Asian Studies

What are the territorial and conceptual boundaries of Asia? How is Asia connected to the rest of the world? How have perceptions of Asia changed throughout history? What are the key themes and patterns found in Asian literary and artistic traditions, and how does an understanding of Asia enhance our understanding of cultural, social, and political processes?

The vast region labeled “Asia” is complex and diverse, and Asian peoples and institutions have greatly influenced human experience throughout the world. Asian Studies offers courses in multiple disciplines, including art and art history; business; history; international political economy; languages and literature; politics and government; philosophy; religion; and, sociology and anthropology. In addition to offering an interdisciplinary minor, Asian Studies also offers majors and minors in Chinese and Japanese through its subsidiary Asian Languages and Cultures Program.

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

Asian Studies students participate in a wide variety of co-curricular activities, including talks from renowned scholars, Lunar New Year celebrations, Taiko drumming, batik workshops, tea ceremonies, and calligraphy demonstrations. Students also participate in intensive language study abroad programs in China, Japan, and Taiwan, as well as faculty-led field school programs in Southeast Asia.

AFTER PUGET SOUND 

Asian Studies students develop skills that prepare them to live and work in different cultural contexts, including the societies of Asia. Alumni pursue graduate study or employment in a diverse range of fields, including art, business, education, history, linguistics, politics, and religious studies.

Meet Yige Dong, the Barnett Chair of Contemporary China Studies

The Asian Studies Program is pleased to announce the appointment of Yige Dong as the Suzanne Wilson Barnett Chair in Contemporary China Studies. Yige will join Puget Sound in Fall 2019.  Click here to learn more about Yige.

Symposium on China and the Environment, Feb 8-9

Resilience, Response, and Reclamation in the Ecology and Environment of Greater China. Presentations in this symposium will capture the trajectory of environmental degradation and remediation, and assess the resilience of the varied environments of Greater China.

PacRim Program Featured in PS Magazine

PS: The Puget Sound Experience is a recently-launched magazine for prospective students and families.  The most recent PacRim Program is spotlighted in the second issue of PS.  Click here to view the story.

Interview with Asian Studies Director

In an interview conducted for President Isiaah Crawford's 2017-2018 Annual Report, Asian Studies Director Nick Kontogeorgopoulos discusses the strengths, community connections, and future direction of Asian Studies at Puget Sound.

Visiting Miki Scholar Interview

Visiting Miki Scholar Erina Okada discusses her background and how she came to teach in Puget Sound's Asian Studies Program. Since 1994, the Miki Memorial Endowment Fund has sponsored a Japanese Miki Scholar at Puget Sound.

Asian Studies Scholarship and Fellowship Opportunities

Information about scholarship and fellowship opportunities available to Asian Studies students.