Welcome to the Department of Pacific and Asian Studies

** Course Offerings 2009-2010**

Welcome to the Department of Pacific and Asian Studies
Where West Meets East!

Home to some of the oldest civilizations and roughly half the population of the earth, the Asia-Pacific region is also the source today for many of the world’s most thriving economies. Its peoples are increasingly part of our local lives, as visitors, business partners and new Canadians. The region is and will remain of immense strategic importance, particularly for the people of British Columbia. Events in this region now bear intimately upon our personal lives. While achieving a comprehensive grasp of all that is encompassed in the Asia-Pacific world is impossible, it is possible to provide a cross-cultural, interdisciplinary perspective that offers crucial insights into current issues in this important region. The outside world may often be beyond our control, but it is not beyond our comprehension. Thus, the academic goals of the Department of Pacific and Asian Studies are public goals. They are intended to serve the public interest in making accessible as wide a range as possible of knowledge about Asia and the Pacific.