Access, Community, and Belonging
The Department of East Asian Studies at the University of Alberta is committed to fostering an environment rooted in Access, Community, and Belonging (ACB). In alignment with the university’s strategic evolution, our transition from Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) to ACB represents an expansion of our longstanding commitment to ensuring everyone can fully participate, thrive, and feel authentically valued within our Department.
We aim to remove barriers to academic and social success, cultivate meaningful relationships and collective purpose, and create an inclusive environment where every individual is seen, supported, and respected. To achieve these outcomes, we leverage a diverse array of tools and frameworks—including intersectionality, universal design, intercultural dialogue, and pluralism—explicitly tailored to our East Asian Studies context.
Recognizing the complex histories and power dynamics within our discipline, we critically engage these realities through our curriculum, research practices, and community engagement initiatives. Our actions are collaborative, informed by continual dialogue with students, faculty, staff, and community partners, and grounded in institutional commitments.
Through intentional practice and ongoing reflection, the Department of East Asian Studies remains dedicated to creating spaces where access, connection, and belonging are daily realities for all members of our community.
Our Commitments and Accountability
Curriculum Development
We continuously refine our curriculum to remove barriers to access, ensure representation, and foster intercultural understanding. Our accountability includes regular curriculum assessments and transparent feedback from students and faculty.
Faculty and Student Support
We prioritize creating supportive environments that reflect intersectionality and pluralistic perspectives, enabling all faculty and students to engage authentically and successfully.
Community Dialogue
Through purposeful dialogue, we cultivate an inclusive departmental community, promoting connection, intercultural exchange, and belonging. We regularly evaluate the effectiveness of our community engagement through exchanging feedback and departmental reviews
Current Initiatives
Curriculum and Teaching
- Regular review of course materials to ensure diverse perspectives and inclusive representation within East Asian Studies<
- Active integration of Indigenous and diasporic East Asian perspectives in our curriculum
- Inclusive Pedagogy Workshop Series, focusing on accessible teaching strategies and intercultural awareness
Research and Scholarship
- Faculty Research Spotlights: Highlighting scholarship that addresses marginalized histories and intersectional experiences in East Asia
- Annual Symposium dedicated to diverse perspectives and intercultural dialogues within East Asian contexts
- Decolonizing East Asian Studies Working Group: Collaborative research and methodology initiatives that critically engage pluralistic perspectives and power dynamics in research
Community Engagement
- Inclusive Lunar New Year Celebrations that honor and represent diverse cultural traditions and intercultural community connections
- The East Asian Film Series showcases filmmakers from historically marginalized or diasporic communities to foster intercultural understanding and community dialogue