EALAC Programs

The study of Asia knows no borders. The histories and cultures of the region are essential to understanding global trends, challenges, and opportunities; they similarly inform responsible inquiry into the human condition and human experience.

Columbia University houses one of the strongest East Asian programs in the world, with faculty whose expertise ranges across China, Tibet, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. Our course offerings span the humanities and the social sciences, from history and literature to film and economics, and we encourage students to work comparatively, across regions and disciplines. The Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures offers a robust curriculum of content courses and a rigorous program of language training for students undergraduate and graduate alike. Additionally, an extensive network of partnerships with academic and cultural institutions abroad enables opportunities for intellectual exchange and study across East Asia.

Each year the Department addresses the curricular needs of hundreds of undergraduate students looking to deepen their engagement with the peoples and cultures of East Asia. EALAC also hosts an extensive cadre of engaged graduate students with interests as varied as their faculty mentors, and the Department has consistently produced some of the foremost researchers in their respective fields.  We invite you to navigate this site to learn more about the array of programs shaping this dynamic academic community of scholars, researchers, and students.