HISTORY OF ASIA

This course uses Taiwan as a lens to examine global history from the early modern period to the present. Taiwan has been, variously, a node in Pacific and Asian trade networks, a site of colonial encounter, a Cold War flashpoint, a pioneer of export-led development, and the indispensable source of the semiconductors that power the modern economy. Each unit moves between Taiwan's domestic story and its connections to larger world-historical processes.

The course pursues three interconnected goals:
• To give students a comprehensive overview of Taiwanese history from the pre-colonial period to the present day.
• To connect that history to major global events — empire, war, the Cold War, industrialization, and globalization.
• To explore Taiwan's active role in shaping world history, rather than treating it merely as an object of external forces.

Through an active participation in the planned learning activities and the individual study of the texts indicated in the bibliography the students are expected to achieve the following learning outcomes:

1. Transferable theoretical knowledge
• A theoretical grounding in the key themes of the course that will allow students to adapt their understandings to a changing global world.
2. East Asia specific knowledge
• A nuanced understanding of the specific changes and challenges facing contemporary East Asia
3. Research ability
• Through the final research essay, the capacity to pursue individual research on any question relating to the topic of the course. Students who excel in this course will be in a strong position to pursue independent research.

The course will be taught entirely in English. No knowledge of Mandarin Chinese is assumed. A general knowledge of modern global history will be useful, but not assumed.

• Austronesian Migration and Aboriginals of Taiwan.
• European Arrival and the Birth of Global Trade.
• The Fall of the Qing and the Invention of a Nation
• Japanese Colonialism in Global Context
• Taiwan in Global War
• 1949 and the Making of Two Chinas
• US, Taiwan and Authoritarian Rule
• The Taiwan Miracle and the Global Factory
• Democracy and its Price
• TSMC and the Semi-Conducting World
• Cross-Strait Relations and National Identity
• Taiwan's Futures and the World's Stakes

Mandatory readings:

An Illustrated History of Taiwan / Zhou Wanyao, SMC Publishing Inc., Taipei, Taiwan, 2015

A complete list of readings (mandatory and suggested) will be published before the beginning of the semester.

Each week will be divided into lectures and seminar discussion classes. Students will be expected to arrive at each class having completed the assigned readings, which will incorporate both Taiwanese and global history. Film screenings and discussions will take place later in the semester.

oral

The lecturer has a duty to ensure that the rules regarding the authenticity and originality of exam tests and papers are respected. Therefore, if there is suspicion of irregular conduct, an additional assessment may be conducted, which could differ from the original exam description.

The achievement of the expected learning outcomes will be judged asking the student to submit a written essay of approximately 5000-6000 words (in English or Italian). The short essay will concern one of the topics and sources discussed in class.

The essay should be submitted no less than two weeks before the final exam, which will be a short oral discussion of the student’s essay.

The evaluation of the essay will take the following aspects into account:
- The student's knowledge and understanding of the reading material assigned on the subject.
- The student's ability to illustrate and reflect on the topic on the basis of the work done in class with the instructor.
- The originality of the approach
- The clarity of the writing and argumentation.

The following grading schema will be applied:
28-30 – Outstanding and original application of knowledge obtained during the course; critical use of secondary research; fluently written and convincingly argued.
25-27 – Strong use of knowledge obtained during the course; critical use of secondary research; well written and argued.
22-24- adequate use of knowledge obtained during the course; adequate use of secondary research; adequately written and argued.
18-21- uneven application of knowledge obtained during the course; minimal use of secondary research; some writing problems and unclear argumentation.