Singapore University of Social Sciences

Rise and Fall of the Han Civilisation in Shaanxi

Rise and Fall of the Han Civilisation in Shaanxi (OST101)

Applications Open: To be confirmed

Applications Close: To be confirmed

Next Available Intake: To be confirmed

Course Types: Modular Undergraduate Course

Language: English

Duration: 6 months

Fees: To be confirmed

Area of Interest: Others

Schemes: To be confirmed

Funding: To be confirmed

School/Department: Student SUcceSS Centre


Synopsis

The objective of OST101 is to provide students with the conceptual tools and learning experiences to develop a deeper understanding of the rise and fall of the Han civilisation. This will be achieved through a combination of outdoor skills training, e-learning, classroom activities, and participation in an adventure leadership expedition to the Qinling Mountains of Shaanxi, China.The ancient capital city of Chang’an (present day Xi’an in Shaanxi province) during the Tang dynasty (618-907 CE) was pivotal to the establishment of a golden era of the Silk Road. This is because Chang’an was a densely-populated city that served as a centre of trade and a political capital of the overland Silk Road. The plains and rivers of the Qinling Mountains that intersects Xi’an and its surrounding areas are some of the places from which the Han Chinese civilisation emerged, including the definitive Daoist philosophy and religion. Xi’an, together with node cities like Chengdu and Chongqing, are also important economies in the modern Chinese Belt and Road Initiative, aiding in enhancing logistical connectivity and thus development of various industries. Contemporary infrastructural projects and railway constructions in these nodes are thus not disjunctions in Chinese history, but are gradual revivals of a significant ancient route for global trade.This course affords students the opportunity to get first-hand experience of local cultures, architectures, and geographical features, and to conduct textual research into civilisational history and Han philosophies. At the end of the course, students would be able to better comprehend the relationships between the circumstances surrounding the rise and fall of Han civilisation, and the Chinese construction of the global trade system, past and present.

Level: 1
Credit Units: 2.5
Presentation Pattern: Every July

Topics

  • Experiential learning
  • Situational Leadership Model
  • History of the Silk Road
  • Origins of the Han civilisation
  • Chinese expansion into the global trade system
  • Modern infrastructural development and its impact on global trade
  • Contemporary geopolitical and economic issues pertaining to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) development

Learning Outcome

  • Describe the roles that Xi’an played in shaping the evolution of the Han civilisation.
  • Identify the key players behind the modern development of Western China and Central Asia.
  • Examine the political and economic intent behind the Chinese expansion into the global trade system.
  • Explain how the historical transformation of Xi’an relates to the modern Chinese Belt and Road Initiative.
  • Compose personal leadership journeys through the Situational Leadership model.
  • Show how different situations shape self and team dynamics.
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