Debate, Inquiry and Collaboration in Asian Studies

This course focuses on developing independent research skills through a focus on major debates, lines of inquiry, and collaborative practices in Asian Studies. Organised around themes of culture, history, and language, the course explores productive tensions that arise at the intersection of area studies and academic disciplines. Students in the course will be provided with academic support to assemble a bespoke interdisciplinary toolkit that suits their own needs and aspirations. They will also be prepared to collaborate productively across the diversity of Asian Studies. The course conveners and academic mentors available to students include scholars with expertise in archaeology, history, anthropology, gender and cultural studies, linguistics, and literature and translation studies. The course will critically examine debates around concepts often taken for granted, such as how culture is defined, what counts as history, and how language makes meaning. Through critical engagement with such lines of inquiry, students will begin to participate actively in a multivocal and multidisciplinary Asian Studies and to consider the practical applications of their knowledge. Upon completion of the course, students will have the capacity to confidently question prevailing assumptions about data quality, researcher positionality, and the nature of expertise. They will be able to locate their specific research interests within broader intellectual traditions, converse effectively with colleagues across disciplines and areas, and consider how future directions for Asian Studies can respond to practical challenges.