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Professors: Jonathan W. Best (Art), Anthony H. Chambers (Asian Languages and Literatures), John T. Frazer (Art), Vera Schwarcz (History), David A. Titus (Government), Ellen B. Widmer (Asian Languages and Literatures), Janice D. Willis (Religion)

Associate Professors: William Johnston (Chair)(History), James McGuire (Government), Yoshiko Yokochi Samuel (Asian Languages and Literatures)

Adjunct Associate Professor: Phillip Wagoner (Curator, Mansfield Freeman Center for East Asian Studies, and Art)

Assistant Professors: Stephen C. Angle (Philosophy), Xinmin Liu (Asian Languages and Literatures), David Selover (Economics), Karen Smyers (Religion), Su Zheng (Music)

Adjunct Assistant Professor: Seiji Naito (Asian Languages and Literatures)

Adjunct Instructor: Xiaomiao Zhu (Asian Languages and Literatures)

Visiting Artist: Keiji Shinohara (Art and The Mansfield Freeman Center for East Asian Studies)

The East Asian Studies Program challenges the student to understand the cultures of China and Japan through the rigors of language study and the analytical tools of various academic disciplines. This prismatic process demands both broad exposure to different subjects and a focused perspective on a particular feature of the East Asian cultural landscape. Japan and China are related yet distinctive civilizations. Each has its own tradition and pattern of development. These traditions have played an important role in the development of culture around the globe and remain formative influences today.

Students interested in East Asian studies will be guided by the expectations for liberal learning at Wesleyan and by the programÃs interdisciplinary approach. Language, literature, history, and the sophomore colloquium provide the common core of our program. The colloquium will expose students to a wide variety of intellectual approaches to East Asian studies and will thereby provide a foundation for the student to focus in more depth on particular areas. Prospective majors are urged to start their language and history courses early in their Wesleyan studies. This will leave more time for study abroad and for meaningful work in the concentration of the student's choice. To help students chart their way, the program faculty has designated the programs of study listed below. Before deciding on a specific course of study, students must consult with an academic adviser in East Asian studies. Admission to the major requires approval of the program chair and designation of an East Asian studies academic adviser.

Requirements for the major.

1. Satisfactory completion of the intermediate level of either Chinese or Japanese. All students are strongly urged to go beyond this minimum. New majors who place higher than the third year of language are strongly urged to undertake more advanced language work, or to study the language with which they are less familiar, depending on the particular needs of the student.

2. EAST 201: Sophomore Colloquium. The aim of this course is to introduce prospective majors to a range of fields and methodologies that comprise East Asian studies at Wesleyan. The material will be organized into several disciplinary modules, each contributing to a central theme. The modules will vary from year to year. Examples are: art history, economics, government, history, language and linguistics, literature, music, philosophy, and religion.

3. EAST 223/HIST 223: Traditional China

4. EAST 225/HIST 225: Japan to 1800

5. One course in East Asian literature

6. One additional East Asian studies course, to be decided in consultation with the adviser.

7. Four courses in one of the concentrations listed below or in a concentration designed through close consultation between the student and his or her academic adviser. All concentrations must have the approval of the program chair. Concentrations currently offered are: art history, China, Chinese language and literature, gender in East Asia, history, Japan, Japanese language and literature, political economy, and philosophy and religion.

8. A senior project. This should use Japanese- or Chinese-language materials to the extent that the student's preparation permits. This project may take the form of a seminar paper or project, a senior-essay tutorial, or a senior-thesis tutorial.

9. Study abroad. Study abroad is a primary gateway to competence in Japanese or Chinese and to the cross-cultural awareness that is indispensable in today's world. For most students, total immersion in the culture and language of another country is the only path to becoming bilingual and bicultural. Study abroad sharpens our understanding of ourselves in relation to the world we live in and is thus a vital component of a liberal education.

Accordingly, East Asian studies majors should devote one or, preferably, two semesters to study at an approved program in China, Japan, or Taiwan. (Students whose exceptional circumstances make study abroad problematic may petition the program faculty to have this requirement waived.) Students must consult the International Studies Office for detailed information on study abroad.

Criteria for departmental honors. To qualify for departmental honors, the student must complete a thesis, perform a concert, or mount an exhibition or related project under the supervision of a faculty member of the East Asian Studies Program. Responsibility for overseeing the senior project rests with the tutor.

Mansfield Freeman Center for East Asian Studies. East Asian studies majors are urged to take full advantage of the unique learning opportunities provided through the Freeman Center. Each of the resources listed below can become a means to obtain a deeper appreciation of the cultures of China and Japan.

‘ Shoyoan, a room in the style of Japanese domestic architecture, and its adjoining Japanese-style garden, Shoyoan Teien (Shoyoan garden), were planned as an educational resource. The ensemble provides a tangible means of experiencing Japanese aesthetics and exploring the cultural values that these spaces embody. The Shoyoan room and garden are actively used for a variety of purposes, ranging from meetings of small classes and Japanese tea ceremonies to quiet contemplation and meditation.

‘ The annual Mansfield Freeman Lecture brings to campus each year a particularly eminent speaker on East Asia.

‘ A weekly colloquium series augments the curriculum further through lectures and performances reflecting all aspects of East Asian culture.

‘ Study collections of East Asian art and historical archives were established in 1987 with an initial gift of Chinese works of art and historical documents from Dr. Chih Meng, founding director of the China Institute in America, and his wife, Huan-shou Meng. Items are available for study and research by Wesleyan students and outside scholars.