The Program

Asia on its Own Terms is a research and teaching program, focused on the study of China, Japan, and India, in light of their respective traditions and modern transitions, and by means of comparative analysis and cross-regional dialogues.

The project is committed to the following principles:

  • Pursuing comparative discourse among the three great cultures of Asia in order to define and delimit narratives and terminology for exploring  Asia.
  • Questioning accepted boundaries - political, cultural, linguist, regional, disciplinary and others, and offering cross-regional, inter-disciplinary understanding.
  • Integrating research and teaching through teamwork according to cross-Asiatic common themes.
  • Creating an arena of exchange for scholars and students from different disciplines and regional focus.
  • Cultivating the next generation of scholars and creating for them an innovative study and research environment.
  •  Supporting distinguished graduate students with scholarships.
  • Making knowledge available and accessible to wider audiences outside the Department, through publications, talks, lectures, and conferences open to the public.