East Asian Studies provides students with in-depth knowledge and understanding of the East Asian region, with a focus on China and Japan, through studying cultures, histories, societies, economics and politics. Students will gain a critical appreciation of the complex contemporary realities in East Asian countries as well as the changing position of these countries in an ever-changing international context. This course aims to provide students with the knowledge and critical tools they need to understand East Asia in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, as well as an appreciation of the major historical events and social movements that have made East Asian countries what they are today. East Asia is studied both as an economically connected region with overlapping histories, languages and cultural identities and as a diverse group of countries and peoples with divergent political systems and contemporary cultures. By the end of their degree, students will posses the socio-cultural understanding and analytical skills needed to embark upon more long-term professional or academic engagements with the East Asian region, and will have acquired a more international perspective on the world as it stands today and as it has developed over the course of history. Students also have the option of learning some Chinese, Japanese or Korean language as part of their studies, although East Asian Studies is not a language-intensive degree programme. Assessment practices in different course units vary, but our basic aim is to achieve a good balance between formal examinations, continuous assessment, and project work. Written examinations are held at the end of some but not all courses. Students have the option of writing a 12,000-word dissertation in their final year.