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The University of Edinburgh: East Asian Studies

Institution The University of Edinburgh View institution profile
Department School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures
Web https://www.ed.ac.uk/studying
Study type Research

Summary

Doctorate-level study is an opportunity to expand upon your interests and expertise in a community that really values research while also making original, positive contributions to learning in East Asian Studies.

Having been established over 50 years ago, Edinburgh’s expertise in this area supports both in-depth and diversified, disciplinary and inter-disciplinary research on the political, cultural and economic factors shaping international relations in the East Asian region and, comparatively, across the globe.

Research excellence

In the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), our research was submitted in the categories of:

  • Modern Languages and Linguistics

  • Politics and International Studies

  • Sociology

  • History

  • Theology and Religious Studies

The results reaffirm Edinburgh’s position as one of the UK’s leading research universities - third in the UK based on the quality and breadth of its research in Modern Languages and Linguistics alone, according to Times Higher Education's REF power ratings.

Join our community and undertake a specialised research project under the guidance of experienced and well-published supervisors. We have particular strengths in:

  • ancient philosophy and religion

  • the comparative politics of East Asia

  • classical and modern literature

  • media and films

  • imperialism, colonial rule and decolonisation

  • political and economic transformation

Explore our range of research centres, networks and projects in Asian Studies

Working with colleagues elsewhere in the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures, and across the wider University, we are able to support PhD theses crossing boundaries between languages and/or disciplines, including comparative literature, film studies, and translation studies.

Be inspired by the range of PhD research in the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures

Over the course of your PhD, you’ll be expected to complete an original body of work under the expert guidance of your supervisors leading to a dissertation of between 80,000 and 100,000 words.

You will be awarded your doctorate if your thesis is judged to be of an appropriate standard, and your research makes a definite contribution to knowledge.

Go beyond the books

Beyond the Books is a podcast from the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC) that gives you a behind-the-scenes look at research and the people who make it happen. Listen to a mix of PhD, early career and established researchers talk about their journey to and through academia and about their current and recent research.

Doctor of Philosophy - PhD

Edinburgh. Extraordinary futures await.

The University of Edinburgh is one of the world's top universities, consistently ranked in the world top 50, and placed 27th in the 2025 QS World University Rankings.

Our position as one of Britain’s leading research universities was reaffirmed by the results of the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF). The University of Edinburgh is one of the world’s top research-intensive universities, ranked 4th in the UK for research power (Times Higher Education, Overall Ranking of Institutions), with 90% of our research activity classified as world leading or internationally excellent in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.

Our …

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