Australian National University

This course examines contemporary Japanese politics. It looks closely at the relationship between institutions (electoral systems, regulatory frameworks, administrative systems) and political actors such as politicians, political parties, bureaucracies and bureaucrats, business and civic groups, and citizens. It introduces some of the most important debates and issues in Japanese politics such as the emergence and evolution of conservative rule, the role of industrial policy in economic development, the relationship between bureaucrats and politicians, the legal system and politics, security policy and foreign relations, civil society and civic engagement, and state-interest group dynamics. The course will also address critical issues in contemporary Japanese politics such as demographic change, energy policy, the environment, natural disaster, constitutional revision, territorial and historical disputes in East Asia, women’s participation, and initiatives for economic revitalization. 

This course will lead students through building corpora, annotation, text-mining, quantitative analysis and visualization techniques using text data from English, various languages of Asia, the Pacific and beyond. It will provide the theoretical foundation to understand how corpora can answer research questions, as well as guided practice with computational skills. 

This course examines five novels by Jane Austen: Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma and Persuasion. Each novel will provide a starting point from which we will explore the representation of broad themes of historical and literary significance relating to late eighteenth and early nineteenth century Britain. We will examine the ways in which knowledge of the period in which Austen wrote enriches our understanding of her fiction and how the novels in turn participate in certain crucial debates and developments of the period. Topics to be covered will include the representation within the novels of the following: the Navy, marriage and adultery, fashion and consumption, slavery and empire, the landed estate, Bath, the concept of 'improvement', the female reading public and its institutions, leisure, the Gothic, ideas of the family and domesticity, music, the theatre, female friendship, philanthropy and science. We will also critically examine the significance of the Austen 'craze' with reference to film and television versions of the novels as well as Austen's presence on the internet.

This course examines the interactions between markets and politics. Is globalization responsible for the rise of populism in the West? How will the power struggle between China and the United States shape global business? This course introduces students to the key concepts and theories of IPE in order to analyze and understand these pressing issues and questions facing policymakers and citizens. Topics include globalization, international trade, finance, debt, foreign direct investment, development, international migration, and consequences and controversies of globalization.

This course examines the ways that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people draw on a range of personal, social and cultural resources to compensate for adversities brought about by colonization. It explores agency, successes and joys as well as the ways that people live with the challenges and traumas of history. 

The Asia-Pacific region is undergoing rapid changes that present both great opportunities and enormous challenges in a number of areas. The complex interactions across states, institutions, and local communities in the region will determine how the region addresses its major governance challenges, such terrorism, refugees, health, drugs, economic development, and the environment. Using these issues as weekly topical case studies, this course focuses on how the wide range of actors in the Asia-Pacific region attempt to comprehend and resolve governance and policy problems.

This course explores some of the central ideas and debates in politics today, including claims regarding the nature of freedom, democracy, power, and the state. 

This course examines how international security is challenged by the risk of systemic disruptions that not only spread within a single system but may also spill over into other systems. Particular attention will be paid to the trinity of international security, risk, and uncertainty. Identifying, assessing, and mitigating risk are essential capabilities for achieving international security. 

This course examines theoretical approaches, empirical methods and findings in second language acquisition research. Topics include features of language learners and their learning processes (e.g., age, crosslinguistic influences), individual influences on language development (e.g., motivation, aptitude) and social dimensions (e.g., identity, community).