History of RSEA

Harvard University has had an established tradition of teaching about Asia for well over a century. Beginning in 1879, Chinese scholar Ge Kunhua was appointed as the first Chinese language instructor at Harvard University. A visiting professorship of Japanese history and culture was set up in 1914, and later established a permanent chair in Chinese that was first filled by Chao Yuen Ren, a Harvard graduate later known as the “father of Chinese linguistics.” Within years, through the generous bequest of Charles Martin Hall, the Harvard-Yenching Institute formed in partnership with Yenching University in Beijing in 1928, laying a solid foundation for Harvard’s commitment to the study of Asia.

Among the first scholars trained at Harvard in the following years, John King Fairbank and Edwin O. Reischauer emerged to be instrumental leaders in expanding not only Harvard’s curriculum but the field of East Asian studies as a whole. In 1936, Fairbank joined the faculty of the History department. His first course, “History 83b: History of the Far East since 1793,” was immediately popular, attracting 43 students. In 1939, Reischauer received his Ph.D. in Chinese Studies from Harvard with a special field in Japanese history. He taught in the Department of Far Eastern Languages until the State Department and the Army recruited him in 1941. In time, these two scholars developed a year-long introductory survey covering China and Japan, later adding Korea and Southeast Asia, famously nicknamed “Rice Paddies.”

Against the backdrop of the end of World War II, Fairbank aptly recognized the transitioning relationship between the United States and East Asia and the national need for broadly trained personnel to cope with current and future problems. In 1946, Fairbank initiated a full-time seminar series leading to a master’s degree program known as Regional Studies: China to prepare students with a broad understanding of the society and culture of China, the development of solid linguistic skills, and specific disciplinary competence. The program later expanded to include the rest of East Asia and thus was renamed Regional Studies: East Asia (RSEA), as it is known today.

In the program’s formative decades, Fairbank and Reischauer played pivotal roles in steering RSEA, during which they established a series of effective methodologies. These strategies were subsequently adopted by the later-established East Asian Research Center, the forebear of today’s Fairbank Center, Reischauer Institute, and Korea Institute at Harvard. Their visionary leadership left an enduring legacy that continues to shape the study of East Asia at Harvard and beyond.

The RSEA program has been a forerunner and model for regional studies programs—both inside and outside of—Harvard University. As the first regional studies program at Harvard, RSEA served as a model for the development of other regional studies programs on the Soviet Union and Russia, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East. In addition, due to the efforts of outstanding Harvard alumni in positions at leading institutions around the globe, the RSEA program’s design inspired the development of several other academic programs focused on Asia across the United States. RSEA practices and core principles have been institutionalized in other academic centers focused on Asia, such as UC-Berkeley’s Institute of East Asian Studies. 

Since its inception as a groundbreaking program in the field over 75 years ago, RSEA has continued to evolve. Throughout the decades, Harvard has seen a significant increase in its faculties and courses with an East Asian focus. Universities around the world are brimming with graduates of the RSEA program sharing their knowledge of East Asia with another generation of students. Governments and non-governmental organizations alike also benefit from the education acquired in the RSEA Program as does the business world and the arts. 

One of the hallmarks of a program’s success is the impact its alumni have on the world. RSEA alumni are engaged in work tackling some of the biggest challenges of our time, from business, climate change, energy, economics, and environmental policy to foreign relations and journalism. These distinguished alumni represent merely the tip of the iceberg: Julian MacCormac (AM ‘06), Country Director for Rolls-Royce, China, and the Chair of the British Chamber of Commerce, China; Edward Cunningham (AM ‘00), Director of Ash Center China Programs and of the Asia Energy and Sustainability Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School; Paul Haenle (AM ‘01), founding director of Carnegie China and former White House China director; Maiko Takeuchi (AM ‘07), former member of the Panel of Experts for North Korea at the UN Security Council; and the multi-faceted Glen S. Fukushima (AM ‘76), former Chair of Airbus Japan, and currently a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. 

The work of RSEA alumni is widely recognized within Harvard as well. Among the prestigious Harvard Centennial Medalists are Ambassador Karl Eikenberry (AM ‘81) for his work in diplomacy, Carroll Bogert (AM ‘86) for her work in journalism and advocacy for human rights, John Kamm (AM ‘77) for his work in human rights diplomacy, and John Dower (AM ‘61) for his work on the history of modern Japan. Recent speakers for the Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences 150^th Anniversary events have included RSEA alumni Joe Kahn (AM ‘89)—executive editor of The New York Times and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner.

Given the dramatic changes in East Asia and its relationship with the rest of the world during the past 75 years, as well as the evolution of RSEA itself, the program has been steadily adhering to the commitment set by its founders: to train students at the highest academic standard while supporting a flexible, personalized curriculum, to provide specialized disciplinary training that will allow them to more effectively pursue a doctoral degree, or to prepare them to serve in fields outside of the academic world. 

Currently, over 1400 RSEA alumni are working in a broad range of fields, including careers in higher education, policymaking, law, the military, journalism, international organizations, and the business and financial sectors. Through these wonderfully diverse paths, RSEA graduates are in an advantageous position to utilize their unique knowledge and experience to make significant contributions to our world.