The Leidecker Center for Asian Studies supports interdisciplinary study of Asia, drawing on the expertise of faculty from across the campus. The Center sponsors an annual lecture series, seminars, and conferences. In coordination with the resources of the Center for International Education, the Center also promotes academic and cultural exchange as well as awareness of Asia and its place in the world. In addition to promoting the academic study of Asia, the Center for Asian Studies sponsors public workshops allowing direct familiarity with various aspects of Asian cultures. The Leidecker Center for Asian Studies was  established by the College’s Board of Visitors in 1998 in honor of Professor Emeritus Kurt Leidecker (1902 – 1991), a professor of philosophy at Mary Washington College from 1948 until his retirement in 1973 and a specialist in Buddhism, who first developed a program in Asian Studies at Mary Washington College.