National University of Singapore

Shakespeare's plays have been known in many parts of Asia for about 100 years, and contemporary Asian theater practice shows at once a great diversity of approaches to them, and patterns of common interest in production and reception. This course takes recent productions from different theater cultures to compare how Shakespeare's texts are engaged through non-realist aesthetic principles, and how self-reflexive treatments of naturalism, as well as new scripts based on his plays, interact with the cultural values represented by Shakespeare in the East and Southeast Asian region. Assessment includes the option of a creative project. The course requires students to take prerequisites. 

This course is the first part of introductory-level Japanese. Students learn to communicate in authentic situations, using basic linguistic and socio-cultural skills. Students read and write hiragana, katakana, and approximately 60 kanji (i.e., Chinese characters).

This course introduces the use of mathematics as an effective tool in solving real-world problems through mathematical modeling and analytical and/or numerical computations. By using examples in physical, engineering, biological, and social sciences, real-world problems are converted into mathematical equations through proper assumptions and physical laws. The course provides qualitative analysis and analytical solutions for some models to interpret and explain qualitative and quantitative phenomena of the real-world problems. Major topics: introduction of modeling; dynamic (or ODE) models: population models, pendulum motion; electrical networks, chemical reaction; optimization and discrete models: profit of company and annuity; probability models: president election poll and random walk; model analysis: dimensional analysis, equilibrium and stability, bifurcation; and some typical applications. The course requires students to take prerequisites.

This course develops Thai language proficiency and skills using an integrated approach, through participation in various communicative tasks. Through the exposure to the language, students develop a general understanding of the cultures, the sociolinguistic, and pragmatic aspects of the language. The course covers the basic language skills of speaking, listening, reading, and writing to maintain communication on common topics.

This course refines and enhances language skills for advanced communication. Students develop practical language skills, cultural insight, and the ability to independently explore Chinese material. Topics include Cultural Differences in Using Terms of Endearment, Women's Professional and Family roles in life, Seeking Employment or Entrepreneurship, Experiencing Local Traditions as a foreigner, and Appreciation of Classic: Kong Yiji.