Course summary

BA East Asian Studies will provide you with an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the East Asian region, with a focus on China and Japan, and the region's cultures, histories, societies, economics and politics. You will gain a critical appreciation of the complex contemporary realities in East Asian countries, as well as the changing position of these countries in an ever-changing international context. This course aims to provide you with the knowledge and critical tools needed to understand East Asia in the 20th and 21st centuries, as well as an appreciation of the major historical events and social movements that have made East Asian countries what they are today. East Asia is studied both as an economically connected region with overlapping histories, languages and cultural identities and as a diverse group of countries and peoples with divergent political systems and contemporary cultures. By the end of your degree, you will possess the socio-cultural understanding and analytical skills needed to embark upon more long-term professional or academic engagements with the East Asian region, and will have acquired a more international perspective on the world as it stands today and as it has developed over the course of history. You will have the option of learning some Chinese, Japanese or Korean language as part of your studies, although East Asian Studies is not a language-intensive degree programme. You can tailor your degree according to your interests and professional ambitions, and from the second year onwards can choose from a wide range of courses on topics including:

• language;

• contemporary art;

• literature;

• religion;

• media;

• popular culture;

• business;

• anthropology;

• history;

• economics;

• politics.