FSS:IREb2003 Rise of Asia - Course Information

IREb2003 Rise of Asia

Extent and Intensity

1/1/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching

Teacher(s)

Mgr. Jan Polišenský, Ph.D. (lecturer), Mgr. Martin Chovančík, Ph.D. (deputy)

Guaranteed by

Mgr. Martin Chovančík, Ph.D.
Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Olga Cídlová, DiS.
Supplier department: Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies

Timetable

Thu 3. 10. 14:00–17:40 U41, Thu 17. 10. 14:00–17:40 U32, Thu 31. 10. 14:00–17:40 U32, Thu 14. 11. 14:00–17:40 U41, Thu 28. 11. 14:00–17:40 U32, Thu 12. 12. 14:00–17:40 U32

Prerequisites

! IRE203 Rise of Asia && !NOW( IRE203 Rise of Asia )
To be able to read academic materials in English.

Course Enrolment Limitations

The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 60 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 42/60, only registered: 0/60

fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with

there are 9 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display

Course objectives

China, Japan, the two Koreas, and the ten ASEAN states make up what is conventionally referred to as East Asia. As a region, East Asia looms large in international politics. Four of the world’s fifteen most populous countries (China, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam) are part of this region, as do three of the world’s fifteen richest countries by nominal GDP (China, Japan, and South Korea). At the same time, international politics in East Asia is complex and highly volatile. The diplomatic crisis over Taiwan remains a persistent flashpoint. Concern about China’s growing economic and military power raises concerns over the region, but China is in the center of speculations about the opportunities for tapping “1.3 billion potential customers”. Tensions on the Korean Peninsula over North Korea’s nuclear program have the entire region on edge. If the twenty-first century really will be “The Asian Century”, as many have predicted, then it is more important than ever to understand the factors shaping regional politics. In this course, we will broadly survey contemporary East Asian politics, paying particular attention to regional security and economic development. We will also utilize some international relations theory to frame our analyses. We will begin with an examination of how bipolarity during the Cold War helped to lay the groundwork for present-day political dynamics. We will then study the origins of the “Asian miracle” of rapid development and the collapse in the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Other topics will include the emergence of the U.S. alliance system, the rise of China, the North Korea and Taiwan, the growing institutionalization of regional politics through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and non-traditional security problems such as terrorism and human rights violations.

Learning outcomes

Students of this course will gain detailed insight into major issues forming Asian politics and societies. The students will analyze the topic from different perspectives, learning to apply various theoretical concepts. The seminars are integral and essential part of the course. The seminars will give the students the opportunity to improve the presentation and argumentation skills. In each seminar, one student will present a summary and a critical assessment of required reading (identification of strong/weak points of the text) and suggesting alternative points of views.

Syllabus

• 1. Asia - A Bird’s-Eye View 2. Bipolarity and the Alliance System in Cold War East Asia 3. 38thParallel Politics – Korean Peninsula 4. Asia between Russia and United States 5. China’s Relationship Status – “It’s Complicated” 6. From Defiance to Détente – Taiwan’s Diplomatic Puzzle 7. Will the Sun Also Rise? Japan’s Quest for “Normal Status” 8. Competing Visions of East Asian Order in the Post-Cold War Era 9. Non-Traditional Security Issues in Southeast Asia 10. ASEAN and the Limits of Non-Interference 11. India’s future in the Asia 12. Indian security dilemma: Pakistan 13. Final discussion

Literature

• Holcombe, C. (2017). A History of East Asia: From the Origins of Civilization to the Twenty-First Century (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• ROGELJA, Igor and Konstantinos TSIMONIS. Belt and road : the first decade. First published. Newcastle: Agenda publishing, 2023, x, 173. ISBN 9781788212533. info

Teaching methods

Every lesson of the course will be dived into two parts. In the first part, the lecturer will provide a presentation using PowerPoint and handout material on a specific topic. In the second part (seminar) the class will be based on discussion. The students will present their assignment that will be accompanied by the discussion.

Assessment methods

The FINAL test will be in form of multiple choice questions and short answers and one essay question focused on the problems presented in the assigned readings and/or discussed in the lectures and seminars. Further information will be given during the lectures. Research Paper Due on 7th January 2018 Central European Time The students may choose their own topic, after a consultation with the instructor. More detailed information about the research paper will be provided by the instructor during lectures. The essay must include research question, the length is minimum 2000 words (not counting bibliography). The format of the paper should be standard academic article. The deadline of the research paper is on (7th January 2018, 23:59 Central European Time). The Submission of the essay is through IS.MUNI system.

Language of instruction

English

Further comments (probably available only in Czech)

Study Materials
The course is taught annually.

• Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  
• Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/autumn2024/IREb2003