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PRODID:-//Seattle Art Museum//Events Calendar//EN
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UID:whats-on/events/saturday-university-discovering-bhutan-nov-9@sam.org
DTSTAMP:20260507T123407Z
DTSTART:20241109T180000Z
DTEND:20241109T193000Z
SUMMARY:Saturday University: Discovering Bhutan
DESCRIPTION:Welcome to Saturday University\, a monthly lecture series featuring experts
  from around the world. Gain new insights on Asia throughout time as our vi
 siting scholars\, authors\, artists\, and thought leaders delve into new th
 emes each season.\nTickets\n$15\n$10 SAM members &amp\; students with ID\nT
 ickets include gallery access\nDiscovering Bhutan: Navigating Tradition and
  Modernity in a Changing Cultural Landscape\nWantanee Suntikul\nOn November
  9\, Take a journey to the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan\, at the front lines
  of the confrontation between this country’s rich and storied culture and t
 he networks of global tourism. Dr. Wantanee Suntikul will explore the dynam
 ics of this collision of cultures around this festival and the prospects fo
 r the future of traditional heritage in the face of encroaching tourism as 
 a harbinger of modernity. \nThe Tsechu festival\, an ancient element of her
 itage in Bhutan\, is an anchor of spiritual and cultural identity for the B
 hutanese. Recent years have seen the incursion of international tourism int
 o this formerly largely untouched region\, drawn by the exotic lure of this
  unique landscape and culture\, raising the question of how to reap the ben
 efits of tourism while mitigating the impact on the local culture and socie
 ty. With the influx of international tourism\, the Tsechu has been attended
  by increasing numbers of tourists\, for whom it is an exotic and entertain
 ing spectacle. Drawing on insights from dialogues with monks and local resi
 dents\, the lecture will explore the dynamics of this collision of cultures
  around this festival and the prospects for the future of traditional herit
 age in the face of encroaching tourism as a harbinger of modernity.\nDr. Wa
 ntanee Suntikul received her Master's degree and PhD from the School of Hos
 pitality and Tourism Management at the University of Surrey\, Guildford\, E
 ngland. With over 17 years of teaching and research experience in Macao\, H
 ong Kong\, and Bhutan\, she is currently an Associate Professor at the Univ
 ersity of Cincinnati\, Clermont College. Dr. Suntikul's research interests 
 and expertise lie in gastronomy\, cultural festivals\, sustainable hospital
 ity\, and the political and social aspects of tourism and hospitality devel
 opment. Her geographical focus spans Bhutan\, Thailand\, Vietnam\, Laos\, C
 hina\, Hong Kong\, Macao\, and the South Pacific. Her co-edited books inclu
 de "Tourism and Political Change\," "Tourism and War\," and "Tourism and Re
 ligion: Issues and Implications." She is currently working on a book on gas
 tronomy in Vietnam. Dr. Suntikul has been the Joint Editor-in-Chief of the 
 journal “Tourism\, Culture &amp\; Communication” for over ten years and is 
 an Associate Editor of the journal “Annals of Tourism Research Empirical In
 sights."
LOCATION:Seattle Asian Art Museum\, 1400 E Prospect St\, Seattle\, WA 98112
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