Lehrende: Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Kaske
Veranstaltungsart: Seminar
Orga-Einheit: 03-Ostasienwissenschaften
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Semesterwochenstunden: 2
Unterrichtssprache: Englisch
Offizielle Kursbeschreibung: At a time when China’s One Belt One Road project has been inspiring fantasies and stoking fears in many parts of the world, this course looks back at the historical meanings of infrastructure construction during the nineteenth and early twentieth century and their contribution to processes of globalization. From the Wusong Railroad in China to the Baghdad Railway in the Ottoman Empire, European railway plans stoked fears of domination and loss of sovereignty in Asia. At the same time, the striving for national independence inspired utopian visions of connectivity. How have empire-building and nation-building been related to infrastructure? Why did Japan wholeheartedly embrace techno-nationalism early on (and is losing it according to some accounts), while the Chinese rejected modern infrastructure initially, but is now leading a global vision? How did Great Britain build its empire in India through railways and telegraphs, and was this a curse or a blessing for India? What happened when Russian and Japanese railways met in China? How did telegraphy change the way China connected its provinces and the world? The course uses infrastructure construction as a case study to better understand China’s position in the globalizing project of modernity.
Organisatorisches: The module is taught in English and open to MA students in Global Studies and other disciplines. Knowledge of Chinese is no prerequisite for attending the seminar. Students who take the module for 10 credits also need to enroll in the exercise class where reading competence in Chinese is expected.
