Metadata
Title
Area Courses
Category
general
UUID
fadea190a7c54cbea83e82c8787b8597
Source URL
https://eas.fas.harvard.edu/area-courses
Parent URL
https://college.harvard.edu/academics/liberal-arts-sciences/concentrations
Crawl Time
2026-03-09T03:27:33+00:00
Rendered Raw Markdown

Area Courses

Source: https://eas.fas.harvard.edu/area-courses Parent: https://college.harvard.edu/academics/liberal-arts-sciences/concentrations

An "area course" is defined as a content course (non-language, non-tutorial) in East Asian subjects. This includes content courses taught in an East Asian language, which can be counted toward either area or language course requirements. Area courses also include East Asia courses in General Education, which provide varying degrees of general background, as well as more focused EALC departmental offerings, and East Asia-focused courses from across FAS and the graduate schools.

The following chart includes all courses that count for area course credit that are being taught this academic year. A list of current and past courses that count for Historical Survey Course credit can be found here.

Courses marked with an asterisk (*) are intended primarily for graduate students and may require instructor approval in order to register. It is solely at the instructor’s discretion whether to admit undergraduate students to these courses.

Fall '25 Semester Spring '26 Semester

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Number Course Instructor Department May also fulfill:
ANTHRO 1691 Mobility in Asia Lin ANTHRO
How does movement reshape our understanding of contemporary Asia? What happens when we shift our gaze from fixed places to flows of people, ideas, and things? In this introductory-level class in sociocultural anthropology, we explore how mobility creates new social landscapes across the region. Through anthropological methods—especially immersive fieldwork and ethnographic writing—we will examine how historical patterns of migration and present-day movements are shaped by structural dynamics of colonialism, late capitalism, labor markets, trade networks, and supply chains. Through ethnographic encounters that reveal the complexity of mobility: from maritime trade in the Indian Ocean to domestic workers in Singapore, from transnational mothers in Filipino families to Islamic networks in Southeast China, from Persian rug merchants to Japanese-Philippine solidarity trade. Through these examples, we explore how restrictive policies create new regimes of (im)mobility and forms of nationalism, while also examining the lived experiences of individuals and families involved in transnational lives. The seminar guides students through key themes including physical geography, commodity chains, religious networks, and logistics systems. At the end of the class, students will develop conceptual tools to examine the mechanics of mobility, equipping them to address the pivotal questions emerging from our increasingly interconnected world.
CHAGATAY 120A Intermediate Chaghatay Yulghun EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement); language course OR area course
A continuation of Chaghatay B. This course aims to develop learners’ reading, transliterating, transcribing, and analyzing skills. Mainly focuses on reading the primary sources materials. These firsthand manuscript passages include selections from different time periods (fourteenth to early twentieth century), different places (both Eastern & Western Turkestan), and different genres (religious, historical, literature, legal, healing and medical etc.).
CHNSE 106A Introduction to Literary Sinitic Wild EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement); language course OR area course
Basic grammar and the reading of simple historical narrative.
CHNSE 107A Intermediate Literary Sinitic Wild EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement); language course OR area course
A second-year course designed to prepare students for reading and research using materials written in Literary Chinese. The focus in the fall semester will be prose from the Tang and Song dynasties.
CHNSE 133R Explorations Beyond Language Liu EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement); language course OR area course
This course offers pre-advanced language practice through adapted authentic texts and videos (e.g., culinary arts, films, music). It emphasizes understanding Chinese cultural products, practices, and perspectives via interpretive, interactional and presentational communication from an interdisciplinary perspective.
CHNSE 142A Advanced Conversational Chinese on Current Affairs Cai EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement); language course OR area course
This course builds on the foundation that students have gained through prior Chinese coursework, with a focus on improving oral expression. Classes take the form of presentations, discussions, debates, and other activities designed to strengthen both extemporaneous and prepared speaking ability.
CHNSE 142A Advanced Conversational Chinese on Current Affairs Cai EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement); language course OR area course
This course builds on the foundation that students have gained through prior Chinese coursework, with a focus on improving oral expression. Classes take the form of presentations, discussions, debates, and other activities designed to strengthen both extemporaneous and prepared speaking ability.
CHNSE 150A Topics in Chinese Culture and Society Cai EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement); language course OR area course
The course seeks to consolidate and hone students’ advanced Chinese ability through in-depth examination of Chinese society and culture.
CHNSE 166R Chinese in the Humanities Liu EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement); language course OR area course
Advanced language practice through the reading and analysis of authentic academic texts in humanities disciplines (e.g., art, literature, cinematic studies). May be offered independently in Chinese, or linked with an English-language content course. Specific content varies by year.
CHNSHIS 113 Life and Death in Late Imperial China: Social History of the 10th to 19th Centuries Szonyi EALC Historical survey; 100-level EALC (SF requirement)
This course is a survey of the social and cultural history of China from the Song to the mid-Qing (roughly from 1000 to 1800). The main topics discussed include urbanization and commerce; gender; family and kinship; education and the examination system, and religion and ritual. The main goal of the course will be to explore the relationship between social and cultural changes and political and intellectual developments.
CHNSHIS 234R* The Historiography of Early Chinese History Puett EALC
A study of major trends in the history of scholarship on early China. The main focus will be on 20th-century scholarship, but earlier developments will be introduced where relevant.
CHNSHIS 249* Empire, Nation, and the Making of Modern Xinjiang Elliott EALC
The goals of this course are to explore the main issues in the history of China’s westernmost region and to design an undergraduate course to be offered in the future on the subject. In addition to readings and discussion, students will contribute to work on a syllabus, lectures, media, section discussion topics and assignments, and a website. Enrollment is limited to graduate students, with permission of the instructor.
CHNSHIS 271* Public and Private Institutions in Theory and Practice in 8th-14th Century China Bol EALC
This course examines major works on statecraft and the development of institutions of social order from the 8th to the 14th century. It will cover major legal and institutional compendia, the use of history and the Confucian classics in political reform movements, and theoretical writings on private and public institutions. It will consider the conflict between institutional, moral, and literary perspectives on statecraft.
CHNSLIT 134 Strange Tales: The Supernatural in Chinese Literature Kelly EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement)
This course introduces students to traditional Chinese literature by focusing on “tales of the strange.” We will examine how ghosts, demons, fox spirits, and other liminal creatures haunt the literary imagination, stretching the possibilities of storytelling. Students will gain familiarity with masterpieces of Chinese literature and their intriguing afterlives in performance, film, and popular culture. Our discussions will consider how literary accounts of ghosts and the supernatural grapple with issues of gender and sexuality, the cultural meanings of death, the boundaries of human community, and the experience of historical trauma. We will focus on developing skills in close reading, while critically engaging theories of the “strange.” No background in Chinese is required.
CHNSLIT 140 The Greatest Chinese Novel Liu EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement)
The Story of the Stone (also known as The Dream of the Red Chamber) by Cao Xueqin (1715?-1763) is widely recognized as the masterpiece of Chinese fiction. It is also a portal to Chinese civilization. Encyclopedic in scope, this book both sums up Chinese culture and asks of it difficult questions. Its cult status also accounts for modern popular screen and television adaptations. Through a close examination of this text in conjunction with supplementary readings and visual materials, the seminar will explore a series of topics on Chinese culture, including foundational myths, philosophical and religious systems, the status of fiction, conceptions of art and the artist, ideas about love, desire and sexuality, gender roles, garden aesthetics, family and clan structure, and definitions of socio-political order.
CHNSLIT 235* Theater and Theatricality in Early Modern China Kelly EALC
This seminar charts the development of Chinese dramatic literature from the fourteenth to the seventeenth centuries. We will focus on the close reading of major works in the zaju, xiwen, and chuanqi forms, examining how the theater shaped new practices of writing and reading. The seminar will follow two central themes: 1) the shifting relationship between the figures of the playwright and the actor; 2) the interplay between the spaces of the page and stage. Engaging with recent scholarship, we will reflect on how modes of theatrical performance and spectatorship transformed broader understandings of self and society. Our discussions will seek new frameworks for approaching the place of the theater in Chinese literary history.
CHNSLIT 267R* Topics in Tang Literature: Seminar Tian EALC
This semester’s focus is Tang dynasty’s tales, balancing canonical stories with less well-known ones. Central themes include the relationship between humans and things; sexuality and romance—especially romance with the alien kinds; violence; metamorphosis; and representations of trauma, nostalgia, and cultural memory.
COMPLIT 112X Global Sci-Fi Friedman COMPLIT
How does modern Sinophone sci-fi reveal the “dark side” of China’s rise to power? How does Sinophone speculative fiction and its transmediated afterlives chart a reparative vision in the face of ongoing ecological and political crises? How do memories of past traumas intersect with future catastrophes in short stories and novels by Sinophone creators? How does speculative fiction produced by women and nonbinary creators forge an alternative path for human-AI collaboration? How do queer, transgressive, and non-human desires coalesce into a flora-fauna-AI symbiosis? How does contemporary Sinophone sci-fi advance inclusive futures for queer, crip, rural, neurodiverse, non-Han, and otherwise disenfranchised individuals in the face of ongoing exploitation? How do translators of Chinese-sci-fi employ a reparative praxis to transmediate trauma for global audiences?
EAFM 222* Media Cultures in the People's Republic of China Liu EALC
This graduate seminar examines the changing mediascape in China from the 1950s to the present. Every week, we will focus on one or two different media forms or technologies, from propaganda posters, photography, cinema, radio, loudspeakers, cassettes, to television, video, Internet, surveillance systems, and digital platforms. We will ask question such as: How have mass media represented and transformed Chinese culture, history, and society? To what extent was the Chinese revolution a media revolution, and is there a media revolution going on now? How have various media served propaganda and surveillance, facilitated grassroots activism and creativity, circulated as commodities or connected communities? How have media technologies affected perception, experiences, and memories of socialism and postsocialism, as well as the aesthetics, ethics and everyday practices of every decade? What might be specific or special about each medium, and how have different types of media interacted in the Chinese context?
EASTD 111 Buddhism in the Anthropocene Kolata EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement)
What can Buddhism teach us about surviving and thriving in the face of ecological crisis? This course examines the challenges and possibilities of life on a global planet from a Buddhist perspective. Organized thematically around Buddhist concepts such as karma, pollution, suffering, and interdependence – and paired with the material realities of environmental degradation and consumption practices – the course investigates how Buddhists around the globe are responding to and contributing to pressing issues like climate change, extreme weather events, radical environmental degradation, plummeting biodiversity, pollution, waste and wasting, melting glaciers, rising sea levels, food insecurity, and related phenomena. Drawing on ethnographic writings from Japan, China, Inner Asia, Nepal, Vietnam, and other regions, we will explore how Buddhist practitioners and communities are conceptualizing and addressing the unprecedented impact of human beings on global environmental processes. In doing so, we will also critically engage with the broader issues surrounding Buddhist environmentalism (e.g. Buddhist ecology and greening of Buddhism).
EASTD 143A Digital Tools and Methods in East Asian Humanities: No-coding Approach Tang EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement)
This course is designed for students in East Asian humanities with no prior background in digital literacy. It will introduce digital tools and methods used for the acquisition, transformation, analysis, and presentation of data. Coding is not required. Students completing the course will be able to integrate and apply the tools and methods into their research.
EASTD 154 Threads: Histories and Theories of Clothing and Fashion McCormick, Bu EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement)
This course focuses on fashion and clothing in Japan and Korea from pre-1900 to the present day. It aims to build a knowledge base of historically contextualized case studies through readings, lectures, and discussion. It examines clothing as a site of societal debate, personal and collective identity formation, and philosophical inquiry. Theoretical readings will allow students to apply what they learn to a variety of topics beyond East Asia for final papers and projects. Topics will engage with issues of gender, colonialism, and racialization in inter-Asian and internationalist contexts.
EASTD 170 Medicine and the Self in China and in the West Kuriyama EALC Historical survey; 100-level EALC (SF requirement)
Comparative historical exploration of the striking differences and unexpected similarities between traditional conceptions of the body in East Asian and European medicine; the evolution of beliefs within medical traditions; the relationship between traditional medicine and contemporary experience.
EASTD 198 Political Parties of East Asia Koss EALC Junior Tutorial; Historical survey; 100-level EALC (SF requirement)
East Asia has been home to an astonishing assortment of political parties, covering the spectrum from democratic to authoritarian institutions, including some of the world’s most sophisticated and resilient political organizations. We begin with China’s Communist Party, revisiting its foundation in 1921, its rise during the Sino-Japanese War 1937-45, and its transformation from a revolutionary party to a party in power; then turn to the present day to cover the deep reach of the party into society, the activities and functions of ordinary members, as well as the dynamics of the leading echelons. The second part of the course focuses on Japan, including the origins of political parties in the late 19th century, the post-War emergence of the perennial ruling party, the age of grand money politics under Tanaka Kakuei, the electoral reform of 1993, and the origins of the party’s current strength. The third part consists of case studies, covering contemporary parties in North and South Korea, parties in Taiwan before and after the democratic transition, as well as parties in Malaysia and Vietnam, with their multiple connections to East Asia. The course also puts East Asian parties into a comparative perspective to other world regions.
EASTD 261 *Advanced Readings in East Asian Art and Literature McCormick, Truscott EALC
A seminar focusing on primary sources in classical languages, as well as recent scholarship and theoretical texts. This semester, the course centers on medieval Japanese manuscripts in the collections of the Harvard Art Museums and Harvard University libraries. Students will decipher calligraphic writing (kuzushiji), translate classical Japanese literary texts, and analyze accompanying images in illustrated manuscripts. The course serves as a continuation of JPN106a: Classical Japanese.
EASTD 91R Supervised Reading and Research [EALC Faculty Member] EALC
Open to students who have given evidence of ability to do independent reading and research. May be taken on an individual basis or by small groups of students interested in working on the same topic. Permission of the Director of Undergraduate Studies required.
FYSEMR 43W History, Nationalism, and the World: The Case of Korea Kim, Sun Joo FYSEM
This seminar will explore the quandary that faces all historians: To what extent is the understanding of past episodes influenced by current politics and to what extent is current politics influenced by people’s understanding of the past? In the study of Korean history, this question is particularly sharp since the postcolonial division of Korea into North and South has thrust the memory of past events into current political discussions as well as scholarly debates. The seminar will investigate selected events in Korean history to map the interaction between historical writing and politics: the origins of Korea; Korean territory and the Korean people; cultural contacts with China and Japan and indigenization; social and regional marginalization and discrimination; Confucian transformation of Chosŏn Korea and its legacy in contemporary Korean culture; the legacy of pre-World War II Japanese occupation; and the contending history of popular movements and religion. Why have some historians pictured Korea as a Japanese colony, a miniature replica of China, or a local variant of Chinese civilization? Why have other historians emphasized certain periods and aspects of Korean history while ignoring others? How have historians described Korea’s relationships to China, Japan, and the rest of the world? Has the perception of Korea as a marginalized people and region influenced how its history has been described? Are there any connections between popular traditions and movements and this historical and scholarly discussion? Reading (all in English) will include translated primary documents as well as political and historical studies. Students are required to write five short critical essays in addition to weekly Web posting.
FYSEMR 61M Silk Road Stories Elliott FYSEM
This seminar invites you to embark on your own Silk Road journey, exploring the material and historical reality behind the fabled Eurasian trade routes, the invention of the idea of the Silk Road, and the ways in which different Silk Road stories serve today as the basis for artistic, political, and economic communities. In the process, we will consider the timeless allure of silk, the natural history of Bombyx mori, study attitudes toward cultural patrimony, and get hands-on experience in the Harvard museum collections, where the University’s own history and that of the Silk Road intersect.
GENED 1091 Classical Chinese Ethical and Political Theory Puett GENED Historical survey; 100-level EALC (SF requirement)
What is the best way to live a fuller and more ethical life? Concretely what should we do to begin to live in a more flourishing and inspiring way? Questions such as these were at the heart of philosophical debates in China. The answers that classical Chinese thinkers developed in response to these questions are among the most powerful in human history. Regardless of whether one agrees with them or not, they should be studied and taken seriously by anyone who cares about ethics, politics, and the ways to live life more fully.
GENED 1136 Power and Civilization: China Bol, Kirby GENED Historical survey; 100-level EALC (SF requirement)
This course explores how the world's largest and oldest bureaucratic state has dealt with enduring problems of economic and political organization. It will show how even modern answers to these challenges bear the imprint of China's history. We will explore intellectual and religious trends, material and political culture, the tension between local society and the center, art and literature, and China’s multiple economic and political transformations.
GENED 1145 Global Japanese Cinema Zahlten GENED 100-level EALC (SF requirement)
Global Japanese Cinema introduces some of the masterworks from the rich history of Japanese cinema as a way of exploring the global language of film. Participants will learn how to analyze moving images and the ways they influence us – a basic media literacy that we all need for life in a media- saturated society. Additionally we will learn how culture, in this case moving images, flows across the globe and transforms its meaning in site-specific ways. We will see how Japanese cinema’s use of slow motion entered the American gangster film, or how samurai films helped create the Italian “Spaghetti Westerns”, and many other examples. How do moving images constantly nudge us into a specific worldview, and how does the global circulation of these media subtly shift those nudges in unexpected ways? What does it mean that we nonetheless share a common media memory despite living in very different parts of the world? Join the course and explore how moving image culture functions in a networked, media saturated world!
GOV 1783 Central Asia in Global Politics Kassenova GOV Historical survey
The course is designed as an in-depth study of the place of Central Asia in Eurasian and global politics, and the policies of key external actors, such as Russia, the United States, China, the European Union, Turkey, Iran, Japan, South Korea and India, toward the region. Students are familiarized with the ways Central Asia has been contextualized both in scholarly sources and media. We will dwell on the changing geopolitical dynamics of the region and analyze how developments there are intertwined with bigger contexts and stories, including nuclear non-proliferation and state-building, political Islam and democracy promotion, energy markets and climate change, the war in Ukraine and diversification of licit and illicit trade flows. We will define similarities and differences in the foreign policies of Central Asian states and discuss the future prospects of the region.
HDS 3244* The Lotus Sutra: Engaging a Buddhist Scripture Hallisey DIV
A critical introduction to the literature and religious thought of the Lotus Sutra, considered in the light of the historical contexts of its formation and the contexts of its reception across Buddhist Asia, including commentarial, devotional, and artistic contexts. Close attention will be given to both ecumenical and sectarian engagements with the Lotus Sutra. This course is part of a series of five courses on the critical interpretation of Buddhist scriptures; unlike the others, the foci of which are defined by key interpretive issues in the study of Buddhist scriptures generally, this course focuses on the range of interpretive demands made by a single Buddhist scripture, albeit a very important one.
HDS 3830* Studying Buddhism Across Time and Place Gyatso DIV
This class aims to give students the resources to understand and appreciate major themes and insights in the history of Buddhist thought, practice, and historical communities, and their visions of human flourishing. We will read classic Buddhist writings as well as later literary works from South, Central and East Asia on the nature of meditation, discipline, and creativity. Key themes are the moral relationship between self and other, the education of the emotions, and the (im)possibility of perfection. We will study how these themes shifted as Buddhism spread through Asia, and recently to the rest of the world, as received by 19th century Transcendentalists, Beat poets, and socially engaged Buddhism. Throughout we will consider the relevance of this material to our own views of the world and how we should lead our lives.
HIST-LIT 90CM Asian American Cultural Studies Remoquillo HIST-LIT
This course examines Asian American cultural production and the political histories of various Asian American communities. We will place a wide range of primary texts, including fiction, poetry, film, television, and visual art, in conversation with larger political and cultural questions about race, gender, citizenship, imperialism and belonging in the U.S. The course will be organized around four major events in Asian American history: the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the subsequent exclusion of Asian immigrants in the decades that followed; the incarceration of Japanese immigrants and Japanese Americans during World War II; Cold War Orientalism after WWII; the racial politics of imperial war and Islamophobia in the post-9/11 United States; and the sharp increase in anti-Asian racial violence during the Covid-19 pandemic. We will also consider the historical movements and migrations of people of Asian descent to North America; U.S. wars in Asia; the conflicts of identity, community, and citizenship; the gender and sexual dynamics of Asian American racialization; and the relationship of Asian Americans to other communities of color. In doing so, this course grapples with what it means for Asian America to have been characterized and circumscribed by a multitude of cultural discourses—legal, geopolitical, and textual—throughout dominant as well as subversive narratives of U.S. history.
HIST 166 Modern Vietnam: A History through its Cities Nguyen HIST Historical survey
This course introduces students to major events and transformations in modern Vietnamese history through the lens of its cities and urban populations. Through engaging with a range of both primary and secondary sources on five selected cities - Hanoi, Saigon, Hue, Dalat, and Vinh - we will explore how cities served as stages for historical changes, how urban populations were both agents and targets of these changes, and how ideas of being “urban” evolved over time. Our discussions will focus on five main themes: (1) historiographical approaches to studying cities, (2) experiences of modernity, (3) urban classes and marginalized groups, (4) cities and war, and (5) urban change and continuity. These themes will serve as the foundation for students’ final projects.
HIST 1939 Economic History of Modern China Ghosh HIST
This conference course offers a close examination of the economic history of modern China set against the background of major debates in the field of world economic history and within the field of modern Chinese history. The approximate time frame covered is from the late eighteenth century to the present. Prior coursework in Chinese history (in particular on modern China) is recommended but not necessary.
HIST 1966 Asia and Asians at Harvard Bose HIST
An exploration of relations between Asia and Euro-America during the long twentieth century through the prism of Asians and the study of Asia at Harvard. Topics and themes to include Asian visitors, faculty and students at Harvard; the University’s engagement in the shaping of policy towards Asia; and the institutionalization of Asian studies at Harvard. Students will have the opportunity to craft their own research projects.
HIST 2638* Readings in Modern Chinese History: Proseminar Ghosh HIST
This Pro-Seminar will examine developments in the field of modern Chinese history, with a particular focus on the twentieth century. Our principal goal is to gain some familiarity with the historical debates and methodological approaches that have given shaped to the field. Readings will aim to achieve a balance between classics in the field and contemporary scholarship. Topics covered include empire and semi-colonialism, rebellion and revolution, nationalism, civil society and public sphere, economic development, war, science and technology, foreign relations, and foreign relations.
JAPAN 106A Classical Japanese Truscott EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement); language course OR area course
In this course, we will learn and practice reading the fundamental grammatical patterns of classical, or literary, Japanese (bungo). From Murasaki Shikibu’s The Tale of Genji to Bashō’s famous haiku, this linguistic form appears in a wide variety of Japanese literature. In fact, traces of classical Japanese can still be found in modern Japanese and are often employed in news articles and song lyrics. As we read poetry, short stories, diaries, and more, students will not only gain the ability to read premodern vernacular texts with the aid of a dictionary, but will also develop a deeper appreciation for Japanese language and culture across the ages.
JAPAN 106D Kana and Kanbun Texts in Early and Classical Japan Truscott EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement); language course OR area course
Educated classes in premodern Japan read and often wrote utilizing both kana (“vernacular”) and kanbun (“Chinese”) writing systems in recording their lives and creating art. Following in their footsteps, students will read and translate texts written in both kana and kanbun from Japan’s early and classical periods (710-1185). We will explore differences in form and content between the two writing styles along with linguistic quirks featured in our readings. We will also consider the conception of gendered writing and cross-cultural comparisons with other East Asian literatures, including poetic treatises and histories. At the end of this course, students will be able to not only read and translate texts written in multiple linguistic forms, but also discuss such texts side-by-side in a comprehensive manner.
JAPAN 150A Readings and Discussion in Japanese Social Sciences Asakura EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement); language course OR area course
Continuation of Japanese 150a. Selected readings and discussion in Japanese primarily on contemporary topics in economics, sociology, political science, psychology, and cultural studies, with occasional readings from literature. Readings are supplemented by selections from audiovisual media on current social issues.
JAPNLIT 261* Authorship and Literary Creativity in Early Modern Japan Atherton EALC
This course explores the nature of authorship and the imagination of literary creativity during Japan’s Edo period (1600-1868). Did poets, playwrights, and commercial writers understand “writing” as something shared among their diverse creative endeavors? To what extent did the theorization of different literary arts involve a shared conceptual vocabulary? How should we understand the gaps between writerly theory and practice? How did literary identities intersect status identities? Did models of creativity from earlier periods shape early modern conceptions of authorship? Can we trace the role of readers and fans in the shaping the figure of the author? How should we understand the striking gender segregation apparent in early modern authorship? We will examine poetic treatises, author biographies, playwrighting manuals, works of fiction, visual representations of writers past and present, encyclopedias and theatrical ephemera, letters, and works of social history concerning status, selfhood, and labor. We will also read select works of literary theory from the classical and medieval periods. Students will gain experience in reading a wide variety of early modern registers and styles will develop a comprehensive grasp of early modern poetic, prose, and theatrical literary production across a broad range of genres. Prerequisites: Ability to read classical Japanese.
KOREAN 166R Korean in the Humanities Oh EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement); language course OR area course
Advanced language course based on reading, discussion, and analysis of primary texts from Korean humanities disciplines (e.g., literature, film, etc.). Emphasis on development of language skills in reading, translating, writing, and presenting academic content. May be taken as either a stand-alone Korean language course or together with a linked English-language content course. Specific topics and materials vary by year.
KORHIST 230R* Readings in Premodern Korean History Kim, Sun Joo EALC
Examines the social, political, economic, and intellectual history of premodern Korea. Designed primarily for graduate students preparing for the general examination.
KORHIST 245* History of Modern Korea Caprio EALC
The purpose of this class is to examine the strong and weak points of Korea’s modern history (roughly 1850—1987). The format will be lecture and discussion based on a series of questions. Did Korea adequately prepare itself to fend off Japan and other potential colonizers up through 1910? Where could it have done better? Then, it will evaluate Japan’s time as administrators of the Peninsula and its people. Where do its faults/strengths lie? Finally, our examination will conclude with an examination of the post-liberation period and question some of the decisions made by its leaders leading up to the democratization movement.
KORLIT 134 Korean Literature in Translation Park, Si Nae EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement)
This lecture course introduces undergraduate students to selected works of Korean literature of all periods in translation, with an eye toward the broader humanistic study of Korean literature and culture. The class activities include deep reading, seminar-style discussion, research presentation, creative writing, and field trips.
KORLIT 213* History of the Book in Korea and in East Asia Park, Si Nae EALC
This course provides graduate students with research methods to study East Asian rare books with a primary focus on Korea. Students will have hands-on experience using materials held by the Harvard-Yenching Library and Harvard Art Museums.
MANCHU 120A Intermediate Manchu Elliott EALC 100-level EALC; language course OR area course
Readings in a wide variety of Manchu texts. English to Manchu translation exercises.
PHIL 109 Early Chinese Ethics Robertson PHIL
Early (Pre-Qin era) China was a hotbed of philosophical activity: scholars developed careful and fascinating ethical views in the context of serious philosophical debates between major schools of thought. This course focuses on some of these ethical debates between Confucian, Mohist, Daoist, and Legalist philosophers in early China. We’ll read both classical texts such as the Analects of Confucius, Mengzi, Xunzi, Mozi, and Zhuangzi and important contemporary scholarship on these texts. Several moral questions will be of particular importance: What is the relationship between etiquette and morality? What are the most important virtues to acquire? Should we think of morality and moral development as something natural or artificial? Are we justified in caring more about some people (our closest friends and family) than others? We will have a special focus on three important interpretive themes for the course: (1) How can understanding the particular contours of the debates each scholar is engaged in help us understand their overall views? (2) How does each philosopher’s view of human psychology and epistemology constrain, guide, and support their moral theorizing? (3) How can an understanding of early Chinese ethical thought, theory, and debate help enrich contemporary discussions in ethics and moral philosophy? No previous experience or coursework in Chinese philosophy is required for this course.
RELIGION 1714 Buddhism, In Theory and Practice Gyatso DIV
This class provides the resources for students to understand and appreciate major themes and issues in the history of Buddhist thought, practice, and historical communities, and their accompanying visions of human flourishing. We will read classic Buddhist writings as well as later literary works from South, Central and East Asia on the nature of meditation, discipline, and creativity. Key themes are the relationship between self and other, the education of the emotions, and the (im)possibility of perfection. We will study how these themes shifted as Buddhism spread through Asia, and recently to the rest of the world, as received by 19th century Transcendentalists, Beat poets, and socially engaged Buddhism. Throughout we will consider the relevance of this material to our own views of the world and how we should lead our lives
SOC-STD 98LF Globalization and the Nation State Prevelakis SOC-STD Historical Survey
As globalization faces challenges, the nation-state and nationalism have resurged, influencing global and local identities. This course examines why, focusing on the nature of nationalism, ethnic conflicts, the rise of populism and authoritarianism, and global issues such as inequality, migration, and climate change. Through theoretical texts and case studies from various regions, including the U.S., Europe, and China, students will explore the renewed importance of nationalism and the nation-state in the current global landscape.
SOC-STD 98MM Asian Cities: Multiple Modernities and Global Connections Guan SOC-STD
What does studying Asian cities teach us about cities, and about Asia writ large? Through engaging with ethnographies and urban theories, we will explore themes such as (post)colonialism, multiple modernities, informality, neoliberalism, (post)socialism, migration, and diaspora. This course will be of interest to students with an interest in urban-related topics in general, with no background knowledge on Asia required. In addition to cities situated within Asia, we will examine diasporic urban spaces and communities physically outside of Asia. Alongside the course themes, we will analyze and learn how to conduct ethnography and interviews, in addition to analyzing maps and archival material. There will be an ethnographic assignment, where students will learn to conduct an in-person ethnographic observational exercise of an Asia-related space or community in the Boston area. For the culminating final assignment, students will pick one of the methods to conduct original research and write a 20-25-page paper.
TIBET 101A Intro to Classical Tibetan van der Kuijp SAS Language course
An introductory course designed for students with no background in classical Tibetan. Students begin with the Tibetan script, its standard transliteration into Roman characters, and pronunciation before proceeding to the basics of Tibetan grammar. After mastering a foundational vocabulary, students begin translating simple Tibetan texts.
TIBET 102 A Intermediate Classical Tibetan van der Kuijp SAS Language course
An intermediate classical Tibetan reading course focusing on the development of translation skills through attention to grammatical and philological analysis. This course will also provide training in the research skills required to work with the Buddhist canonical texts of the Bka’ ‘gyur and Bstan ‘gyur. Readings will be selected from a variety of Tibetan literary genres, including Buddhist philosophy and path literature, as well as historical and biographical narrative texts.
WOMGEN 1208 Gender and Sexuality in Korean Pop Culture Choi WOMGEN
What can the songs of BTS and Blackpink, the TV-show “Squid Game,” and the films Parasite and Kim Chi-yŏng: Born 1982 teach us about gender roles in contemporary Korea? What roles do writers, musicians, and filmmakers play in shaping our thinking about sex and gender? How do competing ideas about sex shape the current system of cinematic, television, and popular music genres? These questions will be explored through case studies of Korean popular media, while the course will simultaneously provide a broad introduction to the field of women, gender, and sexuality studies. Topics will include privilege, class, inequality, masculinity, femininity, eating disorders, beauty ideals, marriage, family relationships, reproductive rights, housework, intimacy, and violence against women.

Spring '26 Semester

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Number Course Instructor Department May also fulfill:
CHAGATAY B Elementary Chaghatay Yulghun EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement); language course OR area course
This course is intended to develop a basic reading knowledge of Chaghatay, the classical antecedent of modern Uzbek and modern Uyghur, and the common literary language of all Central Asian Turks from the fourteenth to the early twentieth centuries. The course includes a survey of Chaghatay literature as well as a discussion of grammar, the writing system, and lexicographical resources; the class meetings will be devoted to both textbook-based instruction and (particularly in the second half of the semester) the reading of samples from Chaghatay texts drawn from printed sources and manuscript copies. This is a continuation of Chaghatay A.
CHNSE 106B Introduction to Literary Sinitic Wild EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement); language course OR area course
Introduction to pre-Qin philosophical texts.
CHNSE 107B Intermediate Literary Sinitic Wild EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement); language course OR area course
A continuation of Chinese 107a, introducing more prose styles as well as poetry and lyric.
CHNSE 142B Advanced Conversational Chinese on Social Media Chen EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement); language course OR area course
Continuation of 142a. This course builds on the foundation that students have gained through prior Chinese coursework, with a focus on improving oral expression. Classes take the form of presentations, discussions, debates, and other activities designed to strengthen both extemporaneous and prepared speaking ability.
CHNSE 143R Odyssey Beyond Language EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement); language course OR area course
This course provides advanced language practice using adapted authentic texts and videos (e.g., history, business, international relations, and current affairs). It focuses on understanding Chinese cultural phenomena, practices and perspectives through interpretive, interactional and presentational communication with an interdisciplinary perspective. Fall 2025 Topic: Entrepreneurship & Innovation: Chinese Cases
CHNSE 150B Topics in Chinese Culture and Society Cai EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement); language course OR area course
Continuation of Chinese 150a. The course seeks to consolidate and hone students’ advanced Chinese ability through in-depth examination of Chinese society and culture.
CHNSE 166R Chinese in the Humanities Liu, Wang EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement); language course OR area course
Advanced language practice through the reading and analysis of authentic academic texts in humanities disciplines (e.g., art, literature, cinematic studies). May be offered independently in Chinese, or linked with an English-language content course. Topic: Masterpiecies of Modern Chinese Literature.
CHNSE 187 Art and Violence in the Cultural Revolution Tian EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement); language course OR area course
Examines the cultural implications of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). We will examine how art was violent towards people and how violence was turned into an art. We will also consider the link between violence, trauma, memory and writing. Materials include memoir, fiction, essay, "revolutionary Peking Opera," and film.
CHNSHIS 135 The Mongol Empire and World History: From Steppe Confederation to Eurasian Empire, c.1206-1368 Molnar EALC Historical survey; 100-level EALC (SF requirement)
This course seeks to provide a comprehensive introduction to the study of Mongol Eurasia anchored by the theme of globalization. The Mongol Empire has variously been credited with the inaugural establishment of a globalized world with unprecedented religious toleration and socio-economic exchange. Yet, the Mongols have also been maligned for the mass slaughter of their conquests, brutal deportation policies as well as destruction of Islamic and Chinese urban societies. Between the twin poles of efflorescence and catastrophe lies a rich geography to explore. Who was this steppe people that came to rule the largest contiguous empire in history? What underwrote their rise? How did they order such a vast realm? How much was the Mongol period a watershed for globalization? What legacy did they leave behind for successor states, cultures and the globe?
CHNSHIS 146 The Modern History of Rural China Szonyi EALC Historical survey; 100-level EALC (SF requirement)
It’s only in the last twenty years that China has become known as a place of cities and factories. Before then, the majority of Chinese people lived not in cities but in villages in the countryside, and made their living from agriculture. This lecture/discussion course, intended mainly for undergraduates, will introduce you to the modern history of rural China. We’ll approach that history chronologically, thematically, and historiographically. No background knowledge of China is required, but the course might interest you even if you have some previous background, because it will show you the People’s Republic of China from a very different angle than what you’ve likely encountered before: that of its villages and the people who live in them. You’ll come to appreciate their perspective better through taking their role in two interactive games. You’ll also learn why the fate of China’s countryside matters to the future not only of China but also the whole world.
CHNSHIS 230R *Reading Local Documents for Ming-Qing History Szonyi EALC
This seminar introduces students to the different genres of documents that are found in private hands in villages, and explores how these materials can be used for historical research. Reading knowledge of modern and literary Chinese required. Topic for Fall 2022: land and property deeds
CHNSHIS 232R *Topics in Han History: Seminar Puett EALC
Examines various topics in the history of the Han Dynasty.
CHNSHIS 272 *Public and Private Institutions in Theory and Practice, 14th -17th Century China Bol EALC
This course examines major works on public and private institutions from the 14th to the 17th century. It will cover programs for ordering society through state policy and private initiatives and introduce major works on statecraft, programs for local government, and formation of new literati political associations.
CHNSLIT 236 *China's Banned Book: Reading Jin Ping Mei (Conference Course) Kelly EALC
This course will introduce students to the controversial masterpiece of Chinese fiction, The Plum in the Golden Vase (Jin Ping Mei). Censored for its erotic content, this sensational book had a profound impact on the development of Chinese fiction. A landmark in the history of the novel, The Plum in the Golden Vase shifts attention away from worthy heroes to examine the everyday exploits and desires of ordinary people. The work of an anonymous author, The Plum in the Golden Vase revels in sensory excess (greed, murder, intoxication, and lust), illustrating the vivid details of Chinese urban life. We will focus on developing skills in close reading, while using this monumental work to survey the flourishing cultural landscape of early modern China. Our discussions will situate the novel alongside recent scholarship on gender and sexuality, material culture, and performance. We will also hold class viewing sessions in the Harvard-Yenching Library and the Harvard Art Museums. Students with Chinese language skills will be encouraged to read the original text.
CHNSLIT 245R *Topics in Sinophone Studies - Modern Chinese Fiction on the Periphery Wang EALC
Survey of modern Chinese fiction and narratology from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the Chinese Diaspora: polemics of the canon, dialogues between national and regional imaginaries, and literary cultures in the Sinophone world.
CHNSLIT 250 *The Politics of Sound: Ethnicity, Gender, and Identity in Chinese Songscape Tian EALC
This course examines Chinese songs, and comments on songs, throughout history. It considers how the elite’s collection and reception of popular songs, and their own composition of them, are framed by, negotiate with, and often exceed the ideology of poetry and music rooted in the early classics and Confucian political-cultural theory. It also considers issues of ethnicity, gender, identity, and politics embroiled in popular songs.
CHNSLIT 253 *Chinese Aesthetic and Literary Thought Li, Wai-yee EALC
This course will introduce students to key concepts in Chinese aesthetic and literary thought through close analysis of primary texts. The goal is to understand the functions of keywords such as wen 文, zhi 志, qing 情, shen 神, yi 意, or qi 氣 in the contexts of broader arguments about tradition, language, socio-political order, and human nature. We will explore the meanings of authorship, intention, expression, communication, and interpretation in the Chinese tradition. The focus will be on pre-Qin and Han texts, but there will be forays into materials from later periods.
EABS 256R *Chinese Buddhist Texts - Readings in Medieval Buddho-Daoist Documents: Seminar Robson EALC
This seminar focuses on the careful textual study and translation of a variety of Chinese Buddho-Daoist texts through the medieval period.
EAFM 123 Korean Stars Bu EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement)
What makes stars “shine?” In other words, what are the conditions for stardom? In this course, we will explore how stars embody the intersection of constantly changing media infrastructures; media aesthetics; social norms concerning gender, race, age, and economic status; and geopolitics surrounding Korea. From the 1910s-1930s stardom of silent-film narrators (pyŏnsa) in colonial Korea, to the global success of Korean stars in the fields of film, music, drama, fashion, and gaming today, this course will map the trajectories of modern and contemporary media culture in Korea—and beyond—with an emphasis on stars. We will develop the analytical capacities to probe the recurring themes a star consolidates within the specific historical contexts of Korea across a series of their works. We will also consider a range of media technologies, filming and editing techniques deployed for the purpose of either retaining or changing the star’s image, and the various modes of interplay between a star and their audience.
EAFM 124 Theorizing Korean Cinema Bu EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement)
How has the pairing of “Korean” and “cinema” mutually affected their conceptualizations? What are/were the epistemological and material vectors that constitute each word, and how do these vectors bridge the two terms, or conversely, bring them into them conflict? What specific modes of mapping the world have arisen from this combination?
EAFM 201 *Media Mix: Representations and Meaning Between Media in Japan: Seminar Zahlten EALC
This course introduces ways of understanding the complex media systems we live in. Drawing on a wide range of media theories it maps different histories of the interconnection of media in Japan, from “old” to “new” media. The course will explore the early ties between theater, literature and cinema, fascist media strategies, the popularization of the media mix by anime and publishing companies, current routes between manga, anime, light novels, films and games, or the emerging platform economy. It will consider the consequences of media mix for, among others, our understanding of nation, gender, memory, and the concept of world.
EAFM 222 *Media Cultures in the People's Republic of China Li, Jie EALC
This graduate seminar examines the changing mediascape in China from the 1950s to the present. Every week, we will focus on one or two different media forms or technologies, from propaganda posters, photography, cinema, radio, loudspeakers, cassettes, to television, video, Internet, surveillance systems, and digital platforms. We will ask question such as: How have mass media represented and transformed Chinese culture, history, and society? To what extent was the Chinese revolution a media revolution, and is there a media revolution going on now? How have various media served propaganda and surveillance, facilitated grassroots activism and creativity, circulated as commodities or connected communities? How have media technologies affected perception, experiences, and memories of socialism and postsocialism, as well as the aesthetics, ethics and everyday practices of every decade? What might be specific or special about each medium, and how have different types of media interacted in the Chinese context?
EASTD 112 Buddhism and the Senses [aka “Buddhist stuff”] Kolata EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement)
How does Buddhism smell, taste, sound, look, and feel to touch? In this course, we will consider how bodies experience the divine presence, religious norms and regulations, spaces, and religious imaginaries. Through the lens of Buddhism, we will engage with the sensory and embodied dimensions of religious practices, both through the experiences of practitioners and our own. From spirit possession, to carving religious statues, cooking Buddhist feasts, and making and smelling incense, we will uncover how religious worlds come into being through the senses and embodied practice This course will also delve into the meaning of religious affects and embodied realities of Buddhism, while offering a theoretical introduction to material religion.
EASTD 141 East Asian Religions: Traditions and Transformations Robson EALC Historical Survey; 100-level EALC (SF requirement)
This course provides an introduction to the study of East Asian religions. It covers the development of Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism and Shinto. It is not a comprehensive survey, but is designed around major conceptual themes, such as ritual, image veneration, mysticism, meditation, death, and category formation in the study of religion. The emphasis throughout the course is on the hermeneutic difficulties attendant upon the study of religion in general, and East Asian religions in particular.
EASTD 143B Digital Tools and Methods in East Asian Humanities: Coding Approach Tang EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement)
This course is designed for students in East Asian Humanities who are interested in adopting digital methods in their research with basic Python coding. It will introduce fundamental programming concepts, SQL and relational databases, popular Python libraries in data cleaning, text analysis, and supervised and unsupervised machine learning. Students completing the course will be able to integrate and apply the Python libraries taught in class into their research and to explore the rapidly growing newcomers without hurdles.
EASTD 199 China and the African Continent Koss EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement)
As Africa faces daunting challenges, the “Beijing model” invites intriguing alternative visions to the poorly performing designs by traditional foreign actors in the region. Moving from Chinese farm households in Mozambique to state-owned copper mines in Zambia, military bases in East Africa and the United Nations headquarters, this seminar critically assesses the potential for China’s presence to transform Sub-Saharan Africa. After identifying the intellectual stakes (week 1), and discussing anecdotal glimpses from the grassroot-levels (week 2), the class deals with traditional development assistance, along with Maoist attempts to revolutionize the “world countryside” – resulting in legacies such as a China-trained guerilla fighter serving as the President of Zimbabwe. We then discuss the current footprint of Beijing, including its influence on elite politics, Chinese public and private business interests, and the diversity of the one million Chinese migrants to Africa. Four sessions specialize on (1) resource extraction versus opportunities for human capital development (2) debt-traps of Western and Eastern origins (3) emerging tensions over human rights policies (4) and the military dimension, including China’s role in Peace-Keeping Operations. Finally, the course addressees how the Chinese presence may transform established multilateral institutions, and the challenges associated with African migration to China. Social science research will be read alongside journalistic accounts and primary documents, such as leaked diplomatic cables and strategy papers. Will Africa become “Beijing’s Second Continent,” of the neo-colonial or tributary kind? What promises does the China model hold for Africans? How do the partners on both continents react to experiences of disillusionment and retreat? The assignments are designed to train students for public policy work and require close group collaboration.
EASTD 211 *Historical Theory and Methods: Cultural History Kuriyama EALC
In the spring of 2026, “Historical Theory and Methods” will focus on cultural history, with special attention to the metaphor of Indra’s Net as a guide to re-imagining its possibilities. This interdisciplinary seminar has no linguistic prerequisites and should be stimulating to students in a wide range of humanistic disciplines.
EASTD 214 *Crisis in Japanese Religions Kolata EALC
Crisis? What crisis? This course examines the cultural, social, economic, and political transformations shaping religion and society in Japan. Rather than serving as a comprehensive survey, the course is divided into four thematic sections explored through ethnographic case studies and major conceptual themes. These include (1)the practices and processes of knowledge production (emic and etic perspectives, religion and modernity, colonial and postcolonial legacies), (2) religious landscapes (rural-urban spaces, religious tourism and heritage, economy and materiality, and environmental perspectives), (3) political entanglements (religion and law, nationalism, religious violence, religious pluralism, transnationalism, religion and ethnic and racial identities), and (4) questions of authority and agency through the prism of gender, technology, and the media. The emphasis throughout the course remains on the key concepts and debates in anthropology of religion.
EASTD 271 *Language, Script, and Power in East Asia Park EALC
In this graduate seminar, students will explore the ways in which debates and negotiations about languages, writing systems, and linguistic and script diversity in East Asia matter in the formation and dispersal of imagined communities, establishment of and challenge to political power, social reproduction, and more. The course’s wide-ranging readings are culled from diverse fields and disciplines including the history of writing, reading, and the book in East Asia (China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam); linguistic anthropology; sociolinguistics; and studies of modernity/modernism and of colonialism and post colonialism. Examining the relationships between language, culture, and society in societies of East Asia in the past and the present, students will develop comparative (cross-regional, cross-temporal, and cross linguistic/script) and interdisciplinary approaches to the study of East Asia. This seminar is not a language or linguistics course. All readings are in English.
EASTD 91R Supervised Reading and Research [EALC Faculty Member] EALC
Open to students who have given evidence of ability to do independent reading and research. May be taken on an individual basis or by small groups of students interested in working on the same topic. Permission of the Director of Undergraduate Studies required.
EASTD 98K Economic Governance in East Asia Koss EALC Junior Tutorial; 100-level EALC (SF requirement)
East Asia has given rise to models of development with distinct visions for the relationship between the state and the market. Hallmarks of the designs are powerful ministries, gigantic conglomerates, state-supervised labor unions, and spectacular corruption. The first part of the tutorial revisits four decades of “miraculous” growth in Japan and the Asian Tiger economies (South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore), in order to illuminate underlying development strategies from a political science perspective, including through theories of late industrialization and varieties of capitalism. The second part of this course focuses on China, whose strategists have drawn on its neighbors’ experience. It highlights the vast differences between economic regions in China (the Pearl River versus the Yangtze Delta, versus lagging Western regions), as well as the significant transformation of the country’s approach over the last three decades. Students will develop a deeper comprehension of phenomena such as national champions, tycoons in the digital economy, Communist party control, international expansion, and slogans such as “Made in China 2025.” Throughout the course, we will occasionally go back in time to historical foundations of economic governance. This junior tutorial provides individualized support in the research process toward a final paper.
ECON 1133 Authoritarian Superpower: The Political Economy of Modern China Yang ECON
The course offers insights on a number of puzzles of a rising authoritarian superpower, and overturns several conventional wisdoms in political economy. In the course, you will learn about topics such as: (1) What drives China’s economic development? What explains its rise? (2) What are the key forces of stability and forces of change in modern China? (3) How does China engage with the world, and what are the implications of China’s rise for the world?
GENED 1017 Forced to Be Free: Americans as Occupiers and Nation-Builders Gordon, Manela GENED
The United States has launched numerous projects of military occupation and nation-building in foreign lands since the late 19th century. These have been contradictory enterprises, carrying ideals of freedom and self-determination “offered” by force or by fiat. This course will assess the meanings and legacies of these projects by examining the ideas, strategies, policies, and outcomes of occupations ranging from the Philippines early on, to Japan, Germany, Korea, and Vietnam to, most recently, Afghanistan and Iraq. The course focuses on American activities and ideas but also examines the responses of the occupied.
GENED 1049 East Asian Cinema Li, Jie EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement)
This course introduces major works, genres, and waves of East Asian cinema from the silent era to the present, including films from Mainland China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. We will discuss issues ranging from formal aesthetics to historical representation, from local film industries to transnational audience reception.
GENED 1067 Creativity Atherton GENED
Where does creativity come from, how does it work, and how can we deepen its role in our own lives? Geniuses are said to possess it. Self-help books offer to teach it. Both the arts and the sciences celebrate it. It sits at the heart of some of our oldest myths and is the subject of up-to-the-minute neuroscientific research. Some say it comes in momentary flashes; others call it a way of life. Some identify it as the key to deep fulfillment; others claim that it entails intense suffering. Many agree that it sets us apart as a species—but does it? What is creativity? How have humans made sense of it across centuries and cultures, and what role might it play in our lives today? Exploring creativity takes us into the very question of what makes us human, and the answers we discover can help equip us for the lives we will lead beyond the classroom. This course casts a wide net, crossing disciplines as it takes us from ancient treatises on the art of poetic composition to modern brain scans, and from centuries-old debates over intellectual property to present-day questions of artificial intelligence. Is creativity the same as originality? Can plagiarism be creative? Should one own the fruits of one’s creative labor? What happens in the brain at moments of creative insight? Can creativity be “hacked”? We will hear directly from practicing artists and experts as we explore these questions through regular, small-stakes creative experiments and a creative final project. By course’s end, you will have a deeper sense of where creativity belongs in your own life—and of how you might share what you have discovered with others.
GENED 1068 The United States and China Kirby GENED Historical Survey
This course invites students to examine together the present and future of U.S.-China relations in the light of their past. What are the enduring patterns and issues in China’s relations with the United States? How have these two countries perceived each other over time? How has trade defined the relationship from the Opium War to Huawei? How has war shaped experiences in the United States and China, and what are the risks of military confrontation today? What are the prospects for cooperation on global crises such as climate change? What is the role of American and Chinese universities, such as Harvard and Tsinghua, in shaping mutual relations in a time of global pandemic?
GENED 1083 Permanent Impermanence: Why Buddhists Build Monuments Kim, Wang HAA Historical Survey
Why do Buddhists build monuments despite the core teaching of ephemerality, and what can we learn from this paradox about our own conception of time and space?
GENED 1169 What Is the Good China Story? Li, Wai-yee GENED 100-level EALC (SF requirement)
The course takes as its point of departure President Xi Jinping’s call in 2013 to “tell the good China story,” and in 2020 to “tell the good China story of combating coronavirus.”  What is the good China story? Is this the story China should tell about itself to the world? Is this about cultural self-perception, understanding the world, cross-cultural communication, or simple propaganda? More importantly, how can we tell China stories from perspectives outside of China?What seems beyond dispute is the power of stories to bring China to the world and the world to China. In exploring the “fictional turn” of contemporary Chinese cultural politics as it relates to the world, we will also trace its genealogy to earlier historical moments. Stories matter in China, not only in our times but also throughout history.Narrative fiction is one of the most effective ways to engage with the Chinese past and the Chinese present. Instead of presenting China as a monolithic civilization, this course uses stories to understand “the world of China” and “China in the world” from ideological, ethnic, cultural, and geo-political perspectives. The course highlights the variety and vitality of stories from both modern and pre-modern periods. In genres ranging from religious allegory to science fiction, from moral fable to fantastic romance, from philosophical anecdote to political satire, Chinese stories have enlightened, intrigued, puzzled, and scandalized readers, reflecting and constructing ever-changing worldviews.
GENED 1205 The Power, Art, and Technology of Writing in East Asia Park, Kelly GENED 100-level EALC (SF requirement)
This course examines how humans experience, use, and build meaning around the shape of writing, focusing on East Asia across time, place, and media. Centered on a broad, enduring question about writing’s role in society, students engage with materials from literature, art history, history of the book, linguistic anthropology, archaeology, and philosophy. By using materials that are both immediate to, and yet distant from, students’ lives, the course seeks to enhance students’ aesthetic and interpretive understanding of the world, to provide students with an understanding of the social and historical contexts for the development of various technologies related to the production, transmission, and refabrication of the written word in association with power in a variety of ways. By exploring everything from urban graffiti and online protests to ancient tombs and Buddhist temples to petroglyphs and white-paper protests, students will analyze writing’s impact on identity, authority, spirituality, and artistic expression and learn through field works and hands-on experiences such as visits to Harvard’s East Asian collections and workshops on calligraphy and ink-making. The course encourages reflection on how writing mediates power and social change, offering insights into both historical and contemporary practices. All students are invited to think beyond nation-centered and Eurocentric models, developing a nuanced understanding of writing as both art and technology. The course equips students to think critically about the role of writing in an age shaped by generative AI and large language models. No prior knowledge of East Asian languages is required.
GHP 549 *Field Trip to Fukushima Goto GHP
GHP 549 introduces students to the lived experiences and "build back better" efforts to rebuild the community after a major disaster, namely the Fukushima nuclear disaster that occurred in 2011 after the Great East Japan Earthquakes. Students will be assigned to ongoing health-related issues in the community, learn and discuss the acute and long-term responses to the disaster, and present their proposed strategies for the future to local professionals. Students walk through the past and present issues and think for the future in Fukushima (which means "the island of happiness" in Japanese). **Applications for this course are due September 29, 2025. More information is available: https://intranet.hsph.harvard.edu/global-health-and-population/winter-s….
GOV 94JO Democracy and Development in Korea Joo GOV
South Korea's experience in the last few decades is often cited as an example of democratic consolidation and economic development, especially in the context of East Asia, and often in comparison with its Northern counterpart. However, as showcased by the recent declaration of martial law by Yoon, democratic consolidation is an ongoing process that requires robust institutions and a vigilant civil society. This course will evaluate South Korea's unique path towards democratization and economic development but also discuss how the South Korean case can speak to bigger questions such as the ways in which democratic institutions promote development (and vise versa), and how domestic and international security threats interact with these two processes.
HAA 289G *Japanese Screen Paintings McCormick HAA
This graduate course surveys the history and development of the folding-screen format in Japanese painting from the 8th to the 20th centuries. Through a series of case studies, the course explores art historical issues for which the folding screen provides a unique perspective, including the relationships between painting and architectural space, poetic practice, and religious ritual.
HIST 162 Oral Histories of Asian America: Migration, Memory, Method Sack HIST
The history of Asian America is encoded in memory and family stories, as well as written documents. This course empowers students to engage that history through oral methods. It discusses best practices as well as key cases and themes in the history of Asian American activists and historians’ use of oral history. By the end of the course, you will have conducted one oral history interview and built a skillset that can serve as the basis of a senior thesis. At the same time, oral history methods support community engagement in countless ways and can serve for a lifetime.
HIST 166 Modern Vietnam: A History through its Cities Nguyen EALC
People and states in Vietnam underwent profound transformations in the late 19th and 20th centuries, shaped by encounters with Western and Japanese imperialism, anticolonial struggles, the construction of national identities, ideological and geopolitical conflicts, and postwar challenges. Cities—home to diverse populations and centers of political, economic, and social change—were at the heart of these developments. This course introduces students to major events and transformations in modern Vietnamese history through the lens of its cities and urban populations. Through engaging with a range of both primary and secondary sources on five selected cities - Hanoi, Saigon, Hue, Dalat, and Vinh - we will explore how cities served as stages for historical changes, how urban populations were both agents and targets of these changes, and how ideas of being “urban” evolved over time. Our discussions will focus on five main themes: (1) historiographical approaches to studying cities, (2) experiences of modernity, (3) urban classes and marginalized groups, (4) cities and war, and (5) urban change and continuity. These themes will serve as the foundation for students’ final projects.
HIST 1964 The Social Life of Science in East Asia Miller HIST
Science and technology have very active social lives. They are present in nearly every aspect of modern life around the world, from the ways we feed ourselves to the ways we work, dress, and think. This class puts technology and science in their place, grounding them in specific environments and contexts. Our sites are all in East Asia—China, Korea, Taiwan, and especially Japan—with particular focus on the modern era, when East Asian factories and markets reshaped global economies and ecologies. You will learn to think differently about “nature” and “animals”, for example, to better understand what it meant to be “human” in 19th century Japan. You will explore mines, factories, fields, and households to gain a sense for the historiography of techno-science in the region. You will hear Gojira (aka Godzilla) roar and watch robots die as you think about “science” as both a product and producer of culture. No prior knowledge or East Asian language skills required, previous work in history or history of science courses a plus.
HIST 2651 *Japanese History: Seminar Gordon HIST
Students write research papers on topics of their own choosing drawing on sources in Japanese, and other languages as appropriate.
HIST 38 Modern China: 1894-Present Ghosh HIST Historical survey
This lecture course will provide a survey of some of the major issues in the history of post-imperial China (1912- ). Beginning with the decline of the Qing and the dramatic collapse of China’s imperial system in 1911, the course shall examine how China has sought to redefine itself anew over the past one-hundred years. The revolutionary years of 1911, 1949, and 1978 will serve as our three fulcra, as we investigate how China has tussled with a variety of ‘isms’ (such as republicanism, militarism, nationalism, socialism, and state capitalism) in its pursuit of an appropriate system of governance and social organization. In so doing, we shall also explore the social, economic, cultural, and scientific changes wrought by these varied attempts at state-building.
IGA 108 China and the World: Challenges, Competition and Cooperation Mitter HKS - IGA
How has China’s rise changed the world of the twenty-first century? And what are the forces and factors that shape its global behaviour? This course takes a range of themes to interpret contemporary China’s actions in the world, and understand how China’s history can explain important aspects of contemporary policy and decision-making. The course takes key themes and examines them in both contemporary and historical context. Among the themes explored are: China’s role in international organizations including the United Nations, influence in shaping regional and global norms and patterns on trade and technology, military expansion, action on climate change, development of identity as a leader of the Global South, and promotion of new forms of ideology. The course will examine ways that China conforms and embraces some aspects of the current global order, and confronts or revises others, including its relationships with the US, the Global South, and areas of cross-border concern (such as climate change or technological norms). We will examine the changing nature of China’s global thinking in the twenty-first century, and provide comparisons and contrasts with a range of historical events that have shaped that thinking, such as the conflicts with European empires in the late 19th century, the development of new forms of reformist and revolutionary political thinking in the early 20th century including ideas on class, ethnicity and gender, China’s war against Japan in the 1930s and 1940, and the revolutionary turmoil of the era Mao Zedong in 1949-76. The course will illustrate how much, and in what ways, China’s growing prominence has changed the world, and show that analysing China’s history and thought is a key tool for interpreting its actions and intentions in the present day.
JAPAN 106B Introduction to Kambun Truscott EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement); language course OR area course
In this course, students will learn how to read a variety of Japanese texts written entirely in Chinese characters, or kanbun. Specifically, we will practice the art of rendering both classical and quasi-classical Chinese script into Japanese syntax, a reading method known as kundoku or yomikudashi. After learning the basics via textbook, we will read texts from several different genres such as mythologies, histories, and official documents. By taking this course, students will begin developing the necessary skills for reading primary sources produced by Japanese officials and literati with the aid of a dictionary, laying the groundwork for further training in students’ specific fields of research.
JAPAN 106C Later Classical Japanese Truscott EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement); language course OR area course
This course is a continuation of Japan 106A as we further practice reading and translating texts written in classical Japanese. Specifically, we look at works written in the writing style of the vernacular, also known as kana. Such texts include poetry, monogatari tales, and personal diaries. Our schedule will be organized into various units by format and genre as well as students’ interests. As we read, we will situate these texts within their historical and social context, while also exploring what these texts tell us about their historical moment. Students will submit a working English-language translation for a text of their choosing as a final project, thereby demonstrating a nuanced understanding of premodern vernacular Japanese texts along with the societies that produced such works.
JAPAN 150B Readings and Discussion in Japanese Social Sciences Asakura EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement); language course OR area course
Continuation of Japanese 150a. Selected readings and discussion in Japanese primarily on contemporary topics in economics, sociology, political science, psychology, and cultural studies, with occasional readings from literature. Readings are supplemented by selections from audiovisual media on current social issues.
JAPNLIT 262 *Theater and Theatrical Culture in Early Modern Japan Atherton EALC
This seminar has three aims. First, it will introduce students to practical methods for studying early modern performance: familiarizing them with archives of theatrical ephemera, introducing strategies for accessing elements of performance from secondary materials, studying accounts of playwriting and performance by early modern playwrights and actors, and weighing the pitfalls and rewards of relying upon the conventions of modern performances. Second, it will invite students to understand early modern “theater” not only as a matter of performance, but as a broader cultural phenomenon that most people accessed not within the playhouse, but through secondary media like playbills, prints, critiques, merchandise, and fiction. And third, the seminar will delve into broader cultural, social, and political dimensions of theater in the early modern period, touching on such subjects as the relationship between the theater and the sacred; the theater’s relationship to early modern discourses of emotion; the body of the actor and the performance of gender; fan culture; the relationship between urban and rural theatrical culture; and the ongoing debate about whether early modern kabuki is better understood as a subversive or a conservative genre. Our learning will take place not only in the classroom, but also through visits to the Harvard Art Museums and the Yenching Rare Book Room.
KOREAN 150B Readings in Cultural Studies Oh EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement); language course OR area course
Korean 150b is the second half of a content-based Korean language course, designed for promoting language proficiency at the high advanced level. The goal of this course is to achieve critical thinking and a deeper understanding of important issues/events in Korean culture, society, and history through language. Students are expected to apply advanced language skills in formal settings in analyzing contemporary texts and media, discussing historical and current events, and formulate opinions and arguments on various topics. Texts and media are drawn from authentic sources in various genres such as literary works, academic essays, films, TV dramas, documentaries, etc. In-class discussions, presentations, and academic research writing will be emphasized.
KORHIST 115 Korean History Through Film Kim, Sun Joo EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement); Junior Tutorial
This course is to examine history of premodern Korea through select Korea's contemporary feature films. Films and dramas with historical themes and personages have been very popular in Korea. We will examine the content of the films, and investigate how true'' orfalse'' they represent Korea's past, how they imagine and invent Korea's past, in what ways films are useful in better understanding Korean history, people's lives and practices.
KORHIST 125 The Modern History of a Divided Korea Caprio EALC Historical survey; 100-level EALC (SF requirement)
This class is a designed as a survey course primarily taught at the undergraduate level on Korea’s modern history (generally around 1850—1987). The course is divided into three sections: Korea’s pre-colonial era (1850—1910), the colonial era (1910—1945), and the post-colonial era (1945—1987). We will also briefly look at contemporary North and South Korean issues including the South Korean democratization movement, its present culture changes, and the North Korean nuclear program. Each of the three sections will focus on questions that evaluate Korea’s advancement under difficult conditions.
MANCHU 120B Advanced Manchu Elliott EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement); language course OR area course
Intensive reading in Manchu archival materials, other historical texts and literary texts. Some texts in pre-diacritical form. English to Manchu translation exercises.
MANCHU B Elementary Manchu Elliott EALC 100-level EALC (SF requirement); language course OR area course
Readings in a variety of historical and literary texts with emphasis on Manchu documentary sources.
SOCIOL 1141 Contemporary Chinese Society Lei SOCIOL
This course will equip you with the basic literacy required to comprehend contemporary Chinese society, which is an increasingly essential skill for informed citizens in our present global context. No prior knowledge or language proficiency is necessary to enroll in this class. We will delve into the profound transformations that have occurred during the post-1978 reform period, including China's shift to a market economy, the emergence of the digital economy, the implementation of population policy by the government, urbanization, rising inequality, and contentious politics. The course will analyze how these changes have influenced social relations and how they have been experienced and understood by individuals. From a sociological perspective, this course will address topics related to the state, development, market, population, migration, urbanization, inequality, gender, labor and work, civil society, the public sphere, and social movements. Although the course is listed in the sociology catalog, readings and topics covered in the course are situated at the intersection of sociology, political science, law, anthropology, and history.
TIBET 101B Elementary Classical Tibetan van der Kuijp SAS Language course
Continuation of Tibetan 101a.
TIBET 102B Intermediate Classical Tibetan van der Kuijp SAS Language course
Continuation of Tibetan 102a.
WOMGEN 1216 Women's Voices in Asian and Asian American Literature Choi WOMGEN
This course introduces students to the writings of both canonical and lesser-known Asian and Asian American women writers. The course especially examines the works by Chinese/ Chinese American, Japanese/ Japanese American, Korean/ Korean American women writers. Moving from the pre-modern to contemporary era, the course will explore a range of women’s voices and experiences as reflected through poetry, fiction, diaries, and epistles. Authors will include Murasaki Shikibu, Ban Zhao, Ono no Komachi, Lady Hyegyŏng, Qui Jin, Higuchi Ichiyo, Kim Wŏn-ju, Han Kang, Yoshimoto Banana, Maxine Hong Kingston, Julie Otsuka, and Min Jin Lee. Topics will include family, marriage, loyalty, motherhood, women’s rights, sexual violence, same- sex desire, censorship, and gender and race politics.