# East Asian Studies Affiliated Faculty The following faculty members from across the University may be available to serve as thesis advisors to East Asian Studies concentrators. Concentrators writing an interdisciplinary thesis may choose more than one advisor from different departments, in order to better guide their research and writing. [Click here](https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/eas-test-site) to return to the undergraduate concentration site. [### Ahsil Noh ](/people/ahsil-noh) Preceptor in Korean ![A woman with long, wavy black hair wears a pink flowy blouse and delicate gold necklace and smiles at the camera in front of a white background.](/sites/g/files/omnuum3106/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/ealc/files/noh_ahsil_1.jpg?itok=MXoC7BuK) [### Alexander Zahlten ](/people/alexander-zahlten) Professor of East Asian Languages and Civilizations Chair, Regional Studies East Asia On leave 2026-27 Alexander Zahlten's research interests center on film and audiovisual culture in East Asia, with a focus on Japan. His work explores fundamental shifts in how we engage with media through the connections between larger economic, social, and institutional... ![Alex Zahlten, a man with a buzz-cut and glasses, smiles at the camera wearing a fashionable blazer](/sites/g/files/omnuum3106/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2026-02/A_Zahlten%20Pic%202025.jpg?h=7506d7a0&itok=l4iD_w2X) [### Amy Zhang ](/people/amy-zhang)Ph.D. Alumna in Chinese Literature Writing Communities into Being: The Art of Linked Verse ![A Chinese woman with a ponytail wearing a blazer looks smartly at the camera while standing in a Zen garden](/sites/g/files/omnuum3106/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-01/Amy%20Zhang_photo.jpg?h=f5ee4f64&itok=3QcUpnHA) [### Andrew Gordon ](/people/andrew-gordon) Lee and Juliet Folger Fund Professor of History On leave Fall 2025 Andrew Gordon’s teaching and research focus primarily on modern Japan but he has also taught Japan’s premodern history and courses on comparative history of labor. He has written, edited, or translated numerous books, including one that won the John King... ![112807_gordon_andrew_014.jpg](/sites/g/files/omnuum3106/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/ealc/files/112807_gordon_andrew_014.jpg?itok=nu6dNkBO) [### Asahi Matsumoto ](/people/asahi-matsumoto) Language Instructor in Japanese ![A Japanese woman with long hair and wearing a dark blue coat smiles at the camera in a field full of snow](/sites/g/files/omnuum3106/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-01/matsumoto_asahi.jpeg?h=c2245d15&itok=Ki_HTOTG) [### Asako Higurashi ](/people/asako-higurashi) Preceptor in Japanese ![A Japanese woman with short hair smiles](/sites/g/files/omnuum3106/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/ealc/files/asako_higurashi.png?itok=-XmMCHn6) [### Chan Yong Bu ](/people/chan-yong-bu) Assistant Professor of East Asian Languages and Civilizations On leave 2026-27 Chan Yong Bu’s research focuses on the entanglements of the body, science, and technology within media culture as crucial sites for human-nonhuman relations. In particular, Chan Yong works on industrial media in South and North Korea, media spectacles in... ![A Korean man with short hair wearing a blazer looks into the camera assertively.](/sites/g/files/omnuum3106/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-05/bu_chanyong.jpg?h=6a5453cd&itok=mq6-PV_Q) [### Chia-Yin Yu ](/people/chia-yin-yu) [chiayin\_yu@fas.harvard.edu](mailto:chiayin_yu@fas.harvard.edu)Language Instructor in Chinese ![A Chinese woman smiles in front of a large scenic window](/sites/g/files/omnuum3106/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-09/Yu_ChiaYin.jpg?itok=v82GlcF3) [### Chikako Takehara ](/people/chikako-takehara) Preceptor in Japanese On Leave Spring 2026 ![A young woman in a loose-fitting white top with shoulder-length straight black hair smiles at the camera in front of a background of flowering bushes.](/sites/g/files/omnuum3106/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/ealc/files/takehara_chikako.jpg?itok=MXBtMSeS) [### Danica Truscott ](/people/danica-truscott) Lecturer on Classical Japanese (Bungo) and Kanbun Danica Truscott is a scholar of premodern Japanese literature who specializes in works from the early and classical periods (710-1185). She received her Ph.D. in 2022 from UCLA’s Department of Asian Languages and Cultures. Dr. Truscott also holds an A.M... ![Danica Trustcott photo](/sites/g/files/omnuum3106/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/ealc/files/truscott_danica_photo.jpg?itok=LcroB0yT) [### Daniel Koss ](/people/daniel-koss) Associate Senior Lecturer on East Asian Languages and Civilizations Research Scholar in East Asian Languages and Civilizations Daniel Koss studies political parties in East Asian politics. His first book, published in 2018, investigates the role of political parties under authoritarianism through the case of the Chinese Communist Party. Asking why the Chinese state is "stronger"... ![A man with blue eyes wearing a collared shirt smiles at the camera in front of shelves of books](/sites/g/files/omnuum3106/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-01/Koss_Daniel_250130photo.jpeg?h=54e03e05&itok=uFD6YmoM) [### David Atherton ](/people/david-atherton) Thorley D. Briggs 1953 Associate Professor of the Humanities David C. Atherton is a scholar of literature, focusing primarily on Japan’s early modern period (also known as the Edo or Tokugawa period, ca. 1600-1867). His work seeks to understand how the intrinsic, literary dynamics of early modern texts interacted... ![A man with short hair and facial hair smiles into the camera against a leafy backdrop](/sites/g/files/omnuum3106/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-11/Atherton%20Headshot.jpeg?itok=VEFstowH) [### David L. Howell ](/people/david-howell) Robert K. and Dale J. Weary Professor of Japanese History Professor of History On leave 2025-26 Professor David L. Howell grew up in Hilo, Hawai'i. After graduating from the University of Hawai'i at Hilo, he studied at Hokkaido University in Sapporo and Princeton University, where he received his Ph.D. in History. He taught at the University of... ![david-howell cropped.jpg](/sites/g/files/omnuum3106/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/ealc/files/david-howell_cropped.jpg?itok=OJ2p-6Or) [### David Wang ](/people/david-wang) Edward C. Henderson Professor of Chinese Literature On leave Fall 2026 David Der-wei Wang holds a joint appointment in Comparative Literature. He is Director of CCK Foundation Inter-University Center for Sinological Studies, and Academician, Academia Sinica. His research interests include modern and contemporary Chinese... ![A grey-haired chinese man with glasses wearing a plaid shirt crosses his arms and smiles gently in an academic office](/sites/g/files/omnuum3106/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-01/David%20Wang%202022.jpeg?h=26d1bf58&itok=WBYgkZCD) [### Eiko Takeichi Hodes ](/people/eiko-takeichi-hodes) Language Instructor in Japanese ![A Japanese woman squints in the sun as she smiles at the camera](/sites/g/files/omnuum3106/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2026-01/hodes_eiko.jpg?h=34176e45&itok=UWvYLUSQ) [### Fangzheng Zhang ](/people/fangzheng-zhang) Preceptor in Chinese Interim Senior Preceptor in Chinese Acting Director of Chinese Language Program (2026) Fangzheng Zhang is the Interim Senior Preceptor in Chinese in the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations at Harvard University and serves as the Acting Director of the Chinese Language Program in 2026. He has been teaching at Harvard since... ![A Chinese man with short hair sits on a piece of architecture and smiles at the camera](/sites/g/files/omnuum3106/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-01/Fangzheng%20Zhang.jpeg?h=d8a46c36&itok=z4E-Pfuc) [### Gulnar Yulghun ](/people/gulnar-yulghun) Preceptor in Uyghur and Chaghatay Director of the Uyghur/Chaghatay Language Program Dr. Gulnar Eziz Yulghun has held the position of Preceptor at Harvard University since January 2020, where she instructs courses in Chaghatay (Eastern Middle Turkic, 14 th to 20 th century) and Uyghur (Southeastern Turkic) languages. She gained her PhD in... ![An Uyghur woman in a blue shirt and a colorful scarf looks at the camera in front of scenic mountains](/sites/g/files/omnuum3106/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-01/Dr.Gulnar%20E.Yulghun.jpg?itok=-W60LruE) [### Hana Ikeda ](/people/hana-ikeda) Acting Preceptor in Japanese Language Instructor in Japanese ![A Japanese woman with long brown hair smiles broadly at the camera](/sites/g/files/omnuum3106/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-09/HanaIkeda.jpg?itok=nudD_65i) [### Helen Hardacre ](/people/helen-hardacre) Reischauer Institute Research Professor of Japanese Religions and Society, Emerita Professor Helen Hardacre began the study of Japanese religions as an undergraduate at Vanderbilt University, and she earned her doctorate from the University of Chicago in 1980, studying with Professor Joseph Kitagawa. Her research on religion focuses on... ![hardacre.jpg](/sites/g/files/omnuum3106/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/ealc/files/hardacre_1.jpg?itok=TA3ZJZyQ) [### Hi-Sun Kim ](/people/hi-sun-kim) Senior Preceptor in Korean Director of the Korean Language Program In the Fall of 2015, Hi-Sun Kim joined the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations as the Director of the Korean Language Program. Prior to coming to Harvard, she served for over 10 years as the director of the Korean Language Program at the... ![A Korean woman with long hair and earrings wearing a blue shirt smiles at the camera](/sites/g/files/omnuum3106/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-01/Kim_Hisun_Proof%20KI_Timeline_2024.jpg?h=365aad4d&itok=WGap-IBt) [### Hoa Le ](/people/hoa-le) Senior Preceptor in Vietnamese Vietnamese Language Program Director Hoa Le (Lê T. Vinh Hoa) joins the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations in the Fall of 2022 from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa where she taught Vietnamese language courses and applied linguistics. Her research interests include Task... ![Hoa Le smiles at the camera](/sites/g/files/omnuum3106/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/ealc/files/hoa_le.jpg?itok=WPNLAymN) [### I-Chuan Wei ](/people/i-chuan-wei) Acting Preceptor in Chinese Language Instructor in Chinese ![A Chinese woman with shoulder-length brown hair smiles at the camera while wearing a grey hat](/sites/g/files/omnuum3106/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-01/Wei_I-Chuan.jpg?h=cedd54d5&itok=V_2ZSNDa) [### Ian J. Miller ](/people/ian-miller-0) [ian\_miller@harvard.edu](mailto:ian_miller@harvard.edu)Reischauer Institute Professor of Environmental History Faculty Dean of Cabot House Professor Miller's bio can be found at ![miller2.jpg](/sites/g/files/omnuum3106/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/ealc/files/miller2.jpg?itok=grzkfCgF) [### James Robson ](/people/james-robson) James C. Kralik and Yunli Lou Professor of East Asian Languages and Civilizations; Harvard College Professor Director, Harvard-Yenching Institute James Robson is Professor of East Asian Languages and Civilizations. He has served as Director of Graduate Studies for the Regional Studies East Asia M.A. program. He teaches East Asian religions, in particular Daoism, Chinese Buddhism, and Zen. Robson... ![James Robson](/sites/g/files/omnuum3106/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/ealc/files/robson.png?itok=ZrJ8aWYR) [### Janet Gyatso ](/people/janet-gyatso) Hershey Professor of Buddhist Studies Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Harvard Divinity School Janet Gyatso is a specialist in Buddhist studies, concentrating on Tibetan and South Asian cultural and intellectual history. Her books include Apparitions of the Self: The Secret Autobiographies of a Tibetan Visionary (Princeton, 1998); In the Mirror of... ![A woman with long white hair and glasses smiles at the camera in front of a beautiful decorated wall](/sites/g/files/omnuum3106/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-01/janet%20gyatso%209-27-19%20TOPKAPI%20PALACE.jpg?h=95ffee1f&itok=eIicz0nh) [### Jennifer Li-Chia Liu ](/people/jennifer-li-chia-liu) Professor of the Practice of Language Pedagogy Director of the Chinese Language Program On Leave Calendar Year 2026 Jennifer Liu came to Harvard in 2011 as the Director of the Chinese Language Program. As Director, she is responsible for recruiting, training, and supervising about 24 teachers who offer 20-22 language courses annually to approximately 700 students. She... ![Prof. Liu](/sites/g/files/omnuum3106/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/ealc/files/jennifer_liu_photo.jpg?itok=0tEry0wN) [### Jie Li ](/people/jie-li) Ford Foundation Professor of East Asian Studies Harvard College Professor Director of Graduate Studies As a scholar of literary, film, and cultural studies, Jie Li’s research interests center on the mediation of memories in modern China. Her first book, Shanghai Homes: Palimpsests of Private Life (Columbia University Press, 2014, shortlisted for the... ![A Chinese woman with a ponytail wearing a blue shirt smiles at the camera](/sites/g/files/omnuum3106/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-01/li_jie_2.jpg?h=a7cea4d8&itok=WOt2_yTm) [### Jing Cai ](/people/xiuting-tan) [jing\_cai@fas.harvard.edu](mailto:jing_cai@fas.harvard.edu)Preceptor in Chinese ![Jing Cai](/sites/g/files/omnuum3106/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/ealc/files/jing_thumbnail.jpg?itok=v_7i_vZd) [### Kwok Leong Tang ](/people/kwok-leong-tang) Lecturer on East Asian Languages and Civilizations Digital China Project Manager Kwok-leong Tang serves as a lecturer for the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations and the Managing Director of the Digital China Initiative at Harvard University. By training, he is a historian. He received his bachelor's and master's... ![Kwok Leong Tang](/sites/g/files/omnuum3106/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/ealc/files/tang_kwok_leong_02.jpg?itok=K4sV0SVk) [### Kyoungwon Oh ](/people/kyoungwon-oh) [kyoungwon\_oh@fas.harvard.edu](mailto:kyoungwon_oh@fas.harvard.edu)Preceptor in Korean ![Kyoungwon Oh](/sites/g/files/omnuum3106/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/ealc/files/kyoungwon_oh.jpeg?itok=jaBV5HKw) - Previous page chevron\_left - [1](?page=0 "Current page") - [2](?page=1 "Go to page 2") - [3](?page=2 "Go to page 3") - [ Next page chevron\_right ](?page=1 "Go to next page")