To the graduating class of 2025 Fall,
The Department of Asian Studies heartily congratulates you on the completion of your degree in Asian Studies from the University of British Columbia! We are extremely proud of you – this is an impressive achievement and we are inspired by your hard work and dedication!
To celebrate you, we composed this “UBC Asian Studies Class of 2025 Fall Graduates Yearbook” page featuring graduates sharing their perspectives on Asian Studies and thanks for those who supported their academic journeys.
2025 Fall Graduates Yearbook
Doctoral degree
Specialization: Modern Chinese Literature and Culture
Thesis title: Journeying to ‘Authentic’ Borderlands: Modern Chinese Travel Narratives in Western China (1921-1945)
Supervisor: Dr. Christopher Rea
Master’s degree
Specialization: Japanese Contemporary Literature
Thesis title: Pregnant with possibility : reading movement and myth in two Japanese / American texts
Supervisor: Dr. Sharalyn Orbaugh
This has for sure been the best, most fun (and challenging) bit I've ever committed to so far. To all the professor-role-model-icon-queens, classmates, friends, and comrades of Asian Studies who have taught me so, so much--thank you, thank you, thank you!
Bachelor’s degree
Major in Asian Area Studies
Major in Asia Area Studies
Major in Asian Language and Culture (Korea)
I think the study of Asian Studies not only allows us to expand our knowledge regarding many different Asian communities, but also provides an opportunity for us to challenge our conventional perspective on culture and world order. I am glad I was able to improve my language skills and educate myself about Asian cultures through the four years of studying at UBC. This experience will always remain the most valuable for me.
I truly appreciate everybody I encountered in the past four years. I am inspired by everyone in the Asian Studies Department at UBC, in a way their passion for studying and acceptance of all different perspectives encouraged me to keep pursuing my passion in Asian Studies!
Major in Asian Area Studies
Asian Studies has taught me to examine cultures, histories, and contemporary issues with nuance and sensitivity. Through language study, research training, and exposure to diverse Asian societies, I developed stronger critical-thinking skills and a more global outlook. This degree pushed me to understand how identity, politics, and culture shape everyday life, and it sharpened my ability to communicate across cultures—something I rely on in both academics and professional settings.
Major in Korean Language and Culture
Major in Asian Area Studies
I think besides reading, the most important thing is it taught me how to think about the world. It encourages me to explore knowledge, think comprehensively and express logically.
It is grateful to learn from you through the most valuable and advanced lectures. Thanks a lot.
