The Rise of Asia: Explaining Asian Miracles

Course goals

• to acquire knowledge of the political and economic history of East Asia in the twentieth century;
• to analyse the various debates and interpretations on the rise of Asia;
• to develop the ability to design a research project and to collect and analyse the relevant source material and literature;
• to present the results of the research in a well-structured way in oral and written form.

Content

This course offers a general introduction in the recent history of eastern Asia from ca. 1850. The central question is: how ‘miraculous’ was the recent rise of Asia? We trace the political, economic and cultural dynamics of eastern Asia since the reforms in nineteenth-century Japan up to the emergence of the Chinese giant in recent years. Attention will be given to issues such as colonialism, war and decolonization, the Cold War and the turbulent modernization processes in Asian societies. Above all we will look into the conditions for and effects of the dramatic economic growth after World War II. Central to our analysis will be the role of state institutions for the development of Asian economies, but also the role of the Cold War, the United States and the reforms in China after 1978, the effects of neoliberalism, and the fascinating blossoming of Asian cultures. The course offers the fundamental knowledge that will enable students to understand the present-day world and the position of Asia in it.

Additional information

This course is part of the minor Global Asia.

Early Exit option for international exchange students (5 ECTS)
Exchange students who are required to return to their home university before January, are allowed to choose an Early Exit option for this course. The Early Exit option means that students can finish the course before Christmas break, receiving 5 ECTS for the course. Students must make arrangements with the course coordinator at the start of the course.

Please note: the time slot shown here is not yet final and may still be modified until the 3rd Wednesday in September.