East Asian Studies

Degree Type
Department Interdisciplinary
Academic Division The College
Offerings
East Asian studies is a closely coordinated, interdepartmental program representing seven departments and eight disciplines. It offers some 50 courses, ranging from art to culminating in a minor that may be focused upon either China or Japan. Interested students are encouraged to study abroad in East Asia.

Why Study East Asian Studies at W&L?

Recognizing that Western culture exists in an ever-shrinking and globally connected world, the East Asian Studies Interdisciplinary Program is dedicated to expanding the intellectual horizons of its students to include the cultures of China and Japan. The increasing strategic, economic and social importance of Asia makes it imperative that our students be prepared both theoretically and practically to understand and deal with Asia on many levels.

The East Asian Studies minor approaches the civilizations of China and Japan from multiple standpoints that include their art, history, languages and literatures, religions and philosophies, politics and economics. In the belief that Asia must be directly experienced in order to be understood fully, the East Asian Studies Program stresses the importance of study abroad in China, Taiwan and Japan. Students from these countries also study on the Lexington campus, either through an exchange program or as regular four-year undergraduate students.

Opportunities for Students

  • Summer scholarships are available to study intensive Chinese or Japanese at Washington University in St. Louis with the ALLEX Foundation
  • Study Abroad programs in Asia are approved by W&L and listed on our Center for International Education website
  • The student paper competition allows undergraduate students to compete for a cash prize, registration and lodging for the 2017 annual conference, and publication in ASIANetwork
  • Exchange: A Journal for Asian Studies in the Liberal Arts.
  • Conferences— Annual Asia Network Conference

Authentic Japanese Tea Room

W&L's Japanese Tea Room was named Senshin’an 洗心庵 “Clearing-the-Mind Abode” by Sen Genshitsu, 15th-generation Grand Master of the Urasenke Tradition of Tea. This architectural treasure was built in the Watson Pavilion on campus, where it serves as a classroom laboratory for the study of Chanoyu 茶の湯, or the Way of Tea, and a center for cultural activities relating to the arts of Japan.

David Bello

Program Head
P: 540-458-8770
E: bellod@wlu.edu

Kara Hemphill

Administrative Assistant
P: 540-458-8771
E: hemphillk@wlu.edu

Meet the Faculty

At W&L, students enjoy small classes and close relationships with professors who educate and nurture.
David Bello Director of East Asian Studies; Professor of History
Bello teaches courses in Chinese and Japanese history. His research focuses on Qing China and borderland environmental history. He has published a number of notable scholarly works on the subject.
Hongchu Fu Professor of Chinese Language and Literature
Fu teaches courses in Chinese language ranging from the elementary to advanced level. He also teaches several courses in literature, such as Evolution of Chinese Fiction. His research pertains to pre-modern Chinese drama.
Janet Ikeda Associate Professor of Japanese
Ikeda teaches and researches Japanese language, culture and literature. Ikeda has been involved in U.S.- Japan relations and has been a member of several councils, committees and delegations to promote good relations.
Wan-Chuan Kao Associate Professor of English
Professor Kao’s teaching and research interests include medieval literature, especially Chaucer; whiteness studies; critical theory; race and ethnicity; gender and sexuality; queer studies; hotel theory; affect; and cute studies.
Robin LeBlanc Professor of Politics
LeBlanc is a political anthropologist focused on the civic engagement of non-elites in rich democracies. She teaches classes on global politics, urban politics, gender and politics, and political theory.
Timothy Lubin Professor of Religion and Adjunct Professor of Law
Lubin teaches courses on Asian religions and comparative study of religion and law. He researches Hindu religious history, law in ancient Asia, and texts and inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prakrit, Old Javanese and Old Tamil.
Yanhong Zhu Department Head, East Asian Languages and Literatures; Associate Professor of Chinese
Yanhong Zhu’s research interests include modern Chinese literature and culture, contemporary Chinese cinema, and Chinese language pedagogy. She teaches Chinese language courses at all levels as well as courses on modern Chinese literature and East Asian cinema.

Sample Courses

At W&L, we believe education and experience go hand-in-hand. You'll be encouraged to dive in, explore and discover connections that will broaden your perspective.
ARTH 140

Asian Art

A survey of artistic traditions from South (including the Himalayan region), East, and Southeast Asia from roughly the 1st to the 18th centuries CE. The course focuses on a wide range of media - including architecture, sculpture, painting, textiles, and book arts - that serve a spectrum of religious and secular functions. The broad temporal, geographic, and topical scope of this course is meant to provide students with a basic understanding of not only the greatest artistic achievements and movements in Asia, but also the historical and political contexts that gave rise to these extraordinary pieces of art.

LIT 225

Poetry and Drama of Japan

This course is designed to introduce students to the poetry and theater of Japan's premodern era. We examine classical themes and poetic art forms, and read from the vast canon of Japanese poetry. The second part of the course offers a close study of the four traditional dramatic art forms of Japan: Noh, Kyogen or Comic Theater, Puppet Theater, and Kabuki.

ENGL 382

Hotel Orient

This seminar charts the historical encounters between East and West through the very spaces that facilitate cross-cultural transactions, from the medieval to the postmodern. If modern hotel consciousness is marked by transience, ennui, eroticism, and isolation, we ask whether or not the same characteristics held true in pre-modern hotel practices, and if the space of the Orient makes a difference in hotel writing.

ARTH 288

Chinese Export Porcelain/China Trade

This course covers the development and history of Chinese export porcelain made for the European and American markets and its role as a commodity in the China Trade. Students examine Chinese export porcelain from several different perspectives, including art history, material culture, and economic history.

POL 227

East Asian Politics

An investigation of East Asian political systems and the global, historical, and cultural contexts in which their political institutions have developed. Students consider the connections between political structure and the rapid social and economic changes in East Asia since World War II, as well as the effectiveness of varied political processes in addressing contemporary problems. Emphasis is given to China, Korea, and Japan.

EAS 391

Senior Capstone

Weekly seminar in East Asian studies that focuses on research tools and methodology. Students develop and present to the group their capstone proposals. Additional presentations by East Asian Studies faculty and guest speakers.