INTL 2860 Human Rights in East Asia

This course introduces students to the post-1945 development of global human rights talk, activism, and politics from an East Asian perspective. Through an examination of specific conflicts over self-determination and sovereignty, economic development and disparity, democratization, the legacies of decolonization, and global justice and environment, the course delves into how and why actors in China, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, and North Korea translated local struggles into international human rights agendas that gained attention on the global stage. In exploring this process of translation and appropriation, we will also analyze how these local conflicts transformed international human rights issues. Fulfills the LAMA requirement for History Majors and Minors.

Course overview

Department
International Studies
School
MCAS
Credits
3
Level
Undergraduate
Offered
Every Spring

Catalog details

Satisfies core
Cultural Diversity

Catalog text is imported from the reviewed Boston College course snapshot. Confirm eligibility in EagleApps.

Requirements fulfilled

  • University Core: Cultural Diversity (All undergraduates)

Requirement eligibility can vary by school, cohort, and section. Confirm the selected section in EagleApps or with an advisor.

Course evaluations

Response-weighted averages from Boston College’s official course evaluations (Avalanche/Blue).

Course rating
3.96 / 5 · Very Good
40 responses
Instructor rating
4.13 / 5 · Very Good
40 responses
Terms evaluated
2
Most recent: Fall 2025

Scales: overall ratings run from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent); agreement questions from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree); weekly effort from 1 (up to 1 hour) to 5 (10 or more hours).

Evaluations by term and instructor
TermInstructorCourse overallInstructor overallWell organizedClear learning objectivesIntellectually challengingHelpful assignmentsApplicable beyond courseAttendance necessaryWeekly effortResponses
Fall 2025Ingu Hwang3.84.14.13.94.34.64.44.31–3 hrs/week20 of 22
Fall 2024Ingu Hwang4.14.24.54.34.74.54.84.5—20 of 25

Data freshness

Course and evaluation data last updated 2026-10-09. Source details and limitations are documented in Data Sources and Methodology.

Instructors

  • Ingu Hwang
    Spring 2027, Fall 2025, Fall 2024 · Official rating 4.13/5

Sections

  • Section 01
    Spring 2027 · Ingu Hwang · Stokes Hall 215N TuTh 01:30PM-02:45PM · Offered