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East Asian Studies

East Asian Studies Program

East Asian studies at Denison

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East Asian Studies

THE EAST ASIAN STUDIES PROGRAM is designed to give students an education in the languages and cultures of East Asia, primarily China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam.

Students learn about the history and civilization of the whole region with a focus on either China or Japan. For students who wish to study abroad, Denison has approved programs of study in Nanjing, Beijing, Hong Kong, Nagoya and Tokyo. The program is rounded out with a senior research project undertaken by every senior major. Students can also apply for summer internships in China and Japan or summer research jobs on campus.

The East Asian studies major

Students with a major in East Asian Studies must fulfill the following requirements:

  • Four semesters of Chinese or Japanese language course work or the equivalent. Majors are encouraged to begin their language work at Denison during their first year.
  • Two core courses surveying traditional and modern East Asian civilization, selected from the following list:
    • Traditional East Asian Civilization
    • Religions of China and Japan
    • Dream and Fantasy in East Asian Literature
    • Art of Japan or Art of China
    • Modern East Asian Civilization
    • Introduction to Modern Chinese and Japanese Literature
  • Five East Asian area studies courses, selected from the following list:
    • History of Asian Art Survey
    • Tea/Aesthetic Japan
    • Art of Japan
    • Art of China
    • East Asian Art and Ideas
    • Classical Chinese Literature in Translation
    • Dream and Fantasy in East Asian Literature
    • Philosophical Taoism and Chinese Literature
    • Chinese Cinema in English
    • Traditional East Asian Civilization
    • Modern Japan in Film and Literature
    • Introduction to Modern Chinese and Japanese Literature
    • Japan's Modern Canon
    • The Confucian Classics
    • East Asia Since WWII
    • Religions of China and Japan
    • Independent and Directed Study (examples):
      • Advanced Chinese
      • Readings in Chinese Texts
      • Readings in Japanese Texts
      • East Asian Economies
      • Geography of China
      • Directed Study in East Asian Studies
      • Independent Study in East Asian Studies.
    • Comparative courses:
      • East Asia in comparison with another region of the world
      • History of Asian Art Survey
      • International Communication
      • Economic Development in the Third World
      • International Trade
      • Human Rights and Asian Values
      • Politics of the Third World
      • International Political Economy
      • Buddhism.
  • A senior research project.
Students with a minor in East Asian studies must fulfill the following requirements:
  • Four semesters of Chinese or Japanese language course work or the equivalent.
  • Two core courses surveying traditional and modern East Asian civilization, from the list above.
  • Three East Asian area studies courses from the list above.


Student Research

All East Asian studies majors must do a senior research project, applying the methodologies of two disciplines to a research topic normally focusing on China, Japan, or their interaction.

Rising seniors and below may apply for summer research grants, focussed on the East Asian region. The research is guided by a faculty member and culminates in a writing or artistic project and a presentation to other summer scholars. Student scholars live on Denison's campus.

The following lists the titles of some of the research projects undertaken in recent years by East Asian Studies majors:


What do East Asian studies majors do after Denison?

Many of our graduates have gone on to careers that make direct use of their East Asian studies majors:


Who are our professors?

Director and Professor of History Barry C. Keenan joined the faculty at Denison in 1976. He earned a B.A. at Yale University and an M.A. and a Ph.D. from Claremont University. He teaches Traditional East Asian Civilization, Modern East Asia, Confucian Classics and East Asia since World War II. His research focuses on the history of Chinese education, Confucianism and social change in modern China.

Professor of Religion John E. Cort joined the faculty at Denison in 1992. He earned a B.A. and an M.A. at the University of Wisconsin and an M.A. and a Ph.D. at Harvard University. His research interests include Asian, Indian and comparative religions, Indian history and culture and the history of religion.

Associate Professor of Geology and Geography Todd A. Frolking joined the faculty at Denison in 1984. He earned a B.A. at the University of New Hampshire and an M.S. and a Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin. His specialties are physical geography and surface processes. His current research concerns the impacts of glaciation on central Ohio's river systems, water resource issues, both local and global and geoarchaeology projects linking soils to prehistoric land use in both central Ohio and eastern Hungary.

Instructor/Assistant Professor of Communication Carol (Mimi) Harvey joined the faculty at Denison in 2005. She earned a B.A. and an M.A. at the University of Victoria and is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Iowa. Her research is on Indonesian workers in Korea.

Assistant Professor of Music Ching-Chu Hu joined the faculty at Denison in 2000. He earned a B.A. at Yale University, an M.A. and M.F.A. at University of Iowa and a D.M.A. at University of Michigan. Hu teaches composition, theory, arranging and conducting. Hu is the recipient of the 2002-2003 and 2004-2005 ASCAP Award. In 2004 he received the Bayley-Bowen Faculty Fellowship.

Associate Professor of Communication Laurel Kennedy joined the faculty at Denison in 1990. She earned a B.A. at the University of Wisconsin, an M.A. and a Ph.D. at Ohio University. Kennedy teaches 'Research in Communication' in addition to courses that deal with the U.S. media industry.

Associate Professor of Chinese Xinda Lian joined the faculty at Denison in 1994. He earned his M.A. at Fujian Teachers University and his M.A. and Ph.D. at the University of Michigan. His research interests are in Chinese literature, particularly Song Dynasty poetry.

Assistant Professor of Economics Songhua Lin joined the faculty in 2002. She teaches Macroeconomics, Econometrics and International Trade. She earned a B.A. and M.A. from Jilin University in P.R., China, and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of California-Davis.

Associate Professor of Political Science James R. Pletcher joined the faculty at Denison in 1983. He earned a B.A. at the University of Michigan and an M.A. and a Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin. He focuses on the politics, agriculture and economic development of developing areas such as Africa and Southeast Asia. Professor Pletcher teaches Comparative Politics of Developing Nations, Politics of the Global Environment, Politics of the Third World, Politics of Sub-Saharan Africa and International Political Economy.

Assistant Professor of Japanese Michael S. Tangeman joined the faculty at Denison in 2001. He earned his B.A. at Denison University and his M.A. and Ph.D at Ohio State University. His research interests are in Japanese literature, particularly the modern Japanese novel.

Visiting Instructor/Assistant Professor Ruth Toulson joined the faculty in 2007. She earned her B.A. and a Master of Philosophy at Newnham College and is a doctoral degree candidate at the University of Cambridge.

For more information about the program and curriculum, go to:

East Asian Studies Department

or contact:

Barry Keenan
East Asian Studies Program
Fellows Hall, Room 406
Denison University
Granville, Ohio 43023

Phone:  (740) 587-6253
Fax:  (740) 587-8285
E-mail: keenan@denison.edu