Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service

In 2007, SFS took a first step toward expanding its academic program in Asian studies. In a report to the Dean, a committee chaired by Professor Chester A. Crocker agreed that SFS needs an Asian studies program with the same breadth, depth and credibility of its other regional programs. Currently, the School has a modest Asian studies program that offers an undergraduate certificate.

An Asian Studies Center would provide a valuable academic platform for research and teaching

An Asian studies graduate program would build on already existing expertise in Asian security, Chinese history, Korean studies, and Japanese politics and sociology. The program would benefit from a strong SFS commitment to both the core social science disciplines and interdisciplinary studies grounded in regional expertise—the foundation of the School’s top-ranked regional graduate programs.

The committee recommended several goals for this multi-year project, including an Asian studies graduate certificate program to begin in fall 2008. The committee also emphasized the need for fundraising efforts to establish a master’s degree and an Asian studies center, with a recommended endowment of $20 million.

According to the committee report, an Asian studies center would unify the entire Asian Studies community at Georgetown and provide a valuable academic platform for research and teaching to support new University-wide programs and initiatives dealing with Asia. The committee anticipates that the Asian studies center will grow in importance as the University transitions into a global institution.