Research Goals:

Our research strength lies in its ability to question boundaries: boundaries between nation and diaspora, past and present, language and culture, theories and practices, and academy and lived experiences, through an understanding of Asias as multiple, interconnected, and globally constituted. By bridging language studies, area studies, ethnic studies, and intellectual traditions, our research contributes to critical understandings of power, mobility, identity, and social justice in local and global.

Teaching Goals: 

We envision teaching and curriculum as transformative practices that cultivate intercultural understanding, ethical global citizenship, and the ability to think across differences. By integrating language, literature, culture, society, and thought, and by using Asias as analytical and learning perspectives, our pedagogy highlights the multiplicity and connectivity of Asias while fostering  openness, empathy, critical inquiry, and reflective learning. Students are encouraged to engage with issues of globalization, migration, and inequality in ways that connect theories to lived experience.

Global Engagement Goals: 

The department advances the university’s growth areas by extending learning beyond the classroom through experiential and community-engaged learning, study abroad, and Center-based initiatives that connect the university with local, national, and international communities. Through student research, internships, translation and public-facing projects, international exchanges, and partnerships with cultural, educational, and community organizations, students develop transferable skills in critical analysis, communication, teamwork, and cross-cultural leadership. These experiences prepare students to apply their knowledge of Asias to address global challenges related to migration and social justice, and to pursue professional pathways in education, diplomacy, public service, cultural institutions, nonprofit organizations, business,  consulting, and other globally connected fields.