THE CHOICES PROGRAM BROWN UNIVERSITY
asian-studies Asian Studies
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The Asian Studies Series focuses on the history, geography, and politics of selected Asian countries, as well as each country’s relationship to the United States and elsewhere in the world. Choices Program units focus on China, India, Vietnam, Russia, Turkey, Afghanistan, and countries in the Middle East, including Iran, Iraq, and Syria. This series will enhance your world history course or an Asian-focused elective course and broaden your students’ perspectives on current and historical topics related to Asia.

The view from the back of a classroom full of girls wearing hijabs and sitting close together on the floor. The room is plain with just a simple chalkboard on the front wall.
Afghanistan

The United States in Afghanistan

Students grapple with questions regarding the involvement of the United States in Afghanistan by exploring Afghanistan’s culture and history and then examining the events that led to the Soviet invasion, the role of Osama bin Laden, and the U.S. involvement following 2001.
Shanghai, China lit up at night
China

China on the World Stage: Weighing the U.S. Response

Students explore the history of U.S. relations with China and consider the implications of China’s economic growth, societal transformation, and increasing international role.
Iraq

A Global Controversy: The U.S. Invasion of Iraq

Readings and activities explore the history of Iraq, help students understand events surrounding the U.S.-led invasion, and examine the effects of the war on Iraq, the United States, and the international community.
Collage of a map of india, a newspaper, and illustrations of indian boats
Indian Independence

Indian Independence and the Question of Partition

Students examine the history leading up to the British withdrawal from the Indian subcontinent in 1947 and the legacies of partition that remain today.
Iranian Revolution

The Iranian Revolution

Students trace the history of Iran from its early dynasties to the present and explore Iran’s cultural history, its efforts to establish a representative democracy, and the role the great powers played in shaping events in Iran.
Women wearing headscarves walk along a crowded sidewalk
Middle East

The Middle East: Questions for U.S. Policy

Students examine oil and geopolitics, issues between the Palestinians and Israel, the Egyptian revolution, Syrian refugees, and other issues that have shaped U.S. relations in the region.
President Obama leans in close to speak something in Vladimir Putin's ear with other officials in the background.
Russia

Russia and the United States: Perspectives from History—Choices for Today

Students survey the economic issues and political developments that have shaped the outlook of policymakers in the Kremlin and Washington, D.C.
Old city of Aleppo, Syria
Syria

The Syrian Civil War

Students explore the history of Syria from the Ottoman Empire to French colonial rule, Syrian independence, and the rise of the Assad regimes as historical background to understand the recent conflict.
Buildings in Istanbul and the flag of Turkey on the banks of the Bosphorus strait
Turkey

Empire, Republic, Democracy: Turkey’s Past and Future

Students trace the final years of the Ottoman Empire, the struggle for independence, and Turkish resistance against European imperialism.
A row of Vietnamese women walk along a path between two fields, heavily patrolled by U.S. Marines in 1965.
Vietnam

The Vietnam War:
Origins, History, and Legacies

This unit tells the “long history” of the destructive, deadly, and divisive U.S. war in Vietnam. Students examine the war’s long-term origins, investigate its complex history, and explore its lasting legacies.
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