Students Give EAS High Marks

An upsurge in the Japanese economy in 1990 produced a similar upsurge in the number of students concentrating in East Asian Studies.

Five years ago, the department had almost 160 concentrators, according to the Office of the Registrar. But as interest in Japan's economy declined, so has interest in East Asian Studies.

Between 1990 and 1993, enrollment dropped in half. In 1993, there were 75 students concentrating in EAS, according to the Registrar.

From 1993 to the present, the number of concentrators has hovered in the mid-70s. This year, EAS has 78 concentrators, 40 of whom are studying jointly with another department.

Despite the decline, faculty and students in the department agree that, in the words Professor of Chinese Literature and EAS head tutor Leo Lee, "there is no crisis."

In fact, many students believe that their department is among the best in the College.

As concentrator Ezra L. Block '95-'96 says, "It couldn't get any better."

But the 78 EAS concentrators undertake, in the words of one student, an "almost daunting" task.

From Haiku to Buddhism, Confucius to Mao Tse-Tung, East Asian Studies encompasses a great wealth of information. The department studies the history, literature, politics, philosophy and economics of China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam, making it one of the most comprehensive departments at Harvard. The requirements are almost as sweeping.

Why a Decline?

Because students overwhelmingly applaud their department, they say they are surprised by the decline in enrollment.

Many attribute it to the overall decrease in interest in the humanities at Harvard. Over the past five years, enrollment in almost every humanities department has declined, while enrollment in the sciences has increased.

But others say the department peaked in 1990 and is now returning to a more normal number of concentrators.

"When the department had 160 students, it was the third largest department at Harvard," says Babbitt Professor of Comparative Literature and Professor of Chinese Stephen Owen. "Now it strikes me as about right."

And still others say enrollment figures are cyclical in nature depending on world events.

"[Enrollment in EAS] has gone down because Japan's economy is not as good, but the China program has gone up," says Mark R. Freeman '97.

"A lot of people think China is going to be the center of business in the 21st century," Freeman says. Consequently, he says enrollment in the department may surge again.

Why EAS?

Students say they are attracted to East Asian Studies primarily because of its superior faculty.

"Many of the professors are internationally recognized," says Daniel K. Shin '96. "They're incredible East Asian scholars."

Leo Lee says he has taught at seven different universities and believes that no faculty is as phenomenal as that in the East Asian Studies Department.

"The faculty is tops," says Block, who is focusing on China. Block also says the resources the department offers are impeccable, citing Harvard's Yenching Library, which he says houses one of the world's leading collections of East Asian texts.

Students say the strong faculty and resources attract people who are academically oriented.

"East Asian studies attracts very academic people." Shin says. "Many are thinking of going on to be professors or teachers."

Block says he was first attracted to the department because of its size.

"I didn't want to be lost in a big department," he says.

Others agree the small size is a strong benefit.

"[The concentration is small so] we all know each other well," says Anna Hui '96. "[It] is very nurturing."

But other students say they are concentrating in EAS for different reasons.

James C. Lee '96 says he is concentrating in EAS because of his heritage.

"I wanted to better understand my roots," he says.

Students say one further draw of the department is the chance to study economics in an area in which it is booming.

Twenty students are concentrating jointly in economics and EAS and "are attracted to East Asia's economic prowess," as one student says.

Requirements

But not all is rosy in East Asian Studies. Students say the requirements are relatively stiff.

Three years of tutorial and two or three years of an East Asian language require a significant percentage of a student's courseload.

"Many people are daunted by the language requirement and tutorial," one student says. "They are very rigorous."

Students say the language program is very solid.

"I have more praise for the language program than anything else," Freeman says.

The tutorial program, however, is significantly more controversial, particularly the all-encompassing sophomore tutorial.

According to Leo Lee, the purpose of sophomore tutorial is to give concentrators "a broad background in East Asia."

But students say it is challenging to establish a "broad background" for so vast a region, and some say they don't think the department meets this task very well.

"Sophomore tutorial is too scattered," Hui says. "They would jump from one country to the next and pick out only certain moments in time."

Others agree that the bulk of the material covered in tutorial is overwhelming for students.

But because so few students have the necessary background in East Asian Studies, many concentrators contend that the sophomore tutorial must necessarily be intense.

"The department finds it necessary to introduce people to the basic historiography of the whole area," says Megumi Harade '96. "[It's an] introduction to a subject people are not familiar with."

And others say the department does well in trying to educate its students.

"Sophomore tutorial is a best effort at a very difficult task," says Elissa M. Alben '97. "They use tutorial to form a base...a foundation of all East Asian history which is a challenge, but I think they do a reasonable job meeting the challenge."

While sophomore tutorial establishes a foundation for concentrators, the other tutorials allow students to focus on specific areas of study.

In their junior year, students choose which country they wish to study: China, Japan, Korea or Vietnam. Those who focus on Japan or China specialize even further by choosing a humanities or social sciences track.

The stringent requirement for EAS concentrators leave students with only four additional classes in their concentration.

But students say they are okay with this arrangement.

"Most people end up taking more than four," says Block. "You take what interests you, so for me, my electives ended up being in East Asian Studies."

Changes in the Making

A visiting committee consisting of seven prominent scholars in East Asian Studies gathered at Harvard yesterday to begin their evaluation of the EAS Department, according to Dean for Undergraduate Education Lawrence Buell.

The process is entirely routine as each department is evaluated by its visiting committee every three years.

Sometime next fall the committee will issue a report outlining its recommendations for the department, Buell says.

But changes are already in the making. Leo Lee, who is in his first year as head tutor, says he is currently working on revamping the junior tutorial system.

"I would like to make the junior program more coherent," he says. "As it is now, it is too flexible. [The students] are lost."

EAS and Economics

Many say there is a split in the department between those who study the culture of East Asia and those who approach the area with an economic perspective.

Joint economics and East Asian Studies concentrators comprise more than one-quarter of the department.

Many of the humanities concentrators say they are troubled by how the joint economic concentrators approach East Asian Studies.

"If people who are interested in the economic aspect of East Asia don't care about the culture, it's best they find another department," Alben says.

Some students say there is a basic philosophical difference between students interested in the humanities and those studying economics.

"Economists approach things from the idea of rational held interest; man maximizes his preferences," Shin says. "Within a economic conception of the world, there's no such thing as patriotism."

"You can't impose that on history," he says. "People in the West didn't always think that way."

But many professors say they welcome joint concentrations, especially with economics.

"Economics mixes well with the social sciences tract," Leo Lee says.

Moreover, professors say they believe EAS offers a strong background for anyone interested in business.

"My feeling is that anyone who wants to go into Japanese business needs a background in the philosophy, literature and history of Japan," says Michael J. Puett, assistant professor of early Chinese history.

The appeal for economic students is equally straight-forward, students say. China and Japan are seen, in the words of one concentrator, as "emerging markets."

Ethnic Studies

EAS is unique, faculty members say, because it involves the comprehensive study of a single area.

"You get the whole picture: philosophy, history, political science," Puett says. "You really put it all together."

But the department may also be notable for what it does not include: ethnic studies.

"Harvard's EAS program is a traditional program," says James Lee. "[It is] more concerned with the study of foreign culture as opposed to a study of foreign cultures in our country."

"I don't think that they should combine the [EAS] department with ethnic studies, because Harvard's EAS Department has so strong a reputation," he says.

Instead, he says, the University should create a new department entirely.

The faculty members in EAS seem to agree.

"If it's in English, then it's American," Owen says. "We are a [department that studies] a culture in its language.

But others say the department peaked in 1990 and is now returning to a more normal number of concentrators.

"When the department had 160 students, it was the third largest department at Harvard," says Babbitt Professor of Comparative Literature and Professor of Chinese Stephen Owen. "Now it strikes me as about right."

And still others say enrollment figures are cyclical in nature depending on world events.

"[Enrollment in EAS] has gone down because Japan's economy is not as good, but the China program has gone up," says Mark R. Freeman '97.

"A lot of people think China is going to be the center of business in the 21st century," Freeman says. Consequently, he says enrollment in the department may surge again.

Why EAS?

Students say they are attracted to East Asian Studies primarily because of its superior faculty.

"Many of the professors are internationally recognized," says Daniel K. Shin '96. "They're incredible East Asian scholars."

Leo Lee says he has taught at seven different universities and believes that no faculty is as phenomenal as that in the East Asian Studies Department.

"The faculty is tops," says Block, who is focusing on China. Block also says the resources the department offers are impeccable, citing Harvard's Yenching Library, which he says houses one of the world's leading collections of East Asian texts.

Students say the strong faculty and resources attract people who are academically oriented.

"East Asian studies attracts very academic people." Shin says. "Many are thinking of going on to be professors or teachers."

Block says he was first attracted to the department because of its size.

"I didn't want to be lost in a big department," he says.

Others agree the small size is a strong benefit.

"[The concentration is small so] we all know each other well," says Anna Hui '96. "[It] is very nurturing."

But other students say they are concentrating in EAS for different reasons.

James C. Lee '96 says he is concentrating in EAS because of his heritage.

"I wanted to better understand my roots," he says.

Students say one further draw of the department is the chance to study economics in an area in which it is booming.

Twenty students are concentrating jointly in economics and EAS and "are attracted to East Asia's economic prowess," as one student says.

Requirements

But not all is rosy in East Asian Studies. Students say the requirements are relatively stiff.

Three years of tutorial and two or three years of an East Asian language require a significant percentage of a student's courseload.

"Many people are daunted by the language requirement and tutorial," one student says. "They are very rigorous."

Students say the language program is very solid.

"I have more praise for the language program than anything else," Freeman says.

The tutorial program, however, is significantly more controversial, particularly the all-encompassing sophomore tutorial.

According to Leo Lee, the purpose of sophomore tutorial is to give concentrators "a broad background in East Asia."

But students say it is challenging to establish a "broad background" for so vast a region, and some say they don't think the department meets this task very well.

"Sophomore tutorial is too scattered," Hui says. "They would jump from one country to the next and pick out only certain moments in time."

Others agree that the bulk of the material covered in tutorial is overwhelming for students.

But because so few students have the necessary background in East Asian Studies, many concentrators contend that the sophomore tutorial must necessarily be intense.

"The department finds it necessary to introduce people to the basic historiography of the whole area," says Megumi Harade '96. "[It's an] introduction to a subject people are not familiar with."

And others say the department does well in trying to educate its students.

"Sophomore tutorial is a best effort at a very difficult task," says Elissa M. Alben '97. "They use tutorial to form a base...a foundation of all East Asian history which is a challenge, but I think they do a reasonable job meeting the challenge."

While sophomore tutorial establishes a foundation for concentrators, the other tutorials allow students to focus on specific areas of study.

In their junior year, students choose which country they wish to study: China, Japan, Korea or Vietnam. Those who focus on Japan or China specialize even further by choosing a humanities or social sciences track.

The stringent requirement for EAS concentrators leave students with only four additional classes in their concentration.

But students say they are okay with this arrangement.

"Most people end up taking more than four," says Block. "You take what interests you, so for me, my electives ended up being in East Asian Studies."

Changes in the Making

A visiting committee consisting of seven prominent scholars in East Asian Studies gathered at Harvard yesterday to begin their evaluation of the EAS Department, according to Dean for Undergraduate Education Lawrence Buell.

The process is entirely routine as each department is evaluated by its visiting committee every three years.

Sometime next fall the committee will issue a report outlining its recommendations for the department, Buell says.

But changes are already in the making. Leo Lee, who is in his first year as head tutor, says he is currently working on revamping the junior tutorial system.

"I would like to make the junior program more coherent," he says. "As it is now, it is too flexible. [The students] are lost."

EAS and Economics

Many say there is a split in the department between those who study the culture of East Asia and those who approach the area with an economic perspective.

Joint economics and East Asian Studies concentrators comprise more than one-quarter of the department.

Many of the humanities concentrators say they are troubled by how the joint economic concentrators approach East Asian Studies.

"If people who are interested in the economic aspect of East Asia don't care about the culture, it's best they find another department," Alben says.

Some students say there is a basic philosophical difference between students interested in the humanities and those studying economics.

"Economists approach things from the idea of rational held interest; man maximizes his preferences," Shin says. "Within a economic conception of the world, there's no such thing as patriotism."

"You can't impose that on history," he says. "People in the West didn't always think that way."

But many professors say they welcome joint concentrations, especially with economics.

"Economics mixes well with the social sciences tract," Leo Lee says.

Moreover, professors say they believe EAS offers a strong background for anyone interested in business.

"My feeling is that anyone who wants to go into Japanese business needs a background in the philosophy, literature and history of Japan," says Michael J. Puett, assistant professor of early Chinese history.

The appeal for economic students is equally straight-forward, students say. China and Japan are seen, in the words of one concentrator, as "emerging markets."

Ethnic Studies

EAS is unique, faculty members say, because it involves the comprehensive study of a single area.

"You get the whole picture: philosophy, history, political science," Puett says. "You really put it all together."

But the department may also be notable for what it does not include: ethnic studies.

"Harvard's EAS program is a traditional program," says James Lee. "[It is] more concerned with the study of foreign culture as opposed to a study of foreign cultures in our country."

"I don't think that they should combine the [EAS] department with ethnic studies, because Harvard's EAS Department has so strong a reputation," he says.

Instead, he says, the University should create a new department entirely.

The faculty members in EAS seem to agree.

"If it's in English, then it's American," Owen says. "We are a [department that studies] a culture in its language.