Asian Studies

Humans have always actively borrowed from other cultures. Such borrowing is a creative process which influences aspects of life ranging from basic material needs to aesthetic appreciation. Often, however, cultural borrowing is labelled as simple imitation. This results in cultural stereotypes that impede understanding of other cultures. Using Chinese and Japanese cultural borrowings as illustration, this course teaches how to analyze the creative process of cultural exchange. By developing theoretical perspectives from the study of China and Japan, the course teaches about exchanges among culture in general.

This course examines the art, architecture, and visual culture of Korea from prehistoric times to the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910). Arranged chronologically, the key artifacts and artistic traditions are considered in their historical, cultural, religious, and social contexts. 

This course examines cities rich in cultural heritages and develops a theoretical framework to understand the development of city culture for city destinations. Through field trips to the main cultural attractions in a city, students are required to analyze the development plans and marketing strategies for these destinations. 

This course is primarily designed for students who are interested in Chinese traditional medical culture. It explains the origin and development of Chinese traditional medicine, introduces famous medical figures, explains the basic concepts and knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine, and discusses the basic relationships and knowledge between traditional Chinese medicine and various cultures. Through the understanding of the above knowledge, students can fully comprehend the traditional Chinese philosophical thoughts and cultural characteristics contained in traditional Chinese medicine culture, thereby better understanding Chinese culture and the life philosophy and thinking mode of countrymen.

This course offers a basic understanding of the judicial system, constitutional law, civil law and civil procedure, and criminal law and criminal procedure of the Republic of Korea. Three of the law school faculty members jointly teach their respective parts as a team during the semester. There is no requirement for the courses to be taken prior to this course or for the major of the students. Each week, some of the essential concepts of law, relevant law and legal system, cases, policies and practices are introduced and discussed. In further detail, the course proceeds along the following themes and topics: a general overview of the judicial system; in the area of constitutional law, a history of the Constitution, the separation of powers and the constitutional institutions, the fundamental rights and the constitutional adjudication; in the area of civil law, distinctive features of the Korean civil law, particularly focusing on contracts and torts, and the civil procedures in Korea; and, in the area of criminal law and criminal procedure, basic principles and core issues of the Korean criminal law, and the structure and recent changes of the Korean criminal procedure.