Asia Studies

The research focuses on cultural and social conditions in four linguistic regions of Asia, and also examines historical and contemporary connections and movements across the continent and the globe.

Asia Studies draws on theories and methods from both the humanities and the social sciences and encompasses language-based area studies focusing on India and South Asia, Japan, China, and Korea, respectively. Knowledge of the languages of these countries is key to understanding the cultures and societies of these regions, their interrelationships, and their global context. Against this backdrop, the research explores a wide range of issues in literature, art, media, history, religion, technology, economics, and politics.

Indian and South Asia Studies focuses particularly on themes such as the nation and nationalism in the 21st century, postcolonial state-building, the history of capitalism, labor cultures, climate policy, media and advertising, and cultural memory.

Japanese Studies focuses, drawing on history, cultural studies, and anthropology as disciplinary perspectives, on Japan’s modern cultural history, architecture, and cultural heritage; on education, the Sustainable Development Goals, and global citizenship; and on robotics, museums, and monster culture.

Chinese Studies draws on history, cultural and media studies, anthropology, and political science, and encompasses research on a range of topics—from classical Chinese philosophy to the latest science fiction, and from politics and religion in rural areas to China’s globalization and knowledge diplomacy.

Korean Studies focuses on the Korean language, popular culture, music, literature, and politics, with a particular emphasis on literary texts and their cross-border transmission, as well as on Korea’s modern history and international relations.

Asia Studies at ToRS upholds a tradition of linguistic specialization but is increasingly turning toward themes that span languages and disciplines in collaborative projects, ranging from smaller studies with an interdisciplinary or comparative approach to long-term initiatives such as Contemporary Buddhist Studies, where disciplines such as religious studies, anthropology, environmental humanities, and language-based area studies collaborate on research into contemporary Buddhism in India, Nepal, Mongolia, China, Japan, and Oceania.

The researchers contribute to international research in the field through monographs and articles in regional and disciplinary journals. They share their expertise with high schools, elementary schools, and the general public through lectures and media contributions, and they provide advice on culture, language, and politics to private and public decision-makers.

 

 

 

China Studies

China Studies at the University of Copenhagen is one of the largest centres for China-related research in the Nordic region. We study China and the sinophone world from various disciplinary perspectives, including anthropology, political science, cultural studies, media studies, and history. Our current research focuses on politics, urbanization, intellectual history, religion, bodies, food, minorities, modern media, and cultural production.

See more on the developments of China Studies in Denmark.

India and South Asia Studies

Grounded in interdisciplinary research, the India and South Asia section focuses on a range of cross-cutting fields of specialisation. These include thematic research on nation and nationalism in the 21st Century, postcolonial state making; histories of capitalism, cultures of work, climate politics, media and publicity, and cultural memory.

Japan Studies  

Japan Studies focuses on historical and contemporary processes that have been shaping Japanese society and the country’s role in the broader Asian region and beyond. We represent several disciplinary perspectives: history, cultural studies, and anthropology. Our specific focus areas include architecture, body, Buddhism, care work, cultural heritage, cultural history of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Japan in a global context, education (including in the SDGs), global citizenship, migration, museums, and yōkai/monsters. 

Korea Studies

Over the past decade, Korea Studies at the University of Copenhagen has been the leader of Korea-related activities in Denmark with its vibrant programs of research and teaching, community involvement, and international exchange. It was established to facilitate research on Korea through multidisciplinary approaches and now has faculty members focusing on Korean language, popular culture, literature, history, political science, and music.

Transnational themes

Asia section is engaged in research themes that are not confined within national borders. One example is the collaborative research within Contemporary Buddhist Studies with religious studies, anthropology, environmental humanities, and language-based area studies research in India, Nepal, Mongolia, China, Japan, and Oceania.

 

 

 

 

Buddhism, Business and Believers
Funding: Danmarks Frie Forskningsfond (2016-2021) og Carlsberg Foundation (2015-2018)
Contact: Trine Brox

Emerging Worlds - Ethnographic Explorations of New South-South Connections
Funding: Independent Research Fund Denmark
Project period: 2014-2019
Contact: Ravinder Kaur

Moral Economies of Food in Contemporary China
Contact: Mikkel Bunkenborg

Steering Urban-Rural Integration in China
Funding: German Research Foundation (DFG)
Project period: 2018-2023
Contact: Elena Meyer-Clement

 

 

Copenhagen Journal of Asian Studies

Read about the journal.

Researchers

Name Title Job responsibilities Phone E-mail
Baby, Irene PhD Fellow Modern India and Southeast Asia Studies +4535335398 E-mail
Beller-Hann, Ildiko Associate Professor Emerita Turkish Studies E-mail
Bencke, Frederikke PhD Fellow Modern India and Southeast Asia Studies +4535324141 E-mail
Brox, Trine Associate Professor - Promotion Programme Buddhist Studies +4551302965 E-mail
Brødsgaard, Amanda PhD Fellow Japanese Studies +4535327814 E-mail
Bunkenborg, Mikkel Associate Professor Chinese Studies +4551302510 E-mail
Choi, Hyun Joo Teaching Associate Professor Korean Studies E-mail
Delman, Jørgen Professor Emeritus Chinese Studies +4530116176 E-mail
Jin, Sang Pil Assistant Professor - Tenure Track Korean Studies +4535328181 E-mail
Kaur, Ravinder Professor Modern India and South Asia Studies +4553633421 E-mail
Kazuhara, Kristina Teaching Associate Professor Japanese Studies +4524830724 E-mail
Ma, Yi Assistant Professor Chinese Studies E-mail
Mehl, Margaret Dorothea Associate Professor Japanese Studies +4551302877 E-mail
Meyer-Clement, Elena Katja Associate Professor Chinese Studies +4535326370 E-mail
Misra, Anuj External Researcher Indology +4551160702 E-mail
Nagashima, Yoichi Associate Professor Emeritus Japanese Studies +4551302496 E-mail
Nielsen, Bent Associate Professor Chinese Studies E-mail
Petersen, Susan Aagaard Teaching Associate Professor Chinese Studies E-mail
Puri, Stine Simonsen Research Assistant Comparative Culture Studies +4550585969 E-mail
Renner, Elmar Josef Teaching Associate Professor Modern India and South Asia Studies E-mail
Roesgaard, Marie Højlund Associate Professor Japanese Studies +4551300716 E-mail
Sand, Erik Reenberg Associate Professor Emeritus Study of Religions +4551302699 E-mail
Schmidt-Madsen, Jacob External Researcher SAMHiTA +4551302624 E-mail
Sejrup, Jens Associate Professor Japanese Studies +4535334055 E-mail
Sørensen, Jørgen Podemann Associate Professor Emeritus Study of Religions E-mail
Sørensen, Bo Ærenlund Assistant Professor - Tenure Track Chinese Studies E-mail
Wall, Barbara Associate Professor Korean Studies E-mail
Zhang, Meng Teaching Assistant Professor Chinese Studies E-mail
Zysk, Kenneth Gregory Professor Emeritus Indology +4551302624 E-mail