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Asia Program
libarts.wsu.edu/asia
Wilson 310
509-335-3267
Program Director and Associate Professor D. Pietz (History, East Asia); Professors, P. Tansuhaj (International Business, South East Asia), M. Tolmacheva (History, Middle East), M. Myers (Philosophy and Religion, South Asia, East Asia), C. S. Ivory (Art History, the Pacific), R. A. Jussaume (Community and Rural Sociology, Japan ); Associate Professors, N. Kawamura (History, East Asia), C. Lupke (Chinese), H. Ono (Sociology, Japan), R. Sun (History, East Asia), P. Thiers (Political Science, East Asia); Assistant Professors, W. Brecher (Japanese), P. Narayanan (English, South Asia), X. Wang (History), C. Wilkinson-Weber (Anthropology, South Asia); Instructors, W. Cao (Chinese), R. Chan (History, East Asia), L. Gerber (History, China), K. Niimi (Japanese), L. Rahman-Turner (History/Anthropology, South Asia), R. Snyder (Philosophy, East Asia, South Asia), R. Staab (History, Middle East); Emeritus, T. Kennedy (History, China), A. Spitzer (Library).
The WSU Asia Program promotes teaching, research, and outreach to prepare present and future leaders for the opportunities and challenges of Asia’s increasing presence in global and regional affairs.
The WSU Asia Program offers a Bachelor of Arts in Asian Studies, a minor in Asian Studies, Certificate in East Asian Studies for College of Business Majors, and a Certificate in East Asian Studies for College of Engineering and Architecture Majors. The curriculum, leading to a B.A. in Asian Studies, promotes depth and breadth. The program provides students the opportunity to focus on one country or region (China, Japan, India, Middle East), while at the same time, requiring students to develop pan-Asian perspectives through geographic disciplinary distribution requirements.
The Asia Program is designed to provide a broad, systematic knowledge of Asia through interdisciplinary study and is intended to serve four major objectives:
- To prepare students intending to teach courses on Asia in public schools,
- To provide academic background for those planning to pursue graduate work on Asia,
- To prepare students for business careers dealing with Asia, and
- To train those interested in governmental and various private career opportunities related to Asia.
Upon completion of the Asia Program curriculum, graduates will be able to: 1) identify, locate, and critically evaluate resources for the study of Asia; 2) understand the commonalities, complexity, and diversity of Asia; 3) understand disciplinary approaches to the study of Asia; 4) identify problems and questions related to Asia and place in appropriate context; 5) understand traditions and transformations of Asian cultures; and 6) have competency in an Asian language equivalent to 2nd year level.