Korea, South

This course examines the relationship between public opinion and international politics in democratic societies. Students explore fundamental questions about how ordinary citizens' attitudes influence foreign policy decisions, how political leaders respond to public preferences, and how media and elites shape public opinion on international issues. The course examines how people form opinions about key areas of international politics, including trade policy, immigration, military intervention, economic sanctions, international organizations, and climate change. Drawing on insights from political psychology, students learn about important concepts such as cognitive biases, framing effects, and motivated reasoning that influence how citizens think about foreign policy issues. Through careful analysis of research studies, surveys, and real-world examples, students develop both theoretical understanding and practical skills for analyzing global public opinion. The course emphasizes critical thinking about current events and policy debates, helping students become more informed citizens and consumers of political information. Students apply course concepts through case study analyses, policy briefs, and a final research project that allows them to investigate a topic of particular interest within the field of public opinion and international relations. By the end of the course, students have a solid foundation for understanding how democratic publics think about international affairs and why this matters for foreign policy outcomes.

This course covers theories of infectious disease control policy and management of the processes of prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery for public health crises related to infectious diseases. 

Via examination of infectious disease control policies and biological knowledge, the course offers an interpretation of infectious diseases and public health crises through the lens of political economy.  

This course examines leadership effectiveness from a psychological perspective, covering a range of theories developed and utilized by psychologists. Topics include job characteristc theory, self-determination theory, expectancy theory, and equity theory. Students participate in group discussions and projects, analyzing real-world leadership issues and propose intervention plans to resolve issues. 

This course is for fourth-year students in the biomedical engineering major or adjacent majors. The course includes a series of expert guest speakers who are actively conducting reearch in diverse areas of biomedical engineering. Students gain exposure to a wide range of research and research methodologies. 

This course provides an introduction to the milestones of human development from conception to childhood. It focuses on how children change as they progress through life and how differences among children come about. The content is drawn from research and theories in developmental psychology. Topics include prenatal development, perceptual and cognitive development in infancy, language development, preschool, temperament, attachment, and moral development. Text: Martha Lally and Suzanna Valentine-French, LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT: A PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE. Assessment: class attendance and activities (20%), exams (80%).

This course covers literature on innovation and entrepreneurship and reviews policy options for the government from a comparative perspective. Innovation and entrepreneurship have been regarded as sources of economic vitality and growth. Recent successes of Silicon Valley and Korea are good examples. Students deepen their understanding of literature in innovation and entrepreneurship; learn to understand the effects and limits of various policies adopted by different countries; and examine the changes in the global supply chain, investigating the proper adoption of the changes.

Topics include Why Science, Technology, and Innovation Matter?, Models for R&D Policy: Technology Push & Demand Pull, Systems of Innovation, Theory of Firm Innovation, : Economic Growth and Social Capital, Innovative Region and City, Strategy for Catch-up: Korean Case, Democratizing Innovation, Role of Scientists in the S&T policy making process, How Economics Shapes Science, and Open Innovation.

This course examines history of modern Korea from the late nineteenth century to the early 2000s through Korean film by analyzing selected films as historical documents on Korean history, politics, society, and culture. The course explores themes such as the open port period, colonial Korea, liberation/occupation/national division, the Korean War, the post-war development in ROK, military authoritarianism, democratization, the Sunshine Policy, globalization, and multiculturalism. Students examine both the accuracy of each film’s representation of history and the counter narratives of some historical events. 

This course, via an emphasis on analytical thinking rather than memorization, introduces the major developments in ancient Chinese history from early human settlements to the fall of the Han dynasty (ca. 2000 BCE–220 CE). We explore the rise of early states, the growth of bronze-age cultures, the formation of imperial government, and the spread of classical philosophies.  

The course also examines the role of nomadic societies, especially the Xiongnu and their early predecessors, in shaping the political and cultural landscape of early China. 

 Students learn to analyze both archaeological evidence and historical texts to better understand how ancient Chinese and steppe civilizations interacted and co-evolved.  

Students are encouraged to engage critically with historical sources and debates, and to focus on interpretation, context, and historical reasoning rather than factual recall. The goal is to understand the formation and structure of ancient Chinese civilization. Students gain a comprehensive understanding of the political, social, and ideological development of ancient China from the Neolithic period to the Han empire. Emphasis is placed on the formation of centralized states, classical philosophical traditions, and the institutional foundations of early empires. Students also analyze interactions between sedentary and nomadic societies. Through the case of the Xiongnu and their predecessors, students explore the dynamics between the Chinese states and the steppe world. The course emphasizes frontier politics, military confrontation, cultural exchange, and the construction of regional order in early East Asia.