The driving force behind the program, supported for many years by generous grants from the Freeman Foundation, was Professor Peter Seybolt, a historian with a Ph.D. in History and East Asian Languages from Harvard University, who is now retired.
"When we first began the Asian Studies program back in 1969, people would ask me, 'Why are you teaching something so obscure?' " says Seybolt. "That is hardly asked anymore, as one can hardly ignore what is going on in Asia, particularly in China, India, and Japan."
Of particular interest are the courses in Asian languages, with approximately 250 students currently learning Chinese and Japanese. All classes are taught by native speakers and are kept small to facilitate the learning process by increasing the social interaction in the class.
"Learning these languages increases opportunities for students in a range of industries, but you never know where language studies will lead you," says Seybolt. "It's beneficial not only for the direct tangible rewards it provides, but also for the appreciation one develops for a country's art and culture."
The history of the Asian Studies Program at UVM culminated in the speedy approval by UVM's Trustees in September, 2007 of a new department, the Department of Asian Languages and Literatures. For Dr. Seybolt, who sat quietly in the audience, it was a dream come true. The new department will be chaired by Professor John Jing-hua Yin, author of a pathbreaking Yale University volume on teaching Chinese. It will offer majors and minors in Chinese and Japanese. These new majors will not replace Asian Studies, however; together the interdisciplinary major in Asian Studies and the new language and literature majors will create a mutually enriching experience for what the College expects will continue to be a surge of student interest in all things Asian.
