Our internationally renowned research explores the Chinese-speaking world, Japan, Korea and Thailand from a variety of perspectives, area-focused as well as transnational and global. A distinctively cross-cultural approach anchored in East Asian languages (Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Thai) is at the heart of who we are.
Our expertise in East Asian Studies spans a number of disciplinary fields: literatures (classical and modern), film and cultural studies, environmental humanities, history, translation studies, religion, anthropology, sociology, folkloristics, international relations and development studies. Recent funding successes include awards from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the Leverhulme Trust, the Wellcome Trust, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), and the White Rose Consortium.
Home to the vibrant Centre for New Chinese Writing, the unit hosts regular research events. Members of East Asian studies are also actively involved in other research centres in the School such as the Centre for World Literatures, Centre for World Cinemas and Digital Cultures and the Centre for Endangered Languages, Cultures and Ecosystems. We supervise a variety of postgraduate research projects, often lending our support to other subject areas in the School and Faculty. We have a thriving community of postgraduate researchers and visiting academics and welcome new ones.
Further details about our staff research interests, funded projects, and collaborative initiatives can be found on our staff pages.
