Spring 2010 Courses
Please note: Official Yale College program and course information is found in Yale College Programs of Study, available on line at www.yale.edu/yalecollege/publications/ycps. Because of the varied disciplinary courses offered, East Asian Studies (EAS) and East Asian Languages and Literatures (EALL) credits do not automatically accrue to courses taught in the Peking University-Yale University Joint Program.
Spring 2010 Course Descriptions
CHNS 125: "Intensive Elementary Modern Chinese" (L1 & L2)
This is a 2 credit course.
Intended for students with no background in Chinese. An intensive immersion course covering CHNS 115a/b in one semester. Emphasis on spoken language and drills, pronunciation, grammatical analysis, conversation practice, and introduction to reading and writing Chinese characters.
Chinese Language:
CHNS 120b: "Elementary Modern Chinese"
CHNS 140: "Intermediate Modern Chinese"
CHNS 151: "Advanced Modern Chinese I"
All two courses are 1.5 credit.
Instructor: Xuan Ya Lecturer, International College for Chinese Language Studies, Peking University
The Chinese language program is supervised and coordinated by faculty in the Yale Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures and is led by Peking University faculty member Xuan Ya. Every Yale student will enroll in one Chinese language course; three levels will be offered.
Students at the fourth-year or higher level will study Chinese in no more than one advanced elective course at Peking University's International College for Chinese Language Studies; Yale credit may be awarded as an independent tutorial on early approval by the Resident Director and the Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures.
Students who are fluent in Chinese may be permitted to fulfill the Program's language requirement by auditing a course taught in Chinese at Peking University. This must be arranged in consultation with the Resident Director. No Yale credit will be awarded for auditing a course. However, a student may register for the course as YPKU 470 or 471 Direct Enrollment in Peking University courses (see below), with the approval of the instructor, resident director and the Program’s DUS.
ECON 180: "Introduction to Chinese Economy" (So)
Instructor: Dong Chen, Assistant Professor, Economics, Peking University
This course is designed to give students an overview of various aspects of the current Chinese economy, as well as the challenges that it faces. The topics to be covered include the cultural and political background of the Chinese economy, China's market transition, introduction of Chinese manufacturing and financial sectors, foreign trade, FDI, and the reform of SOEs. Study of China's economic policies and institutions will give students a practical understanding of business prospects in China and also offer insight into fundamental economic issues.
EENG 235a and 236b: "Special Projects, Beida-Yale Joint Research Center for Microelectronics and Nanotechnology" (Sc)
Faculty-supervised individual or small-group projects with emphasis on laboratory experience, engineering design or tutorial study. Consult the DUS and faculty member to arrive at a one- to two-page prospectus for submission before the semester begins.
HIST 312/EAST 445: "Making China Modern" (Hu)
Instructor: Antonia Finnane, Professor of Chinese History, University of Melbourne
Over the past century, the process of "modernization" in China has been a major topic of discussion in government circles, the press, among scholars, and in conversations among ordinary people in daily life. In contemporary China, this process is most closely associated with the "four modernizations" of the Reform Era, beginning in 1978 when Deng Xiaoping declared that China had to modernize in the four areas of agriculture, industry, science and technology, and defense. Among historians, it is often discussed with reference to China's supposed "failure" to modernize, especially in comparison to Meiji Japan (1868-1925).
More recent research has focused on the modernity China had, not that which it lacked. People commenting on the transformation of China in the Reform Era often forget - if they ever knew - that industry, science and technology, and defense were all domains of rapid development in early twentieth-century China. Even in rural China, reconstruction efforts featured modern methods, while in a number of large cities, social, economic, and technological changes associated with modern life were apparent to the eye. In this subject, we look at some aspects of life in China in this earlier era of change, with special reference to Beijing and Shanghai.
HIST 335: "Confucianism and Commerce in Chinese Society" (Hu)
Instructor: Antonia Finnane, Professor of Chinese History, University of Melbourne
This course is designed to introduce students to Confucianism in relationship to Chinese economic culture. This course supposes no prior knowledge of Chinese history or culture; it begins simply with an introduction to the historical figure Confucius, his writings, historical importance, and present-day relevance. Having grappled with the question "what is Confucianism?," the class will go on to consider another question: "why has Confucianism both been blamed as the cause of China's 'backwardness' and praised as the secret of China's economic success?" The focus of study is on commerce and its practitioners in the last half-millennium, from the commercial revolution in the late Ming dynasty (16th century) to the consumer revolution of present times; and on the associated ideological environments, from heterodoxy in the late Ming to Confucian revivalism now. The major problem under consideration is the ascribed relationship between culture and the economy in historical and contemporary writings.
The goals of the subject are to expose students to the history of China from early modern times, to invite their intellectual engagement in this history, to develop critical thinking skills in relationship to common categories of analysis, such as "culture" and "economy," and to build writing skills through regular written work submitted as part of the assessment.
HSHM 245: "Famous Women in Science" (Hu)
In this seminar we will focus on famous women in science and topics related specifically to women as members of the scientific community. We will become personally acquainted with famous women in science by learning about their scientific contributions and through reading their biographies. The personal lives of these famous women will give us a glimpse into issues that affect women in science. These include the under-representation of women in science, the culture of science, work and family, and political factors that impact participation of women in science. We will learn about these topics in detail by studying the findings of the US National Academy of Sciences and other organizations on factors that affect women in science and through discussing these topics from a variety of perspectives. This course is likely to deepen your knowledge of famous women scientists and their discoveries and lead to a realistic understanding of the barriers and challenges that women scientists face at the beginning of the twenty-first century.
MCDB 102: "Human Genetics for Non-Science Majors" (Sc)
The course is intended for students not majoring in biology or related fields. Topics included in this lecture course are chromosomes and DNA, mitosis, meiosis, mutations, cancer, the human genome project, and inheritance. Students will be expected to master these topics for use in discussions and projects that focus on current events in the field of human genetics. These include ethical and economic issues and the human genome project, therapeutic uses of stem cells and fetal tissues, genetic testing, and patenting of genetic information. After completion of the course, it is expected that students will have an understanding of the impact that recent advances in human genetics has on society and that they will have acquired the tools to make knowledgeable choices concerning their personal lives.
MCDB 108: "Immunity and Infection" (Su)
Instructor: Alfred L.M. Bothwell, Professor, Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine
The immune system is a complex and integral component of mammals. It must distinguish foreign viruses or bacteria from self structures and remove pathogens while sparing itself as well as commensal bacteria. The development and cellular and molecular mechanisms of recognition will be covered. Effector responses and autoimmune mechanisms will be compared. Issues relevant to viral (e.g., influenza, HIV West Nile Virus) and parasite infections will be studied with some historical perspective.
MCDB 110: "Autoimmunity and Cancer" (Sc)
Instructor: Alfred L.M. Bothwell, Professor, Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine
In this seminar we will focus on general principles of these common major diseases, autoimmunity and cancer. All of these medical problems are significantly affected by the immune system. This course will not cover basic mechanisms in cellular transformation leading to carcinogenesis. This course is intended for students that are not necessarily biology majors but are interested in a mechanistic overview of these diseases involving the immune system.
MCDB 470: "Tutorial, Peking-Yale Center for Plant Molecular Genetics and Agro-biotechnology"
Instructor: Xing Wang Deng, Professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University
Individual study for qualified students on the following research topics: plant development mechanism; plant biotechnology and functional genomics; plant defense mechanism and plant evolution; plant development and rice biotechnology; plant defense against virus; plant functional genomics; plant hormone action. The course must include one or more written examinations and/or a term paper. To register, the student must prepare a form, available in the office of the director of undergraduate studies, and a written plan of study with bibliography, approved by Professor Deng. The final paper is required before a grade is given. One term of this course fulfills the senior requirement if taken in the senior year.
MCDB 475: "Directed Research, Peking-Yale Center for Plant Molecular Genetics and Agro-biotechnology" (Group IV)
Instructor: Xing Wang Deng, Professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University
Research projects under faculty supervision, ordinarily taken to fulfill the senior requirement. This course may be taken before the senior year, but it cannot substitute for other requirements. Students spend approximately ten hours per week in the laboratory and participate in monthly section meetings. At the beginning of the term the student must submit a written proposal of research approved by the Yale faculty sponsor and the instructor in charge of the course. A final research report is required before a grade is given. Research possibilities include: plant sex determination; plant biotechnology and functional genomics; plant defense mechanism and plant evolution; plant development and rice biotechnology; plant defense against virus; plant functional genomics; rice gene function and biotechnology; self-incompatibility mechanism and rice functional genomics; photosynthesis and proteomics; plant development mechanism; plant hormone action.
PLSC 395: "Selected Topics in Ethnic Politics: Survey of Theories about Nation and How (Not) to Apply Them on China" (So)
Instructor: Zhang Jian, Lecturer, School of Government, Peking University
This course intends to guide the students through the literature on nationalism and nation-building. Particular emphasis will be given to the building of the Chinese nation in the past one and a half centuries, but we will also explore the significance of nationalism in general in the modern world, which hopefully will then help us further and better understand and critically review the efforts of successive Chinese revolutionaries, intellectuals and politicians to build the Chinese nation.
The course begins with an introduction to the mainstream theories of nationalism, nation and nation-building, which are developed by western scholars and based on the experience of western people in the past four or five hundred years. This section is to prepare the students with necessary theoretical acumen for their study of the Chinese nation.
In the second section of the course, we will review the origin, process, dynamics and policies of the Chinese nation building. Should the history of Chinese nation be traced back to ancient myths? Or rather, the Chinese as nation is quite a recent and novel invention in the past century? If Chinese as nation is essentially new, why this new invention started in the first place? Who is/are the main builder(s) of this new nation? What role does the long past of this people play in its reincarnation as a nation? Why the ethnic minority people within China are of particular importance to any successful nation building efforts? This section will be organized along these (and other) questions.
The third section tries to broaden the horizon. Nationalism, nation building efforts and the resistance to such efforts constitute a big chunk of human history and are critical to any serious understanding of the current affairs. If China and the rest of the world will continue to interact and re/shape each other, then what do the experiences of the people who bear political, historical and cultural resemblances mean to the future of the Chinese nation and its role in the world affairs?
"Seminar on Cancer, Autoimmunity and Transplantation"
Instructor: Alfred L.M. Bothwell, Professor, Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine
YPKU 470 Direct Enrollment in Peking University Courses
Students with very advanced Chinese language skills may enroll directly in at least one Peking University course with the permission of the instructor and the approval of the resident director and the Joint Program’s DUS. Should a student wish to petition for credit to the major, then she would also need to present a syllabus to the departmental DUS. Because students are expected to enroll in program courses, including one that fulfills the Chinese language requirement, requests to enroll in more than one Peking University course will be considered on a case by case basis.
