Program Courses

Compulsory Courses

[2015704] Southeast Asian Civilization

Southeast Asian civilization as a product of the creative cultural life of several different races and peoples in Southeast Asia; the formation of various centers of early civilization in Southeast Asia resulting from geographical conditions, inter-regional and intra-regional contacts, cultural integration, and the rise of urban communities; the conditions that maintained the existence of each civilization center; the evolution of Southeast Asian civilization.

[2015706] Modern Southeast Asia: Colonialism, Nationalization, and Democratization

The unique character of modern Southeast Asia; creative processes by which Southeast Asians have been adapting their cultures to the world in change; factors influencing the emergence and development of Southeast Asia, including climate and ecology, science and technology, and intra-regional and international contacts; the arrival of Western colonialism and its impact on Southeast Asian economic, political and social, systems; the rise of nationalism; the democratization process in Southeast Asia.

[2015708] ASEAN in Regional and Global Context

The emergence of ASEAN in Southeast Asia; ASEAN and its connections to Southeast Asian and world politics during and after the Cold War period; ASEAN and the problems of disunity and national interests among the individual members; external influences and internal resistances linked to the current status and future of ASEAN in world politics.

[2015710] Research Methodology in Southeast Asian Studies

Forms, methods, and direction of Southeast Asian studies structured and developed by colonial scholars; concept and ideology underlying noted works produced under the context of nationalism during the anti-colonial era; form, substance, and new direction of academic works on Southeast Asia created by American scholars during the cold war period; significant academic products of indigenous scholars after the cold war period and the methodology which emphasizes internal dimension.

Elective Courses

[2015712] State and Society in Mainland Southeast Asia

Interrelationships between the state and civil society in mainland Southeast Asia from the monarchic period to after World War II; the struggle of local autonomy against state authority with regard to the problems of self-governance, the allocation of resources, and people's fundamental rights.

[2015714] Local Autonomy in Southeast Asia

The growth and development of local autonomy in Southeast Asia; self-sufficiency and the emergence of local autonomy; villages and towns in Southeast Asia as bodies of local autonomy; various characteristics and dimensions of local autonomy - both legal and illegal; local autonomy and centralization; the impact of globalization on local autonomy and identity in Southeast Asia.

[2015715] Southeast Asian Arts and Culture

An overview of the arts of Southeast Asia; Southeast Asian arts in a sociocultural context; underlying concepts of Southeast Asian arts; major movements in Southeast Asian arts from the 19th century to the present.

[2015716] Ethnic Politics in Southeast Asia

Diverse ethnic groups in Southeast Asia; the extent of the integration of these ethnic groups in the context of a traditional state; the change of status and roles of some ethnic groups in the colonial period ; nation states after World War II and the political roles of the ethnic groups in Southeast Asia.

[2015718] Regionalism and Regional Organizations in Southeast Asia

The rise and development of regionalism in Southeast Asia from concept to practice; the geopolitical factors inducing political groupings in Southeast Asia from the Pan-Malayan irredentist movement of the 1930’s to SEATO, Maphilindo, ASA and ASEAN.

[2015720] Ecology and Nature in Mainland Southeast Asia

Persisting and changing views on nature ; representations of nature in the world of Buddhism and animism in Southeast Asia; the extent to which some animistic views have shaped particular discourses on ecology and have influenced regional movement environmental conservation.

[2015721] Urbanization in Southeast Asia

The emergence and development of urban communities in Southeast Asia; urban -rural connections; colonialism and urban forms; urbanization as part of modernization and industrialization; urban and regional developments; expansion of metropolitan regions; urban regimes and urban governance; slums and substandard housing; urban infrastructure provision.

[2015722] Southeast Asian Values and Worldview

Folk and court explanations of the world order; cosmologies and social hierarchy; values and taboos in Southeast Asian society; ideas on man and social order in Southeast Asian life.

[2015724] Gender in Southeast Asia

Gender relations and economic development in Southeast Asia focusing on issues of industrialization, tourism, the environment and sustainable development; sexuality and gender relations including violence against women, and trafficking in women; women's participation in and accessibility to politics and law; women and health including reproductive rights, sexually transmitted diseases and occupational health; women and socialization.

[2015726] Globalization and Local Identity in Southeast Asia

The theory of globalization and modernity, colonialism and Orientalism; post-colonialism and the rise of the "third world" as international political forces; developmentalism; nationalism; the nation state and bureaucracy, communist movements and other counter state movements; religious movements as counter monopolized modernity; gender and class in Southeast Asia; popular culture in Southeast Asia.

[2015730] Southeast Asian Landscape and Society

Physical geography and its effect on politics, the economy and society of each country and the region as a whole; human and cultural geography of Southeast Asia; peasant society; the spatial dimension related to various types of conflicts and cooperation in the region; ASEAN border conflicts.

[2015734] Southeast Asian Theatre and Film

Development of theatre and films in Southeast Asia; the relationship between traditional culture and local theatre and film production; western influence on Southeast Asian theatre and films; the interrelationship between theatre and films and politics and society.

[2015735] The Politics of the Narcotics Trade in Southeast Asia

Narcotic plants in Southeast Asia; opium and opium trading from the colonial period to World War II; the narcotics trade and its network, including production bases and trading routes in various areas, especially in the Golden Triangle; the narcotics trade and political conflicts in Southeast Asia after World War II.

[2015736] Islam in Southeast Asia

The spread of Islam in Southeast Asia and its impact upon local societies; the politicization of Islam; Islam and conflicts in Southeast Asian politics and societies.

[2015738] Vietnam from the Colonial Period to the Present

Different aspects of Vietnamese history from the second half of the 19th century up to the present, with emphasis on French colonial rule and its repercussions on Vietnamese society; the rise of Vietnamese nationalism; communism in Vietnamese society; Vietnam during World War II; post-war Vietnam and the division of the country; Vietnam and the Indochinese wars; the socialist transformation of South Vietnam after the unification of the country in 1975; the reform of the country in the 1980’s and its impacts.

[2015739] Vietnamese Communism

Acceptance and implementation of communism into different aspects of Vietnamese society, with emphasis on the history of communism in Vietnam; the transformation of Vietnamese society into a socialist/communist society; the transformation processes and problems in some particular aspects, including arts, literature, social organizations, education and historical explanations.

[2015740] Traditionalism, Revolution, and Consolidation in Cambodia

Conflicts between traditionalism and modernity in Cambodian internal politics; politics during the Cold War and its aftermath; revolution and government under the Khmer Rouge; Vietnamese politics within Cambodia; revolution and development of independence movements.

[2015742] Myanmar as a Militaristic State

Bases of Myanmar politics; the military and struggle for independence; monarchism and militarism; the military and the Myanmar way to socialism; the military, religion and politics in Myanmar; the Myanmar militaristic state in the age of globalization and the New World Order.

[2015743] Buddhism and Spiritualism in Myanmar

Buddhism and spiritualism as the core of the Myanmar worldview; connection of Buddhism and spiritualism to the Myanmar way of life; the spheres of Buddhism and spiritualism in Myanmar society; current changes within Myanmar Buddhism and spiritualism.

[2015744] External Impact and Cultural Integration in the Making of the Laotian State

The Laotian State in regional politics; the interference of external powers and the internal conflicts among the Lao elites of Luang Pra Bang, Vientiane and Champasak; Laos under French-colonial rule; the external impact during the Cold War period; identity in diversity and the impact of interference from Thailand, Vietnam and the world powers both before and after World War II.

[2015746] Islamic Tradition, Modernization and Race Relations in Malaysia

Impacts of Islam on Malay cultural beliefs and society; the roles of Islam in modernization; alienation in social relationships in Malaysian society.

[2015747] Current Research on Southeast Asia

Interesting issues in current research on Southeast Asia.

[2015748] Seminar on Southeast Asia

Selected issues on Southeast Asia.

[2015750] Individual Study

A specific topic of research according to each student's interest.

[2015751] Directed Reading on Southeast Asia

Supervised reading of assigned works in Southeast Asian Studies.

[2015752] Special Topics on Southeast Asia

Special topics on Southeast Asia.

[2015755] Labor and Industrial Relations in Southeast Asia

The formation, development and current situation of trade union movements in relation to development of capitalism in Southeast Asia; socioeconomic and cultural influences shape the direction and form of trade union struggle; comparative studies of trade union movements in this regions.

[2015811] Thesis

12-credit course for research thesis writing on specialized topics.