Asian Studies

This is a course on the contemporary domestic politics of China. Students focus on how the Chinese political institutions operate today by addressing a variety of issues and aspects: the evolution of the party-state from 1949 to the present; the political economy of the Reform era; the development and role of the Chinese Communist Party in the Chinese political system. Taking an intersectional approach, students also assess other contemporary issues faced by China, including migration, social movements, and media censorship. The course concludes with an examination of China's foreign relations and its future, such as the debate over China's role in the global economy and international security.

Dao 道 (sometimes written Tao) means path or road and extends to mean methods and principles. It has a broad range of usage across different schools, most obviously philosophical and religious Daoism. In this research group, we will be reading and discussing selections from the foundational texts of Daoism, the Laozi (also known as Daodejing) and the Zhuangzi, and their direct historical and current reception. We will read texts of both religious and philosophical Daoism. Reading suggestions from participants are welcome. This research group is open to interested bachelor’s and master’s students of all disciplines. Prior engagement with Chinese philosophy is welcome but not required, as we will be starting with the foundational texts.

This is the first part of basic courses "Ancient History of China" for undergraduate students of department of history, covering the history from Xia Dynasty to the Southern and Northern Dynasty. The content is divided into four parts: the pre-Qin periad, the Qin and Han periad, Wei, Jin and the Southern and Northern Dynasty periad, the Institutional history part. The aim of the lessons is to enable students to understand the basic facts of this periad, its the main problems and developing issues, to establish an Overview of political, economic, institutional, cultural, ethnic changes, learn the basic methods of historical research, understand related academic works, important researchers and the latest academic trends, cultivate professional spirit, thus lay the foundation for the further study.

Utilizing a multi-disciplinary approach based on infrastructural history, this course introduces students to modern and contemporary East Asia. While investigating the formations and transformations of empires and nations as sites of contests and tensions between different ethnicities, polities, and cultures, it also explores major cities in China, Japan, and Korea as the infrastructure of modernity rooted in the mobility of ideas, goods, capitals, and peoples. In doing so, it aims to gain an understanding of the dynamics of changes and continuities that shaped and are shaping the East Asian empires, nation-states, and societies. The major foci of attention are the intra-relations among the three East Asian nations, and the inter-relations between East Asian civilizations and Western civilizations from the late 19th century to now. 

An exploratory culture course for foreign students, Japanese Culture C offers insights into various aspects of the living culture of Japan. The course comprises of three basic approaches: Discussing certain cultural characteristics of the nation; reading some representative literature and conducting fieldwork at venues of cultural significance. Students can also enroll in Japanese Culture C; the course contents of both classes alternate between fall and spring semesters. Fall-only students can enroll in one class but may join fieldwork activities of the other class if there are openings available. 

This course examines the interconnection between the history and culture of the Tohoku Region, including the rebuilding efforts from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. It also addresses the variety of ways people have expressed themselves at different periods of history. 

This course targets to help you understand important topics of management in the Chinese context or with the Chinese people. You will learn concepts, theories, research results, and successful management stories related to this domain. You will learn from the lectures, your classmates, as well as your own explorative learning activities. This course requires highly interactive class participation and your own exploration outside the classroom.

This course explores the ways in which Singapore films constitute a national cinema by considering the history and development of local film production as well as closely examining how individual films perform and engage the notion of a Singapore identity. Through a group creative project, students are challenged to make their own Singapore film that involves the practical application of critical ideas and enables students to participate in the ways that a national cinema performs and functions. The films studied may involve mature content and have varied film ratings.

Translation not only represents the meaning of the statement translated, but represents as well the culture of the language in which the statement originated. How, then, have translations interacted with the representation of China on display in other works of Western literature? By reading literary translations from Chinese into English alongside the tradition of literary imagination of China (sometimes known as “Orientalism”), this class will examine how translation has engaged with, confirmed, altered, and shaped the notion of China as understood in the West. 

This course introduces a number of education policies and projects which have enacted real societal and global change in Asia and the rest of the world. Opportunities to analyze these policies and evaluate these projects will be provided. Subsequently, the class will plan and implement their own education projects to effect social change in the communities and countries in Asia. 

This course introduces Japan’s global political and security role, starting with pre-1945 and Cold War era legacies and then the Post-Cold-War era. It examines Japan’s shift from security isolationism during the Cold War to security engagement; its championing of regional multilateralism in East Asia; its emergence as a global power in development aid, and its contributions to UN peacekeeping and non-traditional security in areas such as humanitarian and disaster relief (HaDR), counter-piracy, maritime security, and counter-pandemic measures. This course focuses on Japan’s relationships with the US, China, Korea, ASEAN, and Europe, and considers how Japan’s foreign policy institutions, including those making security and development aid policy, have changed during the Abe administration. The course concludes with a summary looking at Japan’s trajectory as a middle power.