The Asian Studies Program

The Asian Studies major is a dynamic interdisciplinary program combining the humanities, social sciences and language study.

The major provides a broad introduction to the culture and history of Asian societies, and the opportunity for specialized study of an academic field within Asian Studies. Students have flexibility to pursue their interests, with courses in subjects ranging from religion to economics to theatre. Prospective majors and minors plan their programs with a member of the College’s Asian Studies faculty.

Pomona has 23 faculty members involved in the Asian Studies program, and their teaching interests are far-reaching. But students also benefit from Pomona’s role as a member of the Claremont Colleges, a consortium of neighboring institutions that share resources. Pomona’s Asian Studies program draws on the other colleges, allowing majors to choose from more than 80 courses altogether.

Study abroad is an important element of the program, with destinations ranging from China to Japan to Nepal.

Asian Studies majors also have access to many valuable resources on campus. The Pacific Basin Institute, which came to Pomona in 1997, sponsors a continuing series of conferences, workshops and lectures featuring scholars and public figures from Pacific Rim nations. PBI’s extensive archive of documentary videos and films is a key research tool.

Additional opportunities for language and cultural study are available through Pomona’s Oldenborg Center, a unique residence hall where students are immersed in Chinese and Japanese, among other languages. Oldenborg brings many Asia-related speakers to campus.

The College’s location on the Pacific Rim is another advantage, as Southern California is home to large and diverse Asian American communities.

Asian studies majors profit from their education in a wide range of careers, including government service, positions with the United Nations or other agencies, college or university teaching, journalism, banking and international trade.

Faculty

Name/Contact	Title	Profile	Web	Phone	Location
Zayn  Kassam	John Knox McLean Professor of Religious Studies and Department Chair			(909) 607-0495	Pearsons 104

Staff

Name/Contact	Title	Phone	Location
Vicki Hirales	Academic Department Coordinator	(909) 607-0026	Pearsons 208A

Student Liaisons

Name/Contact	Extension
Ruiyi Zhu
Gideon Joseph Salzman-Gubbay
Mingyan Ma