Singapore Skyline at a night

The Nealis Program in Asian Studies

The Asian Studies Program at Saint Joseph’s University is an interdisciplinary program designed to provide students with this vital understanding by engaging them in the study of  Asia, broadly defined as the region from the Persian Gulf to the Philippines, including the present states of China, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Burma, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and the Central Asian Republics of the former Soviet Union.

Explore the Program

Asia is home to the majority of the world’s population. The peoples of Asia have produced some of the world’s most ancient and sophisticated cultures, many of which continue to thrive in the 21st century. Today, Asia plays a major role in shaping the global environment—economic, political, natural—that we all share. 

Throughout the year, the Program will host events with a focus on the region of Asia and Asian cultures.

Bernadette B. and James J. Nealis III ’69 Program in Asian Studies at Saint Joseph's University allows students to prepare themselves for graduate study or professional work by studying the language, history, culture, and politics of the region. 

Chen Zongwei carving a statue in his studio
Featured Event

When Heaven Meets Earth

Statues of the gods remain among the most ubiquitous material objects in the vibrant temple culture of modern-day Taiwan. Called spirit images (shenxiang 神像), these statues serve as loci of divine presence and power, visual gateways to the gods whom they represent. In Fall 2023, the Nealis Program in Asian Studies has invited to Saint Joseph’s University a prominent statue carver from the northwestern city of Lukang, Chen Zongwei 陳宗蔚, to stay on our Hawk Hill Campus for two weeks as artist-in-residence. He and two of his assistants will hold two concurrent art exhibitions.

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