East Asian Studies

A research unit with the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies, focusing on China, Japan, Thailand and the Asia Pacific.

East asian landscape.
  1. Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures
  2. School of Languages, Cultures and Societies
  3. Research and innovation
  4. Languages
  5. East Asian Studies

East Asian Studies

Our research

We are a vibrant and interdisciplinary unit, engaging in a variety of projects focusing on China, Japan, Thailand and the Asia Pacific.

We host a thriving community of postgraduate researchers and hold regular research events. A broad and cross-cultural approach to the study of East Asia is at the heart of who we are, and our research interests cover literature and cultural studies, social sciences, religious studies, and translation studies, supported by strong expertise in East Asian languages.

Our expertise

Our expertise

Discover our subject specialists and internationally-renowned academic staff who lead our research.

More on Our expertise
Academics and Postgraduate researchers in conversation. Our projects

Our projects

Explore our research projects directory to discover past and present research activity.

More on Our projects
Academic staff at the University of Leeds Postgraduate researchers

Postgraduate researchers

Find out more about our postgraduate researchers and their projects and placements.

More on Postgraduate researchers

Areas of research

Silhouette of man fishing at sunset Asia Pacific Studies

Asia Pacific Studies

Asia Pacific Studies at Leeds encompasses a region of huge cultural, political, and economic diversity, and our research reflects this complexity and dynamism.

More on Asia Pacific Studies
Zakary harrison twist china shanghai 1 Chinese

Chinese

Our Chinese research has a strong multi-disciplinary focus. As a closely linked, energetic research community, we work alongside colleagues in East Asian studies and more widely across the School and wider research community.

More on Chinese
Landscape of Japan. Japanese

Japanese

Japanese Studies has over thirty years’ history at University of Leeds and we have become a leading teaching and research centre for the region.

More on Japanese
Cyclist in Thailand with mountains in the background Thai

Thai

Our research strengths explore the history of Buddhism in Thailand; contemporary movements in Thai Buddhism and their relations to society, politics and the economy; and disputes on Buddhist doctrines in Thailand.

More on Thai