Asian Studies

a student sitting by a lake
a student sitting by a lake

The political, economic, and cultural importance of the nations of Asia is increasing in today’s world.  In light of this growing significance, the Asian Studies Program at Rhodes College seeks to promote the understanding of Asia and its role in world civilization as well as its current political, economic, and cultural importance.

Asian Studies at Rhodes includes within its purview the entirety of the Asian continent with the exception of the region traditionally known as the Middle East (i.e., Persia, the Arab nations, Turkey and Israel).  This scope includes several major regions that share important cultural traits:

  •     The East Asian, or Sinitic, sphere (China, Korea, Japan).
  •     The South Asian, or Indic, sphere (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan).
  •     The Southeast Asian sphere, in which both Sinitic and Indian cultures have played an important role (Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, the Philippines).
  •     The Inner Asian sphere (Mongolia, parts of China and the Soviet Union [such as Tibet, Manchuria, Xinjiang, Soviet Central Asia, Siberia], Afghanistan).

Historical forces have at times created relationships that transcend this division into four cultural spheres; the most obvious of these are the spread of religions, particularly Buddhism, and international trade.  Political concerns have also engendered relationships among Asian nations that go beyond the cultural spheres described above.

Student Groups

Student cultural organizations such as ASIA (All Students Interested in Asia) and RICE (Rhodes Indian Cultural Exchange) host events and celebrations throughout the year, such as dinners celebrating the Chinese New Year and Diwali. 

Faculty & Staff

Chien-Kai Chen
Associate Professor of International Studies, Chair of International Studies
Michael Drompp
Professor Emeritus of History
Han Li
Professor, Section Head-Chinese, Chair of Modern Languages and Literatures
Seok-Won Lee
Associate Professor of History
David Mason
Associate Professor of Media Studies
Brooke Schedneck
Associate Professor, The W. J. Millard Professor of Religious Studies - On Sabbatical 2023-2024
Casey Shin
Visiting Assistant Professor
Yinyin Xue
Assistant Professor of Chinese Studies; On Leave
Shaolu Yu
Associate Professor of Urban Studies, Chair of Asian Studies
Lynn Zastoupil
Professor of History

Departmental News and Events

image of Shaolu Yu standing in front of a large window
Dr. Shaolu Yu is an associate professor of urban studies and chair of Asian studies at Rhodes.
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image of college professor Michael Drompp
Professor of History Michael Drompp, whose career at Rhodes College spans more than 30 years, will deliver a retirement lecture titled “Asian Studies and the Liberal Arts: A Life of Teaching and Learning” on April 19 in Blount Auditorium. Hosted by the Asian Studies Program and the Department of History and open to the campus community, the event begins with a reception at 5:30 p.m. Attendees are required to wear a face mask.
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smiling head and shoulders image of Rhodes College student
Rhodes College senior Sabrina Simpson recently won the Undergraduate Paper Prize presented at the Southeast Regional Conference of the Association for Asian Studies. The award was for her paper, “Animal Ethics in Thai Buddhism,” which she wrote for the Buddhism in Thai Society Summer 2021 course taught by Dr. Brooke Schedneck.
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