Prospectus

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Seminar II: Current Affairs - South and Southeast Asia

Course
2025-2026

Admission requirements

Successful completion of at least 45 EC from the first year of the bachelor's programme in South and Southeast Asian Studies, including Seminar I: Classical Cultures of South and Southeast Asia. If you do not meet this requirement but would still like to take the course, please mail both the course coordinator and the BASSEAS Coordinator of Studies, explaining the reasons for your interest.

Description

This seminar explores current events in South and Southeast Asia, as well as their representation in local, national, and international media. Students familiarise themselves with important contemporary issues and learn to interpret the reporting of those issues in various news media, ranging from government press releases to dissident blogs and from academic current affairs forums to TV channels owned by business oligarchs. The course applies academic knowledge of the histories, cultures, institutions, and languages of South and Southeast Asia to practical use, facilitating an understanding of critical current events.

The format of this combined second/third-year course is inclusive and participatory, featuring student presentations and debates. The majority of the seminars in the series are structured around the interpretation and discussion of specific primary sources, led by second-year presenters. Other seminars take as their starting points presentations of ongoing dissertation research by third-year students.

Course objectives

  • to stimulate students to expand and apply their knowledge of South and Southeast Asia, present and past ->Researching, Analysing, Reflecting, Societal Awareness, Independent Learning, Digital Skills

  • to give students instruction and experience in analysing primary sources >Researching, Analysing, Independent Learning, Digital Skills

  • to improve students' ability to review secondary literature in a comprehensive and critical way >Researching, Analysing, Independent Learning

  • to improve students' ability to present and contest arguments > Presenting, Oral Communication

  • to encourage students to relativize culturally and historically specific assumptions and to use their imaginations >Researching, Analysing, Reflecting, Societal Awareness, Independent Learning

  • to meet the need for a regular gathering of, and discussion among, all students of the South and Southeast Asian Studies programme at a stage when most of its other components are optional and specialized > Collaborating, Oral Communication, Reflecting

  • to allow second-year students to benefit directly from the experience and knowledge of the third-year cohort > Collaborating, Oral Communication, Reflecting

Timetable

The timetables are available through My Timetable.

Mode of instruction

Twelve seminars, including short lectures, student presentations, and participatory discussions.

Assessment method

  • Weekly postings in response to set readings: 20%

  • Weekly in-class presentations: 20%

  • Overall class participation: 10%

  • Final Essay Assignment: 50%

To complete the final mark, please take notice of the following:
The final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average. To pass the course, the weighted average of the partial grades must be 5.5 or higher.

Resit

Only if the total weighted average is insufficient (5.49 or lower), students will be given the option to resubmit the assignment(s) within a set period of time.
No re-sits or resubmissions are possible for the class presentations.

Inspection and feedback

How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.

Reading list

To be specified in the course syllabus

Registration

This has to be filled out by the key-user of the department.
Enrolment through uSis is mandatory.
General information about uSis is available on the website.

Registration Studeren à la carte en Contractonderwijs

Registration Studeren à la carte.
Registration Contractonderwijs.
Not applicable.

Contact

  • For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.

  • For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Herta Mohr.

Remarks

None