Global Asia

From the spiritual to the material, Asia is a continent of superlatives. The largest continent by population and surface area, it has the world's oldest written histories, home to some of the world's greatest economic powers, and is the birthplace of the world religions.

Study every aspect of Asian society in a global context in this interdisciplinary program. Investigate topics across borders and disciplines. Follow Chinese capital to Africa, Japanese aesthetics to Europe, and Korean pop culture to Canada. 

Whether you pursue it for professional or personal reasons, the Global Asia minor can complement any other SFU credential. In the Global Asia program, you will:

  • Learn to think and communicate powerfully and critically
  • Pair your Global Asia minor with another credential to showcase your intercultural skills on the job market
  • Prepare for a career in government, public policy, management, education, international trade and marketing, journalism, or tourism
  • Learn a new Asian language (Chinese, Japanese, or Punjabi), or build on the linguistic abilities you already have
  • Choose from four dozen electives from ten disciplines (communication, English, Global Asia, history, humanities, international studies, political science, sociology and anthropology, world literature, and gender, sexuality, and women’s studies)
  • Pursue Simon Fraser University's study-abroad opportunities in China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand
* Global Asia FASS One Pager.pdf
Last updated: July 10, 2023

“I discovered the Global Asia Program after I started taking Linguistics courses that can be applied towards it. Studying specific regions like China and Japan allowed me to learn more about the linguistic diversity and issues in these specific areas. The courses focus on contemporary and political themes, so there is a lot of critical thinking and discussion involved. Courses dive super deep and get very engaging so if that is what you are into then you should do well.”

Tara McGee

2021 Graduating Class | Linguistics Major and Global Asia Program Minor

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Get in touch

Got questions? Contact Erin Norman, Undergraduate Advisor for Global Asia.

Program website

Program Options

Undergraduate options