Sarah Youngblutt

Sarah Youngblutt
BA’09 Asian Area Studies
LinkedIn

Could you go into some detail about your career path until now?

For as long as I can remember, I have held a dual interest in ethnic equality and human rights, alongside archaeology. While at UBC, this interest was supported through a double major in Asian Area Studies and Anthropological Archaeology. Within the Asian Studies program, I learned about Asia in a prehistoric  and early historic  framework, with specific courses chosen (from excellent available options) that allowed me to better understand India’s influence on Southeast Asia in the late Iron Age. Following, my Masters at UBC was in Asian Pacific Policy studies, examining an Indian temple on the Thai-Cambodian border through the lens of World Heritage values and international policies of conservation. It was really the undergraduate in Asian studies which prepared me for a Masters in Asian Pacific Policy within the Institute of Asian Research.

How did you get your first job after graduating?

After graduating from my Masters, I began a PhD immediately, which was financed through several research and tutoring positions.  Presently in a PhD program in Archaeology and Natural History, at the Australian National University, in Canberra, I am pleased to be stationed within the College of the Asia Pacific. The Asian Studies department at the ANU is of very high quality and it is of benefit to me personally to have completed an undergraduate at UBC with comparable scholars who are well respected here at the ANU.

Today I work full time as an archaeologist in Australia and am midway through a PhD in mainland southeast Asian archaeology with a focus on Indian sites that carry World Heritage designation in Southeast Asia.

Are there any opportunities in your field?

If I were to recommend  an undergraduate trajectory to a new student at UBC who has an interest in history, geography, politics or anthropology, alongside Asia- it would be the Asian Studies program. This is because the program is rigorous, difficult  and of high quality. It also requires 12 credits of study in an Asian language, which I completed in Sanskrit. The language preparation and conscientious study of the UBC Asian Studies program makes scholars out of students and I have appreciated my time at UBC immensely.

What can students/recent graduates do to get a foot in your industry?

If a student were interested in becoming an archaeologist in an Asian country, or working with World Heritage policies at a high level, my advice is to specialize in one country. For me, that country has been Cambodia. The Asian Studies program at UBC allows a student to choose any country in Asia and go into the country in depth, taking courses of various content, but shaping essays and research projects on ‘their’ country.  This  freedom allows a student to specialize quickly and with academic freedom of direction .

In your field what does a typical entry level position entail?

In my field, a background of at least a Masters and some field experience qualifies people to work as an archaeologist. There are several types of archaeologists in Asia, each of which are specialized in different  facets of the discipline. It takes less education to work as a field archaeologist and if one is interested, there are many volunteer experiences available.

Do you have any other advice that you would like to impart to students/recent graduates?

UBC is a very good school. I would offer that it is the best school in Canada. Vancouver is positioned in a strategic place to Asia and Canadians should enjoy the opportunities available at UBC in Asian Studies.