Department of East Asian Studies at the University of Arizona

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.

In Memoriam: Feng-hsi Liu 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...

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. 💙🐻⬇️

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!

🥋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

📌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

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

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.

Warm congratulations to EAS majors Annie Chen and Chase Valentine, for respectively winning this year’s Humanities Matters scholarship and Dana and Jeffery Vandersip Endowed Humanities award! Also congratulations to many other outstanding EAS students for winning various other College and EAS awards. We are very proud of you and inspired by your commitment to incorporate East Asian languages and cultures in your future careers! We look forward to celebrating you at the awards ceremony tomorrow!

Why should you learn Korean? 🤔🇰🇷

✏️Taking Korean language and culture courses at the University of Arizona is valuable for every major and minor.
✏️No matter what your major or minor is, Korean courses can help you further your studies. The Korean program has taught students from over 75% of all colleges at the University of Arizona!
✏️Learning Korean language and culture can aid and become extremely beneficial in a career. Learning a second language improves career and business options, helps you build deeper connections with your community, and sharpens your mind!

There is no reason not to take a Korean course!🇰🇷🫰

JPN/RELI 220: Nature, Gods, and Zen: Religion in Japanese Society

Online, 5 weeks (self-paced/asynchronous):
Gen Ed: Building Connections
Attributes: Writing, Diversity & Equity

Summer Session 1: 06/08 to 07/09
Summer Session 2: 07/13 to 08/12

In this course, you will learn about the religious and spiritual foundations of Japanese society, many of which are reflected in Japanese pop culture today such as anime and manga. This course will also give you a broad introduction to Japanese history, aesthetics, philosophy, and other themes that intersect with Japan’s rich religious traditions. This is a beginner-friendly Gen Ed course, and all are welcome!