Asian Studies

Through this course, students will learn the most basic Chinese culture through Calligraphy. Topics include the changes of Yin and Yang balance, more and less, deficiency and reality, and calligraphy and painting homology.

This course explores aspects of traditional Japanese culture to enhance one's understanding of modern Japanese society and perspectives of Japanese people. The course covers the following topics, through guest lectures:

• The world of Sendai Miso
• Wadaiko - traditional Japanese drum
• Rakugo - traditional Japanese storytelling
• Nihonbuyo - Classical Japanese dance
• Kimono- traditional clothing
• Koto- traditional Japanese instrument
• Furoshiki -Wrapping cuture in Japan
• Shodo - Calligraphy

This class introduces the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) in China, a landmark event that defines the early history of the People’s Republic of China. The course begins with an overview of the Cultural Revolution in Chinese history and Mao’s vision of a new China. It then examines the Cultural Revolution from various perspectives, from elite politics in Beijing to local factional struggles and international receptions; from the Red Guard movement to Sent-down Youth; and from the Mao cult and extreme violence to everyday life experience. Four decades later, the legacy of the Cultural Revolution has not faded as it remains a contentious issue in Chinese life and politics.

This course provides an introduction and historical analysis of East Asia since 1600 to the present day. It provides a foundational grounding in the histories of China, Korea, and Japan in the modern era since 1600. The course examines the distinctive features of national histories in East Asia, as well as the cross-regional qualities of traditions and contestations within the region. The course discusses how the Ming-Qing transition in 17th-century China affected political discourse in Korea and Japan; how Western imperialism was encountered and responded to in China, Korea, and Japan in the 19th century; and how the experiences and memories of the 20th century have defined the nature of political and cultural interactions in East Asia. This course develops a fundamental knowledge of major historical themes in modern East Asia, as well as an understanding of the nature of cultural transmission, interactions, and tensions within the region. It also examines the traditions and transformations of East Asian societies.

In this age of globalization and the Korean wave, as elements of Korean culture such as K-pop, television dramas, and film spread throughout the world, Korean literature is also gaining in popularity abroad. Thus it is important to examine how Korean literature has been expressed, interpreted, and understood outside Korea. In this context, this class examines works of Korean literature translated into English and how they are understood and interpreted in English-speaking countries, covering everything from classic to contemporary literature. In this way, students gain a deeper understanding of Korean literature from a new perspective and thus be better equipped to contribute to the globalization of Korean literature in the future.

This class studies how Korean literature is expressed, interpreted, and understood outside Korea, primarily through English-language translations of Korean literature. The survey spans from classical to contemporary literature, including both prose and poetry; naturally, it is not be exhaustive, but provides a representative sampling of popular works. Students gain a better understanding of Korean literature in a global context and be better equipped to contribute to its continuing globalization. The class is conducted in English, but students with at least a basic knowledge of Korean and ability to read Korean texts benefit most from the class.

As a democratized, globalized and multi-ethnic society, contemporary Taiwan is rich in cultural diversity. Not only is Taiwan often influenced by international trends, but its domestic environment provides a fertile ground for social innovations; as a result, Taiwan’s cultural landscape is undergoing a process of permanent revolution. Multiculturalism is not a proclaimed future goal ahead of us, but is taking place in our daily life. This course follows Raymond Williams in viewing culture “not only as a body of intellectual and imaginative work; it is also and essentially a whole way of life.” In other words, culture should not be taken narrowly as a prized property monopolized by an elite group of people, but various ways of acting and thinking embraced by different groups. A survey on contemporary Taiwan’s cultures necessarily sensitizes us to the complicated nature of social groupings. Differences in ethnicity, class, gender, region, age, sexual orientation, religious belief, and life-style give rise to highly diversified cultural expressions, among which contention and cooperation co-exist.

This course examines the history and the characteristics of Chinese economy, culture and politics. Beginning in 1978, economic reforms guiding China from a planned economy toward a market-oriented economy have led China to become the 2nd largest economy in a span of four decades. It will start with the historical background of this transition process with a selective survey of two centuries of modern Chinese economic history. It aims to shed lights on the critical questions that pertain to the long two centuries with episodes of expansion and stagnation. It provides a selective survey on some crucial debates and case studies particularly on historical turning points such as the opening of China during the mid-19th century, the collapse of Qing in 1911, the rise of Communist rule in the 1950s and the adoption of reform policy since the late 1970s. For the reform period, it will turn to major ideology and policy reform paradigms that are critical for understanding the transformation of Chinese economy. It will cover topics such as demography, hukou system, regional inequality, macro and financial reform.

By organically integrating Chinese culture with the distinctive features of Chinese tourism, this course provides international students in China with a comprehensive platform to understand Chinese tourism culture through systematic lectures, case studies, and interactive discussions. The course not only helps students grasp the fundamental concepts, key content, and developmental trajectory of China’s tourism culture, but also introduces representative tourism resources and cultural phenomena to spark their curiosity and desire to explore the unique natural landscapes and cultural traditions found across different regions of China. Through this learning process, international students will gain a broader perspective on the connection between traditional Chinese culture and contemporary society, enabling them to develop a deeper and more multidimensional understanding of a real and diverse China.