Asian Studies

In this interdisciplinary seminar students conduct research in small groups and prepare reports from a comparative perspective, especially a comparative analysis of Chinese and Western views. Research topics include current affairs; political, economic, societal, moral, technological, and art issues; university, Hong Kong, and global issues; and developments and discoveries in various fields. The course objectives are to conduct collaborative research, develop an interdisciplinary and comparative perspective, and achieve cross-cultural team building skills. Students prepare written reports, make an oral class presentation, and participate in discussion of the presentations. Assessment: oral presentation (20%), a 6,000- to 10,000-page written report (50%), and participation in class discussion (30%).

This is a historical survey of three thousand years of Chinese visual arts with emphasis on painting. The course covers the historical transformation of Chinese art from the classical towards the modern and contemporary, as well as key aesthetic and philosophical conceptions underpinning the production of visual arts in the Chinese culture. In addition, the course provides some comparative studies of Chinese and Western visual arts. There will also be a component introducing the special linkages between the history of Singapore art and the Chinese context.

This course examines contemporary Japanese society, focusing on issues such as politics, pop culture, demographic change, and environment. The focus is on post-Cold War Japan, with special emphasis on the period after the earthquake, the tsunami, and the nuclear accident in 2011. Included are also the debate about Japan as an aging society with low fertility and the Japanese position with regard to immigration, gender, and hi-tech robotics.

This course critically examines various societal aspects of Asia, focusing on East and Southeast Asian countries. It provides an opportunity for students to explore their own ways of thinking about “Asia,” thus leading to a recognition of similarities and differences in views depending on one’s position.  

The course covers the following topics:  

1. Introduction to Asian Studies and Course Organization 
2. Asian Colonization 
3. Education Systems in East Asia 
4. Shadow Education in East Asia 
5. Higher Education in Asia 
6. Learning and Culture in Asia 
7. Minorities in Asia 
8. South-South Cooperation in Asia

This course overviews the cultural traditions of China. It provides a deeper understanding of Chinese life in the traditional era and examines the "Great tradition" and the "Small tradition" of Chinese society and their relevance to the present. Topics include early Chinese world view, Chinese religiosity, Chinese symbolism, Chinese names, Chinese festivals, and folk customs. The course provides a better appreciation of the linkage between Chinese traditions in the past and modern society. 

This course explores how Korean thinkers and activists have engaged religions and ideologies in the major political, social, and cultural movements and activism during colonial and contemporary Korea. The course discusses how ideologies and religious ideas have informed the major debates and collective activities that have made the Korean history progress further. 

The course aims to provide an understanding of the key news events in East Asia.