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Alessandro Poletto

Lecturer in East Asian Religions, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis
Alessandro Poletto (he/they) specializes in the social and religious history of premodern Japan, with an emphasis on Buddhism in the early medieval period (tenth to the thirteenth century). He earned his PhD from Columbia University in 2020 with a dissertation entitled “The Culture of Healing in Early Medieval Japan: A Study in Premodern Epistemology,” in which he examined discourses and practices concerning healing and disease, with particular attention to the relationship between Buddhist healers and other technicians involved in the treatment of illness, namely court physicians and onmyōji. His other research and teaching interests include the understanding and ritual resolution of natural disasters in premodern East Asia, the history of the cultural exchanges between the Korean peninsula and the Japanese archipelago, and Buddhist material culture and archeology in East Asia.

His current research focuses on the material and textual dimensions of various types of deposits — within statues or under the ground — in order to get a grasp of Buddhism as practiced by lay Buddhists in early medieval Japan. Dedicatory or votive materials discovered inside Buddhist statues or in underground deposits (commonly known as kyōzuka) illustrate the motivations behind the undertaking of a certain burial of sutras, or the production of a copy of a specific sutra, allowing us to see the hopes, aspirations and anxieties of the people engaging in such practices, but also the ways in which they attempted to shape their destinies, and those of deceased dear ones, through their dedicatory good acts.

Before joining Washington University, Alessandro was a JSPS postdoctoral fellow at Kyoto University. He holds a B.A. from the University of Naples “L’Orientale,” and an M.A. from Osaka University.

Economy

Huawei Chip Breakthrough Sparks Rally in Chinese Semiconductor Stocks

Chinese semiconductor stocks surged Monday after Huawei announced a major breakthrough in advanced chip technology, fueling optimism about Chinas push for semiconductor self-sufficiency amid ongoing U.S. export...

European Stocks Rise as U.S.-Iran Peace Deal Hopes Lift Market Sentiment

European stock markets opened higher on Monday as investors reacted positively to reports suggesting the United States and Iran may be moving closer to a peace agreement. The prospect of easing geopolitical tensions helped...

Asian Stocks Rally as Japan’s Nikkei Hits Record High on AI and Chipmaker Surge

Asian stock markets advanced sharply on Monday, led by Japans Nikkei 225 and TOPIX indexes reaching fresh record highs as investors reacted positively to strong gains in U.S. semiconductor and artificial intelligence...

Dollar Weakens as Iran Deal Hopes Boost Global Currencies and Risk Appetite

The U.S. dollar slipped on Monday as optimism surrounding a potential U.S.-Iran peace agreement improved investor sentiment and reduced demand for safe-haven assets. Trading activity remained light due to public holidays...

Rupee Rebounds as RBI Signals Strong Support Amid Falling Oil Prices

The Indian rupee strengthened on Monday after hitting record lows near 97 against the U.S. dollar last week, as fresh intervention signals from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) boosted market confidence. The USD/INR...

Politics

Trump-Taiwan Call Could Reshape U.S.-China Relations, Says Taiwan Foreign Minister

Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung said on Monday that a potential phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Taiwan President Lai Ching-te would be welcomed by Taipei, though any initiative depends entirely on...

Shangri-La Dialogue 2026 to Focus on Iran War, Taiwan Tensions and U.S. Role in Asia

The ongoing war in Iran, growing tensions over Taiwan, and concerns about U.S. military commitments in Asia are expected to dominate discussions at the 2026 Shangri-La Dialogue, Asias leading defence and security forum...

U.S.-Iran Talks Advance as Trump Signals Tough Stance on Hormuz and Nuclear Deal

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that Washington would either secure a good agreement with Iran or address the situation through another way, as negotiations between the two countries continue amid ongoing...

Turkey Opposition Crisis Deepens as Police Storm CHP Headquarters

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Russia Launches Massive Missile and Drone Assault on Kyiv, Killing Civilians and Damaging Historic Sites

Russia carried out one of its largest attacks on Kyiv and nearby regions since the war began, launching hundreds of drones and missiles, including the nuclear-capable Oreshnik hypersonic missile. The overnight assault...

Science

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

Technology

Macquarie Names Five Taiwan AI Stocks Set to Benefit From Data Center Growth in 2026

Macquarie has highlighted five major Taiwanese electronics stocks that it believes are well positioned to benefit from rising artificial intelligence infrastructure spending, data center upgrades, and next-generation...

Meta AI Push Could Add $26 Billion in Revenue by 2027, Wolfe Research Says

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SpaceX Starship V3 Test Flight Boosts IPO Momentum Ahead of Historic Market Debut

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PDG Explores $1 Billion Sale of China Data Center Assets

Princeton Digital Group (PDG), a major data center operator backed by private equity firm Warburg Pincus, has reportedly launched a sale process for its China-based assets that could be valued at as much as $1 billion,...

Lam Research Expands AI-Powered Semiconductor Tools and Arizona Operations

Lam Research is accelerating its investment in artificial intelligence and advanced sensing technology to improve semiconductor manufacturing efficiency while expanding its presence in Arizona and California. The...