Asian Studies

This course surveys the development and outcome of social movements in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, China, and Hong Kong during the postwar era. It focuses on the common themes that connect these five countries/regions, such as democratization, environmental protect, labor, student and youth activism, and gender and LGBT issues.   

This course uses a thematic approach to select relevant original texts from the Confucian classics (including the Four Books, the Five Classics, the Analects of Confucius, and Mencius, and when necessary, the broader classics - the Thirteen Classics). The course aims to gain an appreciation for the beauty of Chinese characters and a deeper understanding of Confucianism and Chinese culture through reading these works.  

This course teaches Chinese myths and legends. Students will gain insight into the prototypes of myths of various ethnic groups, as well as the historicization and legendization of myths, and thus form an understanding of the national spirit of the Chinese nation.

This course consists of ethnographic studies on Japanese popular culture, focusing on an academic understanding of Japanese popular culture through weekly meetings but also extracurricular team investigations of sociocultural phenomena that signify Japanese popular culture. 

This course introduces and studies Kun Opera singing: voice, articulation, four-tone pattern, musical phrases, breath tone, vocal emotion, rhythm and frustration, etc. It also teaches an understanding and practical learning of Kun Opera body movements, including basic joint flexibility training, basic stage steps and lower body training, cloud hand (circle) training, and basic movements of fans and water sleeves. Finally, the course teaches Kun Opera "Performance," guiding students to understand how to apply the "stylized" basic movements of opera to the "drama" fragments: in the coordination of hand, eye and body steps, body rhythm and rhythm; among them, the use of eyes is the focus of this stage. 

The teaching and discussion scope of this course starts from the pre-Qin and Han Dynasties and then proceeds to the Tang and Song Dynasties. The discussion of this course starts with the concepts of body and mind and essence, energy and spirit in Taoism and Taoist thought as the main axis. Mainly through the reading of secondary materials studied by scholars, the course conducts thematic discussions and reflects on the relevant issues involved. 

This course attempts to guide students to understand various aspects of Taiwan's modern art history through reading papers, historical materials, and actual inspections (appreciating works and on-site inspections). The course initially focuses on the transplantation and establishment of the art system in Taiwan. First, the course briefly explains the process of transplanting the concept and system of "art" to East Asia and introduces the art exhibition as the most important art exhibition in Taiwan's "art" system. The course starts from the perspective of "people" and tries to understand the representative artists and their creations related to "Taiwan" by reading papers and historical materials while analyzing them in different contexts and research perspectives.  

This course offers a holistic exploration of China's engagement in global governance, emphasizing its relationships and interactions with key regions worldwide. Students will examine China's foreign policies and initiatives, focusing on its engagements with Central Asia, Europe, Japan, Latin America, the Middle East, Russia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Through detailed case studies and critical analysis, students will gain insights into the multifaceted nature of China's global initiatives and their impact on regional geopolitics, economic landscapes, and diplomatic relations.

This course explores social themes in Taiwan’s recent history through the concept of “musicking.” It seeks to discover the communal meanings and effects created through a variety of sonic activities by people living on this island in recent history and contemporary times. Through careful listening and participation, the course aims to gain different perspectives and a more reflexive, embodied, and affective understanding of the social organizations and changes over the last 150 years that shape Taiwanese society today. 

This course does not to fully cover or define “Taiwanese music," but rather endeavors to understand how various themes--including community building, migrations and rights, settler-colonialism, colonial-modernity, politics and economy, ethnic identity, multi-culturalism and indigenous sovereignty, gender and sexualities, space and environments, and social activism--are voiced and enacted through diverse genres of music and dance, by the indigenous, Han, newly immigrated and visiting communities of people living in Taiwan. 

This course begins after the Republic of China government retreated to Taiwan in 1949. It discusses the cross-strait confrontation and the political and social development of the Republic of China in Taiwan, as well as the relations between Taiwan, the United States, and China during the outbreak of the Korean War. It then delves into the interaction between the People's Republic of China and the Soviet Union relations.