What students, faculty, and recent graduates say about Asian Studies at Principia.

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What is Asian studies?

"A lot of people think of the Far East, like China and Japan; but when you're talking about Asia, it goes all the way over to Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, to Southwest Asia and to South Asia, which includes India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, down to Indonesia," says a senior. The Asian studies minor, says a professor, "is designed to awaken students to a part of the world that not too many Americans are awake to, our strongest neighbor in terms of economy and geography." She continues, "Students become fascinated with a way of thinking and an area that is so very different from ours; they also begin to recognize how important Asians are in today's world."

A wide variety of courses

"One thing I love about the Asian studies minor," says a senior, "is that the classes that are offered vary." For example, some courses that fulfill requirements for the Asian studies minor are Oriental Art, Comparative Economic Systems, and Feminist Literature. While the study of an Asian language is not required for the Asian studies minor, a professor notes that "if students take an Asian language, it's a difficult language. It takes a long time to master Chinese or Japanese, for instance." Introductory Chinese is offered on occasion, but other Asian language study must be pursued off-campus.

Cultural understanding is key

"What I like most," says a sophomore minoring in Asian studies, "is that studying Eastern culture is so different from studying Western culture. You see that part of the world growing and becoming more important, and it's definitely going to play a growing part in our lives." A senior majoring in political science with a minor in Asian studies says, "One aspect that I'm interested in is that they're almost all developing nations. After taking the Developing Nations course I knew that I wanted to do something to help Third World nations develop, not necessarily by U.S. standards, but to develop in a way that's right for them." A recent graduate who majored in religion/philosophy and world perspectives says that "if I were to deal with Asian-Americans or people from an Asian background, I could understand them a little bit better than other people might, because I understand their religious backgrounds and what their cultures are like." Another recent graduate, who does freelance writing, says he traveled to Japan recently for a wedding, and, with his understanding of the culture he was visiting, was able to turn his experience there into a travel story to sell to newspapers and magazines.

Asian studies complements any field of study

"My political science major has really grown to an international scope," says another senior with an Asian studies minor. "This fall I participated in Model United Nations, and we represented India. I already knew a lot about the country because of my minor, especially the course in Living Religions of the East. Learning about the religions in Asia has such a play in what a country is really like." A recent graduate who majored in studio art finds ways to apply his minor in Asian studies in his work as a graphic designer: "It helps me have a different eye than just the Western world. I can use Eastern styles in my design." Another alumnus says, "I didn't really plan on getting an Asian studies minor. It just kind of happened when I went on the Japan Abroad as a history and economics major."

Visit Asia with other Principians

"I loved the abroad. It furthered my education, broadened my sense of the world. It gives you that bigger picture, rather than the micro view," says a sophomore majoring in international relations and economics. "When I came back from the Vietnam Abroad I was so interested in not only Southeast Asia, but in all of Asia — that whole corner of the world that I didn't really know a lot about before I went over there," says a senior Asian studies minor. An abroad to Asia "opens your eyes to a culture and to people, personalities, and ways of communicating that you never would have thought of before," says a recent graduate. "The abroad broke down all kinds of stereotypes about people in my own country . . . and it made me wonder how many stereotypes I have about people I don't know anything about," says another recent graduate. Principia Abroads to Asia in recent years have included trips to China, Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Tibet.

Opportunities with Asia

"With China growing the way it is, there are so many opportunities," says a recent graduate. I have some good friends over there either doing business or teaching English. I have one friend who started a magazine in Hong Kong. Whether you just want to go there to teach or do business, I think the Asian studies program is well worth while." A professor adds, "Many of our students go into business. I think that it's going to be impossible to be in business without dealing with China or Japan or Korea in the near future, and graduates are going to find themselves, if they do get some expertise in the area, being much needed in their companies." Another alumnus, who edits his own environment magazine, published on the Web, says, "The Asian studies minor opened my mind to other possibilities."