English

This lecture course examines the interaction between capitalism and different forms of government. First, it introduces the discipline of political economy. In this connection, it examines the classical theories of the interaction between politics and markets. Then it focuses in more detail on how the economy affects politics, and how politics—in particular, political interests, institutions, and ideas--shape economic outcomes. It looks at both developed and developing countries, asking how economic growth and development is affected by politics. It concludes by considering the place of political economy in analyzing firms and markets.

This course examines how states have attempted to apply and develop surveillance technologies with ever greater accuracy, scale, and speed (as well as when and how they did not). Geographically, this course covers from South Asia to East Asia. It focuses on how colonial, national, and postcolonial governments have tried to control their subjects and foreigners within their territory, as well as how people have responded to these state initiatives. After introducing relevant theoretical frameworks, the course investigates specific technologies such as fingerprints, photographs, anthropometrics, and CCTV, examining their historical development and impact on individual lives in modern Asian societies. Students examine people’s responses to surveillance technologies in modern Asia, ranging from adherence to protest and appraise the use of surveillance in today’s Asian societies based on its historical trajectories.

This course introduces important instrumental techniques used in analytical chemistry, including thermal analysis (TGA, DSC), chemical and elemental analysis (AAS, ICP-AES, AFS, UV-visible absorption, FTIR, ATR-IR), Raman techniques, x-ray techniques (XFS, XPS, XRD), imaging and electron microscopy (SEM, TEM), mass spectrometry and its hyphenated techniques (GC-MS, MALDI). Case studies and real application examples in quality control, environmental analysis, materials characterization, forensic studies, etc. are illustrated. Beginning from the fundamentals and connecting these to real applications, students learn to appreciate the plethora of scientific tools developed to provide analysis solutions for real problems they encounter.

This course covers the physiological functions of hormones that regulate homeostasis in the human body. The course provides an understanding of hormone production and action at the cellular and molecular levels. Students acquire specialized knowledge about the functions and roles of hormones and regulation of hormone secretion. 

This course examines the intersection of involuntary labor, transnational migration, and sexual exchange, broadly categorized under “human trafficking.” While this issue has gained urgency with the adoption of the United Nations’ Palermo Protocol (2000), historical inquiries reveal that commercial sexual labor has existed in various forms and under different guises throughout history. This course situates contemporary human trafficking within a continuum with historically similar practices, some of which were considered “indigenous” to Asia. This course looks at traditional forms of servitude and sexual exchange in east and southeast Asia, as well as the contemporary transnational migration of women for the sex industry. It engages with historiographic and ethnographic accounts on slavery, dependency, and other forms of servitude in Asia as a necessary background to the examination of modern practices of using women for sexual services.  

The course delves into the social and economic conditions that have historically facilitated the growth of the sex industry, including colonial establishments, and military mobilization, and the so-called “white slave” trade that spurred abolitionist movements by feminist and religious groups in the early 20th century. For contemporary cases, it examines practices that have been associated with human trafficking, such as prostitution and international brokered marriages. The course investigates the possibility of agency among exploited women, potentially challenging the predominant victimhood narrative. It concludes with a discussion on the social norms surrounding payment for intimate relations. 

This course studies the fundamentals and recent progress in molecular biology, cell biology, and physiology with plants, animals, and microbes, as well as chemistry of biologically active natural products.  The class features weekly lectures from professors and associate professors, providing an introduction to their specific research fields. The course aims to provide the background knowledge in the life sciences for agricultural and industrial applications, as well as the basic principles of biochemistry and biotechnology.

This course continues to develop the fundamental techniques which enable students to perform proficiently in a public arena on a chosen instrument.

This course provides research training for exchange students. Students work on a research project under the guidance of assigned faculty members. Through a full-time commitment, students improve their research skills by participating in the different phases of research, including development of research plans, proposals, data analysis, and presentation of research results. A pass/no pass grade is assigned based a progress report, self-evaluation, midterm report, presentation, and final report.

This course covers the basic concepts and drivers of economic development focused on macro-regions. It defines macro-regions as the group of countries that share similar economic histories, e.g. North-America, Latin America, Western Europe, Africa, East Asia, South-East Asia, etc.

This course explores the dynamic interaction between human sciences and globalization. The course investigates the impact of global interconnectedness on human behavior, culture, and society, while gaining interdisciplinary perspectives on historical, ethical, philosophical, and political dimensions.