They鈥檙e called the 鈥渆merging giants鈥� of the new global economy, and with India and China鈥檚 growing role on the world stage, it seems like everyone鈥檚 eyes are cast to the Far East.
Makes sense, then, that a new course on the economic realities in these countries would be one of this fall鈥檚 most popular offerings.
Teresa Cyrus, associate professor of Economics, teaches ECON 2213 - Emerging Giants: The Economic Rise of China and India, already full with more than 100 students this fall. She says that an influx of international students to the department from China, along with growing general interest in the region鈥檚 economic progress, inspired the course.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not just their population that鈥檚 important, but their production, their exports, their weight in global affairs,鈥� she explains. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 pick up a newspaper without reading about one or the other.鈥�
But Emerging Giants isn鈥檛 the only popular new class that highlights the region: CHIN 2050 - Chinese Culture is a new course in Chinese Studies with more than 40 students registered. The class, taught by Yongmei Wang, is delivered in English, and highlights traditional Chinese culture, as well as the vibrant and diverse cultural life in contemporary China.
鈥淎 lot of times when people want to study a language, they鈥檙e as interested as much in the culture, so we wanted to offer that opportunity,鈥� explains Shao-Pin Luo, corodinator of the Chinese Studies program. 鈥淲e go through philosophy, literary traditions, custom, fashion.鈥�
Culture through the camera lens
To help expand the learning experience of both courses, the two departments are teaming together on a film series related to the material, free and open to the public. It kicks off this Wednesday, September 13 at 7 p.m. with Farewell My Concubine, the 1993 Chinese film by Chen Kaige, to date the only Chinese language film to win the prestigious Palme D鈥橭r at the Cannes Film Festival.
Students who take the classes are encouraged to attend the screenings, which will be timed with particular classroom topics. For example, Beijing Bicycle, about a 17-year-old boy from the countryside who moves to the city for work, will be linked with classroom lectures about rural-to-urban migration, a huge economic issue in China. And the final film, Still Life, set in a city about to be flooded by the Three Gorges Dam, will come alongside classroom discussions about climate and energy issues.
鈥淚n economics we study a lot of stats and equations, so this will be a nice addition,鈥� says Dr. Cyrus, who has studied Mandarin and travelled to China many times. 鈥淚 think it鈥檒l be a good opportunity for students to see how Chinese and Indian directors and filmmakers see their own country.鈥�
Chinese and Indian Film Series
Sept. 14: 听听 Farewell My Concubine
Sept. 28: 听听 Gandhi
Oct. 12:听听 听听 Beijing Bicycle
Oct. 26: 聽听听聽 Salaam Bombay
Nov. 8:聽听听 听听 Sacrifice
Nov. 9:听听听听听听 Water
Nov. 23: 听听聽 Still Life
All screenings are free and open to the public.
Films start at 7 p.m. and will be shown in the Ondaatje Auditorium of the Marion McCain Building, except for the October 12 screening of Beijing Bicycle, which will be held in the MacMechan Auditorium of the Killam Library.