Home > Teaching > Asian Programme > Study Guide

Suomeksi

Asian Programme Study Guide

Contents:

Goals
Structure of the Programme and timetable
Student Selection
The Letter of Confirmation for the Polytechnic Students
Signing up for the Modules and Courses
Cancellations
Working and Teaching Methods

	Lectures
	Online Courses
	Essays

Examinations

	"Home Exam"
	Grades

Study Materials

	Literature
	Others

Student Administration
Registration of Credits
Transfer of Credits and Course Examptions
Costs of Studies
Study Guide
Asianstudies mailing list
Contact Information and Local Arrangements

 

GOALS

The Asian Programme aims to provide students sound basic knowledge of East and Southeast Asia by examining the area using a multidisciplinary approach through the sciences of cultural history, society and politics, business and communication.

The Programme offers a starting point for those students who plan to write their BA or MA thesis on the area or plan to have a career in the related field.

It also provides a solid platform for those who plan to study or do their practical training in the Asia.

The Asian Programme is a basic-level programme. Iit is possible to either study the whole programme or parts of it.

Back to Top

STRUCTURE OF THE PROGRAMME AND TIMETABLE:

The following modules and courses are available in the Asian Programme

A: Cultural History of East and Southeast Asia, 6 cr
(spring 2010, period III. This course is in Finnish)

Application is open for either the whole module (6cr) or the Lecture and Book Exam course (3 cr)

Module A consists of three courses: Lecture and book exam (3 cr),
online course (2 cr, the student is to choose one of two available topics), and essay (1 cr).

B: Society and Politics in East and Southeast Asia, 6 cr
(spring 2010, IV period)

Application is open for either the whole module (6 cr) or the Lecture course course (2 cr).

Module B consists of three courses: Lecture course (2 cr), book exam (2 cr), and online course (2 cr, the student is to choose one of two available topics).

C: Business in East and Southeast Asia, 7 cr
(autumn 2010, periods I and II)

Application is open for either the whole module (7 cr), Lecture and Readings course (5 cr) or Term Paper course (2 cr)

Module C consists of two courses: Lecture and readings (5 cr), and Term Paper (2 cr).

 

D: Language and Communication in East and Southeast Asia, 6 cr
(autumn 2010, period II)

Module D consists of only one part and must be taken as whole. There are few assignments in the course. Marks for the course will be given on completion of all the required assignments.

E: India in World Politics, 6 cr
(autumn 2010, period I and II)

Module E consists of only one part and must be taken as whole. There are few assignments in the course. Marks for the course will be given on completion of all the required assignments.

 

You can either apply for the whole programme (at least 25 cr), individual modules or individual courses.

If you want to complete the Asian Programme as a minor you have to take at least FOUR (4) whole courses (any four of A,B,C,D or E) AND AT LEAST 25 credits in total.

Note: If you choose course combination ABDE you still have to complete at least a part of the C-course in order to get at least 25 credits in total.

It takes one year to complete the Programme. The modules and single courses are running on schedule and it is not possible to take the courses in any other time.

Permition to postpone the deadline of your assignment would only be granted upon a very good reason. The final decision is at the discretion of the course teacher and is undisputable. Request for such postponement must be made prior to the actual deadline.

Marks for the course will be given on completion of all the required assignments.

Back to Top

STUDENT SELECTION

Following persons are eligible to apply at the Asian Programme:

• The students of member universities of the University Network
• Students of other unviersities can apply to the course as self-paying independent students
• Polytechnic students are allowed to enroll in the Programme if their school endorses the study fee (see the letter of confirmation for the polytechnic students)
• Finish citizens and persons living in Finland with permanent recident permit are allowed to enroll as self-paying independent students

 

The Programme is not recommended for freshmen students.

Application period for the Programme is scheduled annually around October and November. Exact deadlines and dates are announced on our website www.asianet.fi.

Back to Top

THE LETTER OF CONFIRMATION FOR THE POLYTECHNIC STUDENTS

All polytechnic students need to submit a confirmation letter on acceptance (puoltokirje) from their own unit in which the unit endorses the student's study fee in the Asian Programme. This letter should be submitted to the Network Planning Officer

Returning Polytechnic students who have participated before in the Programme need to provide a new confirmation letter when applying to the new courses or to courses that they were not able to finish during the previous year.

(All university students are exempt from the Letter of Confirmation.)

Back to Top

SIGNING UP FOR THE MODULES AND COURSES

University Students:

When a student is accepted to the Asian Programme s/he is also automatically signed up to the modules or courses s/he applied. There is no need to sign up separately for the modules or the courses.

Note: In Module A and B of the online course there are two possible choises from which student is to choose one. Student should sign up to the course of his or her choice as instructed in the module's Moodle page.

If you wish to change your choices, please make your request to the Network Planning Officer directly.

If you do not remember to what courses you have signed up, please contact the Network Planning Officer.

 

Polytechnic Student:

When a student is accepted to the Asian Programme s/he is also automatically signed up to the modules or courses that his or her Polytechnic has endorsed. There is no separate signing up for the modules or the courses.

Note: In Module A and B in the online course there are two possible choices from which student is to choose one. Student should sign up to the course of his or her choice as instructed in the module's Moodle page.

If you wish to change your choices, you have to seek approval first from your own unit/deparment. If you want to take more courses, a new confirmation letter from your unit/department is required. Such requests must be made immediately to the Network Planning Officer with details of those changes and make sure that your Polytechnic sends the new confirmation letter to the Planning Officer as soon as possible.

If you do not remember what courses you have signed up, please contact the Network Planning Officer.

Back to Top

CANCELLATIONS

Univeristy Students:

Students are asked to inform the coordination unit's Planning Officer in case they are unable to take the modules or courses they have been accepted into.

Polytechnic Students:

The students are asked to inform the coordination unit's Planning Officer and their own unit/department in case they are unable to take the modules or courses they have been accepted into. Please note that Polytechnics are still paying for the courses that are not completed.

Back to Top

WORKING AND TEACHING METHODS

The Asian Programme consists of distance learning courses, literature exams, web courses and essays (more detailed course descriptions on the course pages).

Lectures

Asian Programme lectures are available only through the Internet in the Moodle learning environment.

Most of the lecture videos are in Flash format, which can be viewed with a web browser and a Adobe Flash Player, which is usually already installed on most of the computers. You can download the latest version of the Flash Player from Adobe's web page.

Some of the videos are in MPEG4 format, which can be viewed with QuickTime program. Make sure you have the newest version installed.

Most of the computers in computer labs should be adequate for viewing the lecture videos.

If you cannot find a suitable computer or encounter any problems on one of those computers please contact your local IT support at your own unviersity.

It is advised to bring your own headphones if you are using the computers in a computer lab. If you are not sure where to plug in the headphones, again, please contact the IT support. (Usually headphones are plugged in either to the speaker or to the headset/output socket located at the rear of the CPU).

Online courses

With the online courses it is meant that the courses in module A and B stundents are to choose one of the alternative topics. Student should sign up to the course of his/her choice according to the instructions given in the module's Moodle site.

Also the online courses are organised in the Moodle learning environment. They may include lecture videos, readings, group discussions etc.

Essays

Instructions for the essays are given in each module's own Moodle site.

Back to Top

EXAMINATIONS

All exams are so called home exams (explained in more details later).

Lecture and book exams are organized three times, from which the student chooses the date that is most suitable to her/him. You do not need to sign up for the exam.

Students are not required to take all three examinations, one passed exam is enough. However, if the first examination is failed the student is allowed to try again in the next run, and the one after if necessary.

The same applies if the student wishes to take the examination again for better grading because the result of the first examination was not found to be satisfactory.

If the student do not pass any of the three examinations, s/he must redo the course all over again the next time it is available (normally next year).

Please check from each module's own Moodle site more detailed information about the examinations and how they are arranged.

"Home Exam"

In the home exams the questions are available for students in the morning of the examination date at 9.00 am (Finnish time) on the module's/course's own Moodle site or they are sent to students by email.

The examination can be taken wherever and whenever the student sees appropriate within the specified time period stated in the examination instructions.

Students need to return their answers by either using the upload tool at the module's Moodle site or by regular mail.

The answers that needs to be returned by regular mail with the postal stamp of the examination date. It is advised to check that the postal stamp is dated correctly and clearly legible.

Answers arriving late are failed automatically.

In some exceptional cases (you are abroad, for example), it is possible to return the exams by using email (contact the teacher in question or the Network's Planning Officer).

Examinations are done individually; any cooperation is strictly prohibited if not otherwise mentioned in the instructions of the specified course. Copying and plagiarizing is strictly prohibited and when discovered leads to failing automatically.

Grades

All the courses are graded from 1 to 5, where

0=failed
1 = fair
2 = satisfactory
3 = good
4 = very good
5 = excellent

Grade Point Average (GPA) is given to those students who have completed the whole Programme (minimum 25 cr).

There is no GPA for the separate modules A,B, C.

Back to Top

STUDY MATERIALS

Most of the study materials are available through the Internet on the course's Moodle site. Articles that are available in library databases and also ordinary books are used as study material.

Literature

Universities and Polytechnics have been asked to acquire all examination books mentioned in Asian Programme's course requirements.

Pleas bear in mind that all books might not be readily available in all libraries.

If you cannot find a specific book from your local university, check the availability from other university libraries. Remember that it is possible to borrow books from one library through another.

Very often it is possible to buy the books from online bookstores.

We check the reading material every year. Our aim is to provide to the students the most recent studies available, that also suits well for the knowledge level of the students.

Others

Other study materials, for example lecture outlines and other material handed out by the lecturer, are distributed to students either through email or the module's/course's own Moodle site.

Back to Top

STUDENT ADMINISTRATION

The University Network's coordination unit or the course organizing university will apply for a student the local matriculation number when it is deemed necessary. This will not incur any expenses to the student.

Back to Top

REGISTRATION OF CREDITS

Note: Student must seek prior approval from his/her own university for credit transfers of the Asian Programme before the Programme starts.

The Students of University of Oulu:the credits of the module A are registered automatically, because this module is registered to University of Oulu.

The Students of University of Tampere: the credits of the module E are registered automatically, because this module is registered to University of Tampere.

The Students of University of Turku: All the credits are registered automatically to the student of University of Turku, because the main register of the Programme is upheld in University of Turku.

All the students (except students of University of Turku):

Students' transcripts are sent to each university's Asian Programme contact person two (2) times a year, at the end of each semester as soon as all the grades have arrived to the coordinating unit.

Students should pick up their transcripts from the contact person and then handle the credit transfers by themselves. Credits are not automatically transferred to the student register and the students are responsible to apply for transferring of credits at their own university/department.

 

Note: All students should go through their transcripts as soon as they receive them and check the information thoroughly. If there are any mistakes they should contact the Network Planning Officer immediately.

Those students from University of Turku who wish to complete the so called Integrated Minor in East Asian Studies, read the following leaflet >>>

Back to Top

TRANSFER OF CREDITS AND COURSE EXEMPTIONS

The university where the student is studying decides on the transfer of the credits as well as possible course exemptions. Students must seek approval for the credit transfer or course exemption at their home university prior to the enrolment in the Asian Programme.

Note: It is not possible to combine the Asian Programme courses and the MA-level courses that Network provides to receive a larger minor than offered in Asian programme. Note that the courses in Asian Pragramme are BA-level basic courses and the MA-level courses are advanced level courses meant for MA degree.

Back to Top

COSTS OF STUDIES

Asian Programme is free to all the network member university students and for those polytechnic students whose polytechnic endorses their fees.

The member universities of the University Network are paying the expenses of their students.

The polytechnics are required to pay for their students participation to the Asian Programme, therefore it is utmost important that the student has asked his/her polytechnic to confirm the endorsement of their studies before their studies in Asian Programme.

Back to Top

STUDY GUIDE

This study guide is only available through the internet at www.asianet.fi, and can be printed from here. No other kind of study guide will be provided. It is recommended that the students print their own versions.

pdf version>>>

Back to Top

ASIANSTUDIES – MAILING LIST

All students of the Asian Programme will automatically be joined to the asianstudies mailing list. It is the main information source and communication channel during the Programme. All contact persons and course organizers are also members of the list.

Because the mailing list is the most important communication channel throughout the course, please inform the Planning Officer if there is a change in your email address, so that it can be updated and you will continue to receive course information.

You can unsubscribe yourself from the Asianstudies-list by clicking the link below each email (http://lists.utu.fi/mailman/listinfo/asianstudiesXXXX. The detailed information about how to unsubscribe from the list you find from AsianstudiesXXXX Subscribers.

(XXXX refers to the year that you are attending to)

Back to Top

CONTACT INFORMATION AND LOCAL ARRANGEMENTS

The Asian Programme is coordinated by the coordination unit of the Finnish University Network for Asian Studies. The coordination unit is located at the Center for East Asian Studies at the University of Turku .

Address:
National University Network for East and South East Asian Studies
c/o Centre for East Asian Studies
Arwidssoninkatu 1, building 10
20014 University of Turku

Planning Officer Annukka Kinnari
annukka.kinnari(at)utu.fi
tel. 02-333 8897
fax. 02-333 6646

 

Coordinator Outi Luova
outi.luova(at)utu.fi
tel. 02-333 5017
fax. 02-333 6646

 

Local Arrangements in Universities and Polytechnics

The Asian Programme contact persons are responsible for transmitting possible course material and other arrangements within the member university or polytechnic.

Back to Top

Copyright © 2010 Silja Keva / Finnish University Network for Asian Studies

Contended Design