Asian Studies explores diverse topics and themes on linguistic, literary, cultural, philosophic-religious, aesthetic, social, institutional-political, educational and other related spheres of Asian people and civilization. The program also endeavors to explain the complex interactions among them in terms of both tradition and transformation. Some emphasis is placed not only on the cultural diversity, unity and achievements of Asian countries but also on the comparative and interdisciplinary ways of promoting a broader and deeper understanding of the East. This enterprise may shed new light on Western civilizations, histories, traditions, cultures and modern changes.
The interdisciplinary Asian Studies Minor now offered at Kennesaw State University will be a popular and rewarding program, for the growing importance of Asia in the world scene means more career opportunities in business, trade, law, journalism, government, education, social work, art, etc. for students who choose Asian Studies. In particular, the program strives to cover the geographical and cultural areas of East Asia (Greater China - China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, Japan, Korea, etc.), South Asia (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, etc.), and Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, etc.) offering various courses in most of the disciplines of the humanities and social sciences. Asian Studies courses, on the undergraduate level, attract students with divergent academic interests and career goals. Many of these courses can also be credited toward majors in regular degree programs.
The Asian Studies minor at KSU reaches beyond the humanities and social sciences, to promote interdisciplinary and comparative knowledge about Asia by including many professional fields, such as Business Management, Education, Journalism, International Relations, Urban and Regional Planning, International Communication, and even Technology and Medicine.
Asian Studies is a fascinating and rewarding area of study and work. The Asian region will be at the center of global development in the 21st Century. Career prospects for Asian Studies graduates - in government agencies, the private sector and industry, teaching and research, non-government and community organizations, journalism, media, and communication - are excellent. For more suggestions as to where Asian Studies could take you, check out the list below. Of course, the possibilities are endless!
In addition to course work, Asian Studies at KSU organizes and promotes extra-curricular activities related to Asia. These include various study abroad programs in China, Japan, Korea, and India, an annual Asian film Festival, Chinese New Year Celebration, interactions with various Asian cultural associations, special brownbag lectures/performances by artists and martial artists, and arts exhibitions.
Moreover, we hope to invite special visits of Asian scholars, global business practitioners, diplomats, journalists and performers who will provide Asian Studies students with additional opportunities for first hand information and interaction. There are also numerous Asian students who study at KSU and who support Asian Studies Program through various student organizations, such as the Asia Club, Chinese Student Association, Korean Student Association.
Asian Studies actively promotes a number of international exchange and inter-university study programs in the areas of language and cultural studies, business, communication, computer science, mathematics, etc. The Institute for Global Initiatives (IGI) facilitates many study abroad programs to Asia.
In addition, several critical Asian languages are being taught at KSU, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Arabic. For details, please refer to this website of the Department of Foreign Languages.
We are also developing internship programs for upper-year students, which are dedicated to various student interests in Asian languages, cultures, economies, and politics. These programs allow students to gain hands-on experience in multinational corporations and non-government organizations with interest in Asia.
Asia is a continent on the move with a rich and diverse culture spanning several millennia. In the past two decades, it has embarked on a remarkable transformative journey, opening up to the rest of the world and becoming an increasingly powerful player on the global scene.
The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is pleased to announce the launching of this Asian Studies website that marks the renewal of Asian Studies at Kennesaw State University (KSU.) I want to take this opportunity to thank the vibrant multinational and interdisciplinary faculty as well as the dynamic program coordinator, Dr. May Gao, for their outstanding work in developing this exciting new Cultural and Regional Studies program. This program will play an important role in strengthening KSU’s Global Learning initiative by providing our students an array of challenging academic and cultural experiences. They will have the opportunity to explore the complexities of this fascinating continent and become informed, productive global citizens.
Thierry Léger, Ph.D.Congratulations to the Asian Studies Program faculty and staff for this fantastic website! At KSU, Asian Studies as an academic area of concentration has grown tremendously. Its elevation in the curriculum is not accidental but the result of decades of academic program support, intensive study abroad, and strategic recruitment of faculty and students.
At the IGI, we had envisioned this elevation of Asian Studies and its continued importance in the KSU curriculum. It is why I had asked Dr. Dan Paracka to help coordinate the restructuring of KSU’s Asian Studies programs and their delivery. We are committed to supporting the efforts under Dr. May Gao's leadership, and to continue working with Asian Studies faculty and staff to promote the knowledge and understanding of Asia among our students, faculty, staff and the community we serve. We believe these are critical to the achievement of the goals of our Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) on "Global Learning for Engaged Citizenship" and to the promotion of intercultural and international understanding. Through this website, crucial information about Asian Studies programs and activities will be disseminated to our community and clients. Students and colleagues will especially find several pages and links extremely valuable, such as "programs," "resources," and "press" links. Again, congratulations!
Akanmu Adebayo, Ph.D.
