UCLA creates new interdisciplinary minor focusing on East Asian studies
By Samuel Temblador
Jan. 14, 2014 12:25 a.m.
An international department at UCLA created a new minor this quarter focused on the history and culture of some East Asian countries.
The International and Area Studies Interdepartmental Program created the minor because several students had expressed interest in that option. The minor is interdisciplinary and interdepartmental by nature and offers courses about Chinese, Japanese and Korean society, said Magda Yamamoto, the undergraduate adviser for the program.
First-year neuroscience student Cindy Vahn, said she plans on studying abroad in East Asia and is interested in taking classes that fall under the minor in preparation for her trip.
“I’m curious to learn more about the strict gender and family roles in Japanese society and the history of the samurai,” Vahn said.
Cindy Fan, vice provost for the UCLA International Institute, said learning about East Asia would complement many students’ areas of study and help them understand a developing area and growing economic market.
“Having a focus on East Asia in the 21st century, that’s going to make our students more competitive,” Fan said.
Students may find the minor attractive because they can take courses from different departments, including anthropology, art history, political science and theater, Yamamoto said.
Esai Larios, a first-year political science student said he is thinking about studying East Asia through the new minor because of several unfolding geopolitical issues arising there, such as territory disputes between Japan and China.
“As a (political science) student, I like international studies and I’m definitely interested in the Pacific region,” Larios said. “It’s interesting to see how a lot of these regions have changed from before and after WWII.”
Since the minor was recently created, interested students have to wait until this summer when International and Area Studies 1, a prerequisite course for the program, is offered before they can declare the minor. However, students can begin taking courses for the minor this quarter.
