Asian and Middle Eastern Studies

Why study Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at Emmanuel College?

Emmanuel College welcomes students who are interested in studying any of the areas covered in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies. The Director of Studies, Prof Laura Moretti, works in Japanese Studies, has received a number of teaching awards and is really passionate about teaching to the young generations. Join Prof Moretti for a few sessions on Japanese culture and language:

• A taste of Japanese language for total beginners
• Politeness in Japan
• The power of characters
• Classical Japanese with Prof Moretti

Many of our students are successful in securing the prestigious MEXT scholarship to cover their year abroad in Japan. Hear more from one of our previous students, who went to Japan with, studied at Sophia University, and even won a prestigious national prize at the15th National Japanese Speech Contest in 2020.

Our students also undertake exciting research in their final year for their dissertation project. You can hear more about some of these projects here.

If you are interested in Chinese, Arabic, Persian, and Hebrew, you are equally welcome to apply to our college. Altogether Emmanuel College provides you with a warm community of students like you who share a passion for Middle Eastern and East Asian languages and cultures.

What might a typical day be like studying Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at Emmanuel College?

You will be spending a lot of time in the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies as all classes (lectures, seminars) and supervisions take place in the Faculty. In your first year you will spend a lot of time learning the chosen language, typically from scratch. You also have some exposure to the culture of the country/region you study about. In subsequent years, language learning and studying about cultural aspects will even out. And in the final year you will be in a position to write your dissertation, an exciting piece of work tailored to your own interests.

Learn more about the structure of our course at the link below:
https://www.ames.cam.ac.uk/visit-us

What qualities do successful students have?

The College is your home, where you meet peers from other subjects, take part in societies, and forge friendship for life. 

No previous knowledge of the languages we teach is required. So, you can learn them from scratch with us and obtain an impressive level at the point of graduation. But what we expect from you is a real passion for these languages and cultures, as learning them can be quite intense! So, bring your enthusiasm and be prepared to enjoy intellectual challenges that will open unexpected horizons and wonderful career opportunities.

Where could my degree lead?

The skills and knowledge gained whilst studying Asian and Middle Eastern Studies are highly sought after. Whilst some of our graduates go onto pursue further academic study others have gone into a wide range of careers including:

•  Interpreting and translation
• Commerce
•  International Relations
• Development and charity – working on humanitarian projects
• Media and journalism
• Cultural sector – working in cultural institutions such as museums and galleries
•  Education