final workshop of the residency, he will be talking all things Coconut from source of fuel to cooking oil to garnish.

* These 2 events require advance registration to manage numbers

For any questions, please contact: skwa@brynmawr.edu

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23rd Annual Nihongo Philacon Japanese Language Competition
Saturday, March 14, 2026
12:00 to 3:30 pm
Haverford campus - Stokes Hall, 106 Multicultural Center

BiCo EALC Narrative Matters: "Slow Looking" at Calder Gardens
Saturday, March 21, 2026
9:00 am to 11:00 am
Off-Campus Location / Virtual
Calder Gardens in Philadelphia

Beijing Opera Workshop and Performance
Supported by the Kessinger Family Fund
Saturday, March 28, 2026
12:00 to 3:00 pm
Roberts Hall - ROB Jaharis Recital Hall

Chinese Spring Gala
Sunday, April 5th
2:30 to 6:30 pm
Haverford VCAM 105

Lecture on the Ainu Indigenous People
presented by: Dr. Yurika Tamura, Associate Professor of the University of North Carolina
Wednesday, April 8th
4:30 to 6:00 pm (tea at 4:15)
Lutnick Library room 200

Korean Language and Culture Get-Together
Tuesday, April 14th
5:00 to 6:00 pm
Haverford VCAM 105

BiCo EALC - Narrative Matters Screening of Shawn Baker’s Take Out
Paired with a special collections object inspired by Chinese takeout boxes (ceramicist Beth L.)
Participants will decorate takeout boxes and fill them with snacks
Wednesday, April 15th
4:30pm
Haverford VCAM Filmscreening Room

John Langlois Memorial Lecture
Professor Ling Li, East Asian Studies, University of Vienna
"Order of Power in China's Courts"
Tuesday, April 7th
4:15 to 6:00 pm
Bryn Mawr Old Library room 224

"Constitutional Structure of China's Party-State"
Thursday, April 9th
4:15 to 6:00 pm
Bryn Mawr Old Library room 224