About iATSc

The International Asian Theatre Studies Conference was launched in 2013 when professors and graduate students at the School of Drama, Korea National University of Arts, visited Osaka University and held a workshop together with professors and graduate students at the Department of Theatre Studies, Graduate School of Letters, Osaka University. In 2014, professors and graduate students at the Department of Theatre Studies, Graduate School of Letters, Osaka University visited Seoul and held a conference together with professors and graduate students at the School of Drama, Korea National University. The conference in 2014 was larger than that in 2013 because professors and graduate students at the School of Theatre Arts, Taipei National University of the Arts, participated in this conference. Subsequently, professors and graduate students at the College of Chinese Opera, Shanghai Theatre Academy, also participated in the conference. At present, this conference involving these four universities plays a central role in the study of theatre arts and performances in East Asia.
Although the theme of each conference varies widely, approximately 20 graduate students and professors from the four universities meet, present their own research themes, and discuss these themes with professors and graduate students from other universities. Through the discussion, they deepen their research. In the conference, activities and excursions are prepared. Thus, the conference provides an excellent venue for information exchange among young people planning to study theatre arts and performances in East Asia. These four universities are prominent bases for theatre research in East Asia. The exchange of new wisdom concerning theatre and formation of friendly relationships among researchers through these conference will profoundly benefit theatre research not only in Asia but also in the world.