Asian Studies

Asian studies minors get the unique opportunity to create their ideal program by choosing from a long list of approved elective courses. Here’s a glimpse into the courses you may take as part of the minor:

• Introduction to Asian Studies: This course provides students with an overview of the region, including its political, cultural and historical context. 
• East Asia Society and Economy: This course helps students understand the politics of economic development and contemporary transformations of social norms in East Asia.
• Politics and Society of Turkey: This course situates a particular national territory (Turkey) in a global context, to help students understand the transformative role of particular Asian—in this case, West Asian—contexts in global politics and economy.
• Government and Politics of Asia: This course provides a detailed survey of governments across the world region, and helps students understand how distinctions have emerged between different national contexts. 

UW’s Asian studies faculty are highly regarded and accomplished in their fields. Here are some of the faculty members you’ll interact with during your Asian studies courses:

• Dr. Yi-Ling Chen focuses on global cities, with a comparative approach that helps students understand global cities in East Asia in relation to urban centers elsewhere, including in Europe. 
• Dr. Thomas Seitz specializes in political development in Asia with a focus on Indonesian politics.  
• Dr. Nicholas Crane teaches and does research on Turkey, a country that plays a key role in Eurasian politics due to its position in Western Asia and on the periphery of Europe. 
• Dr. Nevin Aiken focuses on conflict and post-conflict processes in social contexts across the world and leads Asian studies courses focused on conflict resolution in Southeast Asia.

Study abroad programs are a wonderful way for students to experience new cultures, broaden their perspective and apply their knowledge. UW’s international studies faculty have led programs to east, southeast, south and west Asian destinations.

We believe internships are the best way for students to gain hands-on experience and build their professional network prior to graduation. Students have recently interned with government agencies, congressional delegations, private companies and non-governmental organizations.