Admission requirements
Admission to the MA Asian Studies.
Description
The politics and economics of East Asia are increasingly of interest and importance not just to those within the region itself, but to governments, businesses and researchers around the world. Whether because of East Asia’s continuing economic vitality, the growing importance of the region as a site of great power rivalry between China and the United States, or the complex trends in democratic and authoritarian governance structures, understanding East Asian political economy is more vital today than ever.
This course will cover a range of historical and contemporary themes in the political economy of East Asia while also drawing on specific country and sub-regional examples. Historically, the course will provide an overview of the East Asian “developmental state”, drawing on the original Japanese example but also exploring its extension elsewhere in the region, including to South Korea and Taiwan as well as parts of Southeast Asia. The domestic and international political economy of contemporary China will also be a key theme in the course and will be set in the broader context of classic issues involving the political economy of East Asian trade, investment, and finance. The course will also focus on pressing, and often contested, issues and concepts such as rival connectivity strategies as a response to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), overlapping and competing regional trade agreements. The course will conclude with an overview of the growing importance of economic statecraft, including comparative approaches to economic security and resilience, against broader trends of deglobalization and derisking.
Course objectives
Students will:
Aquire knowledge of East Asian political and economic development from 1945-present
Apply analytical and critical thinking to a range of concepts and debates central to East Asian political economy
Generate research questions and original insights based on course readings, seminars, and discussions
Develop oral presentation, group cooperation, and essay writing skills at appropriate academic level
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
Seminar
Attendance is compulsory for all classes. Students must prepare well and contribute to in-class discussion. Absence in the class without notification may result in lower grades or exclusion from assessment components and a failing grade for the course.
Assessment method
Assessment and weighing
Resit
Inspection and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. 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
The list of required readings (accessible via Leiden University Library) will be published on Brightspace before the semester starts.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment 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 Herta Mohr