Asian Studies

This course explores Asian cinema from its beginning to the introduction of talkies in the 1930s. Topics include the advent of cinema in Asia and how it transformed entertainment across the continent and provided a novel means of popular expression. Students examine how cinema is closely tied to modernity and understand how different societies and cultures in Asia responded to the modern transformation and how they appropriated it for their own ends. The course focuses on China, Japan, and India and their film culture.

This course covers approaches and patterns of economic development in East Asian countries (including ASEAN member countries, China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan), East Asian development model, policies and roles of state in development, multinational corporation (MNCs) and East Asian production networks, and characteristics and problems of East Asian development model.

This course offers a multidisciplinary approach to the study of the politics, economics, and foreign policy that constitute international politics of the Korean Peninsula. It explores how Korea dealt with its first encounters with imperialism and tackled the complex task of modernization, to understand how these prewar historical legacies continue to affect the domestic politics, society and international relations of South Korea today. 

Topics include ethnic nationalism in Korea, imperial Japan, territorial disputes in Asia, the Comfort Women issue, South Korea’s industrialization, the LGBTQ movement in Korea, feminist and anti-feminist movement in Korea, North Korea and its nuclear weapons, to name a few. 

Prerequisites: A course in political science or in Asian Studies 

This course gives an overview of the status, features, and use of Hong Kong English (HKE), the variety of English commonly used in Hong Kong. It introduces to the concept of ‘world Englishes’ and examines different theoretical frameworks for conceptualizing the evolution of new varieties of English. The course also examines the relationship between Hong Kong English and Hong Kong culture from cultural, social, historical, and educational perspectives, particularly in relation to and juxtaposition from Cantonese and Putonghua. The second part of the course examines both spoken and written features of HKE, including grammar, discourse particles, vocabulary, and pronunciation, as well as the practices of code-mixing and code-switching. This section of the course also focuses on the social impact of the use of these features in Hong Kong culture. In the third part of the course, language attitudes and ideologies towards ‘standard’ language varieties (for example American and British English) in relation to HKE are explored. The course also examines the relationship between the use of HKE and social identity as well as gender in Hong Kong culture.

This course is a Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) course in English and Korean to explore Korean history in the 20th century with a focus on disasters, accidents, and crises. In the 20th century, the world, including Korea, experienced imperialism, colonization and war, and after many countries were liberated, experienced the Cold War. This course covers various disasters, accidents and crises in Korea before achieving rapid capitalist industrialization and democratization. Class lectures and communication are in Korean, with readings in both English and Korean to achieve the goal of the CLIL course.

Students are required to master the basic concept of Chinese art archaeology, understand the discovery history of Chinese art archaeology, and understand the role and significance of art archaeology in the study of Chinese culture and history.

This course uses a historical narrative—with an introductory text and lectures—to survey the history of Buddhism from the origin to the rise of major forms of Buddhism in India and further developments in Southeast Asia, East Asia, and the Tibetan cultural regions. Reading assignment will balance primary sources from the key moments of Buddhist history and thought and secondary scholarship. A major theme that we keep coming back to will be the development of Buddhist philosophy and theology as represented by major schools of In- dian, Chinese, and Tibetan Buddhism. The course will also introduce students to wider facets of Asian Buddhist cultures by looking at aspects of Buddhist scriptures, literature, art, ritual and meditation, translation, and other cultural practices. The course is designed to help students sharpen their academic skills in reading, critical thinking, and creative writing and to prepare them for more advanced work in Buddhist studies, Buddhist philosophy, and religious studies.

Course Requirements: • Finishing assigned readings before meetings, regular attendance, and active contribution to discussion •  A paper presentation (30 minutes) on an assigned topic (voluntary) • Essay ("Take-Home-Exam"). Teaching Methods: Lecture will be combined with prepared discussion of assigned readings and paper presentations

This course explores various social and cultural issues in Korea through reading and discussing Korean-language books and articles published in contemporary Korea. The course focuses on literature, essays,and academic texts on topics such as overseas Koreans; social and cultural discrimination; modern history, and the daily lives of workers in Korea. The course also aims to improve Korean language skills at the academic level. 

All course materials are in Korean.

As a professional elective course of the Department of Cultural Relics and Museology, this course, on the one hand, aims to enable the undergraduate students of the Department of Cultural Relics and Museology to have basic knowledge of art history, on the other hand, to cultivate students' application of iconology, formal style analysis and other methods in art history in actual cases.

This course introduces students to the unique history and contemporary landscape of design in Korea, tracing its evolution from traditional crafts and aesthetics to the vibrant modern and postmodern design culture of today. Through lectures, discussions, and extensive field trips to museums, galleries, design studios, and cultural districts, students will explore how Korea’s rapid modernization and global engagement have shaped its design identity. 

The course begins with an overview of design history, examining global developments that influenced the emergence of modernism in Korea. Students will then investigate traditional Korean art forms—such as ceramics, textiles, architecture, and calligraphy—to understand how enduring principles of form, material, and harmony continue to inspire contemporary design. Finally, the class turns to current trends in Korean design, from lifestyle products and branding to digital interfaces and fashion, highlighting the creative intersections of technology, sustainability, and culture. 

This is an introductory-level course designed for international students from diverse backgrounds. While no prior knowledge of design is required, curiosity and active participation are encouraged. Through hands-on experiences, site visits, and reflective projects, students will gain a holistic understanding of how Korea’s design reflects its past, embraces the present, and imagines the future. 

Topics include Intro to basic design concepts, Overview of Korean history, Traditional arts and crafts in Korea, Modern Korea and the birth of Modernism, Everyday design in contemporary Korea, Global visibility of Korean aesthetics, Futures of Korean design.