Asian Studies

This seminar course explores the impacts of globalization, with a focus on China. The course will include in-class readings, discussions, and mini-projects. We will together read through the recent economics literature on a set of topics related to the open-up of China in the mid-19th century, impacts of free trade agreements, imports and exports, foreign investment, migration, human capital accumulation, income inequality, etc. 

This course examines China’s natural environment; its institutional, legislative and administrative frameworks in environment protection and nature conservation; and discusses the government’s strategies for environmental protection and sustainable development.

This course aims to provide students with a basic understanding of the role of folk culture in cultural studies, the history, current state, and future development of folklore in the international humanities, the characteristics, functions, and modern significance of Chinese folk culture, as well as the origins, development, and spiritual essence of key folk culture events. Through this course, students will develop a deeper understanding of Chinese wisdom, national characteristics, and cultural traits, expanding their knowledge base and enhancing their ability to analyze and judge social phenomena from multiple perspectives.

The first part of the course helps students to understand how Korea and Japan, existing in a region where politics and culture revolved around the vicissitudes of Chinese power, built quite unique early modern political systems that ensured centuries of peace and stability. The damage caused by 19th century European and American expansion is explored through political, economic, social, and cultural lenses. Analyzing fascism, democratization, nationalism, and communism, including the era of 'total war' (1931-1945), helps students to understand how early 20th century East Asia was part of global trends at a time when populism and mass movements reshaped the old world order. The course covers the Cold War "peace," which included the Korean War and massive social protest in Japan, to understand how much American and Soviet interests influenced the region. Finally, only through a close examination of the normalization of international relations, particularly with China, and dramatic changes in the Japanese and Korean economies at the end of the last century, can we come to understand how East Asia became one of the centers of global production, security crises, and cultural output.

This course establishes a basic understanding and experience of Chu Bamboo Calligraphy. Since the Chu silk scrolls were unearthed from Changsha Tsukuro in 1942, and the Japanese calligrapher Imai Reisetsu devoted himself to it, Chu bamboo slips of the Warring States Period have been unearthed one after another at Baoshan, Guodian, Shangbo, and Tsinghua. The study of Chu bamboo slips has flourished, starting from the history of calligraphy. From the perspective of calligraphy, its glyphs are novel, its ink marks are bright, and its research and copying are unprecedented. It is full of a free and casual atmosphere, and it has finally become an independent and important new field in calligraphy learning and research. 

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.