This course provides an international political and institutional framework for understanding the economic and social dynamics in contemporary Asia. It introduces major theories of international relations, and discusses how they can be understood in an Asian context. Therefore it not only applies theory to explain and interpret Asian phenomena, but also employs Asian experiences to critique existing theories that are based mainly on Western history. The course is divided into two parts. The first part is organized according to schools of international relations theory: liberalism and neo-liberalism, realism and neo-realism, English school and constructivism, Marxism and critical theory, as well as efforts to establish Asian international relations theory based on Eastern philosophies. The second part discusses issues central to Asia with an emphasis on the role of the state and institutions, including development, environment,
regionalism and the relations between Asia and the rest of the world, including EU, US, Africa etc. and global institutions. The roles of important regional actors such as China, India, Japan and Southeast Asian countries will be used for the discussions about theory and issues.

This course is part of the overall Year One theme, "Comparative Cultural and Social Analysis". The course is intended for students of the Asian Studies Programme in general and serves as an intellectual preparation for the 2nd and 3rd year courses.