The Concentrations
Concentrations in East Asian Studies and in South Asian Studies provide an opportunity for students majoring in traditional departments to bring focus to their choice of electives. Interested students should discuss their plans with the coordinators: Mark Hansell (East Asian Studies) or Meera Sehgal (South Asian Studies).
East Asia
With the world's most populous nations and some of its largest economies, East Asia is a region of growing significance. It consists of areas encompassed by present day China, Japan, and Korea (and sometimes also Mongolia, Myanmar, Siberia, and Vietnam). The concentration consists of a program of study combining language training, off-campus study, required core courses in various disciplines, and supporting courses, including a designated capstone course. The underlying logic of the concentration seeks to highlight both the similarities and differences in the societies and cultures of East Asia and to generate increased understanding of a vital part of the modern world.South Asia
South Asia, which contains nearly a quarter of the world's people, refers to the countries comprising the South Asian subcontinent: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and sometimes Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Tibet. The concentration consists of a program of study combining language training, off-campus study, required core courses in various disciplines, and supporting courses, including a designated capstone course. The purpose of the concentration is to provide cross-cultural interdisciplinary understanding of a complex civilization that is both ancient and modern, and of great significance in the contemporary world.