- resource distribution and physiographic features:
Sample topics:
- defining “Asia”
- geographic features, population density, climates, and environments of Asia
- natural borders, resource distribution, and impact of climate and physiographic features on trade, migration, and economies in Asia
- demography, migration, urbanization, and environmental issues:
Sample topics:
- migration within and away from Asia
- population growth and decline
- urbanization and the rise of megacities
- role of the state and markets in affecting migration patterns
- impact of climate change on livelihood
- standards of living (rural versus urban, and between regions and countries)
- industrialization, globalization, economic systems, and distribution of wealth:
Sample topics:
- growth, poverty, and inequality
- different standards of living and economic activities in Asian countries and regions
- pros and cons of foreign trade and investment in Asia and with Asia
- environmental sustainability and economic growth
- labour conditions and economic development
- export-led growth models
- rapid post-war economic growth and development in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan
- role of the state in economic development
- uneven development, urbanization, and growing inequality within and between countries (e.g., the move from rural to urban centres
in China and Bangladesh)
- development, structure, and function of political and social institutions:
Sample topics:
- rise of contemporary nation-states
- China (e.g., Chinese communism under Mao versus under Deng versus today)
- Vietnam
- India
- ideologies
-
- health systems
- education systems
- social and political movements, including human rights initiatives:
Sample topics:
- aging populations in Japan and Korea
- caste system in India
- rise in economic inequality and youth unemployment
- human rights issues (e.g., Rohingya, Uighurs, Tibet, North Korea; gender discrimination; honour killings)
- contemporary social and political movements, including indigenous rights (e.g., Umbrella Protests in Hong Kong)
- Southeast Asia’s modern statehood and multi-ethnic, multi-faith, multilingual populations
- European and US colonization, and national liberation movements
- local, regional, and global conflict and co-operation:
Sample topics:
- impact of colonialism in South, East, and Southeast Asia
- Chinese Revolution
- Indian independence movement
- World War II in the Pacific
- India–Pakistan partition
- creation of Bangladesh
- Korean War
- Vietnam War
- Sri Lankan ethnic conflict and civil war
- local, regional, and national identities:
Sample topics:
- India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh after the British Raj
- linguistic groups
- China