UBC Department of Asian Studies

What UBC Department of Asian Studies does

The Department of Asian Studies at the University of British Columbia is an academic unit established in 1961 within UBC's Faculty of Arts, located at the Asian Centre on UBC's Vancouver campus. It operates as one of Canada's leading Asian Studies programs, offering undergraduate majors (Asian Area Studies and Asian Language & Culture), Master of Arts and PhD graduate degrees, and continuing education programming, serving a student body enrolling through UBC's centralized admissions process. The department employs approximately 28 faculty and delivers more than 350 courses annually covering Asian culture, thought, religion, and languages, with language instruction provided in ten Asian languages: Modern Arabic, Cantonese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Hindi-Urdu, Persian, Punjabi, Sanskrit, and Tibetan, catering to heritage and non-heritage learners across proficiency levels.

The department's core technology consists of academic research infrastructure and pedagogical platforms rather than commercial software products. Key proprietary digital assets include the Chinese Film Classics online platform (chinesefilmclassics.org) hosting 40+ translated Chinese films from 1922–1949 with English subtitles, 22 video lectures, and a companion online course; the "Where Research Begins" methodology book and companion website with over 100,000 copies in print and translations into six languages; the SSHRC-funded FROGBEAR open-access repository for East Asian religious materials; and the "Modern Chinese Cultural Studies" YouTube channel with 250+ videos. Faculty maintain active research output published by major academic presses including Columbia University Press, University of Chicago Press, and UBC Press.

As a department within a public research university, the unit is not a commercial entity and has no independent revenue model. Funding flows institutionally through UBC's Faculty of Arts and externally through competitive research grants (e.g., SSHRC), faculty awards (Joseph Levenson Book Prize, Killam Research Prize, NEA Translation Fellowship), and ancillary event co-sponsorships. Tuition is governed by UBC's institutional policies, and the department distributes its services through in-person instruction at the Vancouver campus and globally accessible digital educational resources.

Name

UBC Department of Asian Studies

Legal name

Department of Asian Studies, University of British Columbia

Website

https://asia.ubc.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Department of Asian Studies at the University of British Columbia is a public university academic unit founded in 1961 that delivers undergraduate, MA, and PhD programs in Asian Studies, instruction in ten Asian languages, and 350+ courses annually, serving degree-seeking students and continuing education learners while producing internationally recognized humanities research and open-access digital educational resources.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education – Asian Studies and Asian Language Programs

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Language Schools (61163), Language Schools (611630)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

General Language Schools (Multi-Language) (EDAIAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Language & Communication Continuing Education (EDAAAEAF), Academic Language Support (ESL/EFL for School & University) (EDANACAB)

Keywords

• Asian Studies education
• Asian language instruction
• Higher education programs
• East Asian cultural studies
• Humanities research

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Department of Asian Studies delivers university-level academic programs in Asian Studies, including undergraduate majors (Asian Area Studies; Asian Language & Culture), MA and PhD graduate degrees, and language instruction across ten Asian languages (Modern Arabic, Cantonese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Hindi-Urdu, Persian, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tibetan). It supports teaching and scholarship through faculty research, annual lecture series, digital educational resources (such as the Chinese Film Classics project and FROGBEAR repository), and continuing education offerings.

Product overview

The Department of Asian Studies at UBC is one of Canada's leading Asian Studies programs, offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational products and services. The department operates on a platform-plus-programs model comprising undergraduate programs (Asian Area Studies and Asian Language & Culture), graduate degrees (MA and PhD programs), and intensive language instruction in ten Asian languages. Supporting the academic core are faculty publications covering research in Asian thought, religion, history, literature, and culture, along with annual lecture series and events including the John Howes Lecture in Japanese Studies and Yip So Man Wat Lecture in Chinese Studies. The department also provides digital educational resources such as the Chinese Film Classics project with translated films and video lectures, and maintains community engagement through The Update newsletter.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Asian Area Studies (BA Major) Undergraduate major (Bachelor of Arts) focusing on the impact of Asian cultures and the socio-cultural, historical, and intersectional issues (gender, race, social justice) shaping them. Designed for students seeking a broad humanities-based degree in Asian Studies at UBC.
• Asian Language & Culture (BA Major) Undergraduate major (Bachelor of Arts) combining language specialization with cultural studies; part of what the department describes as a leading Asian language program in North America. Aimed at students developing linguistic abilities in an Asian language alongside cultural studies coursework.
• Ten-Language Asian Language Instruction Program Comprehensive language instruction program offering courses in ten Asian languages: Modern Arabic, Cantonese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Hindi-Urdu, Persian, Punjabi, Sanskrit, and Tibetan. Available at all proficiency levels and tailored to both heritage and non-heritage learners.
• Master of Arts (MA) in Asian Studies Graduate master's degree program enabling students to pursue advanced study across Asian regions, cultures, and disciplines, with faculty mentorship and research opportunities.
• PhD in Asian Studies Doctoral research degree offering advanced dissertation-level research opportunities in Asian Studies areas under faculty supervision.
• Sanskrit for the Yoga Studio (Continuing Education) Non-degree continuing education course providing Sanskrit instruction tailored for yoga practitioners. Designed for non-degree-seeking community learners.
• Annual Lecture and Events Series Signature annual academic and community events including the Alireza Ahmadian Lectures in Iranian and Persianate Studies, Tianzhu-Hurvitz Lecture Series, Asian Studies Careers Night, Graduate Student Conference, Harjit Kaur Sidhu Memorial Program, John Howes Lecture in Japanese Studies, Lunar New Year Celebration, and Yip So Man Wat Lecture in Chinese Studies.
• Chinese Film Classics Project (chinesefilmclassics.org) Open-access digital educational project created by Professor Christopher Rea providing English-subtitled translations of 40+ Chinese films from 1922-1949, 22 video lectures, and a free online course companion on Chinese film history, distributed globally.
• FROGBEAR Open-Access Repository SSHRC-funded open-access digital repository aggregating visual and audio-visual data documenting lesser-known religious practices in East Asia, designed as a research resource for international scholars.
• The Update Newsletter Biweekly newsletter providing departmental news, events, and updates to students, faculty, and staff, with online archive dating to 2019.

Quantifiable outcome

• One of Canada's leading Asian Studies programs since 1961
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Consulate-General of PRC in VancouverminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Consulate-General of PRC in Vancouver co-sponsored the 2017 Lunar New Year Celebration event hosted by the Department of Asian Studies, contributing to cultural programming and community engagement.
• Hong Kong Studies InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChristopher Rea is an associate of the Hong Kong Studies Initiative at UBC, participating in collaborative research and programming related to Hong Kong studies.
• Society for Ming StudiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBruce Rusk serves as webmaster and past president of the Society for Ming Studies, a scholarly organization devoted to the study of Ming history and culture. The organization is housed within UBC's Department of Asian Studies.
• FROGBEAR Project (From the Ground Up)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSSHRC-funded project collaborating with groups at UBC and worldwide to develop a repository for material on East Asian religions. Bruce Rusk works on developing an open-access repository documenting religious practice in East Asia.
• Columbia University PressminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple faculty members publish books with Columbia University Press including Christopher Rea's 'Chinese Film Classics, 1922-1949', 'The Book of Swindles' (with Bruce Rusk), and 'More Swindles from the Late Ming'.
• UBC PressminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFaculty member Christopher Rea co-edited 'The Business of Culture: Cultural Entrepreneurs in China and Southeast Asia, 1900-60' published by UBC Press.
• St. John's College (UBC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChristopher Rea serves as a Faculty Fellow of St. John's College at UBC, participating in college activities and scholarly community.
• Association for Asian StudiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChristopher Rea currently serves as Chair of the Editorial Committee of the Association for Asian Studies, the major professional organization for Asian Studies scholars.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Australian National University — College of Asia and the Pacific: An Asia-focused college offering multi-country, multi-language graduate and undergraduate programs in Asian studies — comparable in disciplinary breadth and language coverage, though operating in the Asia-Pacific rather than North American market.
• SOAS University of London — Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures: UK-based peer with very broad Asian language coverage (including Arabic, Persian, South Asian, and East Asian languages) and graduate research programs comparable in scope to UBC's ten-language offering.

Direct peers

• Harvard University — Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations: Elite peer Asian Studies department offering undergraduate and graduate degrees with multiple Asian languages and a comparable emphasis on faculty research and publication.
• Columbia University — Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures: Peer East Asian department offering language and culture programs at BA/MA/PhD levels, with overlapping faculty publishing pipelines including Columbia University Press (which also publishes UBC Asian Studies faculty).
• University of Toronto — Department of East Asian Studies: The leading peer Canadian Asian Studies department, offering undergraduate and graduate programs in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean language and culture with comparable scope and faculty-driven research output.
• University of California, Berkeley — Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures: Major North American Asian Studies department offering BA/MA/PhD programs with multi-language instruction (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, plus others) and a comparable research-publication culture.
• Yale University — Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures: Peer East Asian department delivering undergraduate and graduate programs with comparable language instruction and research-focused faculty culture.
• University of Michigan — Department of Asian Languages and Cultures: Large public-university Asian Studies department with multi-language BA/MA/PhD programs and a comparable mix of less-commonly-taught languages alongside Chinese/Japanese/Korean.
• Stanford University — Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures: Comparable North American Asian Studies department delivering BA/MA/PhD programs across multiple Asian languages with strong digital humanities and open-access scholarship output.
• Princeton University — Department of East Asian Studies: Comparable East Asian Studies department with BA/PhD programs and multi-language coverage of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, recognized for faculty research strength similar to UBC's profile.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ubc-department-of-asian-studies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about UBC Department of Asian Studies