KIN4350 – China – Features of A New Geopolitical Power
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Course content
The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has risen to global power status over the past two decades. This rise is not only noticeable in the classic areas of geopolitics, which typically include diplomatic strategies, territorial claims, and military buildup. China is, for example, also a linchpin of global trade flows and supply chains, creates world-leading capacities in science and high-tech applications, and invests in the building of logistical and commercial infrastructure on all continents. While Chinese activities and influence around the globe are increasingly met with skepticism or even opposition in Northern-America and most of Europe, partnerships and collaboration with entities from the PRC are often welcomed and desired in other regions of the world. Altogether, it has therefore become essential to understand the many features of China’s geopolitical rise, as well as the effects this has on other countries and, in turn, on China itself.
On the basis of the lecturers’ cutting-edge empirical research and a selection of topical academic texts, this course will build knowledge about China’s status and orientation in global politics. Classes will deal with concrete areas, institutions, and actor constellations in which we can observe Chinese geopolitics. Attention will be paid to how China shapes and is in turn shaped by its geopolitical activities. Course participants will be able to expand on the course content via case studies ?and a term paper. Furthermore, at the example of the Chinese case, classes will foster a critical discussion of concepts commonly used to describe types and tools of modern geopolitics, such as "neo-imperialism", "soft and sharp power", or "techno-nationalism". ?
Learning outcome
You?will gain:
- Basic knowledge of China’s current global role and the impact of its geopolitics on different world regions.
- Access to innovative social science and humanities-based approaches to studying geopolitics in the 21st century.
- Insights into different areas of relevance for China’s global integration and geopolitical activity.
- The ability to include different perspectives in an interpretation of current dynamics in world politics.
- Skills in communicating about China’s global role to a broader audience.
Admission to the course
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for?in Studentweb.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about?admission requirements and procedures.
Students enrolled in other Master's Degree Programmes can, on application, be admitted to the course if this is cleared by their own study programme.
Teaching
The course is made up of twelve live sessions à two hours, partly arranged as intensive phases over the course of the semester (see the semester schedule for details). Teaching units usually consist of lectures by a local or invited instructors combined with seminar discussions, and sometimes project work, and other teaching and exchange formats.?Each session is accompanied by selected?preparatory readings.
Compulsory activities:
- Paper outline
As the compulsory activity in this class, students will prepare an outline of the term paper that they briefly present in class and that will be "peer reviewed" by fellow students and commented on by the course teacher.
Approval of the compulsory draft of the term paper is only valid for the current semester. If you retake the course, you must submit a new draft in the semester in which you are taking the exam.?
You will find more information about the requirements for the compulsory assignment and the submission deadline in Canvas.?
All compulsory activities must be approved to qualify for the exam. It is your responsibility to verify that you have obtained approval for all compulsory activities.?
Absence from compulsory activities:?
It is important that you familiarize yourself with the rules regarding absence from compulsory activities, to prevent being excluded from teaching and losing your eligibility to take the exam.?
More information on compulsory activities at the University of Oslo:?
Access to teaching?
A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved, is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework. A student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, depending on available capacity.?
Examination
- Term paper.
The assignment should consist of 10-12 pages (or approximately 4,000 words). One standard page is approximately 2300 characters without spaces, including references. The front page and bibliography are not included in the page count. The term paper must be on a topic of your own choice from the course programme.
You must submit the exam in Inspera - see guides for digital exams.?
You are personally responsible for familiarizing yourself with the requirements and deadlines for the exam.?
All compulsory activities must be completed and approved in order to take the exam.?
You can find more information about the exam on the semester page of the course.?
Language of examination
The examination text is given in English, and you submit your response in English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F?is a fail. Read more about?the grading system.
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.