About the Program

In 1972, a grant from the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation permitted us to develop a Chinese studies program. Subsequently, grants from the Japan Foundation, income from the Jock A. R. Stewart Fund, and a gift from Taiwan of more than 1,000 books on art and literature enabled the University to expand and refine its library resources in the field. More recent grants from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation have supported faculty development and made it possible to sponsor numerous cultural events and guest speakers on campus as well as to bring native teaching assistants each year from Taiwan and Japan. Where funds are available, the East Asian Studies Program also provides financial assistance to students selected for study in Asia.

The presence on the W&L campus of the Reeves Center and the adjacent Watson Pavilion, with their collections of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean ceramics and other decorative arts, further enhances East Asian Studies at the University. The Reeves Center collection, which includes more than 3,000 pieces of ceramics, is especially known for its important holdings of Chinese export porcelain. The Watson Pavilion houses an extensive collection of Chinese art, especially from the Ming and Qing dynasties, as well as Japanese decorative arts of the Edo period.