International Politics of the Asia-Pacific
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| POLI1027 | Politics and International Relations | 1 | 20 | Spring UK |
- Code
- POLI1027
- School
- Politics and International Relations
- Level
- 1
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Spring UK
Summary
This module introduces students to a broadly defined politics of Asia, incorporating political history, political systems, identity politics, sustainable development and foreign relations. This module critically engages with contemporary issues in and across Asian counties, while situating these issues within their wider international context. The module combines comparative, analytical and historical approaches, with abundant use of cross-national studies and single country case studies. In addition to learning about the region, students are introduced to key concepts, approaches and methods in the study of comparative and international politics. Through careful engagement with theoretical and substantive material, students are encouraged to reflect of how an understanding of Asian politics can better inform a more holistic understanding of global politics.
Target Students
Available to Year 1 UG students in the School of Politics and International Relations on single and joint honours plans. Also available to incoming exchange students based in the School of Politics and International Relations.
Classes
This module is taught through a combination of lectures, seminars, and lecture engagements.
Assessment
- 30% Coursework 1: Coursework 1: 1,200-word annotated bibliography.
- 70% Coursework 2: Coursework 2: 2,800-word essay.
Assessed by end of spring semester
Educational Aims
Encourage students to think critically about the relationship between Asian and global politics;Enable students to appreciate the differences in, and reasons behind, the democratic development of countries in Asia; Assist students to recentre Asia in relation to global issues like sustainable development, security and climate change, by expanding their knowledge base and exposure to Asian politics broadly defined; Equip students with the analytical tools and practical skills to identify salient issues, formulate effective approaches to studying them, and constructing answers using appropriate sources, reasoning and communication.Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding:
- Demonstrate familiarity with processes, institutions and developments in Asian politics, foreign relations, and security;
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the international political system in which Asian polities are embedded;
- Engage critically with theories, concepts and themes linking Asian politics to comparative politics, global politics and security;
- Demonstrate understanding of the interconnectedness of global issues like climate change, regional connectivity, sustainable development, and the role of Asia herein.
Intellectual and transferable skills:
- Describe, evaluate and apply different approaches to the politics of Asia;
- Marshal evidence, data and information from a variety of sources to back up arguments;
- Synthesise relevant information and exercise critical judgement with regard to competing explanations or claims;
- Reflect on feedback and make constructive use of it;
- Communicate ideas effectively and engage with the ideas of peers, teachers and thinkers;
- Work independently, demonstrating initiative, self-organisation and time management.
Digital Capabilities:
- Access and critically assess the validity and utility of material from a range of digital sources in the field of the comparative and international politics of Asia;
- Locate sources to inform and support arguments and claims, and understand best practices in the evaluation of digital materials;
- Familiarity and practical experience of finding, retrieving and appropriately storing, analysing and referencing appropriate digital materials.