The bachelor's program in Languages and Cultures of South East Asia provides foundational expertise in the languages, literatures, and media of South East Asia. Additionally, it covers cultural studies and regional topics, including politics, economics, religion, and art. The program focuses on insular South East Asia, particularly the countries of Indonesia and Malaysia. These nations share a linguistic foundation in Malay with their neighbors Brunei Darussalam and Singapore, as well as certain regions in southern Thailand, East Timor, and the southern Philippines.
A key component of the program is learning a modern variant of this language, specifically Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia). Building on solid language skills, students engage with linguistic and cultural studies topics, such as literature, art, or mass media. The curriculum also addresses current economic, social, and political developments across the region, including mainland South East Asia. Students are required to acquire basic knowledge of an additional South East Asian language as part of their major subject. Typically, Thai and Vietnamese are offered, with other languages available depending on the program.
The degree program can be pursued as a major subject in two formats, one of which includes a semester abroad in a South East Asian country, preferably Malaysia or Indonesia (see module overview).
Goethe University Frankfurt is one of the few universities in Germany that offers both an independent bachelor's program and a subsequent master's program in South East Asian studies.
The Department of South East Asian Studies provides excellent conditions for studying, not least because of this unique offering. Its library houses the largest collection of literature on insular South East Asia in Germany, with approximately 60,000 volumes. The international scope of Frankfurt's South East Asian studies is reflected not only in its focus on a non-European region but also in the diverse composition of its team, which includes staff from several European and Asian countries.
Frankfurt's South East Asian studies are part of the Interdisciplinary Center for East Asian Studies (IZO) in Hesse. In addition to Sinology, Korean studies, and Japanology, the center includes professors from other departments at Goethe University who focus on East Asia.