The department encourages work that is interdisciplinary, comparative or global in methodology and theory, as well as work that is specialized locally or regionally. It also supports work that examines the study of Asia and Asian diasporas as complex nexuses of sociological, geographical and political regions, as well as economies, histories and ideas across national and oceanic boundaries. Students benefit from the cross-national work and research agendas of both Asianists and Asian Americanists in productive dialogue.