Why a Course in Asian Studies Matter

A few weeks ago I had a discussion with one of our Humanities instructors and I pointed out that with the center of economic power moving to Asia, our students would benefit from a course on Asian culture and history.
Yesterday I heard the following story on my favorite radio show Marketplace about China's presence in Bolivia, and how most Latin American countries are importing more goods directly from China. The point that impressed me about the story was how the Bolivians are conducting this trade. Small Bolivian business owners are learning Chinese so they can go directly to China. Just imagine how many of our students could possibly benefit from learning about East Asia and the possible business opportunities that await them.