This course is offered exclusively for those students from the Charles University in the Czech Republic who spend one year in the Department of Political Science at NTU, in order to pursue the dual master degree granted jointly by NTU and the Charles University. In compliance with the rules set in the bilateral agreement on the dual master degree program, in which the degree granted by NTU is “Master in East Asian Studies,” this course is designed to combine basic training in the Chinese language and background knowledge in East Asian studies, with more emphasis placed on the first than on the second component. Due to the combination and emphasis above, the overlap between this course and any other course taken at NTU by the students from Charles U. is minimized. To enhance the students’ abilities in both spheres, the teaching/reading materials for all weekly meetings will make possible cross-reference between English and Chinese. Specifically, in all weeks there will be videos/films with narrators speaking in Chinese coupled with English subtitles, or narrators speaking in English with Chinese subtitles. There will also be required English or Chinese readings every week. Discussions and lectures will be the main format to conduct the class. Each of them will account for about half of the time. A key goal of the design above is that while students will acquire richer knowledge about East Asia, they will also familiarize themselves with those the written and spoken forms of the Chinese terms/concepts corresponding to specific components of the knowledge above.

Week 1: Introduction
Week 2: Extension of National Holiday on Feb. 28; No class
Week 3: China’s Rise and Recent Changes (I): the growing Chinese economy in the reform era and new challenges ahead.
Week 4: China’s Rise and Recent Changes (II): political developments in the reform era and the authoritarian revival since 2012.
Week 5: History of the Chinese Communist Party: crucial developments in CCP history and elite politics, with emphasis placed on students’ learning of key Chinese terms in CCP history.
Week 6: China through the Eyes of Ordinary Chinese Citizens: the everyday life of ordinary Chinese citizens and particularly the youths, which reflects evolutionary trends in the nation as a whole.
Week 7: National holiday, no class
Week 8: Taiwan (I): Politics: continuities and changes in Taiwan’s political development.
Week 9: University-Wide Midterm Exams; No Class.
Week 10: Taiwan (II): Economy: Macroeconomic conditions and industrial transformations in Taiwan.
Week 11: Taiwan (III): Culture and Society: Taiwan’s cultural uniqueness and social movements.
Week 12: Taiwan through the Eyes of Ordinary Taiwanese Citizens: updates on how individuals, especially young people, cope with the various changing macro conditions around them in Taiwan.
Week 13: Cross-Strait Relations (I): cross-strait political, economic, and military interactions before 2016.
Week 14: Cross-Strait Relations (II): cross-strait political, economic, and military interactions after 2016.
Week 15: Korea Compared with Taiwan (I): Korea’s economic and industrial transformations seen through a comparative prism with those in Taiwan.
Week 16: Korea Compared with Taiwan (II): Korea’s arts, lifestyle, and mass culture seen through a comparative prism with those in Taiwan.
Week 17: National holiday (Dragon Boat Festival), no class
Week 18: University-Wide Final Exams, no class