The East and the West

A Course with Arthur Waldron

April 24 to May 13, 2008

The Second World War taught us that Western civilization can be affected by what happens in the East.  Since the dawn of the modern era, when the West leapt ahead, China and India have been backward; but now, as they are opening up their economies, they are growing in strength. What lies ahead for us there?  Will China become a stable democracy?  Will it keep the peace?  Or will it aim to dominate its neighbors and us by force?  Will India cut its economy loose from the still controlling hand of government and remain at peace with China and Pakistan?  Or will its tensions with its neighbors overflow into nuclear war?  What will the globe look like when these two civilizations have caught up with us?  What direction will Japan take?  These are some of the questions we will address in this course.

Arthur Waldron, Lauder Professor of International Relations, University of Pennsylvania, specializes in war, strategy, foreign policy and Asian affairs. Prior to teaching at University of Pennsylvania, he was Professor of Strategy and Policy at the US Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. Dr. Waldron is a member on the Council of Foreign Relations, serves on the Board of Directors for Freedom House, is a Fellow at Harvard University’s Olin Institute for Strategic Studies and is a regular consultant to both the government and businesses. Dr. Waldron is Vice President of The International Assessment and Strategy Center for Asia and Strategy Programs. He was part of the China Futures Panel, convened by congressional Republicans in 2000 “to examine charges of bias in the CIA assessments of China,” and led by Gen. John Tilelli. He received his BA from Harvard, summa cum laude and his PhD also from Harvard.