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Area Studies (Research): Asia and the Middle East: Asian Studies

Master

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One of the specialisations of the Research Master Area Studies: Asia and the Middle East is Asian Studies. Within this specialisation students take three common core courses together with all the students of the Research Master. The remaining course load can be filled in with the specialised regional and thematic courses on offer. Students may follow their own interest and either opt to take all courses from one subspecialisation or take the opportunity to combine them with courses from other subspecialisations. They should be aware, though, that for some of the courses a certain level of knowledge of a particular language is required (see course descriptions). Students are strongly advised to contact the track leader or student advisor when composing their programme.

In the first year, they have one common core course in the first semester (Theories and Methods in Area Studies) and one in the second semester each having a weight of 10 EC. In the second year, all students have to take the Thesis Writing Seminar of 10 EC.

First Year

Course EC Semester 1 Semester 2

Semester 1 (Fall Semester)

Common Core Course(s) (10 EC) (sem 1)

Theory and methods of Area Studies is obligatory for first year students. They are also strongly advised to attend the Thesis Writing Seminar for which they will receive credits in the second year only.
Theories and Methods in Area studies 10
Thesis Writing Seminar Research Master Area Studies (Sem 1 & 3) 10

Chinese Studies (sem 1)
Language Training: Modern Chinese reading/writing 5
Language Training: Modern Chinese oral/aural 5
Language Training: Advanced readings in Premodern Chinese 5
Chinese Studies Master Class: Languages and Cultures of China 10
State of the Field Seminar: Critical security in East Asia 10
State of the Field Seminar: Political Economy of Contemporary China 10
State of the Field seminar: Traditional Chinese Culture 10
State-of-the-field seminar Chinese linguistics 10
State of the Field seminar: China in the 21st Century: Governing a Network Society in the Age of Information 10

Japanese Studies (sem 1)
State of the Field Seminar: Critical security in East Asia 10
State of the Field Seminar: Issues in the History and Historiography of Modern Japan 10
State of the Field Seminar: Multiple Histories of Early Modern Japan: a multidisciplinary approach to Japan's past 10
State of the Field Seminar: Sociology of Japan 10

Korean Studies (sem 1)
Advanced Language Training: Reading 5
Advanced Language Training: translation 5
State of the field seminar: History as Social Process 10

Southeast Asian Studies (sem 1).
Audio-vision and its allure: the performance of language in Indonesian media 10
Descriptive Linguistics of South East Asia 10
Culture Seminar: Histories 5
Economic Development of Southeast Asia 10
History, Theory, Nation: Readings from the South 10
The politics of culture in Southeast Asia 10
Sharing the tales of the Buddha: narrative art in Asia 10

South Asian and Tibetan Studies (sem 1)
Sharing the tales of the Buddha: narrative art in Asia 10
History, Theory, Nation: Readings from the South 10
Buddhist Studies 1 0
Hindi Literature 1 0
Art and Material Culture of South Asia and Tibet 1 0
Sanskrit Studies 1 0
South Asian History 1 0

Semester 2 (Spring Semester)

Common Core Course(s) (10 EC) (sem 2)

Students choose one of the two courses (“Culture and Conquest” or “State and Society”). They are also strongly advised to attend the Thesis Writing Seminar for which they will receive credits in the second year only.
Arts and Culture in Area Studies: Culture and Conquest: the impact of the Mongols and their descendants 10
State and Society: Orientalism, Colonialism, and Post-Colonialism 10
Thesis Writing Seminar Research Master Area Studies (Sem 2 & 4) 10

Courses of a more general Asian interest
Pilgrimages and Holy Places 10
Oral Traditions 10

Chinese Studies (sem 2)
Content Course China: Anthropology 10
Topical Readings in Classical Chinese 10
Topical readings in linguistics 10
Topical Readings in Modern Chinese 10

Japanese and South Asian & Tibetan Studies (sem 2)
Topical Readings 10

Korean Studies (sem 2)
Topical Readings in Korean 10

Southeast Asian Studies (sem 2)
Art and material culture internship 10
Environment and Development 5
Indonesia through its discourse 10
Political Economy of Southeast Asia 5

South Asian and Tibetan Studies (sem 2)
Art and Material Culture of South Asia and Tibet 2 0
Buddhist Studies 2 0
Hindi Literature 2 0
Sanskrit Studies 2 0
South Asian History 2 0

Second Year

After the completion of their first year students may opt to spend the summer or a complete semester (semester 3) to study abroad at one of the institutions affiliated with our programme or to do fieldwork. Students who want to go abroad need to contact a potential supervisor of their project early in the second semester (of the first year) to write a sound proposal. This proposal needs to be submitted to the Board of Examiners for approval at least two months before the student leaves (preferably before the end of the second semester).

Students who are staying in Leiden are obliged to take the Thesis Writing Seminar and choose two courses from the list below during the third semester.

Course EC Semester 1 Semester 2

Semester 1 (Fall Semester)

Common Core Course (10 EC): all students have to take this obligatory course (unless they are abroad).
Thesis Writing Seminar Research Master Area Studies (Sem 1 & 3) 10

Chinese Studies
State of the Field seminar: China in the 21st Century: Governing a Network Society in the Age of Information 10
State of the Field Seminar: Critical security in East Asia 10
State of the Field Seminar: Political Economy of Contemporary China 10
State of the Field seminar: Traditional Chinese Culture 10
State-of-the-field seminar Chinese linguistics 10

Japanese Studies (more courses may be added later).
State of the Field Seminar: Issues in the History and Historiography of Modern Japan 10
State of the Field Seminar: Multiple Histories of Early Modern Japan: a multidisciplinary approach to Japan's past 10
State of the Field Seminar: Sociology of Japan 10

Korean Studies
State of the field seminar: History as Social Process 10

Southeast Asian Studies (more courses may be added later).
Audio-vision and its allure: the performance of language in Indonesian media 10
Culture Seminar: Histories 5
Economic Development of Southeast Asia 10
History, Theory, Nation: Readings from the South 10
Sharing the tales of the Buddha: narrative art in Asia 10
The politics of culture in Southeast Asia 10

South Asian and Tibetan Studies
History, Theory, Nation: Readings from the South 10
Sharing the tales of the Buddha: narrative art in Asia 10
Art and Material Culture of South Asia and Tibet 3 0
Buddhist Studies 3 0
Hindi Literature 3 0
Sanskrit Studies 3 0
South Asian History 3 0

Semester 2 (Spring Semester)

Common Core Course (10 EC): all students have to take this obligatory course.
Thesis Writing Seminar Research Master Area Studies (Sem 2 & 4) 10
Thesis Research Master Area Studies 30