Join us for a dynamic 10-week online seminar series exploring the major historical, cultural, and political developments in East Asia from 1800 to the present. Led by expert scholars from USC and UCLA, this program offers a rich, in-depth journey through key topics including early modern transformations, imperial encounters, revolutions, and the reshaping of East Asia in the modern world.
Educators can register for the full series or choose from two focused tracks:
- Part 1 (Weeks 1–5): Foundations and Transformation
Topics include geography and demography basics, the rise of modern Japan, China's long 19th century, and the revolutionary period.
(September 15 – October 20) - Part 2 (Weeks 6–10): War, Division, and Modernization
Topics include Korea before division, the Cold War era, contemporary Japan, and China’s reform era.
(October 27 – December 8)
Sessions are online, synchronous, and feature interactive discussions with top scholars. Participants will gain ready-to-use insights and classroom resources to support curriculum goals in world history, Asian studies, and global education.
💡 Bonus: Includes one in-person session at the Huntington Library (Nov. 9), offering a rare opportunity to connect history with material culture and primary sources.
This seminar is perfect for K–12 educators seeking engaging, standards-aligned content to bring East Asian history to life in their classrooms.
The online seminar includes:
- Video presentations (1 hour/week) that you watch on your own schedule
- Background and primary source readings (1 hour/week)
- Mandatory online forum participation
- 5 Weekly live online discussion with the specialist for that topic
Benefits:
- 1 or 2 salary points for Los Angeles Unified School District.
- For all other districts, 3 Continuing Education Units (processing fee applicable)
- Online resources and materials
Schedule:
The seminar live discussions will be held virtually on Mondays (with some exceptions) for the following dates (9/15, 9/22, Sat 10/4, 10/13, 10/20, 10/27, 11/3, Sun 11/9, 12/1, 12/8). Reading assignments and pre-recorded lectures for each week will be available in an online forum and are to be completed prior to the discussion sessions (approximately 2 hours of work per week). Access and log-in information will be provided upon acceptance into the course. Please refer to the Seminar Requirements Document for details on assignments and course completion.
Instructor:
As director of the USC U.S.-China Institute from 2006–24, Clayton Dube oversaw a variety of research, training and outreach initiatives. Dube first lived and taught in China in 1982-85. A historian, he examined how economic and political change in China since 1900 affected the lives of ordinary people. He’s gone on to focus on how Americans and Chinese see each other and how governments work to influence those views. He’s currently focused on 1) the promise and limits of U.S.-China economic, scientific and cultural collaboration and 2) strengthening teaching about China and the rest of East Asia through the USCI’s professional development programs.