Delivered at:: Institute of Asian and African Studies

Course type:: Compulsory course

When:: 1 year, 3, 4 module

Instructors

Ковш Андрей Владимирович

Soboleva, Elena

Full Syllabus

Abstract

The course will discuss formation and evolution of the political regimes, processes of state- and nation-building in Asia. Lecturers will introduce the most important political actors in selected countries (China, Japan, ROK, DPRK, Vietnam): major state institution, as well as political parties, political elites, church and civil society. The course will focus on forms and drivers of social movements and protests in the above mentioned states. Students will also learn about several selected policy areas – ethnic and socio-economic policies. Prerequisites: English B2; basic knowledge of political science, history and geography of Asia.

Learning Objectives

To familiarize students with the specifics of the political development and governance in Asian countries with a special focus on states in Northeast and Southeast Asia.
To introduce to students the most important political actors in selected countries (China, Japan, ROK, DPRK, Vietnam): major state institution, as well as political parties, political elites, church and civil society.
To give students background information on forms and drivers of social movements and protests in the above mentioned regions.
Introduce to students several selected policy areas in Asian countries – ethnic and socio-economic policies.

Expected Learning Outcomes

Work with information related to politics and governance in Asia: find, evaluate, systematize and use information necessary for solving scientific and professional problems from various sources
Communicate in English on topics related to politics and governance in Asia
Prepare scientific and analytical reports, reviews, presentations, information briefs and explanatory notes on the issues of political development in Asia
Take into account the cultural specificity characteristic of the countries in Asia in their practical and research activities
Use the conceptual apparatus of political science, critically analyse the information
Understand and analyse significant social and political problems and processes occurring in Asian society

Course Contents

Introduction to Asian politics
Lecture 1. Introduction. Political Regimes and Democratization in East and Southeast Asia. Analytical approaches to Asian politics. Evolution of political regimes in East and Southeast Asia after the end of the Cold war till nowadays. Drivers and paths to democratization. Authoritarian resilience.
Communist states in Northeast and Southeast Asia: China, Vietnam and the DPRK
Lecture 2: Major State Political Institutions in the PRC and the SRV. Organization of political systems in China and Vietnam according to their respective constitutions and their latest revisions. National People's Congress, President, State Council and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference: their composition, functions, role in China's political system, etc. Provincial and local governments in China. National assembly, President and Government of Vietnam: composition, functions, role. Seminar 1. Communist Parties in China and Vietnam. Presentation topics: 1. Evolution, types and role of political elite within the Communist party of China. 2. The Communist Party of Vietnam: history, structure and resilience.
Communist states in Northeast and Southeast Asia: China, Vietnam and the DPRK
Lecture 3: Civil Society in the PRC. Evolution of civil society in China from 1978 till today. Laws governing civil society in China. Different types of NGOs in China and their role. Civic activism, dissidents and protests. Seminar 2: Protests in SAR Hong Kong. Presentation topics: 1) Umbrella Revolution in Hong Kong. 2) 2019 Anti-extradition bill protests in Hong Kong.
Communist states in Northeast and Southeast Asia: China, Vietnam and the DPRK
Lecture 4: Provincial, municical and local governance in the PRC. Provincial- and municipal-level governments. Regional administrative organization. Regional special interests. Informal federalism. Local governments at the county, township, and village levels. The functions of local government. Village self-governance and village. Decentralized economic policies and regional disparities. Rural development policies. Seminar 4: Socio-economic problems and government policies in the PRC. Presentation topics: 1) Corruption in the PRC: reasons, effects and anti-corruption campaign under Xi Jinping. 2) Income and rural-urban inequality in China: reasons, effects and government’s response.
Communist states in Northeast and Southeast Asia: China, Vietnam and the DPRK
Lecture 5: Ethnic policy in the PRC. Evolution of ethnic policy in China from imperial times till today. Legislative framework of the ethnic policy. Three pillars of the Chinese ethnic policy. Major results of the ethnic policy and existing challenges.
Communist states in Northeast and Southeast Asia: China, Vietnam and the DPRK
Lecture 6. State building process in the DPRK. The northern part of the Korean Peninsula after liberation from Japanese colonial rule. National movements and leaders against Communist influence of the USSR and China. Kim Il Sung rise.
Democratic states in Northeast Asia: ROK and Japan
Lecture 7. Japanese Empire rise and fall. Japan political development after WWII. Development of The Empire of Japan from the Meiji Restoration (1868) to the enactment of the 1947 Constitution of modern Japan. Political development after the WWII. The first postwar elections in 1948. Seminar 5. Development of civil society in Japan. Presentation topics: 1. NGOs in Japan. 2. Religion and civil society in Japan.
Democratic states in Northeast Asia: ROK and Japan
Lecture 8. State building process in the ROK. South Korea as a three miracle state – the miracles of security, economy, and democratization. Re-building of the war-torn, poverty-stricken country into a modern state in a single generation under the most trying circumstances including continual confrontation with the Communist North. Seminar 6. Development of civil society in the ROK. Presentation topics: 1. Church and society in the ROK. 2. NGO in the ROK. Seminar 7. Current socio-economic problems in the ROK and Japan . Presentation topics: 1. Cooling down of economy and China’s regional hegemony: challenge or opportunity? 2. Ageing population and low birth rate: restructurization of society?
Political development in Southeast Asia
Seminar 8. Political development in Southeast Asia. Presentation topics: 1. Failure of democracy in post-colonial era in SEA. 2. Role of monarchy in SEA countries in post-colonial era.

Assessment Elements

Presentation
Depending on the number of students, presentations can be either individual or prepared in groups by 2-3 students. The time limit for presentation is 20 minutes and should not be exceeded. Students are expected to read literature recommended in the syllabus, as well as to search for extra sources, especially in order to get most up-to-date information on the topic of their presentation. If a student is not able to be present at the seminar due to illness or any other legitimate reason (relevant document should be provided), he/she should approach lecturers to be assigned with alternative task.
In-class participation (oral)
Lecturers evaluate students progress, including assigned readings comprehension and contribution to discussions. The component is calculated as an average grade achieved on all seminars. Accumulative marks (min – 0, max – 10) for the participation in class discussions are released at the end of the course (before the final assessment takes place). If a student is not able to attend the seminar due to illness or any other legitimate reason (relevant document should be provided), he/she is not graded for that seminar. In all other cases students are graded with 0 for the seminar they have missed.
Online course
Exam (Test)
The final exam is a written test with different types of questions. For the period of distance learning: the final exam will be conducted on the LMS platform (https://lms.hse.ru/index.php). Students must log in to their LMS account 5 minutes before the start of the exam. The exam is a test with 20 questions of various types. The time to complete the test is 60 minutes. Students can take the the test only once and cannot pause it. In the case of a short-term communication failure (up to 10 minutes) at the student's side and / or technical problems with the LMS, the student must take a screenshot/photo of the problem and send it to the course curator Elena Soboleva. If the student immediately notifies the curator about the problem, he/she will be given the opportunity to re-take the test on the same day. In case of a long-term communication disruption, the student cannot continue to participate in the exam. The re-examination is organized in the same way. Technical requirements The student's computer must meet the requirements of: · The presence of high-quality Internet connection.

Interim Assessment

Interim assessment (4 module)
0.4 * Exam (Test) + 0.1 * In-class participation (oral) + 0.2 * Online course + 0.3 * Presentation

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

Diamond, L., & Shin, G.-W. (2014). New Challenges for Maturing Democracies in Korea and Taiwan. Palo Alto: Stanford University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=713462
Li, C. (2016). Chinese Politics in the Xi Jinping Era : Reassessing Collective Leadership. Washington: Brookings Institution Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1001080
Lieberthal, K., Li, C., & Yu, K. (2014). China’s Political Development : Chinese and American Perspectives. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=749054

Recommended Additional Bibliography

Manfred Elfstrom, & Sarosh Kuruvilla. (2014). The Changing Nature of Labor Unrest in China. ILR Review, (2), 453. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsrep&AN=edsrep.a.sae.ilrrev.v67y2014i2p453.480
Nguyen, H. H. aut. (2016). Resilience of the Communist Party of Vietnam’s authoritarian regime since Doi Moi Hai Hong Nguyen. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.488427886
Tai, J. W. (2014). Building Civil Society in Authoritarian China : Importance of Leadership Connections for Establishing Effective Nongovernmental Organizations in a Non-Democracy. Cham: Springer. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=838736

Master’s Programme 'Business and Politics in Modern Asia'

Study Office Venue

Politics, Elites and Governance in Asia