As an Asian Studies scholar, Steve Heine has managed to combine his work and his passion and live by Confucius’s famous saying, “Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

Heine, an FIU faculty member since 1997, is a professor of religious studies and the director of the university’s thriving Institute for Asian Studies.

Thanks to his dedication and hard work, the program he started has developed remarkably over the years.

His fondness of Japanese culture in particular recently earned him recognition from the Emperor himself, who awarded Heine the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette.

FIU is so proud that Heine is a member of the Golden Panther family that we are featuring him in a “Best in Class” ad campaign that is running in The Miami Herald.

The campaign began with a spotlight on this year’s valedictorians who chose to attend FIU. We recently expanded the campaign to include FIU faculty and researchers, scholar-athletes, student scholars and alumni.

My passion:
It’s always the new ideas. My research deals with Japanese religion, culture and society. Whether it’s traditional Japan or modern Japan or comparing it with the West, there’s something intriguing and exciting about pursuing a new idea until the end.

On what he hopes to teach his students:
I’d like the students to understand what it is to be different from and similar to a foreign culture like Japan’s. I think that in the 21st century, in dealing with the broad issue of East and West, it is helpful to understand the past if we are to understand one another moving forward.

On receiving a prestigious award from the government of Japan:
I’m very pleased and honored. The award is known as the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette. It’s the highest award given to a non-Japanese citizen in recognition of work that advances the study of Japanese culture.

My dream:
My dream, in part, has come true. I wanted to come to FIU and start an Asian Studies program – we now have undergraduate and master’s programs and more than 300 students – so my dream now is to see it grow and flourish.

To view the ad, running October, 15 in the The Miami Herald, please click here to download a PDF file.

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