Economies of East Asia - ECON 3077 - 70
Georgetown
University Qatar
Spring 2026
Office
Hours: Sunday 4:00 pm – 5:00
pm and Sunday and Tuesday, 1:15 pm – 2:15 pm (but may have to attend a meeting).
Also available by appointment and via Zoom conferencing. Please email me if you would like to meet on
Zoom.
Course Outline:
http://dcmccornac.com/AEconEastAsiaSpring2026/ECON3077Spring2026.htm
Course
Description: This course is designed to provide students with an overview of
the contemporary economic development process and current economic environment
of China and Japan, as well as countries such as Cambodia, Malaysia, South
Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam. Particular emphasis will
be placed on understanding the diversity of the region and the role that
economics, politics and culture play in the growth of these economies.
Goals
of the Course:
·
To expose students to the diversity of
the economic and political realities of the East Asian region.
·
Develop an understanding of economic
theory used to analyze the rapid development in the region.
·
To give students the opportunity to
critically evaluate the development policies implemented in various countries.
·
Enable students to engage in discussions
of the current economic and political environment of the East Asian region.
·
Provide students with an understanding
of how the dynamics of this region affect the world economy.
Students
are expected to prepare for class by completing all readings PRIOR to each
class meeting. Thoughtful and constructive class participation is expected, as
it will both help you to better understand the material and enhance the
learning process for all. In addition,
students will be expected to read a newspaper or news websites on a daily basis to keep abreast of events that affect the
region.
Recommended Texts: There
is no one "complete" textbook on the
economies of East Asia. Thus, a number of resources
will be utilized.
Required Readings: Required
and optional readings will be posted on the course outline and additional
articles webpages. The power point
presentations may also contain links to additional readings.
Additional Readings: Additional readings will be
put on the ‘additional articles’ webpage (link on course outline page.
Internet Resources: The
development of East Asia today moves so fast that overnight government policy
changes or fluctuations of new markets can render the most recent books out of
date. Thus, the instructor will make use of multi-media technology in teaching,
providing students with up-to-date information about East Asia. The Internet
will become an important educational resource to stimulate student’s interest,
expand discussion, and enrich understanding of the course materials by bringing
textbook theories to life with pertinent real-world examples. A comprehensive
list of websites is available on the course outline.
Course Requirements: Exams, Short Papers and Consultant Report:
1.
Two
written (or presentation) assignments. Details and due dates are available on
the course outline. Each assignment is worth 15 points.
2.
Exam
1 is worth 25 points.
3.
Consultant
Report – This report is worth 25 points, and the description is available
below. The report is to be done in groups of two (2) or (3). Further details
will be provided in class.
4.
Class
Attendance and participation are worth 5 points.
5.
The
take-home final exam is worth 15 points and will be cumulative.
Grading Scale:
|
Method of Evaluation |
Points Possible |
|
Assignments (2) – 15 points each |
30 |
|
Exam 1 |
25 |
|
Consultant Report |
25 |
|
Class Attendance and Participation |
5 |
|
Final Exam |
15 |
|
TOTAL |
100 |
Consultant Report: One of the requirements for
successfully completing this course is a consultant report on a topic relevant
to a particular country or the region. The consultant report will need to be
both in report and presentation form. The report is to be done in groups of two
(2) or (3).
1. The purpose of a consultant report is to apply economic
analysis to an issue in a country or the region of East Asia.
2. To accomplish this task, think of yourself as
a consultant hired to recommend a solution to a specific problem.
3. Be
sure to limit the scope of the problem.
4. Make
sure you make use of all available resources to arrive at a well-researched
recommendation.
5. A
twenty to thirty-minute presentation to the class will be required.
Class
Policies:
1. Written Assignments: All written assignments must be turned in by the end of the day on the
due date. Please upload in Canvas in
a Microsoft Word file. Written assignments must be word-processed and 1.5
spaced, using 12-point Times New Roman font. You must cite outside work when
appropriate. You may use any citation style as long as
you use it correctly and consistently.
2.
Late
Work: Late work will be penalized by one full letter grade
each day.
3. Attendance: You are expected to attend all class meetings. Attendance will be taken
and counted towards your class participation grade. Unexcused absences will
negatively impact your participation grade.
4.
Electronics: Cellphone use is prohibited during
class. Laptop use during class is permissible for viewing course readings only.
Surfing the internet, chatting, or working on other projects is prohibited. I
reserve the right to alter this policy and ban laptop use entirely if
conditions make it necessary.
5.
You are expected to NOT leave and come back
to class during the class period unless it is an emergency.
Honor System: Every student has the responsibility to abide by the
GUQ Honor System. Review it at
Suspected infractions of the Honor System will be referred to the Honor Council. If a student is found in violation, we
reserve the right to award a failing grade on the assignment or the course as a whole, in addition to any sanction that the
Honor Council and the Dean may apply.
AI
Policy: Trying to prevent the use of AI if one
wishes to do so is perhaps a futile effort. However, following university
policy, it is, as always, the students’ responsibility to be sure that they are
following the rules laid out by their professor. My rule is that, as with all
source material, this applies both to work taken directly from the AI generator
and to work that has been paraphrased before being used in coursework. If you
didn’t generate the words yourself, say so by quoting and citing the source; if
you generated the words but not the content and ideas, say so by citing the
source.” (Georgetown Honor Council’s Standards of Conduct Policy, 2023)
Title IX &
Non-Discrimination:
As
faculty at Georgetown University, we are committed to our responsibilities
under Title IX, as well as the University’s non-discrimination policies. For details of University
policies, please refer to the following links:
https://titleix.georgetown.edu/#
https://www.qatar.georgetown.edu/campus-life/title-ix
https://bulletin.georgetown.edu/regulations/antidiscrimination