About the Department

The Department for Chinese, South and Southeast Asian Studies brings together lecturers specialising in the languages, cultures, and social processes of the largest Asian countries in the Indo-Pacific region (China, India, and ASEAN countries). The department staff teach Chinese (including Wenyan), Vietnamese, and Hindi. Additionally, they provide courses on history, geography, anthropology, economics, cultural development, and political processes of the studied countries.

Among the lecturers of the department are doctors, PhD holders, candidates of science, the best teachers at HSE according to the results of teaching quality assessment, experts, and native speakers. All department employees have completed internships at various international universities, including leading universities in Asia.

Staff research focuses on studying both the general and more specified issues of social, political, and economic processes in countries of the region as well as analysing a wide range of social and humanitarian problems related to languages, literature, history, art, and other aspects of people’s spiritual life and creative activity. Research results are reflected in academic papers and monographs published in Russia and abroad. Lecturers are also involved in educational and methodological activities and are preparing and publishing textbooks and teaching guides.

The department staff supervise studies and scientific activities of more than two hundred students, including winners and laureates of language and academic paper contests, participants of competitions and scientific conferences. In addition to lectures and seminars, the department implements various scientific and practice-oriented projects, which help students upgrade their knowledge and professional skills in the field of Asian studies.

Students of the department have the opportunity to choose individual educational tracks, including theoretical and language courses. Every year, several well-performing students take internships or participate in mobility programmes at partner universities in the countries of their studied languages (China, Vietnam, and India).