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History of the Department

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A Brief History of EALC and Asian Studies at Harvard Chinese language was first taught at Harvard during a span of three years, from 1879 to 1882, by Chinese scholar Ge Kunhua (pictured at left) but was not taught on a regular basis until 1921. In 1928...

Korean History 115. Korean History through Film

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This course is to examine history of premodern Korea through select Korea's contemporary feature films. Films and dramas with historical themes and personages have been very popular in Korea. We will examine the content of the films, and investigate how `...

PhD in History and East Asian Languages

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PhD in History and East Asian Languages In addition to the PhD in East Asian Languages and Civilizations, the department also administers the PhD in History and East Asian Languages (HEAL). This degree program is designed to accommodate the particular...

Korean History 111. Traditional Korea

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Prof. Sun Joo Kim Survey of the history of Korea, from earliest times to the 19th century. Examines various interpretive approaches and issues in the political, social, economic, intellectual, cultural, and diplomatic history of premodern Korea. Course...

Peter Bol - Histories of Learning: Eight Propositions

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September 8, 2023 Peter Bol - Histories of Learning: Eight Propositions

History 1023. Japan 101: Japan in Asia and the World

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Prof. David Howell Prof. Andrew Gordon Japan is a collection of islands, but its past and present unfolds through continuous interaction with wider worlds. This course places Japan in contexts of Asian and global history. It begins with the people...

XI. A Brief History of EALC

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Instruction in the languages and civilizations of East Asia began at Harvard in 1879, when courses in the Chinese language were first taught. A portrait of the instructor hired to teach these classes, Ge Kunhua (Ko K’un-hua), hangs by the entrance to the...

Chinese History 113. Life and Death in Late Imperial China: Social History of the 10th to 19th Centuries

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Prof. Michael Szonyi This course is a survey of the social and cultural history of China from the Song to the mid-Qing (roughly from 1000 to 1800). The main topics discussed include urbanization and commerce; gender; family and kinship; education and the...

History of Art and Architecture 279P: The Object in the Museum

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Dr. Rachel Saunders Dr. Ethan Lasser Practicing art history in today’s increasingly mobile art world—whether as a field curator, academic researcher, critic, or other professional specialism—requires museum literacy, intellectual empathy, and the ability...

History 1023. Japan in Asia and the World

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Prof. Andrew Gordon Japan is a collection of islands, but its past and present unfolds through continuous interaction with wider worlds. This course places Japan in contexts of Asian and global history. It begins with the people, institutions, and ideas...

Chinese History 229r. Literati Learning in Mid Ming

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Prof. Peter Bol The seminar will explore the ideas and practices of figures in political, philosophical, literary, art and historiographical circles during the latter half of the fifteenth century and early sixteenth century. The goal of the seminar is to...

Linguistics 176. History and Pre-history of the Japanese Language

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An examination of evidence from the comparative method, internal reconstruction, and written documents for reconstructing prehistoric stages of the Japanese language and an overview of major developments in Japanese phonology and grammar from the Nara...