Whether or not you’re an international business or Chinese major, becoming an expert on China will undoubtedly help you prepare for the increasingly global economy of the future. From learning the language to understanding its history and relations with the U.S. and other countries, to studying its art and business culture, you can become an expert on China even without going back to school. Here are 50 open courses to turn you into a proficient speaker and more informed individual on issues relating to China.
History and Culture
Study Chinese history, from its cultural and creative history to its relations with other countries.
1.East Asia in the World: This course examines the history of interactions between China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and Central Asia.[MIT]
2.Smashing the Iron Rice Bowl: Chinese East Asia: Consider the daily struggles of Chinese people in the 19th and 20th centuries. [MIT]
3.China: This series studies art, culture and history of China. [Asian Art Museum]
4.International Education: Students and business people will learn how to think globally and set up "successful link[s]" with other countries, especially China. [Learning and Teaching Scotland]
5.East Asian Cultures: From Zen to Pop: This culture class covers literature music, art and performance in premodern and modern East Asia. [MIT]
6.Chinese VI (Regular): Discovering Chinese Cultures and Societies: This language class also teaches Chinese culture, psychology, history and daily life habits. [MIT]
7.Introduction to Asian American Studies: Literature, Culture and Historical Experience: Study the history and traditions of Asian Americans and Chinese Americans from the 19th century to today. [MIT]
8.Cultural Performances in Asia: This arts, media and culture class will teach you about cultural performances in China and other Asian countries. [MIT]
9.Power and Glory: Court Arts of China’s Ming Dynasty: You’ll study music, paintings and other types of art from the courts of China’s Ming Dynasty. [Indianapolis Museum of Art]
10.Center for Buddhist Studies: Study Tibet and Buddhism here. [UCLA]
11.Innovation: This collection of lectures studies Chinese and Indian traditions of creativity and innovation. [University of Cambridge]
Language
Study pronunciation, writing, conversation, culture and listening from these Chinese language classes.
12.First Year Chinese I: Learn basic pronunciation skills and study the basic Chinese characters in this class. [Utah State]
13.First Year Chinese II: In this class, you’ll learn more advanced — but still introductory — pronunciation and Chinese character writing skills. [Utah State]
14.Chinese III (Regular): Here you’ll study Mandarin grammar, linguistic culture, basic conversation, writing and basic reading. [MIT]
15.Chinese IV (Regular): Improve your listening skills as you study Chinese stories based on the Mainland’s character set. [MIT]
16.Confucius Institute Mid-Autumn Festival: Listen to student presentations and other recordings that promote Chinese language and culture. [Emory University]
17.Chinese Beyond Emory: Listen to these interviews and discussions from native speakers to brush up on your language skills. You’ll hear recordings from speakers from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore. [Emory University]
18.Conversations in Chinese: This language course also addresses lots of modern day cultural and daily life issues. [Ohio]
19.Being Chinese: Here you’ll gain insight into what it’s like to be Chinese by studying its food and lifestyle. [Southern Institute of Technology]
Economy and Business
These open courses will teach you about the growing Chinese economy and China’s new influence on the rest of the world.
20.From the Silk Road to the Great Game: China, Russia and Central Eurasia: This class studies the economic and trading histories of China, Russia and Central Eurasia. [MIT]
21.Political Economy of Chinese Reform: Consider whether or not China’s transition to a growth market is sustainable. [MIT]
22.China and Globalization: Study slave labor in China, the U.S. automaker industry in China, the new upper class in China, e-commerce, farmer protests and more. [American Public Media]
23.Economy and Business in Modern China and India: From an increase in outsourcing to healthier economies in China and India, study the new powers of China and India. [MIT]
24.Power Shift: The Debate Over American Decline: Listen to lectures and discussions about how countries like China and India may be taking over America’s role of economic powerhouse. [PRI Public Radio International]
25.Global and Domestic Imbalances: Why Rural China is the Key: This lecture considers the progress made by "entrepreneurial peasants." [MIT]
26.Business and Economics: You’ll study all sorts of business and economic issues, from entrepreneurship to women leaders to investments in China, Vietnam and more. [Asia Society]
27.International Institute: You’ll find lots of educational resources for understanding and acting in the global economy alongside China. [UCLA]
28.China’s Development and China-U.S. Relations: Find out how China’s new, powerful status is affecting relations with the U.S. [MIT]
29.Doing Business in China: This talk introduces you to the issues you’ll face when doing business in China. [Suffolk University]
30.The Emergence of China in the Global Economy: Here you’ll listen to a lecture about how China successfully moved from communism to capitalism. [MIT]
31.The World Turned Upside Down: The Impact of the Return of Indian and China to their Historical Global Weight: Clyde V. Prestowitz Jr. analyzes how China and India’s return to power is setting us up for a "a major rebalancing of global economic might." [MIT]
32.Managing in Chinese Cultures: Take a look at the management cultures of Chinese professionals here. [The Open University]
33.Automobiles in Growing Economies of the Developing World: Discover how a major increase in the number of cars on the road in China has impacted the country’s society, economy and daily life. [MIT]
Politics and Society
Learn about China’s political history, its relations with the Middle East and the U.S., and the policies that shape everyday life.
35.Government and Politics of China: Study pre-Communist and Communist politics in China. [MIT]
36.American Foreign Policy: Past, Present and Future: Study modern day U.S. policy with the Middle East and China. [MIT]
37.Asia: This collection of lectures examines nuclear tensions and the potential for conflict involving Korea, Iran, China, India, Pakistan and Japan. [Center for Strategic and International Studies]
38.Beijing and New York: Compare daily life in New York vs. Beijing after listening to this broadcast. [PRI Public Radio International]
39.Comparative Politics and China: Study contemporary Chinese politics at the graduate level. [MIT]
40.Landscapes of China: Various experts on China discuss economic, political, social, environmental and cultural issues. [Asia Society]
41.Russia and Eurasia: You’ll study the influence of China’s history and modern society on Russia and Central Asia in this group of lectures. [Center for Strategic and International Studies]
42.Olympic Insider: Become an expert on all the issues surrounding the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. [Texas A&M University]
43.U.S./China Media Brief Program: This program addresses U.S. – China relations today, from economics to policy. [UCLA]
44.Asia: This program is sort of like an ongoing news stream and discussion database for keeping up with issues in China, India, North Korea and Japan. [WNET]
45.Center for Chinese Studies: Find resources for studying Chinese property law, history, urbanization and design, economics and more. [UCLA]
46.Style and Living: Consider Chinese standards of beauty, the Chinese media revolution, the Olympics, and more. [Asia Society]
47.China, Taiwan and the U.S.: A Coming Conflict?: Here you’ll listen to a panel discussion about the potential for conflict among the U.S., China and Taiwan. [MIT]
48.Beijing Video Conference: These videos hope to "understand cultural norms and expectations" among Chinese and Americans. [Pepperdine University]
49.Internet Regulation and Design: A View from the Front Lines: In this lecture about Internet regulation, Alan Davidson references China’s tradition of censorship. [MIT]
