The Department of Asian Studies at University College Cork is the only department dedicated to Asian Studies as an academic discipline on the entire island of Ireland. Its staff engages in a broad variety of research relating to various aspects of societies, cultures, business, languages and the arts across the wider Asian region, with a particular focus on China, Korea and Japan. It is unique in Ireland, providing the only BA and MA Degrees in Asian Studies, as well as the only department offering Chinese, Korean and Japanese language education at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. A first permanent post for Japanese Studies was set up first in 2014.