SHEFFIELD NEEDS     EAST ASIAN STUDIES

In November 2024, the University of Sheffield announced plans to “significantly” reduce capacity in the School of East Asian Studies. This abrupt decision threatens one of the leading centres of the field in the United Kingdom. It also undermines the viability of one of the most economically successful and intellectually vibrant departments in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.

Ours is not a rear-guard plea to preserve a niche academic field. East Asia has long been central to global events, and understanding this region aligns with the university’s mandate to foster a coherent and comprehensive understanding of how the world works. We recognise the challenges facing the university sector as a whole in the short and medium term; but East Asia expertise as concentrated in SEAS is vital to wider and longer-term interests.