The Dr. David Chu Program in Asia-Pacific Studies is growing and changing. We are offering a much wider selection of exciting new courses through the new Contemporary Asian Studies major and minor program. As a result, we will no longer be accepting new majors or minors into Asia-Pacific Studies. To learn more about Contemporary Asian Studies, please visit www.utoronto.ca/cas.

The information below is relevant to students who enrolled in the Asia-Pacific Studies major or minor prior to January 2012 and who choose to complete the Asia-Pacific Studies program requirements. All new students will be enrolled in the Contemporary Asian Studies program and must follow those program requirements. Please direct questions to the Program Administrator, Katherine MacIvor, at ai.asianstudies@utoronto.ca.

Introduction

Based at the Asian Institute in the Munk School of Global Affairs, The Dr. David Chu Program in Asia Pacific Studies is an interdisciplinary undergraduate program that focuses on current events as well as socio-political and economic trends in the Asia Pacific region. With a great number of Asia related courses to choose from, students can tailor the program to their personal interests.

About Our Program

The Dr. David Chu Program in Asia-Pacific Studies welcomes students who wish to combine concentrated study in a traditional academic discipline with an interdisciplinary major or minor program that focuses on contemporary developments in this rapidly changing region. A broad survey course offered at the 200-level (CAS200Y or POL215Y) provides students with a solid understanding of the complex political, economic, social and cultural life of the region. An additional range of optional courses that span the humanities and the social sciences allow students to develop more specialized knowledge of the region. Finally, a fourth-year capstone course allows students in the program to synthesize what they have learned in various optional courses while undertaking independent research on a topic of special interest.

Study of a major language of the region is an important component of the major program. In many cases, this can be achieved by taking two courses in one of the three main languages taught in the Department of East Asian Studies: Chinese, Japanese or Korean. All possible efforts will also be made to assist and support students who wish to achieve basic fluency in another language of the region, such as Indonesian, Vietnamese, Malay, Tagalog or Thai. Students who are already fluent in a language of the region are allowed to substitute optional courses for the language course requirements.

Program Requirements

Enrolment in the Dr. David Chu Program in Asia-Pacific Studies is open to students who have successfully completed four full courses. Those who seek advanced language standing must receive permission from the Program Director, and will be required to complete recommended substitute courses.

Major program:
(7 full courses or their equivalent, including at least two 300+series courses)

1. POL215Y1 or CAS200Y1
2. CAS400Y1
3. Two sequential Y1 courses normally in one of three languages* - Chinese, Japanese or Korean - offered by the Department of East Asian Studies. For other languages, such as Thai, Vietnamese, Malay and Indonesian, students should consult with the Program Director. Generally two sequential courses are required for these languages as well but the Program will consider other arrangements including study abroad and intensive summer courses at other universities.
4.  Three additional full course equivalents on appropriate Asia-Pacific topics from offerings in the following departments: ANT, EAS, ECO, FAH, GGR, HIS, INI, PHL, POL, RLG, SOC. Current Asia-Pacific course offerings from those departments are listed below.
   Please consult the Program Director if you have any questions about your course selection.

*No more than three FCEs in an East Asian language can be counted towards the major program.

See Arts and Science Calendar Entry for further information.

Minor Program:
(4 full courses or their equivalent, including at least 1.0 FCE at the 300+ level)

1. POL215Y1 or CAS200Y1
2. Three additional FCEs from the list below:
   CAS200Y1; POL215Y1; JMC301Y1; INI390Y1; JPA331Y1; JPA410H1; JPA411H1; JPA420H1; CAS430H1; ANT341H1; ANT354H1; ANT466H1; EAS217Y1; EAS247H1; EAS251H1; EAS271H1/Y1; EAS289Y1; EAS347H1; EAS357H1; EAS462H1; ECO309H1; ECO435H1; GGR342H1; GGR343H1; HIS107Y1; HIS280Y1; HIS281Y1; HIS283Y1; HIS284Y1; HIS315H1; HIS326H1; HIS328H1; HIS347H1; HIS380H1; HIS385H1/Y1; HIS409H1; HIS448H1; HIS467H1; POL300H1; POL335H1; POL376Y1; POL431Y1; POL441H1; RLG206Y1; RLG207Y1; RLG236H1; RLG356H1; RLG379H1; RLG466H1; SOC218Y1.

Courses

Core Courses:
All students are required to take either POL215Y1 or ASI200Y1; ASI400Y1 is required for students in the major program only.

POL215Y1: Politics and Transformation of Asia-Pacific        48L, 26T
This course provides a comparative analysis of selected countries of East and Southeast Asia, with an emphasis on changing views of citizenship as they have been shaped by political, socio-economic and cultural transformations in the region. The first term deals with the idea of the developmental state, inequality, democratization and nationalism. The second term takes up questions related to governance and corruption, culture, demographic changes and nascent forms of regionalism and globalization.
Prerequisite: One full POL course/4.0 FCEs in the Faculty of Arts and Science

CAS200Y1 Global Asia        48L
This course introduces students to Asia’s growing role in the contemporary global economy.  It provides an interdisciplinary lens onto key themes and topics in the study of the Asia with a particular emphasis on the dynamic movement of people, ideas, and resources across borders in the region. It provides conceptual and area studies background for students aiming to take more advanced courses on Asia and for students interested in the Asia-Pacific Studies major and minor. The course also examines the growth and character of economic, political, and cultural connections tying Asia to Canada.

CAS400Y1: Seminar in Asia-Pacific Studies        48L
This seminar course examines diverse postwar experiences and realities of the Asia Pacific region, which comprises a range of countries that differ in cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds, in levels of social and economic developments, and in political regimes. Unlike Europe, which has gone through a steady process of integration since WWII, regional links among Asia Pacific countries have been rather weak and often limited. Attempts to forge regional economic cooperation within the Asia Pacific region, such as ASEAN, have been fraught with political and historical tensions. As a result, much of the linkage has been limited to investment, trade, and production networks. This seminar will examine the various social, economic, and political experiences and realities of the countries in this region and their implications.
Prerequisite: At least 10 FCEs including POL215Y1 or ASI200Y1 and enrolment in the Asia Pacific Studies major, or permission of the Program Director

Courses with spaces reserved for Asia-Pacific Studies students

JMC301Y1 State & Society in 20th Century China
Professor Victor Falkenheim

This course explores China’s efforts to construct a modern and effective political order in the face of powerful demographic and revolutionary challenges. The clash between competing ideologies, political and social movements and institutional alternatives in the context of rapid social and economic change are analyzed. (Given by the Departments of East Asian Studies and Political Science). Prerequisite: EAS102Y1/POL215Y1

JPA331Y1 Issues in Contemporary Chinese Politics
Professor Lynette Ong

This course covers topics of interest in China from the Communist takeover in 1949 through to the reform period of the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. It will also address aspects of China’s diplomacy related to its growing economic power.  (Given by the Department of Political Science and the Dr. David Chu Program in Asia Pacific Studies.) Prerequisite: POL215Y1
Exclusion: POL300H1 (F) taken in 2009-10 and 2010-11

INI390Y1 Chinese Cinemas
Professor Bart Testa

Examination of contemporary Chinese films in their three production centres: the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Production, commercial and aesthetic trends, and international reception; major auteurs and genres. Directors include Chen Kaige, Zang Yimou, Edward Yang, John Woo, and Wang Kar-wai. Please note that Asia-Pacific Studies majors who have not taken the prerequisite (INI115Y1) can receive special permission to take this course. (Offered in alternate years)

JPA410H1 Democracy and Identity in Asia [24L]
Professor Jacques Bertrand

The course explores the ways in which identity has been empowered, represented, and institutionalized in Asia's emerging democracies; how identity claims challenge historically notions of state and nation; various ways in which democracy is being shaped and challenged by demands for identity recognition. Thematic, cross-regional approach; EAST, SOUTHEAST AND SOUTH ASIA. (Given by the Department of Political Science and the Dr. David Chu Program in Asia Pacific Studies.)

JPA411H1 The Political Economy of Global Taiwan [24L]
Professor Joseph Wong

This course explores the place of Taiwan the new global economy from historical, comparative, and international relations perspectives. (Given by the Department of Political Science and the Dr. David Chu Program in Asia Pacific Studies.)

CAS420H1 Asia and the new Global Economy [24L]
Professor Joseph Wong

This course explores the rise of Asia and its integration into the new global economy (labour, capitalism, knowledge economy, economic nationalism, inequality, gender, the meaning of capitalism, democracy, among others), exposing students to different disciplinary perspectives. Geographical coverage to include EAST, SOUTHEAST AND SOUTH ASIA. (Formerly JPA420H1.)

CAS430H1 Nationalism, Revolution and Reform in Asia: China in Comparative Perspective
Professor Yiching Wu

This course explores the far-reaching social, political, and cultural transformations in modern China. Focusing on China’s twentieth-centuryrevolutionary history and its struggles to establish a modern nation-state, the course adopts a topical approach within a chronological and comparative framework to highlight major historical movements and theoretical issues significant to the Asian experience.

Courses eligible for program credit (major only)

In addition to the core courses and courses with priority enrolment, the following c ourses are eligible for program credit in the major program.  Please note that some of the courses have prerequisites; in all cases, and for updates on courses being offered, check individual department websites.  Please consult the Program Director about receiving credit for courses not listed here.

Anthropology
ANT341H1 China in Transition
ANT354H1 Japan in Global Context: Anthropological Perspectives
ANT377H1 Transnational Korea in and outside the Peninsula
ANT466H1 The Philippines and the Filipino Diaspora

East Asian Studies
EAS102Y1 Introduction to East Asian Civilizations
EAS103H1 Premodern East Asian History
EAS105H1 Modern East Asian History
EAS209H1 Approaches to East Asia
EAS211Y0 Chinese Art
EAS215H1 History of Chinese Thought: Tang through Ming Periods
EAS217Y1 Major Aspects of Contemporary Korea
EAS233H1 History of China’s Performing Arts
EAS235H1 Perceptions of China in Japanese Literature
EAS237Y1 Japanese Cinema: Film Form and the Problems of Japanese Modernity
EAS241H1 History of Chinese Philosophy
EAS245H1 Pre-Modern Japanese History
EAS246H1 Early Modern Japanese History (Early Modern Japan)
EAS247H1 History of Capitalism in Modern Japan
EAS251H1 Aesthetics and Politics in 20th Century Korea
EAS256H1 Chinese Literature (Pre-Qin to Tang)
EAS257H1 Chinese Literature (Song to Qing)
EAS271H1/Y1 20th Century Korean History
EAS272H1 Post-War Korean Society & Culture
EAS284H1 Modern Chinese Literature
EAS289Y1 Environment and East Asia
EAS295Y0 Selected Topics in East Asian Studies
EAS297H1 Texts, Images and Objects in East Asia
EAS303H1 Technology of Social Engineering: Women in 20th Century East Asia
EAS307H1 Chinese Political Philosophy
EAS309H1 Modern Chinese Prose
EAS311H1 A History of Japanese Monsters
EAS318H1 Rethinking Modernism: The Perspectives of Mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong
EAS324H1 Mysticism in East Asia Revisited
EAS325H1 The Body in East Asian Religions
EAS327H1 Japanese Fiction and the Nation
EAS330H1 Narrative Strategies in Modern Japanese Fiction
EAS333H1 Modernism and Colonial Korea
EAS334Y1 The Chinese Novel
EAS338H1 Classical Daoism
EAS340Y1 The Chinese: Society & Culture in Transition
EAS344H1 Topics in Chinese Society and Culture
EAS345Y1 The Rise of Greater China: Issues & Topics
EAS346H1 Self and Imagination in Pre-Modern China
EAS347H1 Everyday Life in Modern Japan
EAS357H1 From Socialism to Postsocialism: Mao’s China and Beyond
EAS361Y1 Zen Buddhism
EAS364H1 China’s Cultural Revolution- History and Memory
EAS366H1 Lovers and Madmen in Chinese Literature
EAS368Y1 The Philosophy of the Buddha
EAS369Y1 Transformation of Buddhist Practice in the Contemporary World
EAS372H1 Postwar Korean History
EAS373H1 Choson History
EAS374H1 Modern Japan and Colonialism
EAS375H1Postwar Japan: Crisis, Apocalypse
EAS378H1 Edo, Osaka, and Kyoto: Urban Life in Early Modern Japan
EAS389Y1 History of Korean Religion
EAS393H1/Y1 Topics in Buddhism
EAS394H1 Film Culture in Contemporary China
EAS395Y0 Selected Topics in East Asian Studies
EAS396H1 Practical Learning in East Asia
EAS397H1 Literary Lives in Late Imperial China (Lit Lives Imp China)
EAS406Y1 Thinking about things: Material Culture in East Asia
EAS407H1 Textual Analysis of Classical Chinese Philosophy
EAS408H1 Modern Taiwanese Literature
EAS409H1 The Cosmopolitan City in Premodern China: Chang'an
EAS411H1 Art and Archaeology of Early China 1
EAS412H1 Technology and Material Cultures of Ancient China
EAS413H1 Medieval Chinese Civilization
EAS418H1 Topics in Chinese Art Theories
EAS420H1 Travels, Travelers and Travel Accounts in Asia
EAS431H1 Advanced Topics in Japanese Cinema
EAS432H1 Korean Cultural Studies Seminar
EAS438H1 Architecture in Pre-modern China
EAS439H1 The Global Bildungsroman: Narratives of Development, Time and Colonialism
EAS444H1 The City, Body and Text in Modern Japanese Literature
EAS448H1 EAS Archive: Language, Number, Money
EAS453H1 Gender, Sexuality & Modernity in China, Korea, and Japan
EAS456H1 Japan as seen by ?: Reference, Apparatus, Operation
EAS457H1 Special Topics in Modern Japanese History
EAS462H1 Ethnographic Literature on Korea: Class, Gender & Family
EAS464H1 The Korean War
EAS465H1 Domesticity and Family in 20th Century East Asia
EAS467H1 Photographic Narratives of Japan
EAS473H1 Modern Korean History Seminar
EAS475Y1 Issues in East Asian Historiography
EAS476Y1 Democracy and History in Korea
EAS478Y1 Samurai Culture
EAS484Y1 The Japanese Empire
EAS495Y1 Topics in East Asian Studies
EAS496H1 Topics in East Asian Studies
EAS497H1 Beyond Orientalism

East Asian Studies (Language courses)
EAS100Y1 Modern Standard Chinese I
EAS101Y1 Modern Chinese I for Students with Prior Background
EAS200Y1 Modern Standard Chinese II
EAS201Y1 Modern Chinese II for Students with Prior Background
EAS290Y1 Chinese Language for Non-Mandarin Speakers I
EAS300Y1 Modern Standard Chinese III
EAS400Y1 Modern Standard Chinese IV
EAS120Y1 Modern Standard Japanese I
EAS121H1 Japanese I for Students with Prior Background
EAS122Y0 Summer Japanese in Japan I
EAS220Y1 Modern Standard Japanese II
EAS222Y0 Summer Japanese in Japan II-a
EAS223Y0 Summer Japanese in Japan II-b
EAS320Y1 Modern Standard Japanese III
EAS321Y0 Summer Japanese in Japan III-a
EAS322Y0 Summer Japanese in Japan III-b
EAS460H1 Modern Standard Japanese IVa
EAS461H1 Modern Standard Japanese IVb
EAS462Y0 Summer Japanese in Japan IVa
EAS463Y0 Summer Japanese in Japan IVb
EAS110Y1 Modern Standard Korean I
EAS210Y1 Modern Standard Korean II
EAS216Y1 Modern Standard Korean for Students with Prior Background
EAS310Y1 Modern Standard Korean III
EAS410Y1 Modern Standard Korean IV
EAS415H1 Advanced Readings in Korean

Economics
ECO435H1 Economics of Modern China

Fine Art History
FAH260H1 The Artistic Landscape of East Asia
FAH262H1 Art and Visual Experience in Modern and Contemporary East Asia
FAH361H1 Art and Ritual in East Asia
FAH362H1 Landscape and the Built Environment in East Asia
FAH363H1 The Mechanics of the Image in East Asia
FAH368H1 Encounters: Art Within and Beyond East Asia
FAH396Y0 Studies Abroad in Asian Art and Architecture
FAH461H1 East Asian Art as a Cultural System
FAH463H1 Materiality, Objecthood, Connoisseurship and Collecting in the Arts of East Asia
FAH464H1 Transregional East Asian Art
FAH496H1/Y1 Independent Studies in Asian Art and Architecture

Geography
GGR342H1 The Changing Geography of Southeast Asia
GGR343H1 The Changing Geography of China

History
HIS107Y1 Approaches to East Asian History
HIS280Y1 History of China
HIS281Y1 History of Modern Japan
HIS283Y1 Southeast Asian Crossroads
HIS284Y1 Viet Nam: Crossroads of Asia
HIS315H1 Narratives of “Viet Nam”
HIS326H1 Topics in Chinese History
HIS328H1 Modern China
HIS347H1 History of Modern Chinese Foreign Relations
HIS380H1 Late Imperial China
HIS385H1/Y1 The History of Hong Kong
HIS409H1 One Day in Vietnamese Religious History: The Meetings of the Four Religions
HIS448H1 Gender in East and Southeast Asia
HIS467H1 French Colonial Indochina: History, Cultures, Texts, Film
HIS485H1 Topics in Late Imperial and Modern Chinese History

Philosophy
PHL237H1 History of Chinese Philosophy
PHL337H1 Topics in Chinese Philosophy

Political Science
POL376Y1 Transforming Global Politics: Comparative and Chinese Perspectives
POL431Y1 Politics and Society in Contemporary China
POL441H1 Topics in Asian Politics

Religion
RLG206Y1 The Buddhist Religious Tradition
RLG207Y1 The Study of East Asian Religions
RLG236H1 Gender, Body and Sexuality in Asian Traditions
RLG356H1 Islam in China
RLG379H1 Daoism in Practice
RLG466H1 Buddhism and Society in East Asia
RLG468H1 Religion and Society in Classical Japan

Sociology
SOC218H1 Asian Communities in Canada

Extracurricular Opportunities

The generous donation from Dr. Chu has permitted the creation of a Distinguished Leaders program to host scholars, business and government leaders from the region. A Community Network program sponsors public lectures, seminars and roundtables. The program provides a gathering place for visiting professors and researchers. An important initiative within the Dr. David Chu Program is fostering a sense of community among its students, through social events and the funding of clubs.   One extraordinary student initiative is the Asia Pacific Reader, an “online resource that fosters interdisciplinary academic exploration of contemporary Asia,” which connects students, faculty, and interested community members.

Scholarships

Students in the David Chu Program are strongly encouraged to apply for David Chu Scholarships in Asia Pacific Studies.  These scholarships may be used for research travel to Asia, language study, or to supplement tuition costs for students with financial need. Please visit the scholarships page for further information.

Map of the Asia Pacific Region


Map of the Asia Pacific region, with China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Taiwan, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, East Timor, Philippines, and Brunei.