This course contains materials that cover from Han dynasty to Xi’s One Belt One Road initiative, and its applications to geopolitics, world history, and cultural and trade exchanges. Authentic materials include documentary, online articles, book chapters, and guest speaker’s lecture. It aims to open door for learners of Chinese to classical Chinese with insights from proverbs, idiomatic expressions from the insights of re-interpretation of Chinese Dream in Silk Road history and Belt-Road policy. There is an individualization research component to this class. In addition to the class hours, students are also keeping their reading logs with the instructor and TA from mid Feb to April, during this period of time, students are reviewing materials covered during the first few weeks and start to develop their research interests, to further and conduct research reading in Chinese. Final deliverables for the course are a wrap-up research analysis paper of 12 to 15 pages (or its equivalence of the content in the format of digital media integration), and a 15-20 min final presentation will be delivered in class, and a 5-8 min mini-version final presentation will be delivered in Irvine Auditorium, open to MIIS community.

A key research topic is developed and concluded after the first 8 weeks, and further develop an individualization research project related to your major, using insights from Silk Road: East and West. The Individualization Research Project curriculum will be devised in a way that would allow students to develop their own interest and areas of expertise to conduct 5-minute outline reports in April, 15 min final presentation, and 5 min Mini-Monterey Model presentation. The goal is to exchange views and acquired knowledge pertinent to selected topics and gain feedbacks from fellow classmates.