History

This course will introduce the evolution of science, technology and medicine in East Asia (STMEA) and its relationship with the making of modern nation-state from the late 19th century to the present. The course will cover central questions in this evolution, such as the changing approaches to STMEA, the formation of modern scientific knowledge in the East Asian context, the intimate and complex relationship between science, democracy, and modernity, the role of science and technology in Japanese empire building, public health and population policy, and encounters between the West and East in the transfer of scientific knowledge, etc. This course will also study recent developments in STMEA including China’s Space Programme and SAR epidemics. The course concludes with an analysis of the domestic and international politics of STMEA and a discussion on science fiction in China and Japan.

There are approximately 46 million ethnic Chinese living outside the Mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau today. This course will examine the emergence and transformation of Chinese international migration in the global context of China’s interactions with the outside world and diaspora’s changing patterns of political, social and cultural adaptations. Although it will trace the historical origins of modern Chinese migration dating back to the mid-19th century, this course focuses on the post-1945 era, particularly the period after 1978 when China began its economic reform and opening-up. Apart from examining the linkages with the homeland and transnational ties that connect the Chinese diaspora globally, this course pays special attention to the regions of Asia, Europe and North America. The central themes to be explored in this courses include the historicity of modern Chinese migration, changing faces/fates of Chineseness, complex ethnic and cultural identities and the emergence of Chinese transnationalism, cross-border social and business networks, diaspora’s role in China’s economic development and foreign relations, and comparative and theoretical approaches to Chinese international migration.

This course covers early modern and modern history, drawing on case studies from the UK, Europe, America and Asia. This course takes a comparative approach to explore the development of modern businesses across Western and Asian societies. Business historians investigate both small and large enterprises and their management practices. Importantly, they also consider the economic, political and social environments in which these businesses operate; this will also be our approach over the semester. The scope of this course is from the late 18th Century through until present times; we’ll trace the development of modern business and business networks in Europe, UK, America and Asia. Case studies from historical and contemporary sources allows students to see the relevance of this field of study to our understanding of businesses in the present day.

The course begins with a general introduction to the competing “origin myths” of American history, which appear to be complementary, but on further investigation reveal an image of the US as a relatively recent political formation. The course covers a historical timeframe from the 17th through the 21st centuries. The arrival of the Mayflower at Plymouth (Plimouth) in November 1620 marks the beginning of this course’s coverage of American history; the signing of the Mayflower compact marked the establishment of self-determining government in northeast America. The European view of “America” clearly began to differ from those of the pilgrims and other settlers, and it culminated in the American revolution of 1776 which established a new geopolitical entity, though there was still no unified concept of the United States of America. The formation of the US was to continue to develop over the next century. The second part of the course emphasizes the empire-building aspects of the US’s history and its role in the modern era. Over a few lectures, American empire building programs will be compared and changes in US strategies and perceptions of their role as an emerging political and military superpower discussed. Also covered in this course are the socio-economic transformations which were taking place within the US during its rise to prominence in the international arena. Rapid industrialization and the formation and flourishing of cities should be observed and examined in tandem with US development into a global superpower. The impact of US imperialism is not restricted to the political, economic, and military spheres, but also extends to the cultural sphere. Among countries most affected by the American way of life are Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines (former US colony). The last lecture will bring the subject to the 21st century and explores the US role in the future.

The course is divided into three parts. In the first two parts of the course, early historical texts and archaeological artifacts will be used to inform the students’ understanding of early relations between China and Southeast Asia. The last part covers the period of interactions from the 19th century through the present. This is a three-hour weekly seminar. The weekly seminar will be structured in the following sequence: a one-hour lecture followed by two hours of students’ presentations and discussions. Each student is expected to select a reading (usually an article or in the case of a book, a chapter) every week to present during the following week. The only exceptions will be the first week (which will be a two-hour lecture followed by discussion on the allocation of assignments and readings), and weeks during which field trips or other class activities are scheduled (see course outline).

This introductory course will provide an outline of major events and themes in modern Indian history, from the rise of the East India Company in the 18th century to the partition of the Indian Subcontinent in 1947 and the emergence of the modern nation states of India and Pakistan. The course will discuss the following themes: the rise of the English East India Company’s control over Indian subcontinent in the 18th century; its emergence as a colonial power and transformation of India into a colonial economy; social and religious reform movements in the 19th century; the emergence of elite and popular anti- nationalisms; independence and the partition of the subcontinent.

This course will introduce students to selected research and commercial applications of modern biotechnology in order to discuss the broader social, ethical, risk, and regulatory issues that arise from them. A range of topics will be covered in this course, including genetic engineering, cloning, stem cell research, xenotransplantation, the production of pharmaceuticals, the human genome project, genetic testing, assisted reproductive technologies, and synthetic biology. Students will consider debates that have taken place in the wider community about ownership, commercialisation, identity, governance, animal welfare, human well-being, and expertise in relation to these applications of modern biotechnology.

This course will examine the fascinating and complex history of the ancient Eurasian trade routes and the social, religious and political histories of the civilizations, which developed alongside these routes. Taking a thematic rather than chronological approach, the course is divided into two halves: in the first, we will look at the early history of the Silk Road including the trade in silk, musk and other luxury goods, the links between religion and material culture, the travelers, traders, monks and scholars who traversed these routes; the nomadic populations of Central and Inner Asia; religious co-existence and conflict as well as art and architectural productions. In the second half we will consider the strategic and economic importance of Central Asia and the expansion of Britain, Russia and China into these areas from the 18-21st Centuries. The rise of Islam after the fall of Communism and the continuing struggle of the great powers for mineral wealth forms another topic of discussion. Finally we will end with a consideration of the contemporary relations between the two emerging global and economic powerhouses: China and India.

The Transnational Sea examines a subject which has become a growing field of study in the discipline of history: the sea as a body of water which has dualistic qualities—it unites as well as divides. The Transnational Sea could be characterized as one segment in a series of lectures which revolve around bodies of water such as the Indian Ocean, the Pacific, the South China Sea, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. For this course, only the Indian Ocean will be examined. The course looks at the most influential studies which have been produced by scholars including K.N. Chaudhuri (used here as a core textbook), Michael Pearson, and Engseng Ho, which deal with some similar themes, but have different emphases: trade, migration, and have a changed perspective in that they look at the interconnections in the Indian Ocean region from the perspective of the sea rather than from the land. The themes examined in the lectures are selective, but offer a wide array of means of looking at the roles played by oceans and seas, in this case, the Indian Ocean, in the history of the world.

Culture and Heritage: Perspectives from History is a three-hour seminar. The course will address issues which pertain to the debates and discussions of culture and heritage. One of the most neglected resources in any society is the intangible aspects of its cultural and historical heritage. Some countries and regions within countries have been quite successful in marketing certain segments of their cultural and historical heritage. One of the most successful examples in Southeast Asia is Bali, which manages to promote both older and more recently created cultural practices and performances as “traditions”. Today Bali can still be considered a living heritage site in the sense that the Balinese continue their daily ritual practices and routines. However the authenticity of some of the art forms and performances can be questioned. Though this course will address theoretical issues and examples from various places in the world, class discussions and case studies will come predominantly from Asian examples. Some questions to be addressed include the following: what can be considered cultural and historical heritage in each society? Can these be divided into categories such as good and bad, marketable and non-marketable, representative and non-representative, etc? How does a person use heritage tourism as a means of preserving cultural and historical heritage of people who are gradually “losing” their pasts?

The Green Earth covers some of the most important themes in environmental history which have informed academic scholarship during the last 20 to 30 years. The course begins by examining the impact of the environment on early human evolution and development of early complex societies in the world. It explores the recent proliferation of works on world history which argue that climate change (in the form of a period of warming around 12,000 years ago) led to the stimulation of human actions which had brought about early agriculture and settled complex societies. The bulk of the course focuses on human transformation and exploitation of the environment in various regions of the world as well in through different ways. The lectures are organized according to elements, starting with agriculture (“land”) and proceding to water and fire. The subject of environmental history is closely linked not only with human history and continuous desire to harness energy, but also the subjects of biological exchange (germs and pathogens) and the impact of human actions on the environment including animals, particularly with reference to the extinction of species, deforestation, and the destruction of the earth’s greenery. The course examines how these human actions over several millennia, which have been most deliberate and strongest in the past 200 years, have lasting repercussions on the earth (Gaia), particularly in the form of climate change. Current debates on climate change and strategies to save the environment will be covered at the end of the course.

This course is about the history of Southeast Asia and the Cold War. It aims to enlighten students on the origins and course of the conflict in the subregion. It also seeks to help students appreciate the cultural, diplomatic, economic, political, and social impacts of the twentieth century global conflict on Southeast Asia. In addition, the course will analyze the effect that the turn of events in the area had on global and international developments. To those ends, the course will pay particular attention to the multidimensional attempts by external powers to expand their influence in Southeast Asia as well as the ways that peoples within the area furthered their personal and national ends by exploiting, adapting to, and resisting the Cold War powers’ involvement in their societies. By studying developments within twentieth century Southeast Asia from global, international, transnational, and national perspectives, therefore, we will discover that inasmuch as external forces had shaped the subregion, Southeast Asians had also made significant impacts on the course of global and international history.

Revolutions and Social Changes in Modern Times is a three-hour weekly seminar. The course will challenge students to critique the key theme: revolution. What is a revolution? What makes an event, a process, or movement “revolutionary” whereas another is deemed a “revolt”, “rebellion”, or “uprising”? Does the term “revolutionary” suggest a fundamental transformation in the institutions and structure of what existed previously? Students will be asked to evaluate the revolutionary quotient of some events, movements, and changes which have taken place. The revolutions covered in this course are not restricted to political movements, but also include socio-cultural, intellectual and technological phenomena. The course begins with a general introduction to important concepts students must know when studying the subject of revolutions. The rest of the course is divided into two main parts: one which deals with case studies of polit​ical and socio-cultural revolutions, and the second which examines intellectual and technological revolutions. The course adopts a diachronic approach which allows students to survey the important political, socio-cultural, technological, and intellectual transformations in human society. At the same time, specific case studies allow students to appreciate the detailed background, factors, contexts, and consequences of these revolutions. The end of course will bring the study of revolution into the 21st century as the challenge of environmental concerns and sustainability confronts us. The last seminar will address works which look at the ecological, “green”, “clean”, ‘industrial”, and “sustainable” revolutions of the future.

This course is to be offered by both regular and visiting faculty in history. The particular topic and reading list will be determined by the faculty member and may vary from year to year. It will be conducted in a seminar style, through extensive reading of key texts in the subject and intensive discussions in the class. Students will be required to write two review essays and one research paper and to present their findings in the class. It is anticipated that through students will gain a better understanding of the specific topics and historical discipline through the combination of close reading, critical thinking, intensive discussion and debates, and rigorous training in writing and presentation.

This course is to be offered by both regular and visiting faculty in history. The particular topic and reading list will be determined by the faculty member and may vary from year to year. It will be conducted in a seminar style, through extensive reading of key texts in the subject and intensive discussions in the class. Students will be required to write two review essays and one research paper and to present their findings in the class. It is anticipated that through students will gain a better understanding of the specific topics and historical discipline through the combination of close reading, critical thinking, intensive discussion and debates, and rigorous training in writing and presentation.

This course is to be offered by both regular and visiting faculty in history. The particular topic and reading list will be determined by the faculty member and may vary from year to year. It will be conducted in a seminar style, through extensive reading of key texts in the subject and intensive discussions in the class. Students will be required to write two review essays and one research paper and to present their findings in the class. It is anticipated that through students will gain a better understanding of the specific topics and historical discipline through the combination of close reading, critical thinking, intensive discussion and debates, and rigorous training in writing and presentation.

The course is designed to provide students with a more individualized course of reading that goes beyond the existing graduate courses. In this course, students are expected to read widely in their chosen field under the guidance of their supervisor.

The content and requirements of each Directed Reading course are determined by the students in consultation with his/her supervisor. The reading list, written work and meeting times will be negotiated between the supervisor and the student.