About Asian Studies

We offer a range of programmes in Asian Studies as well as Asian languages (Chinese, Japanese and Korean). You can develop your knowledge of Asia from different perspectives, and we encourage you to take a multi-disciplinary approach. At undergraduate level you can take Asian Studies without studying language, although many students study both.

Find out more about studying Asian Studies, Chinese, Japanese, or Korean.
 

Students who major in Asian Studies will acquire:

• An awareness and appreciation of cultural differences and norms within Asia and beyond.
• An ability to interact sensitively with the target culture/s.
• A sense of appreciation of the literature, cinema and other forms of cultural expression in the target cultures and/or an understanding of the histories and social and political cultures of the Asian regions studied, including an appreciation of their interactions, past and present, depending on specialisation.
• Familiarity with a number of basic theoretical apparata commonly used in the academic study of Asian cultures
• A strong foundation for further study, including the possibility of graduate study both in New Zealand and overseas, which is enhanced with familiarity with an Asian language, either a major/minor in that language or as a fluent speaker and reader of that language.

Students who major in Chinese, Japanese and Korean programmes in which language acquisition is an inherent component will acquire:

• A strong foundation that includes: linguistic knowledge; various communication strategies; social/cultural knowledge of the target language; knowledge and skills relating to intercultural communication; skills for autonomous learning; ability/readiness to apply one’s knowledge in new situations; and ability to express one’s opinion with a clear personal cultural/multicultural perspective. This foundation allows graduates to further develop their target language/cultural proficiency with confidence and autonomy.
• An awareness and appreciation of cultural differences.
• An ability to function effectively within the target culture.
• An awareness and appreciation of the histories and social and political cultures of the Asian cultures studied.
• A sense of appreciation of a range of forms of cultural expression in the target culture.
• A foundation for further study, including the possibility of graduate study both in New Zealand and overseas, which is enhanced by an accompanying a major/minor in Asian Studies.

Meet Asian Studies students and graduates.  

Meet Chinese students and graduates.  

Meet Japanese students and graduates.

Meet Korean students and graduates.  
 

We bring a variety of different perspectives to our research on Asia. Our academic staff are interested in history, politics, sociology, religion, linguistics, language teaching, literature, philology, gender and film. We are also interested in the experience of Asians in New Zealand.

Find out more about Staff research in Asian Studies