Admission requirements
Admission to the MA Asian Studies (60 EC, 120 EC or research) or MA International Relations programme. Other interested students may be admitted at the discretion of the convener of the course and if places are left. Please contact him if you are interested in taking this course but are not enrolled in one of the abovementioned programmes.
Description
This research seminar focuses on the political economy of contemporary Southeast Asia, with attention to processes and arenas of interaction between business and politics at both national and international level. At the national level, topics covered include developmental states, ethnic business minorities, democratization, corruption, oligarchy, and the 'middle income trap'. In relation to international political economy, themes addressed include decolonization, dependency, regionalism, globalization, and Southeast Asia's rapidly changing economic and political relationships with China and Japan. Students read and discuss key texts, and choose a specific topic for individual research culminating in a substantial written assignment.
Course objectives
Participants gain a thorough understanding of key aspects of the interaction between political organization and economic activity in the Southeast Asian context, and are trained in critically examining key texts. Both oral and written presentations are required.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
- Seminar
Attendance is compulsory for all sessions. Students must prepare well and contribute to in-class discussion. If a student cannot attend because of illness or misadventure, they should promptly inform the convener. Extra assignments may be set to make up for missed class time, at the convener’s discretion. Absence without notification may result in lower grades or exclusion from assessment components and a failing grade for the course.
Assessment method
Academic Integrity
Students should familiarize themselves with the notion of academic integrity and the ways in which this plays out in their own work. A good place to start is this page. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Students may not substantially reuse texts they have previously submitted in this or other courses. Minor overlap with previous work is allowed as long as it is duly noted in citation.
Students must submit their assignment(s) to Brightspace through turnitin, so they can be checked for plagiarism. Submission via email is not accepted.
Assessment and weighing
| Partial Assessment | Weighing |
|---|---|
| Thematic oral presentation | 20% |
| Assignment work-in-progresss oral presentation | 10% |
| General participation | 5% |
| Written assignment (8,000 words, not including bibliography) | 65% |
The written assignment is written in two stages: a first version, on which the convener will offer feedback, and a final version. Feedback on the first version is conditional on this being handed in before the deadline. The grade will be determined on the basis of the final version only. (The paper deadline mentioned in uSis is for administrative purposes only. The actual date will be communicated by the convener.)
In order to pass the course, students need a pass mark (“voldoende”, i.e. “5.50” or higher) for the research paper and for the course as a whole.
All categories of assessment must be completed in the same academic year. No partial marks can be carried over into following years.
Resit
Only if the total weighted average is 5.49 or lower and this is the result of a paper graded 5.49 or lower, a re-sit of the paper is possible (65%). In that case the convener of the course may decide to assign a (new) topic. The deadline for this version will be determined by the course convener, after consultation with the student.
A re-sit for other course components is not possible.
Inspection and feedback
If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Reading list
To be specified in the syllabus.
Registration
Enrolment through uSis is mandatory.
General information about uSis is available on the website.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Vrieshof.