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Minor in Asian Studies
Description
The great civilizations of Asia have produced achievements in human thought and creativity that are the equal of any produced elsewhere. Further, contemporary Asian countries such as China, Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam are among the most important dynamic forces in world politics, the arts, and the global economy. As part of its mission to graduate students prepared for leadership and service in a global society increasingly influenced by Asia, Wabash College offers an interdisciplinary minor in Asian Studies. This minor is available to students in any major. The goal of the Asian Studies minor is to provide students with a solid understanding of critical issues in Asia vis-à-vis the rest of the world and an appreciation of the diversity of Asian cultures and languages. The program is currently administered by the Asian Studies Committee, currently chaired by Professor Rick Warner.
Requirements for the Minor
The Minor in Asian Studies consists of at least five courses distributed across at least two departments. Two semesters of Chinese or other Asian language (or proficiency in an Asian language) are required. Regularly offered Wabash courses that are eligible include:
ASI 101, 102 (Elementary Chinese sequence)
ASI 201, 202 (Intermediate Chinese sequence)
ASI 376, MLL 387 (Special Topics and Independent Study in Chinese)
ASI 177/HIS 260 (Visual China: Modern Chinese Culture and History through Film)
MUS/ASI 204 (Special Topics: Music in East Asian Cultures)
HIS 260, 262, 360, 387 (Chinese history sequence)
ASI 372: Asian Security Politics
REL 104, 230, 330 (Asian Religions)
ASI 400 (Senior Capstone Project, non-credit bearing)
Students should contact the Asian Studies Committee if they have questions about the appropriateness of an irregular offering. Note that additional courses may become available in the future and will be added to the list by approval of the Asian Studies Committee. Students declaring an Asian Studies minor are strongly encouraged to apply for a semester of off-campus study in an Asian country. The application process to study off-campus can be found at www.wabash.edu/international/ocs.
Application and Capstone
It is recommended that the student declare the minor at the end of his sophomore year by submitting a plan of courses to the Chair of the Asian Studies Committee. In addition, the student must submit to the Chair of the Asian Studies Committee a reflective essay or portfolio of work in Asian Studies in order to complete the requirements for ASI 400, a non-credit independent study course to be taken during the fall semester of the senior year on a credit/no credit basis. The student’s submission will constitute the basis of the Asian Studies portion of the oral examination.
Committee
Members of the Asian Studies Committee include: Dr. David Blix (Religion), Dr. Michael Burch (Political Science), Dr. Gilberto Gomez (Chair, Modern Languages and Literatures), Dr. Rick Warner (Chair, History), Dr. Qian Pullen (Modern Languages and Literatures and History), and Dr. Kealoha Widdows (Economics - on leave 2014-15).