Urban Asia

All terms

This course has three regional options: Urban East Asia, Urban Southeast Asia, and Urban South Asia. The student can choose one or more of these options.

Register now through Peppi or Sisu! Read more about the registration/application process!

Urban East Asia (course and essay, autumn 2025)

• Registration period for course and essay: 01.08.2025 – 31.08.2025
• Course study time: 01.09.2025 – 02.11.2025
• Essay study time: 01.09.2025 – 15.12.2025

Urban Southeast Asia (course and essay, spring 2026)

• Registration time: 01.12.2025 – 04.01.2026
• Study time: 12.01.2026 – 15.03.2026
• Essay study time: 12.1.2026 – TBC

Urban South Asia (course and essay, spring 2026)

Introduction to the Urban Asia Courses:

Level: Advanced
Language: English
Organizer: Centre for East Asian Studies, University of Turku

Goals
After the course, students are familiar with the specific features of urban Asia in a global context. The course provides insights into different strategies for transition towards urban sustainability in Asia. In particular, students learn to identify and analyze key economic, social, and environmental challenges that Asian cities are facing. As to transferable skills, the course improves students’ skills in locating and analyzing new information.

Taken as: Online lectures, obligatory reading materials, quizzes, learning diary. Students who take this course can also write an optional essay (2 ECTS).

Grading: 0-5

The development of this course has been supported by funding from the FAPSU Project.

Read more about each of the three courses from below:

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Urban East Asia (3 + 2 ECTS)

Register now through Peppi or Sisu! Read more about the application process!

Urban East Asia (course 3 ECTS and essay 2 ECTS, autumn 2025)

• Registration period for course and essay (in Sisu and Peppi): 01.08.2025 – 31.08.2025
• Course study time: 01.09.2025 – 02.11.2025
• Essay study time: 01.09.2025 – 15.12.2025

Language: English

Organizer: Centre for East Asian Studies, University of Turku
Course instructor: Dr Outi Luova, University of Turku

Contents
Urbanization is one of the main global trends in the current world. At the same time, cities are becoming important actors vis-à-vis states. For example, cities play an increasingly central role in climate change mitigation and adaptation. In that context, this course deals with cities and the un/sustainability of urbanization in China, Japan, and South Korea. The key themes are: the specific features of urbanization and urban development in East Asia, urban governance, various eco and smart pilot cities, and international city networks.

Preconditions for participation: Basic knowledge about China. For example the Asia Network course “Johdatus Itä-Aasiaan” or “Introduction to Chinese Politics and Society”.

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Urban Southeast Asia (3 + 2 ECTS)

Register now through Peppi or Sisu! Read more about the application process!

Urban Southeast Asia (course and essay, spring 2026) 

• Registration time (In Peppi and Sisu): 01.12.2025 – 04.01.2026
• Study time: 12.01.2026 – 15.03.2026
• Essay study time:  12.01.2026 – TBC

Language: English

Organizer: Centre for East Asian Studies, University of Turku

Course instructor: Dr Ayu Pratiwi, University of Turku

Contents

Urbanization is one of the main global trends in the current world but it shows divergent trajectories in different regions. This course deals with the particular features of cities and urbanization in Southeast Asia and how countries’ cities face and address various urban sustainability challenges. The key themes are the impact of colonialism on the historical and current developments of Southeast Asian cities, urban governance and politics, urban planning, and issues related to inequality and poverty. Most of the lecturers are from the region and hence can provide local views and approaches to these issues.

Preconditions for participation: Basic knowledge about Southeast Asia. For example the Asia Network course “Johdatus Kaakkois-Aasiaan”.

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Urban South Asia, (3 + 2 ECTS)

Register now through Peppi or Sisu! Read more about the application process!

Urban South Asia (course and essay, spring 2026)

Level: advanced
Language: English
Organizer: Centre for East Asian Studies, University of Turku
Course instructor: Dr Jelena Salmi, University of Jyväskylä

Contents

This course deals with cities and sustainable urbanization in India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. The key themes are patterns and processes of urban development and governance, smart city initiatives, and sustainability challenges shared by the cities of the sub-region.

Preconditions for participation: Basic knowledge about South Asia. For example the Asia Network course “Johdatus Etelä-Aasiaan”.

Picture: Steven Wei, under Unsplash License