Introduction to Chinese Contemporary History
All terms
Register now through Peppi or Sisu system! Read more about the application process!
Course study period: all terms, continuous online course
Level: Advanced
Language: English
Amount of credits: 5 cr
Time: The course is continuously ongoing. Students can start taking the course once they have registered in Peppi or Sisu system. The set study period extends to the end of that study term
Organizer: Centre for East Asian Studies, University of Turku
Instructor: Professor Lauri Paltemaa
Goals: Students will learn in-depth the course of contemporary Chinese history (c. 1949 to present), its major events, personages, policies, and contradictions as well as questions of its historiography. As transferable skills, students will learn how to assimilate and understand large amounts of new information through following online lectures and reading research literature, as well as academic English listening and writing skills.
Contents: The course introduces students to Chinese contemporary history from the revolution to the present. The central theme in the course is to follow the folding and unfolding of the Communist experiment in China and the emergence of a new aspiring economic and political superpower by the early 21st century. Questions such as the nature of the communist revolution, Mao Zedong and his legacy, the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution, Deng Xiaoping and the reform era policies as well as developments in more recent past are discussed and analyzed during the course from the historical point of view. The course is essential for those who want to gain a deeper understanding of the great social, economic, and political transformation of China in contemporary history.
Taken as:
- Online lectures (18 h) available throughout the year AND
- Literature:
- Paltemaa, Lauri and Juha Vuori: Kiinan kansantasavallan historia (2012) OR
- MacFarquhar, Roderick: The Politics of China (2011):
- Home exams with essay-type questions (arranged once a month, you only need to pass the exam once) worth 5 ECTS
This course does not have a fixed schedule. When you have watched the lectures and read the obligatory materials you can take the exam. A home exam is arranged once a month.
Grading: On a scale of 1–5
Target Group: All students who wish to gain introductory knowledge on Contemporary Chinese history.
Registration:
A continuous on-line course. Students from the member universities of the Finnish University Network for Asian Studies can register for this course through the Peppi or Sisu systems any time of the year. Other students can apply for non-degree self-paying study right to the University of Turku.
This course does not have enrollment limits.
Starting the course:
There will be no acceptance notification or email invitation to the course. After registration students can access the course site immediately and independently in UTU Moodle and start studying. Log in through HAKA Login with your own university’s user account. Find the course yourself from UTU Moodle with the course code and name, no course key is needed. Home exam is arranged at least three times a term as well as summer exams in June and August with essay type of questions