East Asian Studies (Research)

Make an original, positive and lasting contribution to East Asian studies. A PhD is an opportunity to expand upon your interests and expertise as part of an active research community making impact across the globe. Join us at the heart of Scotland’s capital and festival city.

Over the course of your PhD, you will complete an original body of work under the expert guidance of at least two supervisors. Your thesis will be around 80,000 words. Our programme includes access to skills training, including research methodologies specific to East Asian studies.

Having been established over 50 years ago, Edinburgh’s expertise in this area supports both in-depth and diversified, disciplinary and inter-disciplinary research on the political, cultural and economic factors shaping international relations in the East Asian region and, comparatively, across the globe.

We have particular strengths in:

• ancient philosophy and religion

• the comparative politics of East Asia

• classical and modern literature

• media and films

• imperialism, colonial rule and decolonisation

• political and economic transformation

We are able to support PhD theses crossing boundaries between East Asian studies and other disciplines, including:

• comparative literature

• film studies

• translation studies

Our East Asian Studies Collection includes one of the largest collections of East Asian digital resources in the UK and Europe.