Welcome to the Asian Studies Centre at the University of Münster

The Asian Studies Centre is based at the Faculty of Philology at the University of Münster and was founded in 2024. It aims at networking scholars, students, and employees interested in Asia, who do research on Asia, or who are from Asia, to bundle their wide-ranging interests and competencies and make use of otherwise unknown synergies. [more]

News & events

| Workshop
Filial pietyFilial piety
© Drawing from the book "24 examples of filial piety", 1846

Internal workshop "Body and Age(ing) in Asia"

Friday, 12 Dezember 2025

As part of this internal workshop, researchers from various disciplines at the University of Münster will explore opportunities for interdisciplinary research on the topic of body and age(ing) in Asia. The workshop will take place on Friday, 12 December 2025, starting at 9 AM in seminar room RS 23 at the Institute of Sinology and East Asian Studies.
Interested listeners are welcome to attend. Please register in advance at asienzentrum@uni-muenster.de.

Contact: asienzentrum@uni-muenster.de
Contact persons: Syrinx von Hees [de] and Kerstin Storm

| Conference
Keynote speaker Prof. Dr. Fabrizio SpezialeKeynote speaker Prof. Dr. Fabrizio Speziale
© Uni MS - Kerstin Storm

Successful conference in November

The international conference "Intercultural Knowledge Transfer in (Transregional) Asian Religious Contexts" was held successfully from 13th to 15th November 2025. Of the 51 participants 34 held presentations on topic related issues covering the wide cultural areas of and in-between India, Persia, South and Southeast Asia. Three magnificent keynotes were held by PD Dr. Thoralf Klein, Prof. em. Cho Kwang and Prof. Dr. Fabrizio Speziale. The event was arranged by the Institute of Sinology and East Asian Studies and the Institute for Missiology and the Study of Theologies Beyond Europe in cooperation with the Cluster of Excellence "Religion and Politics" and the Asian Studies Centre.

| Lecture series
Winter lecture series of the Institute of Arabic and Islamic StudiesWinter lecture series of the Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies
© Natalie Kraneiß

Winter lecture series of the Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies

winter semester 2025/26

The Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies cordially invites all interested parties to attend the lectures in its winter lecture series. A total of three events will offer insights into a wide range of topics from the field. The lectures will begin at 6:15 PM and will take place at the Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies at Schlaunstraße 2 (room RS 225, 2nd floor).

Thursday, 23 Oktober 2025
Dr. Tobias Mörike, Vienna
Palästina in Dingen erfassen. Sammlungen der deutschen Palästinaforschung zwischen Bibel-Orientalismus und Frühzionismus

Thursday, 04 Dezember 2025
Dr. phil. habil. Claire Gallien, Cambridge
Early Modern Orientalism and the Recreation of the Islamicate Canon: From the Catalogue to the Anthology

Thursday, 15 Januar 2026
Prof. Dr. Marco Schöller, Münster
Kontinentalverschiebung. Zur begrifflichen Ausgrenzung des Türkentums aus Europa im 19. Jahrhundert

| Lecture series
Poster Sinological Lectures Münster, winter semester 2025/26Poster Sinological Lectures Münster, winter semester 2025/26
© Uni MS - Institut für Sinologie und Ostasienkunde

Sinological Lectures Münster

winter semester 2025/26

During the winter semester 2025/26, two lectures will be held at the Institute of Sinology and East Asian Studies as part of the "Sinological Lectures Münster" series. The lectures will be held in German language and will take place in seminar room RS 23. Anyone interested is cordially invited to attend!

Thursday, 11 Dezember 2025, 6 PM c.t.
Prof. i.R. Dr. Roderich Ptak (Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich)
Toponymische Vielfalt: chinesische, portugiesische und malaiische Namen ausgewählter Inseln entlang der Route Singapur-Macau

Thursday, 15 January 2026, 6 PM c.t.
Prof. Dr. Christian Soffel (University of Trier)
Wo Konfuzius scheiterte: Einige Überlegungen zu den Familienbeziehungen in China aus historischer Perspektive