About global Asia

An understanding of Asian countries, cultures and economies is of critical importance to all future professionals. This area of study takes an interdisciplinary approach to examine a range of issues relating to the history, politics, society, economy and culture of Asian countries, as well as individual experiences. You’ll focus particularly on China, Japan, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia and South Asia.

Why choose global Asia?

In your first year you’ll be introduced to a relevant language (either Chinese, Indonesian, Japanese or Korean), together with a broad overview of major developments in Asia across the past 500 years. Throughout the major you’ll have access to a broad range of elective units in order to tailor your studies to match your personal and career interests.

What will you study?

During your studies you will learn how to:

• Recognise and discuss some of the historical trends that have shaped the development of the region over the past 500 years
• Explain how different societies function and change over time
• Evaluate debates about ‘imperialism’, ‘colonialism’, ‘race’, ‘gender’, ‘modernisation’ and ‘globalisation’.

Some of the units you could study include:

• Asia’s underside: Violence, crime and protest
• Asian imaginaries: Bollywood, Manga and other fictions in Asian worlds
• Genders, sexualities and religions in Southeast Asia
• War and memory in the Asia-Pacific: Legacies of World War II
• Writing Resistance: Understanding the power of Indigenous story telling through literature
• Modern Japan: From Samurai to Pokemon
• Topics in Indian philosophy
• Modern Islam
• Decolonisation: past and present
• Modern China: From the Middle Kingdom to Mao and beyond
• Popular culture in North and South Korea

What careers will you be ready for?

Studies in global Asia can lead to a career as a:

• Foreign consultant/analyst
• Diplomat
• Financial advisor for Asian market
• Foreign correspondent
• International marketing specialist
• Professional practice and much more.

Who will be teaching you?

This major is taught by academic staff who are leading researchers in their field, and recipients of a number of teaching awards as well. They represent several disciplines including history, anthropology, linguistics, literature, film studies, cultural studies, politics and gender studies.

Global study

Monash Arts has the largest number of overseas study programs of any university in Australia. There are short term programs that run for two weeks, or longer programs that run for a semester.

Examples of short term programs include:

• Crime and criminal justice in Asia
• Australia and Asia
• Producing and consuming Japan: a study tour through Western Japan

GIG: Global Immersion Guarantee

The Monash Arts Global Immersion Guarantee (GIG) is an award-winning initiative that will enable you to explore first-hand the relationships between society, technology and the environment. It’s a two- week, funded study trip for all eligible first- year Monash Arts, single or double degree students to one of six destinations – China, India, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia or the Pacific Islands.