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An initiative of the European Alliance for Asian Studies
Read our position paper on Asia Studies in Europe
The website for Asia Scholars and Asia Studies in Europe
Title
PhD Programme in Asian Studies (4 years)
General Introduction
The Department of Asian Studies at Palacký University Olomouc offers a PhD programme in Asian Studies (in English as well as in Czech) to students of humanities and social sciences specialising in Asia within the following broad themes:
- Language structure, language use and its role in society
- Quantitative linguistics, data mining, translation studies
- Political change and ideology in Asia
- Inter-cultural contacts between Europe and Asia
- Cultural anthropology, ethnology and material culture
- Social structure and social change in Asia
- International relations in Asia
- History of ideas and religion
- Contemporary literature and culture (including visual representation and verbal art)
- Modern and pre-modern Asian literature
- Modern art and architecture
- Language acquisition and teaching
The faculty consists of about two dozen specialists with diverse expertise (see Department Members).
The department offers language instruction in Cantonese, Chinese, Indonesian/Malay, Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese, Uzbek, Tajik Persian and Vietnamese in its BA and MA programs. Doctoral students are given opportunity to gain teaching experience in the BA program.
The department maintains an active research program, with regular events such as seminars, workshops, conferences, and summer schools. It offers a rich and stimulating environment to budding Asia experts. Doctoral students are encouraged to participate in Department research projects, such as the Sinophone Borderlands Project.
Admission Requirements
- An MA degree or equivalent in Asian studies or related field (Chinese philology, Japanese philology, Asian Studies, Cultural Anthropology, Sociology, Political Sciences, History of Art, a.o.)
- Working proficiency in one language related to the region (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Indonesian, etc.),
- Academic level proficiency in English (good scores in TOEFL, IELTS, GRE or equivalent)
Study Structure and Completion
Students accepted to the doctoral program are offered a scholarship of a maximum of 4 years. During this period, tuition fees are waived. Students are subject to annual evaluation, based on their individual Study Plan by the Study Programme Committee upon recommendation of the Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC).
Students are expected to consult their research with their TAC regularly, actively participated in the academic life of the institution and fulfil their duties within the Department (such as tutoring, etc.).
In order to graduate, students have to collect 240 credits, with an annual minimum of 40 credits and present their dissertation thesis for examination. Upon recommendation of the TAC, the Study Program Committee selects internal and external examiners and sets a date for the final state exam and public defense, following procedures stipulated by the Czech law and internal regulations of the University.
Supervisors and their specialization
- Barešová, Ivona, M.A., Ph.D. (Japanese linguistics)
- Bělka, Luboš, Assoc. Prof., Ph.D. (Tibetan Buddhism)
- Faltýnek, Dan, M.A., Ph.D. (Linguistics)
- Hladíková, Kamila, M.A., Ph.D. (Chinese literature, film and TV creation, pop culture, ideology and propaganda, censorship, Tibet, ethnic minorities in the PRC)
- Kratochvíl, František, M.A., Ph.D. (General linguistics, anthropological linguistics, linguistics of Southeast Asian languages)
- Lach, Jiří, prof., M.A., Ph.D. (History)
- Martinásková, Sylva, M.A., Ph.D. (Japanese literature)
- Sio, Joanna Ut-Seong, M.Phil., Ph.D. (Chinese linguistics, drama and communication)
- Sýkora, Jan, Assoc. Prof., Ing., M.A. Ph.D. (Modern and contemporary history of Japan, economic and social history of Japan, intellectual history of Japan, contemporary Japanese society)
- Turcsányi, Richard, Ing., M.A., Ph.D (Chinese foreign policy, China-Europe relations, international relations in East Asia)
Queries
Any queries may be addressed to: maria.strasakova@upol.cz.