About the Asian Studies Centre

The Asian Studies Centre was founded in 1982 as the successor to the Far East Centre (established 1954) of St Antony’s College. Its activities are supported by an endowment at the College. Like its predecessor, the Asian Studies Centre is primarily a co-ordinating organisation which exists to bring together, in single-theme seminar series, conferences, lectures and other activities, specialists in a wide variety of different disciplines.  It exists to facilitate the exchange of ideas among scholars, to promote consideration of themes and issues that transcend national borders, and to encourage publication of its proceedings (where appropriate).  It welcomes links with other universities and institutions with special interests in Asia. It also administers the Wai Seng Senior Research Scholarhip in Asia-Pacific Studies.

Geographically, the Centre covers the whole of Asia, except the Middle East, which is the domain of the College’s Middle East Centre.  It enjoys cordial relations with the Institute for Chinese Studies  and the Nissan Institute of Japanese Studies (in premises at St Antony's).  The Asian Studies Centre, its South Asian Studies Programme and Taiwan Studies Programme, the Institute for Chinese Studies and the Nissan Institute play a vital role in the University at the undergraduate and graduate level, in providing a focus for studies on Asia and in bringing distinguished visitors to Oxford.  The University’s exceptionally rich teaching and library resources are a special attraction for these visitors, who hail from many different countries and backgrounds.

The seminars, special lectures and conferences organised by the Asian Studies Centre are open to all those with a scholarly interest in the themes addressed.