About the School

The School was originally established in 1963,  since then we have expanded dramatically to become one of the biggest departments of its kind in Europe based on a continuing and shared passionate belief in the importance of East Asia as the most dynamic region in the world.

Teaching and research interests at SEAS are interdisciplinary, with a strong emphasis on language. SEAS staff, many of whom are fluent in at least one East Asian language, are internationally-renowned specialists in East Asia, and bring their expertise in various fields to the wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses on offer at SEAS.

In a post-Brexit world, the East Asian region is of the highest importance to the UK’s political, economic and cultural future. With a history of over fifty years of producing impactful research and delivering transformational teaching about contemporary East Asia, with a particular focus on China, Japan and Korea and across a range of disciplines, the School of East Asian Studies (SEAS) is in a strong position to shape this future.

Our vision is to communicate and disseminate our passion, expertise and knowledge of this region internationally, nationally and across the University of Sheffield with the goal of impacting on the understanding and behaviour of a range of individuals, groups and organizations. Through cutting-edge research, we seek to create a vibrant intellectual culture and to focus on areas of strength and important cross-cutting themes that break down boundaries between disciplines and the study of China, Japan and Korea so that all researchers – staff and students alike – can achieve their full potential. 

Research collaboration

White Rose East Asia Centre

Established in 2006, with funding from the Economic and Social Research Council, the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Higher Education Funding Council for England, The White Rose East Asia Centre (WREAC) brought together staff and students from East Asian Studies (EAS) at the University of Leeds and the School of East Asian Studies (SEAS) at the University of Sheffield in a partnership to promote postgraduate training, research collaboration and knowledge exchange in the study of Japan, China and neighbouring regions.

The Partnership lasted from 2006 – 2016 and the Centre's primary aim was to build, nurture and sustain national capacity in Language-Based Area Studies through postgraduate language and research methods training provision, and the development of exciting and relevant research networks and knowledge exchange partnerships.

Whilst the WREAC project officially ended in 2016, our staff and students continue to work in partnership with our colleagues in Leeds and across a wider academic network of experts on East Asia.