Home to four of the five most populous states and four of the five largest economies, the Asia/Pacific is arguably the most dynamic region in the twenty-first century. At the same time, Cold War remnants (a divided Korea and China) and major geopolitical shifts (the rise of China and India, decline of the US and Japan) contribute significantly to the volatility of our world. This course will examine the political, economic, and geopolitical dynamism of the region through a survey of relations among the great powers in Asia from the sixteenth century to the present. Special emphasis will be given to regional and global developments from the perspective of the three principal East Asian states--China, Japan and Korea. We will explore the many informal, as well as formal, means of intercourse that have made East Asia what it is today. Graduate students should consult graduate syllabus for graduate reading list, special recitation time and graduate requirements.

Home to four of the five most populous states and four of the five largest economies, the Asia/Pacific is arguably the most dynamic region in the twenty-first century. At the same time, Cold War remnants (a divided Korea and China) and major geopolitical shifts (the rise of China and India, decline of the US and Japan) contribute significantly to the volatility of our world. This course will examine the political, economic, and geopolitical dynamism of the region through a survey of relations among the great powers in Asia from the sixteenth century to the present. Special emphasis will be given to regional and global developments from the perspective of the three principal East Asian states--China, Japan and Korea. We will explore the many informal, as well as formal, means of intercourse that have made East Asia what it is today. Graduate students should consult graduate syllabus for graduate reading list, special recitation time and graduate requirements.

Home to four of the five most populous states and four of the five largest economies, the Asia/Pacific is arguably the most dynamic region in the twenty-first century. At the same time, Cold War remnants (a divided Korea and China) and major geopolitical shifts (the rise of China and India, decline of the US and Japan) contribute significantly to the volatility of our world. This course will examine the political, economic, and geopolitical dynamism of the region through a survey of relations among the great powers in Asia from the sixteenth century to the present. Special emphasis will be given to regional and global developments from the perspective of the three principal East Asian states--China, Japan and Korea. We will explore the many informal, as well as formal, means of intercourse that have made East Asia what it is today. Graduate students should consult graduate syllabus for graduate reading list, special recitation time and graduate requirements.

Home to four of the five most populous states and four of the five largest economies, the Asia/Pacific is arguably the most dynamic region in the twenty-first century. At the same time, Cold War remnants (a divided Korea and China) and major geopolitical shifts (the rise of China and India, decline of the US and Japan) contribute significantly to the volatility of our world. This course will examine the political, economic, and geopolitical dynamism of the region through a survey of relations among the great powers in Asia from the sixteenth century to the present. Special emphasis will be given to regional and global developments from the perspective of the three principal East Asian states--China, Japan and Korea. We will explore the many informal, as well as formal, means of intercourse that have made East Asia what it is today. Graduate students should consult graduate syllabus for graduate reading list, special recitation time and graduate requirements.

Home to four of the five most populous states and four of the five largest economies, the Asia/Pacific is arguably the most dynamic region in the twenty-first century. At the same time, Cold War remnants (a divided Korea and China) and major geopolitical shifts (the rise of China and India, decline of the US and Japan) contribute significantly to the volatility of our world. This course will examine the political, economic, and geopolitical dynamism of the region through a survey of relations among the great powers in Asia from the sixteenth century to the present. Special emphasis will be given to regional and global developments from the perspective of the three principal East Asian states--China, Japan and Korea. We will explore the many informal, as well as formal, means of intercourse that have made East Asia what it is today. Graduate students should consult graduate syllabus for graduate reading list, special recitation time and graduate requirements.

This course is a survey of Chinese and Sinophone cinemas from the silent era to the present. The Sinophone refers to Sinitic film cultures both inside and outside the People’s Republic of China that have been in relatively marginalized positions against the Han-Chinese mainstream, such as Taiwanese, Hong Kong, Tibetan, and transpacific cinemas. One major goal of the course is to interrogate the national cinema framework and to show how the meaning of “Chineseness” has been problematized by filmmakers and critics throughout modern history. Students will learn about important film movements and trends such as leftist cinema from the 1930s, socialist cinema, Taiwanese and Hong Kong New Waves, the Fifth and Sixth Generation filmmakers, and contemporary transnational productions. Attention will be paid to both films known for awards and artistic achievements and popular genres including thrillers, horror, and wuxia (martial art).

This course offers a survey of the numinous and supernatural through Japanese fiction, films, drama, comics, and video games from ancient times to the present day. Students will assemble a foundational knowledge of Japanese mythology and folk religion while studying popular narrative traditions representative of their historical eras. By peering into the liminal spaces connecting the living with the dead, students will also develop critical thinking and media literacy through careful investigation into the matters that people of different times and places have perceived as monstrous, alien, and unspeakable. Issues of gender, sexuality, and ethnic minority status will receive special attention as we navigate theories relating to the cultural role and relevance of ghosts. Strong writing skills are recommended, but no prior knowledge of Japan or the Japanese language is required.

This course is designed for students who have little or no knowledge of Korean. This course aims to develop foundational reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills through meaningful communicative activities and tasks. Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to comprehend and carry on simple daily conversations and create simple sentences in the past, present, and future tenses. Students will learn how to introduce themselves, describe their surroundings, talk about daily lives, friends and relatives, and talk about past and future events.

The course is designed for juniors and seniors , and Penn working professionals who have no prior exposure to Chinese, and are interested in learning basic Chinese language and culture for the preparation of a business trip to China. The objective of this course is to build a foundation of basic Chinese in the business context, with a main focus on speaking and listening, and minimal reading. Upon completion, students are expected to be able to converse and interact with people in a variety of traveling settings and in company visits. Topics include meeting people, talking about family, introducing companies, making inquiries and appointments, visiting companies, introducing products, initiating dining invitations, and practicing dining etiquette.

This seminar focuses on ten very different monuments of Asian art in order to learn how to ask questions about and write about painting, sculpture, and buildings. Following a general introduction to the art of East Asia and South Asia, each class will focus on a major monument and similar examples of it: a Chinese bronze vessel, the Tomb of the First Emperor, Sokkuram, Elephanta, Traveling through Famous Sites of Wu, Tale of Genji, Gold Pavilion, the Forbidden City, Taj Mahal, the city Xi'an. We will discuss why each is important, its religious or philosophical context, and assess how it has been discussed in literature and modern writing. We will then discuss optimal or innovative ways to present it and write about it. Each week students will analyze writing about that week's subject and turn in a short evaluation of writings about the subject of the former week's class. The final paper will be an article of the kind one would submit to a newspaper or magazine. The class will be taught synchronously. However, students will be encouraged to write about an object in a local museum for the final project.