Published: April 11, 2019

There will be many Asia-related courses taught at ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ in the Fall. Gain an international perspective or explore something you have always been curious about! Below you can find a variety of courses about Asia-related topics that might round out your Fall semester registration.

Courses Offered through the Center for Asian Studies

ÌýGateway to Asian Studies -ÌýAs Asia has an increasingly significant impact on the rest of the world, it is more important than ever to have an understanding of the various countries and regions that constitute Asia. This class draws upon sources in history, anthropology, literature, and other disciplines in order to introduce the issues, contributions, and historical context of those countries and regions.ÌýThis class has been approved for GenEd-Diversity: Global Perspective credit.

ÌýUrban Asia -ÌýAsia is rapidly urbanizing and many of its cities are on the cutting edge in terms of architecture and technology but also face massive problems related to the environment and development. This interdisciplinary class looks at both the challenges and breakthroughs of cities across Asia as well as their historical backgrounds.

ÌýThe Arabic NovelÌý-ÌýExplore novels from the Arab world and link literature to social, political, and cultural change in the Middle East during the 20th century. Core course taught in English.*
with Co-Seminar in Arabic ASIA 4001Ìý(1 credit)ÌýStudents who have completed at least 2 years of Arabic have the option to enroll in a bi-weekly 2-hour session where we will read sections of our novels in the original language, watch film clips based on our materials, and discuss the always-shifting relationship of literary and spoken Arabic. Native speakers and students of Arabic alike are welcome to join. Talk to professor for more information.

ÌýAsia Travels -ÌýDoes travel create more understanding and bring people closer together? Or does it just reinforce stereotypes and generate negative feelings? This course examines how travel in and travel writing about Asia have shaped and reflected views of self and other. Using a wide variety of sources such as short stories, memoirs, and film documentaries, the class looks at issues that have historically had an impact on travel and travel writing such as orientalism and colonialism. This class has been approved for GenEd-Diversity: Global Perspective credit.
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ÌýScreening India: A History of Bollywood Cinema -ÌýProvides a critical overview of one of the world's largest and most beloved film industries, the popular Hindi cinema produced in Bombay (Mumbai) and consumed around the world under the label "Bollywood". Focus on the post-Independence era to the present, with introduction to key films, directors, stars, genres, formal techniques, and themes, as well as critical analyses of these and other topics. Taught in English.
with Co-Seminar in Hindi ASIA 4001Ìý(1 credit)ÌýCourse taughtÌý in Hindi covering in greater depth the materials taught in the main class. Talk to professor for more information.


Selected Courses from Our Cognate Departments
For a full list of Asia-Related courses offered in the Fall, see ourÌýwebsite.

ÌýGlobal Islams -ÌýExamines the historical formation of Islam in Indonesia and Southeast Asia so as to situate contemporary Islamic practices in a global context.
ÌýIn the Footsteps of Travelers: Travel Writing in Arabic Literature -ÌýOffers an excursion into the role and significance of travel and travel writing in Arabic literature in translation. We will read and discuss a range of literary works written by, about, and for travelers. More broadly, this course will offer an opportunity for undergraduates to expand their understanding of literature and the arts. Taught in English.
ÌýArt in Islamic Cultures -ÌýOffers an overview of art in Islamic cultures. Discusses a range of literary texts and images in order to understand these cultures. Offers an opportunity for undergraduates to expand their understanding of literature and art history. Taught in English.

ÌýIntroduction to Classical Chinese -ÌýIntroduces the classical language based on texts from the pre-Han and Han periods. Stresses precise knowledge of grammatical principles and exactitude in translation---the basis for all further work in classical Chinese.
ÌýIntroduction to the History of Japan -ÌýA broad interdisciplinary survey of the history of Japan from earliest times to the 20th century. Explores the development of political institutions, social structures, cultural and religious life, economic development, and foreign relations in an historical perspective.
ÌýContemporary Japan -ÌýExplores political, economic, social and cultural factors in postwar Japan. Although the defeat in 1945 is often seen as "zero hour", a moment of near total disjunction, the outlines of postwar Japan emerged during World War II. Beginning with the 1930s, traces growth and development, social change, globalization, the quest for collective identity and other themes in the evolving Japanese nation-state.
ÌýJapanese Colonial and Transnational Literature -ÌýExplores the development of Japanese and colonial identities in literature produced in and about Japan's colonies during the first half of the 20th century. We will read works written during and about the Japanese empire by Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Okinawan and Taiwanese writers looking at the different representations of empire. Taught in English.
ÌýStudies in Japanese Popular Culture -ÌýIntroduces aspects of Japanese popular culture from the early 1990s economic collapse until the present through a variety of artistic mediums including manga, anime, literature, live-action cinema, video gaming, music, and the visual arts. Taught in English.
ÌýIslam -ÌýIntroduces students to foundational Islamic concepts, texts, core practices, historical narratives and intellectual, spiritual and literary traditions. Topics covered include: the figure of Muhammad; the Quran; the emergence of distinct Muslim identities; Hadith; Sharia; Islamic theology; Islamic philosophy; science in Islamic civilization; Islamic mysticism; the impact of colonialism and modernity on the Muslim world; gender and sexuality; political Islam.
ÌýHinduism -ÌýStudies literature, beliefs, practices, and institutions of Hinduism, in historical perspective.
ÌýFoundations of Buddhism -ÌýIntroduction to Buddhist thought and practice in the variety of its historical and cultural contexts. The course begins with an exploration of narrative, cosmology, doctrine and ritual in early Buddhism and the Theravada of South and Southeast Asia. Through case studies, we then trace diverse conceptions of the Buddhist path in Tibet and East Asia where the Mahayana spread.