Courses

This course examines China’s international relations with a focus on both historical context and contemporary developments. Beginning with imperial China’s traditional foreign relations and the “century of humiliation,” the course traces the evolution of Chinese foreign policy through the Cold War period to the present day. Students analyze China’s relationships with major powers and regions, including the United States, Russia, Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, and India, while exploring critical issues such as the Taiwan question, territorial disputes in the South China Sea, and China’s growing role in global governance. Special attention is paid to understanding the drivers of China’s recent assertive turn in foreign policy under Xi Jinping, theories of international relations as applied to China’s rise, and the implications of China’s increasing power for the international order. Through engagement with scholarly works and contemporary policy debates, the course provides students with a comprehensive understanding of China’s foreign relations and its emergence as a global power.

By arrangement with faculty and with approval of the DGS.

By arrangement with faculty and with approval of the DGS.

Directed reading and research on a topic approved by the DGS and advised by a faculty member (by arrangement) with expertise or specialized competence in the chosen field. Readings and research are done in preparation for the required master’s thesis.

Directed reading and research on a topic approved by the DGS and advised by a faculty member (by arrangement) with expertise or specialized competence in the chosen field. Readings and research are done in preparation for the required master’s thesis.

For three decades after China’s economic opening in 1979, and especially after China’s 2001 accession to the WTO, U.S.-China economic relations were based on a U.S. assumption that China would integrate into the U.S.-backed international economic order. China’s rapid growth and adherence to a state-oriented economic model, however, combined with globalization’s challenges to the liberal economic system, have significantly increased tensions between the world’s two biggest economies. This course examines the factors driving economic friction between the United States and China, and is divided into four sections. The course is taught by a practitioner who spent over a decade managing U.S. Government economic policy in and on China.

In the decades after 1979, China’s adherence to key tenets of the US-backed liberal international economic system enabled it to achieve middle income status. After the 2008-9 global financial crisis, however, weaknesses in the US model combined with China’s own sustained growth increased Beijing’s confidence in an alternative, state-oriented model that increasingly underpins China's foreign economic engagement. This course examines the basis of China’s economic strength as a precursor to investigating the Belt and Road initiatives, trade, investment, and development policies, international organization advocacy, business practices, and other aspects of China’s growing international economic footprint. These factors are analyzed from the perspective of China’s internal dynamics, competition with the United States, and overall foreign policy goals and are evaluated for their impact on the prevailing global economic order. Planned guest speakers include senior representatives from the State Department and the Embassy of China in Washington, as well as experts on Chinese investment in the United States and Taiwan’s role in global technology supply chains. In-class simulations focus on China’s WTO accession and the Belt and Road Initiative versus the Indo-Pacific Strategy. The course is taught by a practitioner who spent over a decade managing US government economic policy in and on China.

Underlying causes of current issues facing China traced back to their origins in the premodern period. Topics include economic development, corruption, environmental crises, gender, and Pacific island disputes.

Exploration of Yale’s rich historical connections to Japan. Focus on use of the University’s museum and library collections to learn about various aspects of the Japanese past, from ancient times to the post-World War II era.

Did any society attain early modernity before Europe did so in 1500–1600? China did during the Song dynasty (960–1275). Consideration of economic output, meritocratic recruitment of the bureaucracy via civil service examinations, printing, levels of education and literacy (among both men and women), urban life, and foreign trade. Seminar members may choose to do either a research paper comparing China and Europe or a historiograhic essay.

This course offers students an opportunity to explore recent English-language scholarship on the history of modern Japan (post 1868).

Arts of China is a window to the nation’s history, culture, society, and aesthetics. This course introduces the visual arts of China from the prehistoric period to the twentieth century. We look at the archaeological findings (including pottery, jade, and bronze vessels) as well as ancestor worship and belief in posthumous souls and immortal mountains. We look at the art and architecture inspired by Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. We investigate the place of Chinese painting and calligraphy in court and elite cultures and explore how these arts intertwine with politics, printing culture, and popular culture. Lastly, we investigate the decorative arts, like ceramics, textiles, and furniture, as well as the art and architecture that reflect foreign tastes.