UWA Handbook 2025

Unit Overview

Description

This unit gives students in-country opportunities to engage with local communities and institutions in the Asia Pacific region to increase their literacy concerning the region and problems both unique to the region and shared with Australia. The unit combines in-classroom learning with field activities to promote experiential learning concerning the specific issues focused upon in each host country. Topics may include strategies for promoting communal harmony, issues in conservation and development, local social movements and cultural institutions addressing such problems as multiculturalism, decolonisation, national identity, environmental adaptation, and others.

This unit is not available for self-enrolment and is only available to high-performing students. Students wishing to apply for the unit must contact the unit coordinator and submit an expression of interest (a form will be supplied for this purpose).

Credit

6 points

Offering

Availability	Location	Mode
Not available in 2025	Asia Pacific	Off-campus

Details for undergraduate courses

• Level 3 option in the International Relations major sequence
• Level 3 elective

Outcomes

Students are able to (1) demonstrate understanding of the institutional structures and cultural outlooks of the host country

; (2) critically analyse government discourses and policies, as well as civil society responses to them; (3) work collaboratively in cross-cultural contexts; (4) develop and use international networks to address problems faced by the host country and Australia; and (5) reflect on and apply international perspectives to the Australian context.

Assessment

Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) participation; (2) reflective writing; and (3) analytical essay. Further information is available in the unit outline.

This unit is assessed on an ungraded pass/ungraded failed basis. All assessment items must be successfully completed.

Student may be offered supplementary assessment in this unit if they meet the eligibility criteria.

Unit Coordinator(s)

Dr Yu Tao and Dr Alexander Davis and Dr Felix Pal

Unit rules

Prerequisites

Successful completion of

two level 1 Unit(s) and approval of the unit coordinator

Approved quota: 50—this unit is not available for self-enrolment. Students wishing to apply for the unit must contact the unit coordinator and submit an expression of interest (a form will be supplied for this purpose). The Unit Coordinator will select participants based on the applicants' quality of EoI, general academic performance, and, where relevant, criteria set by the external funder, such as the DFAT in the case of the New Colombo Plan projects.

Incidental fees

Incidental student fees and charges are costs incurred by students as part of their studies at UWA that are in addition to their tuition fees (further information is available "
Participation in this unit will incur the following incidental fee(s):
food, travel and accommodation only, includes visa-related charges (estimated cost - variable).

Contact hours

The core of this unit is an in-country fieldwork experience typically between two and four weeks, with the balance of classroom and field/experiential activities decided by the relevant unit coordinator in negotiation with the host university/institution.

Note

This unit is not available for self-enrolment. Students wishing to apply for the unit must contact the unit coordinator and submit an expression of interest (a form will be supplied for this purpose).