Park Gyu-su’s Sarangbang was a study room established to educate younger
generations during the turbulent times of the 19th century.

EAI’s Sarangbang carries on that legacy, by nurturing future international relations experts and diplomats who will shape a new era. Participating students will follow a curriculum led by Professor Young-sun Ha, Professor Emeritus at Seoul National University. The curriculum consists of weekly seminars and open discussions, along with field trips beyond the classroom on which students will reflect on their experiences through written field reports. Students selected for the EAI Sarangbang will read across different cultures and historical periods, engage in free and lively discussions, and develop foundational knowledge and theoretical understanding of international politics while exploring a wide range of current global issues.

Lecturer

Professor Young-sun Ha
  • Chairman of the East Asia Institute
  • Professor Emeritus of Political Science and International Relations at Seoul National University
  • Former Visiting Research Fellow at the School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University
  • Former Visiting Research Fellow at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
  • Former President of the Korean Peace Studies Association

Lecture Itinerary

Semester 1
  • Topic: Contemporary World Politics
  • Period: Weekly lectures every Friday from September to December; field study in Japan between December and January
  • Venue: East Asia Institute
  • Week 1

    Introduction to the Seminar

  • Week 2

    Modern Europe and the History of International Political Thought

  • Week 3

    The First World War and the Birth of International Relations

  • Week 4

    The Cold War and Realist International Relations

  • Week 5

    Presentation of Field Trip Report Plan

  • Week 6

    Debates on Methodology in International Relations 1: History vs. Science

  • Week 7

    Détente and Paradigm Debates

  • Week 8

    The New Cold War/Post–Cold War and Neorealism/Neoliberalism

  • Week 9

    Debates on Methodology in International Relations 2: Positivism vs. Post-positivism

  • Week 10

    Complexification and Constructivism

  • Week 11

    Complexification and Global Historical Sociology

  • Week 12

    Complexification and Complex Global Politics

  • Week 13

    International Relations in East Asia

  • Week 14

    Korea’s Complex Global Politics

  • Japan Field Study (Schedule to be Discussed)

Semester 2
  • Topic: The Architectural History of East Asian Order: From Ancient Tianxia to Complex Relations of the Future
  • Period: Every Friday from March to June
  • Venue: East Asia Institute
  • Week 1

    The Architectural History of East Asian Order

  • Week 2

    Origins of the Tianxia Order: From the Western Zhou to the Warring States Period

  • Week 3

    Formation of the Tianxia Order: From the Qin and Han to the Sui and Tang Dynasties

  • Week 4

    Transformation of the Tianxia Order I: From the Song to the Yuan Dynasty

  • Week 5

    Transformation of the Tianxia Order II: From the Ming to the Qing Dynasty

  • Week 6

    Presentation of Research Proposal

  • Week 7

    The Spread and Transformation of the ‘Barbarian’ Civilization

  • Week 8

    The Myth of Japanese Pan-Asianism

  • Week 9

    Cold War Order I: The Tragedy of the Korean War

  • Week 10

    Cold War Order II: The U.S.–China Détente and the Pros and Cons of the July 4 South-North Joint Statement

  • Week 11

    Complex Order I: The Rise of China

  • Week 12

    Complex Order II: The Future of the U.S.–China Rivalry

  • Week 13

    Complex Order III: The Aesthetics of Constructing a New East Asian Order

  • Week 14

    Field Study in China