Course info

 

This course will be freely available for everyone during September 2 - December 15, 2024.

You can sign in during the course period using manual registration or with Google, EduGain or HAKA identification.

The course is worth 3 ECTS credits (ca 80  hours of work).

This course offers a comprehensive introduction to China's economy. It is designed for learners seeking a foundational understanding of the key factors that influence China's domestic economy within a global context. By the end of the course, you will have gained essential knowledge about the drivers behind China's remarkable growth as well as the reasons for its current challenges. 

The course begins with an overview of China's economic development path and the basic characteristics of its domestic economy. Subsequent topics explore the role of the party-state in the economy, the engines of China's economic growth—including trade, investment, and consumption—and issues that have a fundamental impact on China's economy, such as economic geography, labor markets and demographic changes.

You will also become familiar with primary sources of information on the Chinese economy, enabling you to continue engagement and learning even after completing the course.   

The course is part of the "ReConnect China" project which is funded in the framework of Horizon Europe program. The opinions expressed in this course are those of the authors only and should not be considered as representative of the European Commission's official position.   

This course is divided into five modules:

1. Essentials of the Chinese Economy
2. Overview of China's Domestic Economy 
3. Investments, Trade and Consumption 
4. Economic Geography and Demography 
5. Role of the Party-State in Economy  

 

MATERIALS

The core materials consist of short (20 min) recorded lectures and slideshows that are prepared by leading European experts on China. In addition, the versatile learning materials include timelines, infographics, podcasts and open access online materials. Learners will also get acquainted with central sources of information about China, including selected Chinese webpages.

The learning experience is enriched by various types of automatically graded assignments. These encompass quizzes, drag-and-drop exercises, and branching scenarios. The latter empowers students to navigate distinct choices within a Chinese context and observe their resultant outcomes. Moreover, each module culminates in a multiple-choice exam, providing a comprehensive evaluation of the knowledge assimilated.

TAKEN AS

Each module consists of learning materials, assignments and an exam. The assignments vary in length and difficulty, and have limitless attempts. The exams consist of six randomly selected multiple-choice questions. There are three attempts for each exam. In order to complete the course and receive a course certificate, students need to pass all assignments and exams within the course period.

The course is graded pass/fail. When students have successfully completed all assignments and exams, you may produce an automatically generated course certificate of completion. The certificate can be digitally verified.

EXECUTION OF THE COURSE

The development of the course is funded by the EU-project “ReConnect China” and it’s executed by the Centre for East Asian Studies (CEAS) of the University of Turku, Finland. For more information, please contact Dr Outi Luova at outi.luova[at]utu.fi.