Information for prospective students

The B.A. program in Economics and Politics of East Asia can only be studied in the single-subject model. The standard period of study is six semesters. The program revolves around fundamental and current topics in the comparative and international political economy of East Asia (i.e. China, Japan, Taiwan/R.o.C., South and North Korea) and deals with questions such as:

• What political and economic conditions characterize the countries and the region of East Asia?
• What is the relationship between state, economy and society in the countries of East Asia?
• What factors contributed to the rise of East Asia as a politically and economically important region?
• What role does East Asia play in international and global governance?
• How do culture and history influence politics and economics in East Asia today?

The study of the region of East Asia and its countries is accompanied by the study of political science or economics, the theories and methods of which form the basis for the academic study of East Asia.whose theories and methods form the basis for the scientific examination of East Asia during the degree program. Intensive language training in Chinese, Japanese or Korean is also essential for an independent and direct examination of the countries and societies of East Asia. Students can only begin their studies in the first semester in the winter semester, as beginners' language courses are only offered in the winter semester.

The Economics and Politics of East Asia degree program is dedicated to its subject matter via approaches from so-called comparative and international political economy. These approaches are based on the assumption that political and economic problems and issues are closely interlinked and cannot be understood separately. In the core area of the degree program, students specializing in economics or political science therefore study and research together on topics relating to the economy and politics of East Asia.

In addition to this joint area, students can choose an elective specialization in either political science or economics.

For the elective focus on political science, a study program is provided that enables students to acquire basic knowledge of political science theory and methods. This includes the basic module Fundamentals of Political Science, the advanced module Comparative Political Science and the advanced module International Relations.

The economics elective focus builds on the economic foundations of the joint area and is dedicated to the topics of international trade, international financial relations and development economics. Students also deepen their knowledge of mathematics and statistics. Building on this, students attend a specialization module in economics towards the end of their degree program, which they can choose from a wide range of specialization options.

In the elective focus on language, students can choose one of the three modern East Asian languages taught in the Faculty of East Asian Studies - Chinese, Japanese or Korean - and complete a corresponding two-year language course at basic and intermediate level.