Join the Asian Studies Center and Asia Hub for an annual fall reception celebrating and thanking our community for their support and collaboration in advancing Asian Studies at MSU and beyond. 

Please RSVP Here by Friday, September 18, 2026. Complimentary food and beverages will be provided.

Conversations on Antisemitism and Islamophobia launched in spring 2023 and is a continuation of a previous MSU Dialogues program, restructured to engage the campus community in these important topics.

Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and share their observations and experiences, while learning to contribute to the inclusivity of MSU's campus community.

Registration is required and limited to current MSU community members with a valid msu.edu email address.

Alon Tal and Yael Aronoff will discuss key issues surrounding the upcoming Israeli elections, scheduled for October 27, 2026. Their conversation will examine the opposition to Benjamin Netanyahu's government over the past four years and look ahead to the established and emerging political parties competing in the election, including the possibilities for future coalition governments. They will also explore the potential implications of the election for Israeli democracy, relations with Palestinians, policies in Gaza and the West Bank, prospects for a two-state solution, and Israel's relationships with its neighbors and the United States.

Yael Aronoff is the Director of the Michael and Elaine Serling Institute for Jewish Studies and Modern Israel, the Michael and Elaine Serling and Friends Chair of Israel Studies, and a Professor of Political Science and International Relations in James Madison College at Michigan State University. Her research focuses on Israeli politics, political psychology, and foreign policy, including the Israeli opposition, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the political decision-making of Israeli prime ministers.

Alon Tal is a professor at Tel Aviv University and a former chair of its Department of Public Policy. He has also taught at Ben-Gurion University and the Hebrew University and served as a visiting professor at institutions including Harvard, Stanford, and Michigan State University. A former member of the Knesset and chair of Israel's Green Party, Tal has founded several environmental organizations and authored seven books on environmental issues, many focused on Israel.

The 2026 Global Korea Awards celebrate individuals and groups who have made significant contributions to cross-cultural understanding, global education, and the well-being of Korean communities around the world. Established in 1995 by the Council on Korean Studies at Michigan State University, the awards recognize exceptional dedication to strengthening global connections, advancing education, and promoting greater understanding of Korea and its impact on the international community.

Join us in honoring this year's awardees and celebrating their remarkable contributions to bridging cultures and fostering global engagement.

Yanniv David Levy is a researcher and curator in the Coin Department of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), with a specialty in experimental technologies and numismatics. In addition to managing the Mediterranean's largest collection of ancient coins with archaeological provenance, Yanniv has worked extensively with computer scientists on machine learning applications for the study of Roman and Hellenistic coins. He also works in the field with IAA excavations, such as the recent Old City dig at the Jerusalem Archaeological Garden, Davidson Center, which uncovered a rare coin minted by Jewish rebels in the months before the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE.

Limited seating. Contact Ariana Mentzel if you would like to reserve a seat: mentzela(at)msu.edu.

The Maccabean Crisis that ended in Hanukah (164 BCE) is often remembered as a famous cultural conflict against or over Hellenism. But to truly understand what the Maccabees were fighting for or against, we need to know what the arrival of Seleucid rulers in 198 BCE meant for regular people, and coinage can provide that perspective.

During the Roman Civil War of 49-45 BCE that pitted Caesar and his party against Pompey and his supporters, Jews in Asia Minor (Turkey) and on the east Greek island of Cos found themselves caught in the middle. Here, too, the images on coins provide unique historical insights.

Noah Kaye is an associate professor in the History Department at MSU and an affiliate faculty member of the Serling Institute for Jewish Studies and Modern Israel. He has published articles on the world of the Maccabees in journals such as Historia and the Journal for the Study of Judaism. He is currently working with Israeli archaeologists to find new ways of seeing the past by using data science to investigate the coin archive of the Israel Antiquities Authority.