Excellence in learning and teaching
With a history dating back to 1963, the School of East Asian Studies (SEAS) is one of Europe's leading centres of academic excellence for the study of contemporary East Asia, with research and teaching covering China, Japan and Korea.
We are often recognised for our commitment to developing innovative learning and teaching practices thanks to the dedication of our staff and our student’s hard work can be seen through their ability to compete at international levels in language proficiency tests and through the award of competitive scholarships.
Dr Jamie Coates recognised for his commitment to learning and teaching
The winter of 2019 saw Dr Jamie Coates recognised through the Higher Education Academy (HEA) for his commitment to learning and teaching.
Jamie was appointed to Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. HEA Fellowships demonstrate a personal and institutional commitment to professionalism in learning and teaching in higher education.
Fellowships span four categories from Associate to Principal Fellow and provide individuals with recognition of their practice, impact and leadership of teaching and learning
SEAS Student takes gold in Chinese language finals
BA Chinese Studies with Russian student David Geary was announced as the winner of the Grand Prize at the UK Chinese Bridge Competition held in London on 22 April 2017.
His language performance, which impressed the judges and members of the Chinese Embassy, included a rap in Mandarin Chinese, Chinese dialects and English.
Award for Outstanding Practice in Learning and Teaching
Professor Kate Taylor-Jones was presented with an award for Outstanding Practice in Learning and Teaching from the Faculty of Social Science in the summer of 2019.
Improving access to the Library's Korean collection
The University Library successfully applied for an award from the Korea Foundation Support for Libraries with Korean Collections program, and received $20,000 USD to improve catalogue records and access to the Korean Collection at the University.
Since 1979, cataloguing has transformed beyond recognition. The Korean collection currently contains 12,284 books/monographs, 320 serials/journals, as well as rare Korean books dating back to the Chosun period (14th – 19th centuries).
Professor Dobson appointed Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences
In 2018, Professor Hugo Dobson was appointed as a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences for his eminent record in terms of research outputs, impact, learning and teaching, focussed on Japan’s international relations and global summitry.
Read about his achievment here
Dedicated Outstanding Thesis Mentor
Dr Mark Pendleton has been recognised as a Dedicated Outstanding Thesis Mentor for the third successive cycle.
Thesis mentors are trained and experienced early career researchers who volunteer to help students explore their situation, identify their strengths and resources, and navigate their own way forward with their thesis.
Daiwa scholarship for Japanese graduate
In 2018, MA Contemporary Japan student, Dorothy Finan was was awarded the Daiwa Scholarship in Japanese Studies.
Up to six scholarships are available each year of which at least three recipients must study full-time at a university in Japan. These scholarships are very competitive so we are very proud of Dorothy for being successful in her application.
Read more about Dorothy's scholarship
Faculty prize for outstanding learning and teaching for Sukyeon Cho
Sukyeon Cho, Korean Language Coordinator in the School of East Asian Studies, has been awarded a Faculty of Social Sciences TESS Award for Outstanding Practice in Learning and Teaching 2017.
Sukyeon came to Sheffield in 2005 and, over the past 12 years, has revolutionised the way in which we teach Korean language in SEAS. She has led the way in moving our teaching practices away from the traditional methods of grammar explanation, drills and translation exercises and towards a variety of dynamic communicative activities, including:
- Discussions
- Games
- Role-playing simulations
- Songs
- Student presentations
- Research and reading projects
- Online study of her own custom-made audio and video materials
International undergraduate scholarships
We offer a generous package of financial support for international undergraduate students, including scholarships worth £10,000 towards the annual tuition fee.
Applications are open for existing offer holders for an undergraduate degree programme starting in autumn 2025.