Course studies the history, political institutions, and economic development of South East Asia. Topics include the history of the region including the pre-colonial period, forms of colonialism, the impact of World War II, the struggles for independence, nationalism, and communism, and the impact of the Asian Financial Crisis; tools of political economy to place the countries in a broader comparative perspective; and issues of great powers in South East Asia and the growing influence of political Islam in the region. One course.