Asian Studies Program
In the age of global economy and digital communication, Pacific Rim nations have become America’s close partners in multinational business, diplomacy and cultural exchange. The most populated region of the world, Asia has developed some of the fastest and most productive economies. A growing demand exists for Americans to become familiar Asian business, journalism, government, education, information technology and service.
BGSU is one of few Ohio universities to offer a bachelor’s degree in Asian Studies. Students gain a broad knowledge of the culture and societies of East Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia; an in-depth knowledge of one of the East Asian countries (Japan, China, and Korea; and basic conversational and reading skills of an Asian language.
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NEWS AND STORIES
Akiko Jones Honored by Japanese Foreign Minister
Akiko Kawano Jones, director of BGSU’s Asian Studies program, received the Japanese Foreign Minister's Commendation. Mitsuhiro Wada, Consul General of Japan, presented the award from Japan's Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida in recognition of Jones’ "outstanding efforts toward mutual understanding between Japan and the United States, with distinguished achievements which have contributed to Japan's friendship and goodwill with other countries." Read More
Alumna Credits Japanese Studies for Career Success
As an undergraduate majoring in International Business in the late ’80s, Sheila Spradlin Reich planned to take Japanese only long enough to fulfill a humanities requirement and to speak just enough of the language to be employable upon graduation. “I ended up taking Japanese all the way through my junior year,” she said. “Not only did I learn the language, my eyes were also opened to a whole new culture and society.” Read More
Asian Studies Class Returns to Hiroshima
Every two years since 2006, students in “Hiroshima and Beyond” (Asian Studies 3100) travel to Japan to observe the anniversary of the WWII atomic bomb attack and to immerse themselves in Japanese culture. The program is offered through a partnership with Hiroshima Jogakuin University, which provides lecturers and experts during the experience and places students with host families during their visit. Read More