Special Topics: Rivalry, Competition and International Security in Northeast Asia

Catalog description

The course will use the explore the problem of security in Northeast Asia. In the 20th century, the region was one of the most conflict-prone parts of the world. Today disputes over territory, maritime influence, and nuclear proliferation make the region potentially one of the most volatile. The region is unique in a number of ways: it is where the world’s three largest economies meet, it is a region that is arguably the most integrated into the global economy, and the region has long been the manufacturing hub of the world. Intra-region trade is essential to each country, while technological development is at the root of national competitiveness. At the same time, the region is uniquely primed for volatility. It is where four nuclear powers operate in close proximity to each other, and the four largest and best-equipped navies of the world (US, China, Russia, and Japan) jockey for position. The course will provide the student with the theoretical tools to start to understand the various forces shaping the region, and explore the evolution of the region over the last 150 years in an effort to understand the historical and contemporary forces that have shaped it, and the legacies those forces leave behind. This is a Penn Global Seminar, and students must apply.