Northeast Asia is in the midst of major transformations. Developments in the region, including the rise of China and ongoing efforts to resolve the crisis created by the last remaining corner of the Cold War - the division of the Korean Peninsula - have global implications. This course offers a new look at Northeast Asia. Key themes addressed include: Empires and their frontiers; colonial modernity; the legacies of the Asia-Pacific and Korean Wars; the Cold War architecture of Northeast Asia; migration and cultural interactions between the countries of the regions in the Cold War and post-Cold War eras; and contemporary political and social issues in the region. This course will help students to develop their research skills, through finding and interpreting archival resources, current data and visual material on Northeast Asia. 

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Understand historical developments in modern Northeast Asia.
2. Analyse the current state of relations between countries of the region.
   
3. Interpret the impact of historical events on current state-society relations in Northeast Asia.
4. Critically assess contemporary debates on Northeast Asian regionalism.
5. Develop the research skills to trace the historical origins of current crises in the region. 

Required Resources

All readings for this course will be available on Canvas.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• Written comments
• Verbal comments
• Feedback to the whole class, to groups, to individuals, focus groups

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Introduction: Nationalism, History, and Modernity in Northeast Asia
2	Empire and Identity in Northeast Asia
3	Manchuria/Manchukuo and Russia in Northeast Asian History
4	The Emergence of Asianism
5	Pan-Asianism: Origins to Global Wartime
6	The Comintern and the Rise of Communism in Northeast Asia
7	Fault Lines: Northeast Asia’s Cultural Hot Wars
8	Global Maoism
9	Cultural Revolutions in Northeast Asia and Beyond
10	Gender Politics in Northeast Asia: Labor, Sexuality, Capitalism
11	Atomic Pasts, Cyberpunk Futures: Japanese Politics of Memory, Trauma, and Dystopia in Film
12	Afterlives of Communism and Anti-Communism in a World of                        Transnational Capital

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Critical Analytical Reading Response	8 %	26/08/2025	09/09/2025	1,2,3,4
Annotated Bibliography	7 %	12/08/2025	26/08/2025	1,2,3,4
Seminar Presentation (powerpoint slides submitted)	10 %	07/10/2025	14/10/2025	1,2,3
Research Proposal/Prospectus (1000 words)	15 %	07/10/2025	14/10/2025	1,2,3,4
Final Essay (3000 words)	50 %	11/11/2025	20/11/2025	1,2,3,4
Participation	10 %	11/11/2025	20/11/2025	1,2,3,4

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Assessment Task 1

Critical Analytical Reading Response

750 words on all, or a selection of any of the 3 readings for that week; response is due before the class on that week’s readings (requires references to the readings, either in Chicago Manual or APA, and must be correctly formatted) 8%

Assessment Task 2

Annotated Bibliography

As part of nested assessment that moves students toward a final research essay, ASIA 2041 requires students to provide an annotated bibliography of 500-750 words (not including bibliographic entries like source titles and author's names) that encourages the student to conduct independent primary and secondary source research critically and analytically. The goal of the assignment is to develop craft skill in conducting research (ie: using ANU libraries and digital collections), and to encourage students to be discerning in their source choices by opting for expert scholarship over less rigorously peer-reviewed materials (ie: pop history) or those obtained from more dubious or suspect outlets online. After completing this assessment, students are expected to have gained a deeper understanding of the scholars who have produced the work they will be citing (7%).

Assessment Task 3

Seminar Presentation (powerpoint slides submitted)

Students will select a week for their class presentation that draws upon the topic and readings for that week. Presentation will take the form of a 20-30 minute discussion lead w/contextual presentation ad accompanying visually rich powerpoint. Students will stimulate and direct class discussion with convenor assistance for hour 2 (10%)

Assessment Task 4

Research Proposal/Prospectus (1000 words)

Format: 1000 words max in length (12-point font, double-spaced, Times New Roman font, Chicago Manual Style with footnotes, no margin adjustments, please). The prospectus serves as a preliminary effort for your final paper, thus it does not have to include a conclusion. Students can use the feedback that they receive to guide their final essay’s construction, or may opt to change their topic/approach entirely. The prospectus must cover one or more of the topics discussed in class and in the readings unless the student clears another topic with me, and must use both primary and secondary sources in crafting the essay’s arguments (15%).

Assessment Task 5

Final Essay (3000 words)

   Format: 3000 words max in length (12-point font, double-spaced, Times New Roman font, Chicago Manual Style with footnotes, no margin adjustments, please). The paper must cover one or more of the topics discussed in class and in the readings unless the student clears another topic with me, and must use both primary and secondary sources in crafting the essay’s arguments (50%).

Assessment Task 6

Participation

Self-explanatory. Students ought to participate actively (quality over quantity) in seminar discussion. More taciturn students are encouraged to meet with the convenor to discuss alternative measures for participation (10%).

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information. In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service — including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy. If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes. Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students