REGN 9052: Regulation and Governance

The course will help students understand the nature of regulation and governance in complex social environments. It examines the work of leading regulatory scholars and considers how their theoretical insights could be applied in practical settings. Case studies are drawn from a broad range of regulatory arenas, including public health, commerce, crime, environmental and climate change, human rights and development. The course will also consider the challenges of regulation and governance in a globalising world. Students receive the opportunity to examine and synthesise relevant issues of regulation and governance through a short presentation of a case study. They will also engage with concepts and applied debates through in class activities and a final essay.

On satisfying the requirements of this course, students will:

1. Recall and assess classic and contemporary theories of regulation and governance.
2. Be able to critically reflect on, synthesise and evaluate the development of regulatory regimes across a range of domains.
3. Predict and imagine the limits of a variety of regulatory instruments and concepts.
4. Have refined oral communication skills to disseminate and promote new insights on regulatory regimes and instruments.
5. Be able to infer future directions for regulation and governance in domestic, global and transnational contexts.

This course will be assessed pass/fail, with students required to pass each assessment item in order to receive a passing mark for the course.

• 10%: In-class participation and preparation of two questions for each session
• 10%: Preparation of two targeted questions for class discussion
• 25%: Leading one in-class discussion, including a 1000-word précis on relevant readings
• 30%: In-class presentation analysing a case study using a regulatory approach or concept
• 30%: 3,000-word essay on the relevance of regulatory and governance scholarship to the thesis

Note: There are slight differences between this course and ASIA8052: Regulation and Governance, which is required for MPhil students (form attached).

REGN 9053: Governance and Social Theory

This course provides a survey of influential social thought and its applications to the study of governance. It focuses on the use of different ideas, analytical frameworks and paradigms to examine social phenomena related to governance. Students will learn about foundational and contemporary theories as well as how social scientists have applied and refined theoretical concepts through empirical inquiry. In addition, this course aids in developing critical reading and analytical skills necessary for interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary engagement. To do so, it requires students to read written texts, engage on-line resources and participate in structured peer-learning activities. Two sections comprise the course. The first part focuses on social thought in a broad sense by critically examining ideas that are considered integral to the development of the social sciences. The second part examines specific advances in social theory and its applications in domains of governance and regulation.

On satisfying the requirements of this course, students will:

1. Recall and assess a range of ideas that inform historical and contemporary approaches and debates in the social sciences.
2. Be able to critically reflect on and compare concepts used in the study of governance.
3. Work collaboratively with peers to synthesise and evaluate complex social theories.
4. Refine oral communication skills through the development and delivery of a presentation on a subfield of social thought (in consultation with the instructor).
5. Use established concepts from one trajectory of social thought to create new ideas for research in an area of governance.

This course will be assessed pass/fail, with students required to pass each assessment item in order to receive a passing mark for the course.

• 10%: In-class participation and preparation of two questions for each session
• 10%: Leading two in-class discussions, each on the application of a theory
• 25%: Collaborative reading group activities, including 1000-word précis on selected readings
• 25%: 2500-word summary of a theory/school of social thought and its relevance to the thesis/research topic
• 30%: Presentation on one subfield of social thought (readings in consultation with the instructor for guidance)

REGN 9076: Methods in Regulation and Governance

This course focuses on methodology and methods specific to developing and carrying out qualitative research projects on regulation and governance. It provides concepts, tools and practical knowledge to assist students in developing a robust qualitative research project. It covers key aspects of doing qualitative research such as the development of research questions, epistemological approaches, sampling, specific research methods, data management and analysis. In addition, students analyse and compare different research designs used within the field of regulation and governance. The format combines lectures with hands-on activities and workshops, allowing students to explore a number of different approaches. The course offers students opportunities to discuss common ethical issues, with particular attention paid to concerns that emerge in carrying out research in the region, and provides an overview about ways of presenting qualitative research findings.

On satisfying the requirements of this course, students will:

1. Be able to critically reflect on and evaluate qualitative research as an empirical social science agenda, including different concepts, approaches and methods.
2. Assess and recall the relevance and appropriateness of various research methods to specific kinds of research questions.
3. Use and apply established qualitative research approaches to create a new qualitative study in the areas of regulation and governance.
4. Design a research study that combines different methods and techniques in undertaking qualitative data collection and analysis.
5. Predict and imagine ethical issues that may arise while developing, conducting and analysing qualitative research.

This course will be assessed pass/fail, with students required to pass each assessment item in order to receive a passing mark for the course.

• 10%: In-class participation and preparation of two questions for each session
• 20%: Leading two in-class exercises, each on an aspect of methodology
• 20%: Two oral presentations and 500-word reflections on methodological approaches relevant to the thesis
• 50%: 5,000-word qualitative research methodology paper detailing the questions, rationale, methods and possible ethical issues that may arise from undertaking the research project