Academic Resources

University Resources

Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations (EALC): EALC is a department of interdisciplinary scholars who focus on the humanistic tradition of East Asia, covering both the classical and modern civilizations of China, Japan and Korea. They teach and research the disciplines of history, literary history, linguistics, art history, performance and gender studies, philosophy, religion and ethics. The Department offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in both Chinese and Japanese Studies and is building a parallel program for Korean Studies.

Center for East Asian Studies (CEAS): The Center for East Asian Studies at the University of Pennsylvania is an interdisciplinary unit composed of faculty members whose teaching and research focus primarily on China, Japan, Korea, and bordering areas.

Center for the Study of Contemporary China (CSCC): The Center for the Study of Contemporary China (CSCC) was established in 2012 at the University of Pennsylvania to advance Penn’s leadership in programs, research, and scholarship about the political, legal, economic, and social factors shaping China and its role in the world today. The Center sustains and extends the University’s work on and partnerships in China, providing an institutional home for campus-wide collaboration among departments, programs, institutes, faculty and students at Penn engaged in work pertaining to contemporary China. Activities include conferences, roundtables, and a speaker series. The Center also provides support for faculty and graduate student research and hosts visiting international scholars and prominent public leaders.

Penn Forum on Japan: Taking inspiration from a central pillar of Penn President Amy Gutmann’s landmark Penn Compact, PFJ follows the Compact’s emphasis on integrated knowledge to champion a new approach to Japanese studies. PFJ hopes to promote a new vision of Japan in three ways. First, they view Japanese history, culture and society not through the lens of a distinctive national culture but in ways that demonstrate how Japan, past and present, has echoed, shaped and been shaped by global developments. Second, they challenge traditional disciplinary boundaries by integrating Japanese studies across Penn’s numerous schools and departments and between the humanities, social sciences and professional concerns. Finally, they seek to integrate new technologies in the Japanese studies classroom. In collaboration with the Office of the Vice Provost for Global Initiatives, the School of Arts and Sciences and the Center for East Asian Studies, the Penn Forum on Japan not only guarantees a significant place for Japan among Penn’s global initiatives. It hopes to set a new standard for on-campus activities and community outreach and help refashion Japanese studies for the twenty-first century.

James Joo-Jin Kim Program in Korean Studies: The James Joo-Jin Kim Program in Korean Studies leads the University of Pennsylvania on Korea-related initiatives. Korean Studies is an interdisciplinary field that examines the rich and dynamic past and present of Korea. As Korea’s presence in world affairs continues to shift and grow, the James Joo-Jin Kim Program in Korean Studies at Penn is committed to supporting the study of Korea at Penn and in the community.

East Asian Collection, Van Pelt-Dietrich Library: The East Asian Collection at Van Pelt-Dietrich Library began in 1926 when the Library received a handful of traditional Chinese books from the Chinese government after the U.S. Sesquicentennial Exposition. Since then the collection has grown steadily. At present, the East Asian Collection comprises more than 125,000 monographs, 300 currently received periodicals, and 1,255 microfilms. In addition, the East Asian Collection subscribes to a number of electronic journals and databases in order to meet the current academic needs of the Department of east Asian Languages and Civilizations. While the East Asian Collection on the 5th floor of the VanPelt-Dietrich Library houses monographs and bound journals in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, the Derk Bodde East Asian Seminar Room collects core reference works and a small number of unbound core academic journals. The Current Periodicals Section on the first floor of VanPelt maintains unbound East Asian periodicals of a general nature as well as periodicals on East Asian Studies in European languages. The University Museum Library and the Fisher Fine Arts Library hold a number of East Asian monographs in anthropology, archaeology, and art/architecture. For more information about Penn Library’s East Asian Collection, go to the web sites for the Chinese Collection, Japanese Collection, and Korean Collection.

Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL): CTL provides a broad range of programs for graduate students that can help them develop as teachers and succeed as TAs, and prepare them for the job market and for being faculty in the future. Graduate students can choose to participate one workshop, or they may want to get more involved by taking part in structured programs, such as the CTL Teaching Certificate, or even joining CTL as a Graduate Fellow. For graduate students seeking individual assistance, CTL also provides one-on-one consultations. Check the Events page for upcoming CTL workshops specific to the EALC department!

Marks Family Writing Center: Graduate students can schedule an appointment here.

External Resources

Association for Asian Studies:

H-net: H-Net is an international interdisciplinary organization of scholars and teachers dedicated to developing the enormous educational potential of the Internet and the World Wide Web. Their edited networks publish peer reviewed essays, multimedia materials, and discussions for colleagues and the interested public. There are several Networks of relevance to East Asian Studies, including but not limited to H-Asia, H-Japan, H-Buddhism, H-PRC, H-SEAsia, and H-NEAsia.

More resources coming soon!