Program Overview

East Asian Studies

Overview

This degree provides an opportunity to conduct advanced research on East Asia in an interdisciplinary school. You will study with internationally renowned Sociology, Politics and International Relations scholars in a dynamic and supportive research environment. Our research activity is focused on South and East Asian societies, culture and politics, including issues relating to security, conflict, peace and violence; ethnicity, migration and citizenship; gender and sexuality; race, colonialism, postcolonialism, and decolonialism; the climate crisis; political economy; political and social inequalities; social, political and international theory; and socio-technical systems and their politics, among others.

Our staff also have particular expertise across a range of cultural, political and social theory and champion diverse research methodologies. You will be assigned two PhD supervisors whose current research interests and expertise are relevant to your chosen research area.

We are committed to rigorous conceptual and empirical research that is politically and socially relevant and problem-oriented. We aim to advance theory, knowledge and methods at the cutting edge of political and sociological research. We produce leading research with an international focus that is relevant to the changing circumstances of an increasingly interconnected world. Our aim is not just to monitor the world but to contribute to a better understanding and to ways that might improve it.

Key Information

• Programme duration: Up to four years full-time; up to eight years part-time.
• Start date: Most students will start in September 2025 or January 2026, however other dates can be considered.
• Application deadline: We welcome applications at any time of year; early application is advised.
• Delivery method: On-Campus
• Location: Clifton
• Awards available: PhD

World-leading Research

• The University of Bristol is ranked fifth for research in the UK (Times Higher Education).
• 94% of our research assessed as world-leading or internationally excellent.

Entry Requirements

• An upper second-class undergraduate honours degree (or equivalent) and normally a merit at MSc/MA level (or equivalent).
• See international equivalent qualifications on the International Office website.
• Admissions Statement: Read the programme admissions statement for important information on entry requirements, the application process and supporting documents required.
• English language requirements: If English is not your first language, you will need to reach the requirements outlined in our profile level B.

Fees and Funding

• Home: full-time £4,850 per year
• Home: part-time £2,425 per year
• Overseas: full-time £21,300 per year
• Fees are subject to an annual review. For programmes that last longer than one year, please budget for up to an 8% increase in fees each year.
• Alumni discount: University of Bristol students and graduates can benefit from a 25% reduction in tuition fees for postgraduate study.
• Funding and scholarships: Applicants may apply for a University of Bristol scholarship. Eligible applicants can also apply for a China Scholarship Council scholarship.

Career Prospects

Bristol graduates are in high demand and have an excellent record of employment following graduation.

Meet our Supervisors

• Professor Bridget Anderson
• Dr Samuel Appleton
• Professor Will Atkinson
• Professor Roddy Brett
• Professor Terrell Carver
• Dr Egle Cesnulyte
• Professor Katharine Charsley
• Dr Ryerson Christie
• Professor Michelle Cini
• Dr Lucas de Abreu Maia
• Dr Alix Dietzel
• Dr Filippo Dionigi
• Dr Ashley Dodsworth
• Dr John Downer
• Professor Timothy Edmunds
• Dr Magnus Feldmann
• Dr Adrian Flint
• Professor Jonathan Floyd
• Dr Gaston Fornes
• Dr Timothy Fowler
• Professor Jon Fox
• Professor Roberta Guerrina
• Professor Susan Halford
• Professor Jo Haynes
• Professor Eric Herring
• Dr Nazia Hussein
• Professor Jonathan Joseph
• Professor Ana E Juncos Garcia
• Professor Saffron Karlsen
• Dr Winnie King
• Dr Raphael Lefevre
• Professor Lee Marshall
• Dr Neil Matthews
• Dr Peace Medie
• Dr Torsten Michel
• Dr Sveta Milyaeva
• Professor Tariq Modood
• Dr Marcus Morgan
• Dr Rosie Nelson
• Professor Julia O'Connell Davidson
• Professor Therese O'Toole
• Dr Jessica Ogden
• Dr Aslak-Antti Oksanen
• Dr Samuel Okyere
• Professor Thomas Osborne
• Dr Jessica Paddock
• Dr Hannah Parrott
• Dr Columba Peoples
• Dr Nieves Perez-Solorzano Borragan
• Dr Maud Perrier
• Dr Mircea Popa
• Dr Katharina Richter
• Dr Chris Rossdale
• Dr Thomas Sealy
• Dr Elena Stavrevska
• Professor Paula Surridge
• Dr Leonidas Tsilipakos
• Dr Karen Tucker
• Dr Elspeth Van Veeren
• Professor Jutta Weldes
• Dr Jennifer Whillans
• Professor Mark Wickham-Jones
• Dr Andrew Wyatt
• Dr Junko Yamashita
• Dr Rob Yates
• Professor Yongjin Zhang

Research Groups

Our research activity in the school is guided by focusing on key themes:

• climate emergency
• critical (in)securities
• cultural work
• decoloniality and race
• ethnicity, migration and citizenship
• European politics and societies
• digital society
• science and technology
• food security
• gender and sexuality
• peace, conflict and violence
• political and social inequalities
• social, cultural and political theory
• South and East Asia.

All researchers across the school identify with one or more of the themes. This enables collective identification over themes within the school and aims to generate further collaboration and interdisciplinarity in our research activities. In addition, the themes provide a basis for internal and external recognition of the main questions and topics that our research addresses.