Course Number and Title PSCI 311 International Relations in the Asia Pacific Region

Subject Area Political Science Class Style Lecture

Year Available 2nd Year Term(s) Offered Spring Semester
Prerequisites PSCI100 Number of Credits 3

Instructor Koji Haraguchi

Course Description
This course examines major issues in international relations in the Asia-Pacific region. The purpose of the course is to combine a theoretical and
empirical understanding of international relations in the Asia-Pacific region, where the possibilities of great prosperity and serious international
conflicts coexist. We will break this vast topic down into various units by first reviewing major theories of international relations and history of
East Asia. The course then examines some important specific problems such as the economic, political, cultural, and security dimensions of the
regional international relations. Finally, the course will consider the future and global implications of international relations in the Asia-Pacific
region. This is designed as a face-to-face/ hybrid course. In case the course needs to be offered on-line due to pandemics, natural disasters,
and other uncontrollable circumstances, the students will use a video conference system, Zoom, in addition to a learning management system,
Edvance 360.

* Class plan for this academic year based on the students' course evaluation and feedback in previous academic year
Based on previous feedbacks from students, discussion questions will be provided prior to class sessions so that the students can prepare for
class discussions better.

Course Objectives
At the end of this course, the students will (i) develop understanding on and interest in the major issues of international relations in the Asia-
Pacific region, (ii) develop inter-cultural understanding and global thinking skills by identifying both common and unique features of international
relations in the Asia-Pacific region in comparison with other regions of the world, (iii) be able to develop and express, in both oral and written
form, their own opinion on, analysis of, and possible solutions for major issues in the region based on credible sources of information.

Message to students
The contact information and office hours of the instructor will be released on the course Edvance. Other important information regarding the
course will be offered through the course Edvance. Please request an access to the course Edvance no later than the end of the first class
session in the semester.

Prerequisite
The official prerequisite of the course is PSCI1100 Introduction to Political Science. Prior knowledge in international relations theories and
comparative politics, as well as basic knowledge on social science research methods are desirable

Indicative Self-learning
Preparation: 3 hours per week
Paper writing: 35 hours
Preparation for debate and presentation: 15 hours
Grading Criteria
 Class discussions or quizzes: 30%
 Debate and debate paper: 35%
 Research presentation and paper: 35%

Those different assessments are reflected in the grade evaluation rubric below. The rubric should be read in this way: there are 4 grade
evaluation components in the Rubric (Global Awareness; Critical Thinking and Problem Solving; Communication Skills; and Use and Access of
Information Ethically and Legally). Each of these components is evaluated based on the assessment methods decided by the instructor for this
course. For example, “participation in class discussions, debates, group works, and simulations” will measure critical thinking and problem
solving component in the rubric, whereas the “research paper” will measure the use and access of info in an ethical and legal manner component
of the rubric. For each component in the rubric students get a score which is equivalent to a grade. The total of those scores will determine the
final grade at the end of the semester.

Organization
Through active discussions, debates, and presentations, this course familiarizes students with a range of issues and arguments in the topics as
indicated in the syllabus. The students are expected to have finished the assigned readings for each day and also to follow developments in
politics, economics, society and international relations in the Asia Pacific Region and be able to discuss these events within the frameworks
developed in the course. The student should spend at least 3 hours in reading assigned materials and prepare short written answers for
discussion questions for each week.

Plagiarism policy
Plagiarism is the dishonest presentation of the work of others as if it were one’s own. Duplicate submission is also treated as plagiarism.
Depending on nature of plagiarism you may fail the assignment or the course. Repeated act of plagiarism will be reported to the University which
may apply additional penalties.
Required Materials and Textbooks
(REQUIRED) Shambaugh, D. L., and M. B. Yahuda. International Relations of Asia 2nd ed. Rowman & Littlefield Pub Inc, 2014. This book costs
approximately 6000 JP Yen on Amazon.
(RECOMMENDED) Pekkanen, Ravenhill, and Foot eds., The Oxford Handbook of the International Relations of Asia.
(New York: Oxford Univ. Press, 2014).

* Both required and recommended books will be reserved in the Course Reserve Section (貸出禁止図書) in the YGU Library. Because of the
dynamic nature of the course subject, additional or alternative academic and magazine articles and book chapters will be assigned to fit the
times of the course and be available through the course Edvance.

Course Schedule
Week 1
Introduction: Why Study IRAP?
(Day 1): Course outline
(Day 2): Shambaugh and Yahuda Ch. 1

Week 2
International Relations Theory and the Asia-Pacific Region
(Day 1): Shambaugh and Yahuda Ch.2
(Day 2): Amitav Acharya: “International Relations Theory and the “Rise of Asia” (Edvance)

Week 3
Regional History 1: Western Imperialism and World War II
(Day 1): Shambaugh and Yahuda Ch.3
Discussion on video assignment: Pacific Century “Writers & Revolutionaries”
http://www.pacificcentury.org/wr2.html
(Day 2): LeFeber: “World War II: The Clash over Two Visions” (Edvance)
Kissinger: On China “From Preeminence to Decline” (Edvance)

Week 4
Regional History 2: The Cold War and beyond
(Day 1): Gaddis, Strategies of Containment “NSC-68 and the Korean War” (Edvance)
(Day 2): Acharya: “Will Asia’s Past be its Future?” (Edvance)

Week 5
International Trade:
(Day 1): Shambaugh and Yahuda Ch.9
(Day 2): Debate paper submission

Week 6
International Finance: Asian Currency Crisis and China’s foreign exchange policy
(Day 1): Krugman & Sachs: “The Onset of the East Asian Financial Crisis” (Edvance)
Video assignment: Commanding Heights
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/commandingheights/hi/story/ch_menu_03.htm
(Day 2): Pearson: “China’s Foreign Economic Relations and Policies” (Edvance)

Week 7
Regional Integration: ASEAN, TPP, BRI, and RCEP
(Day 1): Shambaugh and Yahuda Ch.9 & 13
Williams: “Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Countries: Comparative Trade and Economic Analysis”. (Edvance)
(Day 2): Debate 1
Week 8
Rise of China 1
(Day 1): Shambaugh and Yahuda Ch. 6
(Day 2): Brzezinski, Z., & Mearsheimer : “Clash of the Titans”. Foreign Policy (Edvance)
Friedberg: “The Future of U.S.-China Relations”. International Security (Edvance)

Week 9
Rise of China 2
(Day 1): Shambaugh and Yahuda Ch. 15
(Day 2): Debate 2

Week 10
Korean Peninsula: Nuclear Crisis and Reintegration of two Koreas
(Day 1): Shambaugh and Yahuda Ch. 12
(Day 2): Tow: “Nuclear Weapons: Asian case studies and global ramifications” (Edvance)
Video assignment: PBS Frontline “Kim’s Nuclear Gamble”

Week 11
United States Foreign Policy toward Asia
(Day 1): Shambaugh and Yahuda Ch. 4
Cha: “American Alliances and Asia’s Regional Architecture” (Edvance)
(Day 2): Campbell & Doshi "The China Challenge Can Help America Avert Decline" (Edvance)

Week 12
Japan and its neighbors
(Day 1): Shambaugh and Yahuda Ch. 8
(Day 2): Berger: “Japan: the model impenitent?” in War, guilt, and world politics after World War II. (Edvance)
Debate on “Japan Rising” based on Pempel’s book

Week 13
India’s Role in the Asia pacific Region: Future Super Power?
(Day 1): Shambaugh and Yahuda Ch. 7, Ganguly: “India’s Foreign and Security Policies”
(Day 2):Research paper oral presentations

Week 14
Global Implications of the International Relations in the Asia Pacific region
(Day 1): Research paper oral presentations
(Day 2): Kellow: “Thinking globally and acting regionally: securitizing energy and environment” (Edvance)

Week 15
Future of the Region and Course Conclusion
(Day 1): Shambaugh and Yahuda Ch. 14
(Day 2): Conclusion

Week 16
Research Paper Submission