Bachelor 2025/2026

Modern History of East Asia

Type: Elective course (HSE University and Kyung Hee University Double Degree Programme in Economics and Politics in Asia)

Delivered by: Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs

When: 2 year, 1-3 module

Open to: students of one campus

Instructors: Olga Puzanova

Language: English

Course Syllabus

Abstract

This course presents a general introduction to the history of East Asia from the origins of civilisations with a particular emphasis on the 17th century through to the 1990s, with a focus on the process of modernisation in China, Japan, and Korea. Adopting a comparative and international perspective, the course covers not only the domestic events in each of these countries but also looks at how they shaped and were shaped by the international developments in the broader region. Emphasis falls on a comprehensive understanding of the efforts of people across East Asia to respond to profound cultural, social, and economic challenges of the 19th and 20th centuries and to devise viable solutions. The course will prepare students for higher-level courses dealing with modern and contemporary East Asia.