The Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations is a new department with a long history. Formally established in 2005 with the division of the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies into its constituent elements, the Department dates back to the 19th century when Penn was one of the first universities to initiate the study of the languages and civilizations of what was then referred to as “the Orient.” Thus, the Department was for a long time called “Oriental Studies” until it became Asian and Middle Eastern Studies in 1992.

    EALC is a department of interdisciplinary scholars who focus on the humanistic tradition in East Asia, covering both the classical and modern civilizations of China, Japan, and Korea. We teach and research the disciplines of history, literary history, linguistics, art history, performance and gender studies, philosophy, religion, and ethics. The Department offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in both Chinese and Japanese Studies and is well on the way to constructing a parallel program for Korean Studies. Besides Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, offered from introductory through advanced levels, EALC also teaches Cantonese, Shanghaiese, and Taiwanese on a regular basis.