This course will be compulsory for all incoming students of this programme. Students will develop and refine their skills in critical analysis, research design, and oral and written communication which they will apply in the other courses required for the programme.

This course will be compulsory for all incoming students pursuing this programme. Students will discuss the origins, major debates, and state of the field, and develop their capstone project proposals in this course.

This course introduces students to how the regions of Europe and Asia interact with each other and other parts of the world, focusing on countries with six major languages (French, German, Japanese, Korean, Russian and Spanish). Topics covered will include international relations based on politics, economics, and sociocultural contact, as well as the discussion of questions such as: How have these countries’ geopolitical and economic positions evolved since the end of the Cold War? How have changes in their domestic politics affected their international relations? What roles have ideology, economics, and domestic and international politics played in defining policy goals? In what ways has each been able to determine its place in the world, or has its place been defined by others? This course will be taught in English with separate language-specific tutorials. It will provide students with content-based instruction and the means to engage with complex texts and ideas as they refine their academic and professional language skills.

This course explores how national identities are constructed around the world by examining contemporary target-language media in various formats (print, broadcast, online) and genres (including but not limited to news, film, television, art and literature). It examines how the world looks different in other languages and the debates and the ideas contributing to constructing other identities in other media. This course engages contemporary cultural and social issues and media analysis. It is taught in English, with separate language-specific tutorials, providing students, through content-based instruction, to engage with complex texts and ideas as they refine their academic and professional language skills.

The use of certain languages and the modification of their spoken and written forms have been political and social strategies for establishing and perpetuating ideals of ethnicity and nationalism in 20th-century and 21st-century East Asia. Proponents of language policies argue that official languages, shared languages, and standardized languages are important elements for economic, social, and cultural unity. Critics point out negative consequences like the suppression or extermination of languages, along with corresponding social and cultural identities. This course will examine aspects of language legislation in eight national cases. Each case will be paired with a topic of sociolinguistics such as script reform and incorporation of foreign vocabulary paired with a particular historical concept such as modernity and postcolonialism.

This course introduces students to Korea through the study of Korean history, culture, socio- economic and/or political history, as well as other aspects of Korean society, both past and present, in the perspective of globalization.

The course introduces students to contemporary Korean society through the study of social changes, economic development and the political system of South Korea, as well as recent major events and issues in South and North Korea.

This course provides an in-depth exploration of contemporary Japanese popular culture, examining its multifaceted components such as anime, manga, music, and television. Students will engage with various media forms to understand how they reflect and shape societal values and norms in Japan. The course will trace the evolution of popular culture from the Edo period to the present day, emphasizing key historical events that have influenced cultural production. We will analyze different media forms, including anime, manga, and J-pop, to understand their roles in both local and global contexts. Students will investigate how Japanese popular culture represents themes of identity, gender, and social issues, and how these representations resonate with audiences domestically and internationally. Finally, we will discuss the impact of globalization on Japanese culture, including the spread of cultural products beyond Japan and their reception in various cultures.

This course engages students in a critical examination of contemporary Japanese society, focusing on pivotal themes such as politics, popular culture, demographic changes, and environmental issues. It aims to provide a nuanced understanding of Japan beyond common stereotypes and media portrayals. The course will delve into Japan's societal evolution post- World War II, with special emphasis on developments since the 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster. Students will explore critical issues such as Japan's aging population, low fertility rates, immigration policies, and the role of technology in addressing these challenges. The course will also analyze the influence of the Liberal Democratic Party and Japan's position within the East Asian region and the global context.

This course explores Japanese literature from the late twentieth century to the present day, emphasizing its global intersections and influences. This course examines works by prominent Japanese authors, delving into themes of modernity, identity, technology, ecology, and cultural exchange. Students will analyze how contemporary Japanese literature reflects and critiques societal changes within Japan while also engaging with global literary trends. Through close readings, critical discussions, and comparative studies, the course aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the global impact and significance of contemporary Japanese literary contributions.

This course critically examines the field of Japanese Studies within the broader context of global academia and internationalization efforts. Since the cultural and reflexive turn in academia, Japanese Studies (and Area Studies) have faced serious scrutiny regarding its political roles and the new significance it has acquired in university education. This course explores how recent research and publications have diversified the subject matter of Japanese Studies, making it increasingly relevant to a global audience and positioning “Japan” more as a case study than a mere object of empirical study. Despite this academic shift, the persistent popularity of Japanese popular culture and the socio-political changes following the 3.11 triple disaster continue to sustain stereotypical narratives of a “unique Japan.” Students will engage with critical texts and discussions to unravel these paradoxes, understanding how contemporary scholarship challenges and redefines the concept of “Japanese” identity amidst ongoing (self)orientalist and homogenizing discourses.

This course aims to explore East Asian literary texts from various national canons, examining their interconnections to establish a transnational reading approach. Our focus will be on texts from approximately the 1880s to the 1940s, encompassing the early stages of the “modern” period. Through diverse themes, we will analyze how East Asian texts collectively address historical, political, and theoretical concerns related to literature. Our close examination of an extensive collection of literary works by prominent authors will help to hone our literary analysis skills through in-depth classroom discussions. Throughout the course, we will study contemporary East Asian literature, contemplating the nature of East Asian literature in the twenty-first century through the perspectives of Japanophone, Sinophone, and Korean diasporic literature. Together, we will tackle various questions: How can we historicize literary texts? How should we approach reading multiple texts in tandem? What political critiques and opportunities do literary texts present? How has East Asian literature been influenced by modernity? These questions, along with others, will be explored on a weekly basis during the course.

This course examines the broad outlines of Atlantic history from Christopher Columbus to NATO and the modern day, looking at the history of how connections across the Atlantic have shaped societies, polities, cultures, ecologies, economies and disease regimes on both sides of that ocean. Topics include exploration, empire, exploitation, conversion, disease, and migration during the age of early modern empires (1500-1800); the emergence of North and South American nation-states and mass migration in the 1800s, and the global geopolitics of World War I, World War II, the Cold War and NATO. This course will also consider the debates in the United States about how and whether to engage over the Atlantic, and the critical debates over the bounds of the Atlantic, whether they be geographic or racial.

This course examines European organizations, such as the European Union and its predecessor institutions, along with other major international economic and political institutions in Europe. The history of these organizations since 1945 will be examined, as well as their present organization, decision making, political disputes, and relations with European states both within and outside the EU. Included in the syllabus will be an examination the degree to which European electorates can be said to be converging (or not converging) toward a single coherent policy, of how Europe facilitates (or hinders) member states’ diplomatic agendas, and of efforts to centralize or strengthen the ability of Europe to engage with diplomatic and international challenges as a unified whole.

The European project aimed to overcome interstate conflict by political and economic integration. The result is the European Union that was made possible by the idea that national sovereignty is not absolute. Sovereignty can and should be shared in pursuit of higher goals, such as peace and prosperity. This project was spectacularly successful as long as the United States protected it against external enemies. But the world in which the European Union could prosper and flourish no longer exists. Can the European peace project be turned into a war project that would be ready to confront its enemies? Can a post-sovereign polity protect itself? And can it do so while remaining truthful to its core values: democracy, the rule of law and a strong commitment to human rights? This subject will consider these questions by drawing on the insight of political philosophy, history and the theories of Europeans integration.

At the end of the World War II, Europe was divided into Western and Eastern camps. The victory over Nazism paved the way for European integration in the West, led by France and West Germany, and the expansion of Soviet empire in the East, including East Germany. This course examines the legacy of Soviet-imposed — and at times locally motivated — Communism in Central and Eastern Europe. Following the Soviet Union’s withdrawal from Eastern Europe in 1989 and its collapse in 1991, Central and Eastern European nations began to democratize, embracing free market economics. Challenges soon emerged: corruption, political instability, democratic backsliding, resurgent ethnic grievances, and, in some cases, outright ‘ethnic cleansing’. Opportunities for membership in the European Union and NATO helped these nations address these problems, with varying degrees of success. The subject will cover Central European states, such as Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Germany, and Slovakia, but also Eastern Europe, including the former Yugoslavia and parts of the former Soviet Union (including Ukraine). While the 1990s seemed to signal the end of regional divisions, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and revision of Ukrainian borders has revived them. A key question animating this subject is what the post-1945 past reveals about Europe’s future in the east.

Europe after the Second World War was fraught with divisions—political, ideological, and aesthetic. This course examines art produced in the immediate postwar period through the Cold War, with emphasis on the upheavals of 1968. We consider the anxieties over technology in aesthetic experimentation and the restorative roles of the Venice Biennale and Documenta in Kassel. We will also examine key tensions, including historical memory versus amnesia (Year Zero), painting (matiérisme) versus language (lettrisme), and figuration versus abstraction. This period was likewise marked by the rise of various movements: Tachisme, Art Informel (and Art Brut), Constructivism, Group ZERO, COBRA, the Independent Group, Nouveau Réalisme, Fluxus, European Pop, Situationism, and Arte Povera. A selection of artists under consideration includes Alberto Giacometti, Francis Bacon, Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, Lucian Freud, Wols, Georges Mathieu, Jean Fautrier, Jean Dubuffet, Lucio Fontana, Antoni Tàpies, Yves Klein, Asger Jorn, Piero Manzoni, Eduardo Paolozzi, Joseph Beuys, Gerhard Richter, Sigmar Polke, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Mario Merz, and Magdalena Abakanowicz. Situating artworks within the broader socio-political landscape, this course interrogates how art in Western Europe was fundamentally shaped by the postwar cultural climate.

The Indian Ocean region has been one of the earliest arenas for global connections. Before the emergence of the modern world, aided by monsoon winds and boat-making technology, people traveled from east to west and west to east. Along with them, ideas and technologies also traveled, creating a deep cultural interconnectivity between the regions and countries adjoining the Indian Ocean, leading to the emergence of cosmopolitanism. The connections witnessed in the Indian Ocean, however, were not only marked by flow and exchange. Empires and states also created deeper impacts as they engaged in controlling and structuring the flow of people and ideas, leading to the emergence of regimes of power. This course provides a broad overview of the cultural and power relations that occurred in the Indian Ocean. In doing so, the course focuses on the emergence and circulation of both material and non-material culture, particularly emphasizing navigation and boat-making technology, the spread of Islam and Islamic culture, trade, and the emergence of cosmopolitan cities. It also details how regimes of power and empires structured the mobility and cultural interaction of people through the institutionalization of disciplinary structures across the seemingly vast and ungovernable ocean spaces. By taking this course, students are expected to understand the cultural and political history of the Indian Ocean Region. Through this knowledge, they are also expected to develop a historicized and critical perspective on globalization, cosmopolitanism, and cross-cultural exchange.

This class considers the intersection of art and crime from a global perspective. Arranged thematically, each class balances considerations of art crime (the actual crime) with art and crime (creative acts positioning crime as inspiration, subject matter, and performative action). We explore state policies and regulations and the accompanying criminal and creative responses. By way of example, in 2018, the European Union passed the 5th Anti-Money Laundering Directive which pulled the art industry into the regulated sector; in 2021, the United States anti-money laundering regime expanded to include dealers in antiquities. How effective are such mechanisms? And what is one to make of artworks that creatively demonstrate the ease with which one might exploit a seemingly endless set of loopholes? This class explores the monetization of the creative sector and the criminal and creative responses to it; we consider topics ranging from art heists, looting, illicit trade, and vandalism to forensic architecture, forgeries, and (barely legal) projects incorporating NFTs and new technologies.

This course examines the description and interpretation of “Asia”, both individual places and the region as a whole, in the lived experiences and written records of people engaged in travel from the sixteenth century to the present. The travelers featured in the case studies examined in the course include diplomats and other political officials, missionaries, soldiers, merchants, and scholars of geography, history, and natural sciences. Participants in this course will analyze primary source texts and apply conceptual frameworks from paradigm- setting scholarship about travel and Asian Studies.

This course explores the intricate connections between gender, religion, and empire throughout history, offering a critical examination of the ways in which these forces have shaped societies and influenced power dynamics. It will examine historical case studies from different periods and regions, exploring the roles and experiences of people, families, and communities within religious and imperial contexts. We will investigate how religious beliefs and practices have shaped societies and states and how gender norms and expectations have been constructed and contested within these systems. The course will encourage students to engage critically with topics such as colonization, religious conversion, missionization, resistance movements, and the impact of empire on gender and sexuality. By analyzing the intersections of gender, religion, and empire, students will gain a deeper understanding of the complex relationships between individuals, communities, and power structures in the contemporary world. Students will also develop a nuanced understanding of the complexities and power dynamics inherent within these spheres, fostering critical thinking and analytical skills. Ultimately, this course aims to foster a deeper appreciation for the multifaceted ways in which gender, religion, and empire have shaped our world.

This course offers an in-depth exploration of microhistory as a methodological approach to studying the past in a global context. Microhistory focuses on understanding historical events and phenomena through the detailed examination of specific individuals, communities, or events, providing a lens through which broader historical processes can be understood. In the context of our increasingly interconnected world, this course examines how microhistory can shed light on local experiences and their global implications. Throughout the course, students will engage with a variety of case studies from different regions and time periods, analyzing the lives of individuals, families, and communities to uncover larger historical patterns. By examining personal narratives, cultural practices, and social dynamics on a micro level, students will gain a deeper understanding of the complexities, diversity, and interconnectedness of human experiences across borders. By the end of the course, students will have a nuanced understanding of the significance and potential of microhistory as a tool for exploring global history. They will be equipped with the skills to undertake their own microhistorical research projects and contribute to the ongoing conversations in the field.

Great power politics are back as a key factor affecting the conduct of international affairs and markets. This course is about the major political, social and economic actors that shape and have shaped the modern global order. The course applies a comparativist methodology to study, explore and evaluate the interactions of the great powers from a historical and thematic angle. This enables students to develop a comprehensive overview of the state of international affairs and apply these insights to distinctive career paths in different industries.

The social relationship between leaders and followers is a central feature of any organisation. This course examines leadership and leadership dynamics from a global angle, thereby providing in-depth insights into distinctives modes, styles and mechanisms of leadership in different parts of the world and different organisational contexts. The course makes extensive use of concrete examples from the world of politics, business and culture to equip students with a comprehensive overview of leadership as an organising principle for institutions, companies and social relationships. The course discusses different ways of conceptualising leadership, examines different cultural expectations around it and analyses a number of important dimensions of the phenomenon (leadership as a social relationship, leadership and followership, the psychology of leadership, and the normative context of leadership). The course focuses on the different global settings for leadership and investigates how humans can make positive contributions to the social contexts in which they live and work.

Students may take this course instead of the capstone seminar. This course is intended for students whose interests and proficiency in relevant languages are cross-studies (Europe-East Asia). Study will be pursued individually with a thesis advisor. Permission to take GLAS7990 is determined by the MA director or deputy director in consultation with the student's MA advisor, based on their language of study and MA electives to ensure a coherent course of study. In addition to readings, students will complete a year-long research project, including a written dissertation (no more than 10,000 words, or 7,500 to 9,000 in a target language). The student will join the research colloquia at the ends of terms 1 and 2 to engage with other students in critiquing and defending their work.

This course focuses on a discrete topic in East Asian studies. In addition to class-wide assignments and discussion, students will complete a year-long research project, including a written dissertation (no more than 10,000 words, or 7,500 to 9,000 in a target language). The course includes research colloquia at the ends of terms 1 and 2, where students will critique and defend each other's work.