UCINTCHI137.5 ECTSEnglishBachelor
Introduction to China
Faculteit—
NiveauBachelor
Studiejaar2026-2027
Beschrijving
Course goals
Canceled in Spring 2026
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
- gain a general impression of Chinese culture and society, history, family and gender relationships, propaganda and new media, and the interaction between China and the world, by attending lectures, reading articles and watching films.
- acquire a deeper understanding of Chinese culture and society by giving presentations, participating in debates and completing a mid-term exam.
- improve their cultural analysis and communication skills through watching films, reading film reviews, conducting interviews and making their own videos.
- summarize and further express their own critical opinions of Chinese culture and society through the writing of a final essay.
Course goal 1 will be assessed by attendance rate and participation in class discussions.
Course goal 2 will be assessed by giving presentations, participating in debates and completing a mid-term exam
Course goal 3 will be assessed by watching films, reading film reviews, conducting interviews and making their own videos
Course goal 4 will be assessed by writing a final essay
Content
Canceled in Spring 2026
content
In this course, we will look at China from the inside out. During the first half of the course we will start by looking into current developments in China through three topics: 1) historical events that still influence modern-day China; 2) family relationships, such as marriage and divorce, children and parents, family planning policy, and gender issues; 3) old and new propaganda methods, new media and cutting-edge technologies. During the second half of the course we will tackle the issues which show the interaction between China and the world. Based on knowledge of Chinese philosophical ideas, we will try to understand the identity construction of Chinese people abroad, business culture and foreign policies. Besides reading related academic materials, we will mainly try to gain a deeper understanding of China through Observing, Doing and Communicating. Therefore, our course includes various of these ‘ODC’ activities, such as observing objects that contain Chinese cultural elements; celebrating the Chinese New Year; watching documentaries about China; making short videos and presenting your encounters with China in the Netherlands, such as visiting China Town, discovering the changes in Chinese companies and different generations of Chinese immigrants. Besides, this course will maintain its interdisciplinary feature by inviting guest lecturers from various fields.
content
In this course, we will look at China from the inside out. During the first half of the course we will start by looking into current developments in China through three topics: 1) historical events that still influence modern-day China; 2) family relationships, such as marriage and divorce, children and parents, family planning policy, and gender issues; 3) old and new propaganda methods, new media and cutting-edge technologies. During the second half of the course we will tackle the issues which show the interaction between China and the world. Based on knowledge of Chinese philosophical ideas, we will try to understand the identity construction of Chinese people abroad, business culture and foreign policies. Besides reading related academic materials, we will mainly try to gain a deeper understanding of China through Observing, Doing and Communicating. Therefore, our course includes various of these ‘ODC’ activities, such as observing objects that contain Chinese cultural elements; celebrating the Chinese New Year; watching documentaries about China; making short videos and presenting your encounters with China in the Netherlands, such as visiting China Town, discovering the changes in Chinese companies and different generations of Chinese immigrants. Besides, this course will maintain its interdisciplinary feature by inviting guest lecturers from various fields.
Instructional Format
This course will comprise of lectures, literature-based practicals, student-led seminars that include brief presentations and discussion about statements prepared in advance, student seminars requiring group work, individual assignments and individual essay work.
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