Department of East Asian Studies at the University of Arizona

09/02/2026

Explore the intersections of Zen Buddhism, tea culture, poetry, art, and cultural identity in East Asia through discussion, hands-on experiences, guest lectures, and more.

EAS/RELI 351: Zen, Tea, and Poetry: A Blending of Genres
Fall 2026 • 7 Week II
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 3:00–4:40 PM
Hybrid with Professor Chieko Nakano

Registration is open — scan the QR code to learn more!

07/23/2026

Learn more about US interpretations of Japanese popular culture in JPN 355 this Fall! (Re)discover transnational cultural flows of anime, haunted houses, collectibles, origami, and so much more.

07/22/2026

Join us in CHN 245 (Chinese Popular Culture) this Fall and learn more about China’s social media (TikTok, anyone?), labubus, kung-fu movies, c-drama, sci-fi, futuristic cities, and so much more!

By examining the development of mass media (print culture, radio, film, television, the internet, and social media) in contemporary Chinese society and politics, this gen ed course explores popular and digital culture in everyday life in contemporary China.

05/21/2026

Today, we share the official memorial article honoring the life and legacy of Professor Feng-hsi Liu. Her scholarship, mentorship, and dedication to the field of East Asian Studies left a lasting impact on our community and on generations of students and colleagues.

We invite our EAS community to read and remember Dr. Liu through the article linked below. Her contributions and spirit will continue to inspire us for years to come.

Dr. Feng-hsi Liu, Professor Emerita in the Department of East Asian Studies and longtime director of the Chinese Language Program, passed away in March. She joined the University of Arizona faculty in 1991 as an Assistant Professor and Director of the Chinese Language Program. Over the past three de...

05/15/2026

Today, on the College of Humanities at The University of Arizona Convocation, we proudly celebrate the accomplishments of our East Asian Studies MA and PhD graduates! 🎓✨

Your years of dedication, research, teaching, language study, and intellectual curiosity have brought you to this remarkable milestone. We are honored to have been part of your journey and cannot wait to see the many ways you will continue to shape scholarship, education, and global understanding.

Congratulations to the Class of 2026 — your EAS family is cheering you on every step of the way. 💙🐻⬇️

05/13/2026

On May 8th, the EAS Department had the pleasure of celebrating graduates of our undergraduate and graduate (MA, PhD) degree programs and recognizing their special achievements. Joined by faculty, family, and friends, our graduates celebrated the completion of their journeys at the University of Arizona while reflecting on the broader meanings and values of an East Asian studies training in our world today.

Enjoy these highlights from the awards ceremony and have a fantastic summer. Congratulations to all of our graduates, again, and we wish you all the best in your next chapters!

For more information, about our awards, visit our website in our bio!

05/13/2026

🥋Interested in movies, and also interested in Kung Fu? Why not both?! Check out this 7 week II online class in Fall 2026!
🎥Study of Kung Fu Cinema in its relations to the Chinese martial arts tradition with a focus on the context of its rise from a niche film genre to a global cultural phenomenon.
👨‍🏫Instructor: Professor Dian Li

05/13/2026

📌EAS 480/580: Teaching and Learning East Asian Languages
✏️FALL 2026. Thursdays 3:00-5:30 PM
💡Interested in how languages like Chinese, Japanese, and Korean are taught and learned? This course explores real classroom challenges, practical teaching strategies, learner motivation, and cultural issues. A great fit for students interested in language learning, teaching, tutoring, applied linguistics, or East Asian studies!
👨‍🏫Instructor: Professor Bo Liu

05/11/2026

This course introduces four basic aspects of Chinese popular culture: mass media, everyday life, folk-
lore, and arts. It examines how the development of mass media (print culture, radio, film, television,
the internet, and social media) reflects changes of Chinese culture, society, and politics since the early
20th century. Moreover, the course discusses how popular culture is practiced in everyday life by ex-
ploring such topics as work and employment, labor and migration, leisure and consumption, housing,
individual creativity, collective justice, gender, sexuality, and arts.
Instructor: Professor Dian Li

05/08/2026

This course will examine how the three genres of Zen Buddhism, the tea ceremony/culture, and poetry, have been presented over time as not only compatible, but as representative expressions of each other. We will consider the contemporaneous cultural, historical, and political factors that contributed to the formation of this discourse. We will also hold up to critical scrutiny the very concept of “genre” in pre-modern East Asia, as well as the distinction between “Zen Buddhism” and what may be termed “Zen culture.” In addition, the course incorporates experiential opportunities related to tea culture (hands-on workshop, guest lectures, and field trips). Through these combined approaches, the course encourages students to think critically about the intersections of religion, art, literature, and cultural identity in East Asia.