SDG Detail

POLITICS 254 : China and the World

Undergraduate course

Project description

This course is about China�s foreign relations since 1978, a topic of immense importance for both China and the world. On the one hand, China�s emergence as a diplomatic and economic heavyweight is shifting the global balance of power, shaping the responses of governments and intergovernmental organizations, and posing fundamental questions about the nature of world order itself. Indeed, China�s rise is perhaps the most significant geopolitical event since the fall of the Roman Empire. On the other hand, China�s status as the world�s fastest growing economy, the leading producer of carbon emissions, and its enduring reputation as a human rights violator all make it a key country of interest for an array of governmental and non-governmental actors wishing to effect domestic changes. The course is designed as an introduction to China�s role in international affairs, and its impact on the global economy, polity, and environment. By its end, students should have an understanding of how Chinese foreign policies are made and why they are of such global importance. The overarching goal of the paper, however, is to develop students� critical and analytical thinking skills. Students will have a chance to demonstrate such skills through a variety of written assignments designed to encourage curiosity and creativity, and allow students to focus on research topics of interest to them. The course is delivered as

Year 2022

Location New Zealand

Organization University of Auckland

Project aims

Project outcome

By the end of this course, students will be able to: Be able to display knowledge and understanding of essential content and significance to the field of Chinese foreign policy and international relations. (Capability 1.1, 1.3, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.2 and 6.1) Be able to construct reasoned, reflexive arguments, using valid evidence to justify claims and conclusions (Capability 2.1 and 2.3) Critically analyse and evaluate the premises of existing knowledge claims in the scholarly literature on China's foreign relations. (Capability 2.1, 3.2 and 4.1) Be able to write and communicate effectively in academic English. (Capability 4.1) Demonstrate capability to engage in intellectual flexibility and an capacity to see the limitations of one's own arguments or perspectives. (Capability 5.2)