Our Asian Studies program offers:

• Language Acquisition:

Students will study a major Asian language like Mandarin, Chinese, or Korean focusing on reading, writing, and speaking proficiency. 

• Regional Focus:

Courses may delve into specific Asian regions like East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, exploring their unique histories, cultures, and contemporary issues. 

• Interdisciplinary Approach:

Integrating perspectives from various disciplines including history, geography, anthropology, literature, art history, politics, and economics to provide a holistic understanding. 

• Cultural Immersion Activities:

Field trips to cultural institutions, guest speakers, cultural performances, and community outreach to experience Asian cultures firsthand. 

• Global Awareness:

Examining the role of Asia in the global community, including economic trends, political dynamics, and international relations. 

Potential Course Topics:

• Asian Religions (Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism)
• Asian Literature and Film
• Asian Art and Architecture
• Asian History and Politics
• Asian Geography and Economics
• Asian Social Issues 

Benefits of an Asian Studies program:

• Develops cultural competency and global understanding
• Enhances language skills in an Asian language
• Prepares students for future study or careers related to Asia
• Fosters critical thinking and intercultural dialogue 

Did You Know?

How the Silk Road connected Greece to Asia

• The Silk Road connected the Greek city of Antioch to the Chinese city of Chang'an (modern-day Xi'an). 
• The Silk Road passed through the Syrian Desert, Palmyra, Ctesiphon, and Seleucia. 
• The Silk Road crossed the Zagros Mountains to Ecbatana and Merv. 
• The Silk Road led to ports on the Persian Gulf, and then to ports along the Mediterranean Sea. 

Silk Road History 
The Silk Road was a network of trade routes that connected ancient Greece to Asia, and was active from the 2nd century BCE to the 15th century CE. The Silk Road was a major route for cultural, economic, political, and religious exchange between the Eastern and Western worlds. 
The east-west trade routes between Greece and China began to open during the first and second centuries B.C. The Roman Empire and the Kushan Empire (which ruled territory in what is now northern India) also benefitted from the commerce created by the route along the Silk Road. Interestingly, the ancient Greek word for China is “Seres,” which literally means “the land of silk.”
Historians now prefer the term “Silk Routes,” which more accurately reflects the fact that there was more than one thoroughfare.

Silk Road to China
The Silk Road routes included a large network of strategically located trading posts, markets and thoroughfares designed to streamline the transport, exchange, distribution and storage of goods.
Routes extended from the Greco-Roman metropolis of Antioch across the Syrian Desert via Palmyra to Ctesiphon (the Parthian capital) and Seleucia on the Tigris River, a Mesopotamian city in modern-day Iraq.
Routes from these cities also connected to ports along the Mediterranean Sea, from which goods were shipped to cities throughout the Roman Empire and into Europe.