Asia Studies

The Asia section engages in cross-cultural and transdisciplinary research and education programs. The language-based Asia Studies offer regional specialisation on China, India and South Asia, Japan, and Korea, trans-Himalayan and trans-oceanic circulations, intra-Asia connections as well as emerging Asia on a global scale.

Asia Studies build upon transdisciplinary research across humanities and social sciences. Taking intensive training in Asian languages as a core skill, the research focuses on China, India and South Asia, Japan, Korea and trans-Asian region shaped through centuries-old mobilities, circulations, and entanglements – of cultural goods, linguistic traditions, trade and commerce, and social beliefs; a political terrain of modern nation-states that began taking shape in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries; and a lucrative market in the early twenty-first-century global economy.

This cross-cultural and transnational scope is reflected in the diverse publication profile of the scholars as well as research programmes anchored in Asia Studies. The research programmes foster innovative teaching as well as collaboration with a range of societal partners. The expert knowledge about Asia is shared widely in the public domain to enrich policymaking on cultural heritage, language, defence and foreign policies including in schools, gymnasiums, municipalities, museums, cultural institutions, business organisations and ministries.

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

Copenhagen Journal of Asian Studies

AsiaLab

AsiaLab is a lunchtime seminar held six times a year at ToRS. A presenter can pre-circulate an article draft they are working on or give a presentation on data they are currently processing. The goal of the seminar is to provide feedback at an early stage in the writing process.

Coordinators: Yi Ma and Stephen Christopher

Researchers

Name Title Job responsibilities Phone E-mail
Abrahms-Kavunenko, Saskia Adelle Postdoc Centre for Contemporary Buddhist Studies   E-mail
Baby, Irene PhD Fellow Modern India and Southeast Asia Studies +4535335398 E-mail
Beller-Hann, Ildiko Associate Professor Emerita Turkish Studies +4551302462 E-mail
Bencke, Frederikke PhD Fellow Modern India and Southeast Asia Studies +4535324141 E-mail
Brox, Trine Associate Professor - Promotion Programme Centre for Contemporary Buddhist Studies +4551302965 E-mail
Brødsgaard, Amanda PhD Fellow Japanese Studies +4535327814 E-mail
Bunkenborg, Mikkel Associate Professor Chinese Studies +4551302510 E-mail
Cho, Yasmin External Researcher Centre for Contemporary Buddhist Studies   E-mail
Choi, Hyun Joo Teaching Associate Professor Korean Studies   E-mail
Delman, Jørgen Professor Emeritus Chinese Studies +4530116176 E-mail
Dendup, Chophel Postdoc Centre for Contemporary Buddhist Studies +4535325416 E-mail
Farooqi, Amos PhD Fellow Korean Studies +4535323595 E-mail
Frederiksen, Mai Corlin External Researcher Chinese Studies   E-mail
Hirslund, Dan Vesalainen External Researcher Modern India and Southeast Asia Studies +4528306179 E-mail
Humbert, Sierra Josephine Louise PhD Fellow Centre for Contemporary Buddhist Studies +4535325427 E-mail
Jin, Sang Pil Assistant Professor - Tenure Track Korean Studies +4535328181 E-mail
Kaur, Ravinder Associate Professor - Promotion Programme Modern India and Southeast Asia Studies +4551302705 E-mail
Kazuhara, Kristina Teaching Associate Professor Japanese Studies +4524830724 E-mail
Kolata, Paulina Marie Curie Fellow Centre for Contemporary Buddhist Studies +4535328792 E-mail
Ma, Yi Postdoc Chinese Studies   E-mail
Mehl, Margaret Dorothea Associate Professor Japanese Studies +4551302877 E-mail
Meyer-Clement, Elena 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 +4551302511 E-mail
Petersen, Susan Aagaard Teaching Associate Professor Chinese Studies   E-mail
Puri, Stine Simonsen Teaching Associate Professor Comparative Culture Studies +4550585969 E-mail
Renner, Elmar Josef Teaching Associate Professor Modern India and Southeast 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
Sandal, Meina Jia Postdoc Chinese Studies +4535325422 E-mail
Schmidt-Madsen, Jacob External Researcher SAMHiTA +4551302624 E-mail
Sejrup, Jens Assistant Professor - Tenure Track Japanese Studies +4535334055 E-mail
Sørensen, Bo Ærenlund Assistant Professor - Tenure Track Chinese Studies   E-mail
Sørensen, Jørgen Podemann Associate Professor Emeritus Study of Religions   E-mail
Tsurumi, Hiroyuki Guest Researcher Japanese Studies   E-mail
Wall, Barbara Associate Professor Korean Studies +4593565616 E-mail
Zhang, Meng Teaching Assistant Professor Chinese Studies   E-mail
Zysk, Kenneth Gregory Professor Emeritus Indology +4551302624 E-mail