Category Archives: Cultures and Contexts

Elective Courses in Tisch’s Liberal Arts & Sciences Core

China’s Economic Transition (ECON-SHU 239)

Over the past forty years, China has transitioned from a poor, inefficient, and closed economy to an upper-middle income country and the world’s largest trading nation. This course introduces the key institutional and economic reforms of China since 1978 and their contributions to China’s economic development. We will examine the reforms in the pivotal sectors, including agriculture, industry, banking, and international trade, all of which are important steps to improve the overall efficiency and productivity of the Chinese economy. We will also discuss the current challenges facing China to maintain sustainable growth, such as problems regarding demographic structure, state-owned enterprises, government debts, etc. Prerequisite: This course assumes no prior background in economics. However, if you are already familiar with basic algebra and basic calculus, supply and demand curves, basic economics concepts, it will help you to understand this course better. Prereq: None. Fulfillment: CORE IPC; Economics Elective; Social Science Focus Political Economy 200 level.

Economics (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2025)


ECON-SHU 239-000 (19123)09/01/2025 – 12/12/2025 Mon,Wed3:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Late afternoon)at ShanghaiInstructed by Xu, Nan

Arab-Islamic Influence on the West (HIST-SHU 130)

This course utilizes multidisciplinary sources of evidence to address Arab-Islamic knowledge and culture, the influences that they had on medieval and early modern Europe, and that they continue to have today, while questioning why many Western scholars have minimized Arab-Islamic contributions in favor of “Western Exceptionalism” narratives. By exploring cross-cultural transmissions of knowledge, students are encouraged to think critically about how ideas and technologies evolve as they are adopted by individuals and groups in order to suit their personal and cultural needs. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: Humanities Major Other Introductory Courses (18-19 Survey Courses).

History (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2025)


HIST-SHU 130-000 (19994)09/01/2025 – 12/12/2025 Tue,Thu3:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Late afternoon)at ShanghaiInstructed by Wen, Shuang

China Encounters the World (GCHN-SHU 210)

The course focuses on the cross-currents of China’s encounters with the world, from the late 16th to the early 21st century. It proceeds from two assumptions: first, that China has long been engaged with the rest of the world rather than ever having been “closed”, as some would have it; and second, that impact and influence flow in multiple directions: into, through, and out of China, whether intentionally or involuntarily. Through a combination of lecture, discussion, and student research projects we will explore China’s encounters with the world chronologically and thematically, covering such broad topics as religion and philosophy; diplomacy; law; trade; war; revolution; political systems, and “soft power”. Pre-requisites: None. Fulfillment: CORE HPC or IPC; GCS China and the World; Humanities Introductory course (18-19: survey).

Global China Studies (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2025)


GCHN-SHU 210-000 (19992)09/01/2025 – 12/12/2025 Tue,Thu9:00 AM – 11:00 AM (Morning)at ShanghaiInstructed by Wen, Shuang

Palestine, Zionism, & Israel (MEIS-UA 697)

This course is a survey of the history of Palestine in the modern period, focusing on the conflict for control of this land from its origins in the late nineteenth century until the present. The purpose of this course is to examine the evolution of this ongoing struggle in its historical context and to try to understand why the various parties to this conflict have thought and acted as they did.

Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2025)


MEIS-UA 697-000 (17941)01/21/2025 – 05/06/2025 Tue,Thu11:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)at Washington SquareInstructed by Lockman, Zachary


MEIS-UA 697-000 (17942)01/21/2025 – 05/06/2025 Wed9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Morning)at Washington SquareInstructed by Deniz, Fatma


MEIS-UA 697-000 (8287)01/21/2025 – 05/06/2025 Wed9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Morning)at Washington SquareInstructed by Mark, Maytal


MEIS-UA 697-000 (17943)01/21/2025 – 05/06/2025 Wed12:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by Deniz, Fatma


MEIS-UA 697-000 (8294)01/21/2025 – 05/06/2025 Wed2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by Mark, Maytal

What is Islam? (HIST-UA 9085)

Credits: 4
Duration: 14 Weeks
Dates: Mon,Wed
Credits: 4
Duration: 14 Weeks
Dates: Mon,Wed

This course explores the origins of Islam and the development of its rituals and doctrines to the 21st century. It assumes no previous background in Islamic studies. Students will learn about topics such as the Koran and the Prophet, Islamic law, the encounter of East and West during the Crusades, and Islam in Britain. They will find out how Muslims in different regions have interpreted and lived their religion in past and present. Readings will include not only scholarly works but also material from primary sources, for example the Koran, biographies and chronicles. The course consists of a combination of lectures, seminar discussions, field trips and includes other media, such as film.

History (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

Modern Europe (HIST-UA 12)

This course introduces students to European history since 1750. It proceeds chronologically and thematically, integrating politics, ideas, society, and culture. Topics include the Enlightenment, French Revolution, industrialization, nationalism, imperialism, feminism, mass politics, communism, fascism, world wars, the Cold War, decolonization, and globalization. Readings feature such writers as Mary Wollstonecraft, Sigmund Freud, Frantz Fanon, and Simone de Beauvoir, and lectures make ample use of visual materials including visual arts, animations, newsreels, and film clips. The course assumes no prior knowledge, and welcomes students from all majors, schools, and years.

History (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Cultural (Mis)translations: China and the West (GCHN-SHU 225)

What happens when one major human civilization that originates from one end of the earth comes to meet with another that thrives on the other? Will they prove themselves capable of a fruitful engagement that leads to peace and friendship based on mutual respect and understanding rather than distrust or even mutual destruction? What is the role of language in this cross-cultural encounter? This course aims to explore one such encounter, a truly unusual case in terms of its scale and splendor, namely that between China and the West in the modern period broadly defined. Surely we will not ignore the problems–political, ideological, as well as technical–that arise in this interactive process, but our focus will be on the sunny side of that encounter, on the example of those who embrace and embody through their creative and intellectual work the ideal of a harmonious though culturally diverse world. Prerequisite: None Fulfillment: CORE HPC/IPC; GCS Chinese Media, Arts, and Literature.

Global China Studies (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2025)


GCHN-SHU 225-000 (22037)02/03/2025 – 05/16/2025 Wed5:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Late afternoon)at ShanghaiInstructed by Chen, Lin

Good Death: China and Comparative Perspectives (GCHN-SHU 177)

What makes a “good death”? How do people imagine, interpret, and describe the processes of dying? How do individuals respond to, live through, and move beyond the death of others? How do beliefs, customs, material cultures, and social structures co-constitute the lived realities of death? Drawing on insights from medical anthropology, anthropology of religion, and anthropology of ethics, this course explores diverse perspectives on the “good death”. With a primary ethnographic focus on China, using an interdisciplinary and comparative approach, we will investigate: 1) the sociocultural constructions of death, 2) the processes of aging and dying, 3) the practices of end-of-life care, 4) debates about voluntary death, 5) how the living deal with the deceased, and 6) how people live with irrevocable losses. Prerequisite: GPS Fulfillment: CORE SSPC/IPC; GCS Major Elective: Chinese History, Society, and Culture.

Global China Studies (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2025)


GCHN-SHU 177-000 (21415)02/03/2025 – 05/16/2025 Mon,Wed3:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Late afternoon)at ShanghaiInstructed by Zhang, Liangliang

Contemporary Chinese Political Thought (CCSF-SHU 123)

This course introduces students to perspectives on contemporary Chinese political and social thought as presented in academic publications, media reports, social commentary and postings on the Chinese Internet. It covers selected key topics in the disciplines of political, social, and cultural studies. It examines and compares Chinese and Western views on major developments and current issues. The course also introduces students to a variety of styles of writing and research methods as well as skills of cultural translation relevant to the study of contemporary China and Chinese thought. Fulfillment: Core Curriculum Social Science Perspective on China/Humanistic Perspectives on China or Interdisciplinary Perspectives on China; GCS Elective The Politics, Economy, and Environment of China; Humanities Major Advanced Courses (old Topic Course); Social Science Major Focus Courses Political Science – 200 level.

Social Foundations (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Psychology and Modernity in China (GCHN-SHU 216)

In this course, we will see how people in China have used psychology to build a modern nation and promote modern values. Beginning in the early 20th century, we will encounter missionaries trying to replace superstition with science, reformers challenging gender relationships, and intellectuals who critiqued the Chinese character. As we move through the century, we will trace how various people have applied psychological techniques for very different purposes: creating healthy citizens for a new state, instilling a revolutionary spirit, managing corporate employees, and raising exemplary children. During the semester, each student will conduct textual and/or ethnographic research about an aspect of psychological expertise or mental health in contemporary China. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above. Fulfillment: CORE STS; GCS Elective: Chinese History, Society, and Culture; Social Science Focus Anthropology 200 level.

Global China Studies (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2025)


GCHN-SHU 216-000 (21413)02/03/2025 – 05/16/2025 Mon,Wed2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Early afternoon)at ShanghaiInstructed by Hampel, Amir

Medicine in China (GCHN-SHU 277)

How did people in ancient and modern China understand health and treat illness? Historically and now, has “Chinese medicine” been an insular or open system? What can health perceptions and healing practices tell us about historical changes in China and its changing relationship with the world? Drawing on insights from the history of medicine and medical anthropology, this course explores health and healing in China through five chronologically organized units and one diachronically comparative unit. We will consider the cosmological, philosophical, and sociological factors that shape different visions of health. We will examine how local and global political processes affect healing practices and their perceived legitimacy and investigate what illness and remedy-seeking experiences reveal about the wider contexts in which medical activities take place. Prerequisite: CCSF-SHU 101L GPS

Global China Studies (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2025)


GCHN-SHU 277-000 (21416)02/03/2025 – 05/16/2025 Tue,Thu3:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Late afternoon)at ShanghaiInstructed by Zhang, Liangliang

Geographies of China (GCHN-SHU 250)

Our goal is to map China. But rather than making maps through calculations or grids, we will be mapping China conceptually and theoretically. This is to say that in studying China’s regions, physical geography, political territories, cities, counties, and people, our goal is to develop skills for thinking about China spatially. With thousands of years of recorded history and a political system oriented to progress and national development, China is often imagined in terms of linear time. However, from ancient walled cities to the Mao-era work-unit system to the more recent migrations of rural labor, understanding how political, commercial, and social spaces are organized is essential for understanding China’s past and present. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above. Fulfillment: CORE SSPC or IPC; GCS elective The Politics, Economy, and Environment of China; Social Science Focus Environmental Studies 200 level; Humanities Interdisciplinary or other Advanced course ( 18-19: Critical Concepts or Topic).

Global China Studies (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2025)


GCHN-SHU 250-000 (21419)02/03/2025 – 05/16/2025 Tue,Thu9:00 AM – 11:00 AM (Morning)at ShanghaiInstructed by Klingberg, Travis

Environmental History of Migration in Europe and the Americas (HIST-UA 9186)

This four credit course explores how the dynamics of migration have shaped identity and citizenship. By providing students with a range of theoretical approaches, the course will address questions of migration, national identity and belonging from a multidisciplinary perspective drawing from (amongst other fields): Sociology, History, Geo-Politics, Gender Studies, Black European Studies, and Cultural Studies. Taking the so called “refugee crisis” as a starting point, the course will pay particular attention to the figure and representation of the “migrant” going from Italian mass migration in the late 19th century to the migrants crossing every day the waters of the Mediterranean in order to reach Fortress Europe. Yet, a course on migration processes undertaken in 2017 Italy cannot limit itself to a purely theoretical framework. Migration means movements of people bringing along personal histories, families and cultural backgrounds. Furthermore the presence of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers reaching Europe is having a significant impact on the current social and political agenda of European government, as in the case of Italy. Therefore the course will include a series of fieldtrips aimed at showing students how immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers insert themselves into the labor market and society in Italy.

History (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2025)


HIST-UA 9186-000 (19193)08/28/2025 – 12/02/2025 Mon10:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Morning)at NYU Florence (Global)Instructed by Koziura, Karolina

Migration and Cultural Diversity in Spain: Anthropological Approaches (in English) (SPAN-UA 9475)

Migration and Cultural Diversity in Spain analyzes current migratory flows and their implications, one of the key topics in Spain and the European Union today. This course explores anthropological approaches to developing theoretical and analytical frameworks for understanding the diversity and complexity of migrations and their effects on society and culture. Taught in English.

Spanish (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2024)


SPAN-UA 9475-000 (21153)at NYU Madrid (Global)Instructed by

Berlin: Capital of Modernity (IDSEM-UG 9104)

Some of the most thrilling, momentous, and terrible events of the 1900s occurred in Berlin, which present tales of warning and inspiration to the present century. This four-week interdisciplinary seminar tracks these major events and traces change through the study of primary materials (literature, film, art, buildings, music, political discourse) and secondary readings drawn from a range of disciplines including history, sociology, philosophy, and critical theory. Berlin’s streets, buildings, memorials, and cultural monuments offer cautionary tales about the folly of nationalist ambition; inspiring sagas of intellectual and physical courage; cold testimonials of crime and retribution; lyrical ballads of brutal honesty; personal records of hope and despair. From one perspective, all of these narratives are episodes in an epic whose grand and central scene is World War II; this is the point of view to be adopted in this course. Students will take in many of the sights and sounds of old and contemporary Berlin but will focus on the involvement of twentieth-century, Berlin-based politicians, activists, artists, architects, bohemians, writers, and intellectuals with the causes, experience, and consequences of World War II. Our period of study begins just before the outbreak of World War I and ends during the astonishing building boom of the post-Wall 1990s and early 2000s.

Interdisciplinary Seminars (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 6 Weeks

Sections (Summer 2024)


IDSEM-UG 9104-000 (3987)at NYU Berlin (Global)Instructed by Hornick, Karen · Smoler, Fredric

Global Culture Wars (HSED-UE 1033)

Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Mon,Wed

This course will examine the origins, development, and meanings of so-called cultural conflict in the United States. Topics will include abortion, gay rights, bilingualism, and the teaching of evolution in public schools. Liberal Arts Core/CORE Equivalent – satisfies the requirement for Cultures & Contexts for Steinhardt students.

History of Education (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Global Fashion Industry: Italy (PRACT-UG 9200)

Credits: 4
Duration: 14 Weeks
Dates: Wed

THIS COURSE TAKES PLACE AT NYU-FLORENCE. Global Fashion Industry: Italy will provide students with a deep understanding of the contemporary fashion industry in Italy, as well as of Italy’s position in the global fashion arena. The course will drive students through the entire lifecycle of the fashion business, from forecasting trends to retailing, through design, sourcing, product development and production. Particular attention will be dedicated to different marketing aspects of the process, such as: identity building, brand positioning, merchandising, buying, costing, communication. All levels of retail, from luxury to mass market will be covered. The course will end with an analysis of the new challenges, such as sourcing globalization, emerging markets, sustainability and growing significance of technology. A strong effort will be put into organizing site visits to studios, showrooms and factories, as well as meeting with professional players. Each session will be structured to give students an overview of a particular stage of the Industry, through a mix of lectures from the course leader and visiting professionals, studio and showroom visits, walking tours, reading assignments and practical projects. Conducted in English.

Practicum (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

Cultures & Contexts: Topics (CORE-UA 500)

For course description, please consult the College Core Curriculum website: http://core.cas.nyu.edu

College Core Curriculum (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2024)


CORE-UA 500-000 (10506)01/22/2024 – 05/06/2024 Tue,Thu2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by Igsiz, Asli


CORE-UA 500-000 (10507)01/22/2024 – 05/06/2024 Wed12:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by


CORE-UA 500-000 (10508)01/22/2024 – 05/06/2024 Wed2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by


CORE-UA 500-000 (10509)01/22/2024 – 05/06/2024 Wed3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Late afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by


CORE-UA 500-000 (10510)01/22/2024 – 05/06/2024 Wed4:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Late afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by


CORE-UA 500-000 (10511)01/22/2024 – 05/06/2024 Mon,Wed3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Late afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by Juette, Daniel


CORE-UA 500-000 (10512)01/22/2024 – 05/06/2024 Thu8:00 AM – 9:00 AM (Morning)at Washington SquareInstructed by


CORE-UA 500-000 (10513)01/22/2024 – 05/06/2024 Thu9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Morning)at Washington SquareInstructed by


CORE-UA 500-000 (10514)01/22/2024 – 05/06/2024 Thu11:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)at Washington SquareInstructed by


CORE-UA 500-000 (10515)01/22/2024 – 05/06/2024 Thu12:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by


CORE-UA 500-000 (10516)01/22/2024 – 05/06/2024 Thu2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by


CORE-UA 500-000 (10517)01/22/2024 – 05/06/2024 Thu3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Late afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by


CORE-UA 500-000 (10518)01/22/2024 – 05/06/2024 Mon,Wed4:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Late afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by Bottex-Ferragne, Ariane


CORE-UA 500-000 (10519)01/22/2024 – 05/06/2024 Tue8:00 AM – 9:00 AM (Morning)at Washington SquareInstructed by


CORE-UA 500-000 (10520)01/22/2024 – 05/06/2024 Tue9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Morning)at Washington SquareInstructed by


CORE-UA 500-000 (10521)01/22/2024 – 05/06/2024 Tue11:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)at Washington SquareInstructed by


CORE-UA 500-000 (10522)01/22/2024 – 05/06/2024 Tue12:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by


CORE-UA 500-000 (10523)01/22/2024 – 05/06/2024 Tue,Thu9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Morning)at Washington SquareInstructed by Stark, Soren


CORE-UA 500-000 (10524)01/22/2024 – 05/06/2024 Wed8:00 AM – 9:00 AM (Morning)at Washington SquareInstructed by Zhou, Jingyi


CORE-UA 500-000 (10525)01/22/2024 – 05/06/2024 Wed9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Morning)at Washington SquareInstructed by Zhou, Jingyi


CORE-UA 500-000 (10526)01/22/2024 – 05/06/2024 Wed11:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)at Washington SquareInstructed by Fiorio, Soraya


CORE-UA 500-000 (10527)01/22/2024 – 05/06/2024 Wed12:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by Fiorio, Soraya


CORE-UA 500-000 (10528)01/22/2024 – 05/06/2024 Wed2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by Cordivari, Braden


CORE-UA 500-000 (10529)01/22/2024 – 05/06/2024 Wed3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Late afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by Cordivari, Braden


CORE-UA 500-000 (10530)01/22/2024 – 05/06/2024 Wed8:00 AM – 9:00 AM (Morning)at Washington SquareInstructed by


CORE-UA 500-000 (10531)01/22/2024 – 05/06/2024 Wed9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Morning)at Washington SquareInstructed by

Youth in the Middle East (ACS-UH 2613X)

Roughly one third of the Middle East population today is between 15 and 29 years old – a demographic “bulge” which has brought Middle Eastern youths at the forefront of media and government concerns both at the regional and global scale. But from the figure of the young jihadist to that of the Arab spring revolutionary, dominant perceptions of these youths often fall into highly polarized archetypes. Moving the focus away from politics and religion, this course explores the everyday worlds of Middle Eastern youths and the complex interactions – with institutions, peers and family members – which characterize their daily lives. By analyzing multiple youth cultures divided along the lines of gender, ethnicity, religious affiliation, or social class, students will address the diversity of Middle Eastern youths and question the universality of age categories. A large space will also be devoted to the voices of Middle Eastern youths themselves, from Egyptian literature and Emirati cinema to Moroccan hip-hop. These cultural productions will allow students to look at the way Arab youths use globalized artistic genres to address regional issues and express their fears, hopes and desires.

Arab Crossroads Studies (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2025)


ACS-UH 2613X-000 (4460)01/21/2025 – 05/09/2025 Tue,Thu12:00 AM – 2:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Abu DhabiInstructed by Assaf, Laure

Religions of India (RELST-UA 337)

Investigates religious developments in India within their historical context. Familiarizes students with the religions of the subcontinent—including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Islam, Sikhism, Christianity, and Judaism—through secondary source readings and English translations of primary source materials. Rather than survey religious traditions as closed systems divorced from time or place, students grapple with the central theories and historiographical challenges pertaining to religion in India, especially those that impact our ability to understand everyday religious experience, both past and present.

Religious Studies (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2023)


RELST-UA 337-000 (23005)09/05/2023 – 12/15/2023 Mon,Wed3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Late afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by