Overview
Abhishek Amar
Usman Hamid
Sabrina Datoo
Christopher Elford
Program Committee
Abhishek Amar (Asian Studies)
Usman Hamid (Asian Studies)
Lisa Trivedi (History)
Thomas Wilson (History), director
Affiliated Faculty
Alexsia Chan (Government)
Jessie Jia (Chinese)
Masaaki Kamiya (Japanese)
Kyoko Omori (Japanese)
Julie Starr (Anthropology)
Zhuoyi Wang (Chinese)
Steven Yao (Literature and Creative Writing)
The goal of the Asian Studies Program is to introduce students to the diversity of Asian cultures and enable them to develop critical perspectives on Asia, while honing their skills in speaking, writing and research. Through multidisciplinary practices, students cultivate intellectual curiosity and flexibility about Asia’s aesthetic traditions, religions, politics and society, and histories.
Students Will Learn to:
- Engage life world of an Asian culture (assessed during senior project oral presentation)
- Conduct multidisciplinary research on Asia (assessed during senior project oral presentation)
- Communicate research findings through oral expression (assessed during senior project oral presentation)
In this multidisciplinary area of study, students focus on the diversity of Asian cultures across the liberal arts. In consultation with the Program Chair or academic advisor, students approach Asia through four thematic lenses:
Aesthetic traditions including art, architecture, film, literature
Textual and material sources on Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, Hinduism, Islam
Contemporary political and social issues
Critical approaches to the study of the past in Art History, History, Religious Studies
The Asian Studies program encourages students to explore one of Asia’s societies across disciplines or to pursue comparative study across Asian societies.
Beginning with the class of 2024
A concentration in Asian Studies consists of nine courses, including one course in each of four thematic areas: aesthetic traditions; textual and material sources on religion; politics and society; and critical approaches to the past. Concentrators take an introductory 100-level course, two courses at the advanced 300-level, and must demonstrate intermediate ability in an Asian language by taking courses at Hamilton through the intermediate level or their equivalent in an off-campus program, or by passing a proficiency examination. Concentrators fulfill the College SSIH requirement through successful completion of ASNST-180 Exploring Cultures in Asia and are encouraged to pursue the study of structural hierarchies in the senior project. Students fulfill the senior project requirement through AS 550. Courses taken for Cr/NC do not count toward the concentration.
Honors in Asian Studies will be awarded to concentrators who achieve an 3.3 (88) average in the concentration and who complete 550 with a grade of at least A-.
A minor in Asian Studies consists of five courses, including one course in at least two of four thematic areas: aesthetic traditions, textual and material sources on religion, politics and society, and critical approaches to the past. Students must complete the Exploring Cultures in Asia course and take at least one course at the advanced level. Courses taken for Cr/NC do not count toward the minor.
For Concentrators prior to the Class of 2024:
The Asian Studies Program offers an interdisciplinary approach to studying the cultures, societies, and languages of Asia. Concentrators may study one of three tracks that focus on China, Japan, or South Asia. Students may, in consultation with the program director, elect to develop a comparative course of the study of Asia.
A concentration in Asian Studies consists of nine courses distributed among at least three departments: Anthropology, Art History, EALL (Chinese, Japanese), English, Government, History, Religious Studies, and Theatre. Concentrators must (1) successfully complete ASNST-180, (2) take at least three courses at the 300 level or above, and (3) study an Asian language through the intermediate level in coursework at Hamilton or appropriate language study off campus. Concentrators fulfill the College SSIH requirement through successful completion of ASNST-180 and are encouraged to pursue the study of structural hierarchies in the senior project. Students fulfill the senior project requirement through successful completion of ASNST-550. Honors in Asian Studies will be awarded to concentrators with at least an 3.3 (88) average in the concentration and who complete ASNST-550 with a grade of at least A-.
A minor in Asian Studies consists of five courses, including ASNST-180 and four electives approved by the program director.
Building upon this interdisciplinary approach, Asian Studies concentrators are well-prepared for study in an Asian country. In the senior year, concentrators draw together their knowledge from coursework and experiences in Asia to complete senior projects.
Students double majoring in Asian Studies and East Asian Languages and Literatures (EALL) may use upper-level Chinese or Japanese language courses to satisfy the Asian Studies requirements, providing they are not used to count toward the EALL concentration.
There are three tracks within the Asian Studies concentration: China Studies, Japan Studies, and South Asia Studies. Ordinarily, students choose to focus their coursework and language study in one of these three regional areas. Students with thematic interests in Asia may pursue a comparative course of study in consultation with the Director. A partial list of courses regularly offered in each of these three areas can be found in the 2020-2021 College Catalogue..