This inter-disciplinary course is designed to introduce students to the international relations and current issues facing East Asia, an important region full of diversity and intricate interactions. Our goal is to grapple how countries in East Asia interact with others (both within and outside East Asia) through the lens of state actors, non-state actors and individuals. This requires us to absorb both primary and secondary sources from various disciplines. Thus, course materials are drawn from fields such as history, political science, sociology and art.

This course will help students answer the questions of East Asian integration and prospects by first introducing students to the history and background of East Asia as a region, followed by a survey of selected countries in East Asia. The survey will encompass the politics and economy of the countries. Then, this course will introduce students to major issues of East Asian integration—the attempts by countries in East Asia to achieve regionalization and the challenges they have encountered.

This inter-disciplinary course is designed to introduce students to the international relations and current issues facing East Asia, an important region full of diversity and intricate interactions. Our goal is to grapple how countries in East Asia interact with others (both within and outside East Asia) through the lens of state actors, non-state actors and individuals. This requires us to absorb both primary and secondary sources from various Disciplines. Thus, course materials are drawn from fields such as history, political science, sociology and art.

This course will help students answer the questions of East Asian integration and prospects by first introducing students to the history and background of East Asia as a region, followed by a survey of selected countries in East Asia. The survey will encompass the politics and economy of the countries. Then, this course will introduce students to major issues of East Asian integration—the attempts by countries in East Asia to achieve regionalization and the challenges they have encountered.

There is no particular text book for this course. I will provide book chapters, journal papers for key readings and suggested background readings for each week.

There is no particular text book for this course. I will provide book chapters, journal papers for key readings and suggested background readings for each week.