ASTK12311U Course: International Relations of the Asia Pacific

Volume 2014/2015
Education
Bachelorlevel: 10 ECTS
Masterlevel: 7,5 ECTS

SRM - Elective course: 7,5 ECTS
Content

This course is a graduate course focusing on the major issues in the international relations in the Asia Pacific after the Cold War. The course will cover key security, political, and economic topics regarding the Asia Pacific, such as the Korean nuclear crisis, the territorial disputes in the South China Sea, the Sino-Japanese disputes over the Diaoyu/Senkaku islands, the institutional development of ASEAN, the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), and the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), the free trade agreements, non-security challenges, US “pivot” policy and alliances, energy security, major power competitions, and the India-Pakistan rivalry in South Asia.  The major goal of this course is to provide students a broad and comprehensive view on Asian international relations and also to help students apply IR theories to develop their own independent research projects. A final research paper on Asian international relations is required.

Competency Description

This course will form a theoretical and empirical foundation for students to study international relations in the Asia Pacific at a professional level. It is very useful for students who aim to work with international relations in any type of organization, such as international organizations, diplomacy, global companies, and mass media. The analytical and critical skills students develop from this course will be of help for their future careers.   

Learning Outcome

The objective of the seminar is to enable the students to:

  • Describe major issues in and historical roots of Asian international relations;
  • Present major theories in International Relations;
  • Demonstrate skills in expressing oneself orally and in writing;
  • Critically evaluate and compare key theoretical orientations of academic and policy studies on Asian international relations;
  • Apply IR theories to Asian international relations,
  • Develop an independent research agenda on a topic in international relations of Asia Pacific.

 

  • David Shambaugh and Michael Yahuda, eds. second edition, International Relations of Asia (Lanham: Roman and Littlefield, 2014). (S/Y, IRA)

 

  • T. V. Paul, ed.  International Relations Theory and Regional Transformation (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013) (Paul, IRT)

 

Plus academic journal articles on Asian international relationsin total 900-1200 pages.

Some basic knowledge of international relations and strong interest in Asia.
This course will consist of a combination of student presentations, class discussions, possible guest lectures, presentation essays, and a final research project.
Students are highly expected to actively participate in class presentations, finish the required readings (journal articles or book chapters), and prepare questions for class discussions before each class meeting.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Class Instruction
  • 28
  • Total
  • 28
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment
Written assignment
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
External censorship
Criteria for exam assesment
  • Grade 12 is given for an outstanding performance: the student lives up to the course's goal description in an independent and convincing manner with no or few and minor shortcomings
  • Grade 7 is given for a good performance: the student is confidently able to live up to the goal description, albeit with several shortcomings
  • Grade 02 is given for an adequate performance: the minimum acceptable performance in which the student is only able to live up to the goal description in an insecure and incomplete manner