Global East Asia (GEA) is a four week upper-division Maymester research course with a study abroad component for USC undergraduate students, made possible by the East Asian Studies Center and USC Dornsife. This intensive program gives students the opportunity to travel and conduct research in Japan. Students from all majors, schools and language backgrounds are eligible to apply and experience East Asia in a unique way.
KOREA
Instructor: Sunyoung Park, Associate Professor of EALC and Gender and Sexuality Studies
Location: Los Angeles, CA and Seoul, Gyeongju, Ulsan, and Busan, South Korea
Course Title: Science, Technology, and Culture in Korea (#25805)
Dates: May 18, 2026 – June 12, 2026
This course examines the history of science and technology in Korea from the perspective of cultural studies. Thinkers such as Thomas Kuhn, Bruno Latour, Sandra Harding, and Sheila Jasanoff have challenged the presumed universality of science and technology since the late twentieth century, highlighting the crucial role of culture in their development, dissemination, and legitimization. Drawing from these critical insights, this course focuses on Korea, exploring the close entanglement between science, technology, and culture in its historical context. The course blends discussions of selected readings with site visits to historical museums, science centers, and corporate facilities in and out of Seoul. These visits offer students the opportunity to not only study the official history of Korean science and technology but also to observe and experience how science and technology are constructed and communicated as popular knowledge.
Please note: Students will be sharing rooms for the duration of their time in Korea.
JAPAN
Instructor: Miya Elise Desjardins, Adjunct Associate Professor of Art History and EALC
Location: Los Angeles, CA and Tokyo, Japan
Course Title: Japanese Society and Design Thinking (#25803)
Dates: May 18, 2026 – June 12, 2026
This course examines contemporary Japanese design beyond the material culture of the everyday, reframing it as a form of social engagement that exists across various media and disciplines. We will explore, from a transdisciplinary perspective, the ways in which the practice of design engages with social problems and contributes to social transformation. From interior furnishings to exterior landscapes, spanning real and virtual environments, design plays a significant role in the creation of national infrastructure. Specific attention will be paid to the global dimensions of Japanese design and its transnational migration, adaptation, and instances of exchange and collaboration that have emerged between Japan and our locale, Los Angeles, by surveying a selection of design practices. The 4-week course will be held for 1 week in Los Angeles and includes visits to museums and galleries, businesses, Japan House-LA, gardens and other cultural venues that feature iterations of Japanese design, and 3 weeks in Tokyo, conducting fieldwork.
Please note: Students will be sharing rooms for the duration of their time in Japan.
How To Apply
♦ USC undergraduate Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors from any major/school
♦ Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
♦ Complete the online application form and upload your Personal Statement.
♦ Personal statement: Explain your interest in the selected program, discuss your personal and academic experience related to East Asia and/or the country of study, include information on related coursework you have taken or are taking, and explain any financial need. If you have a research topic related to the course, please include this in your personal statement. 500 word maximum.
Priority Deadline: November 4th, 2024 (applications after this date may be rejected due to capacity)
Final Deadline: December 9th, 2024