NCHU Course Outline

Course Name	(中) 跨文化思維與全球身份認同(6089)
Course Name	(Eng.) Transcultural Thinking and Global Identity Formation
Offering Dept	Transcontinental International Master Program
Course Type	Elective	Credits	3	Teacher	Theodorus Arnoldus Maria Richard
Department	Transcontinental International Master Program/Graduate	Language	English	Semester	2026-FALL
Course Description	Course that introduces students to diverse disciplinary approaches enabling them to frame their own studies of transcultural phenomena and perspectives. The concept of transculturality can be used both as a heuristic device (e.g. multi-perspectivity and multi-locality) and focus of study (e.g. cultural entanglements). It is embedded in a large and very heterogeneous landscape of theoretical and methodological approaches that come from various disciplines and cover different thematic, historical and geographic areas. The course will present transculturality as a method of scholarly inquiry which critiques and overturns traditional approaches which are focused on particular national traditions. The course will survey some of the most important ideas on nation state, problematize the notion of “culture” and show how the theory of transculturality builds on and provides alternative thinking to the same. This lecture and group discussion class will discuss the contributions and limitations of inherited and current notions of transculturality as they serve to nurture the understanding of processes of globalization and identity formation in an ever changing world. And we will explore how the case of Taiwan relates to these theories. This class is a full EMI (English Mode of Instruction) class. On the Course Content: In the context of the above explorations, students will be asked to actively share their findings in the class. The course is divided into two parts: in the first 10 to 12 weeks, subjects and materials will be discussed based on paper discussions / student presentations and guidance by the teacher. After that point, the course will focus on the choice by the students of a subject for and the writing of their end term paper under a workshop like approach. The Midterm assignment will be (1) a written paper about the preliminary choice by the student of 3 (three) possible subjects for their end term paper related to the content of the course, together with argumentation of around 300 - 500 words for each subject, and (2) a presentation of the same in class. The treatment of the second part of the course will then be chosen discretionarily by the teacher, and assigned for group / student presentation or self-study. The second part of the semester will be more aimed at guided self-work in class on study, research, discussion and writing for the end term paper. The key to a good presentation is to realize that simply summarizing and presenting information, is not enough. Gathering information and organizing it in a PPT is just the beginning of the exploration of truly knowing and understanding. What is important is to ask yourself: what is the essence of this information; what does this information possibly mean to me and the class; and how can this information be used to reach conclusions that will support the debate and the deep understanding of the subject? Each presentation will last around 40 minutes. The presenters will prepare 4 to 5 questions on the material which will be discussed in class. This syllabus provides basic reading only. The students are encouraged to explore further reading and present it to the class. Please allow the teacher to check in advance whether additional reading that you wish to present, is appropriate. The subjects and documents mentioned in the syllabus are only indicative and can be changed pursuant to the teacher’s ideas on the progress of the class. All materials are expected to be read and/or viewed by the students before class. Endterm papers are to be submitted in paper, on the relevant dates to the teacher, without late acceptance. Midterm materials will be submitted on I-learning. NOTE: NCHU has a University Regulation that under its article 26, prescribes that students are not allowed to miss classes by one-third or more. This includes classes that are missed with approval in advance. On a 16 week schedule, that would mean missing 6 classes or more deserves a fail. The text in Chinese is as follows: 第二十六條: 學生各科目缺課時數達該全學期上課時數三分之一者，不得參加該科目之學期考試，該科目學期成績以零分計。總缺課時數累計達全學期所修各科目上課總時數三分之一者，應辦理休學。 The PDF file is linked here: https://share.google/XPrROckWDyPAASnw5.
Prerequisites				self-directed learning in the course	Y

Relevance of Course Objectives and Core Learning Outcomes(%)

Teaching and Assessment Methods for Course Objectives

Course Objectives

Competency Indicators

Ratio(%)

Teaching Methods

Assessment Methods

1. To introduce students to diverse disciplinary perspectives enabling them to frame their own studies of transcultural phenomena and perspectives.
2. To familiarize students with some key concepts and texts related to the transcultural perspective on globalization and identity formation.

topic Discussion/Production

Exercises

Discussion

Lecturing

Oral Presentation

Assignment

Attendance

Written Presentation

Course Content and Homework/Schedule/Tests Schedule

Week	Course Content
Week 1	Introduction and overview of the class
Week 2	The idea of nation state and its origins [Anderson, 1991]
Week 3	What is Transculturality? [Welsch, 2001]
Week 4	Background and Historicity of Transculturality [Juneja and Kravagna, 2013; Welsch, 2023]
Week 5	Globalization and Culture [Appadurai, 1996]
Week 6	Globalization and the Planetary Consciousness [Heise, 2013]
Week 7	The world in the Anthropocene [Horn, Bergthaller, 2019]
Week 8	Midterm: provide an original, non-AI composed paper about the preliminary choice by the student of 3 (three) possible subjects for their end term paper related to the content of the course, together with argumentation of around 300 - 500 words for each subject Upload on I-learning on the day of the class before midnight..
Week 9	Presentations by the students of their 3 chosen possible subjects for their end term paper.
Week 10	Transcultural Identity, Commonalities and Globalization [Welsch, 2009]
Week 11	Missing Voices in de global identity debate. [Guest presentation]
Week 12	Formulation of the research question.
Week 13	Writing the Introduction; structuring the paper.
Week 14	Presenting the next 1000 words.
Week 15	Discussion of writing progress; trouble shooting. Review of the class and the learning experiences. [Attending the NCHU Green Campus Cafe event]
Week 16	End Term, final paper: provide an original, non-AI composed paper on any subject related to the class of between 4000 – 6000 words, to be provided in print form on the class date to the teacher in class latest by close of class hour. In print only, no digital submission. No late submission allowed.
self-directed learning	02.Viewing multimedia materials related to industry and academia. View at least 5 (five) YouTube presentations of at least 15 - 20 minutes length that are directly relevant to the subject of the class.

Evaluation

Evaluation is based on the teacher’s impression of level of participation and overall performance in the class by the students.
Grades are calculated on the following basis:
40% Class participation through assignments and discussions
30% Midterm paper (1000 words) and presentation.
30% Endterm paper (4000 - 6000 words)

Textbook & other References

Materials are multi-disciplinary.
Further materials will be given by the teacher during the course of the class.

Mandatory reading:
Anderson, Benedict. Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism. Verso, 1991;
Appadurai, A. 1996. Disjuncture and Difference in the Global Cultural Economy. In Arjun Appadurai (ed.) Modrnity at Large: Cultural Dimensions of Globalization (Minneapolis: Minnesota University Press), 27 – 47;
Heise, U. K. 2013. From the Blue Planet to Google Earth. E-Flux Journal, Issue #50, December 2013;
Horn, E. and Bergthaller, H. 2019. Scales I: The Planetary. In The Anthropocene: Key Issues for the Humanities (London: Routledge).
Juneja, M. and Kravagna, Chr., 2013. Understanding Transculturalism. In Fahi Amir et al. (eds.), Transcultural Modernisms (Berlin: Sternberg Press), 22 – 33;
Welsch, W. 2001. Transculturality: The Changing Form of Cultures Today. Filozofski vestnik XXII.2 (2001): 59-86;
Welsch, W. 2009. On the Acquisition and Posssession of Commonalities. In Frank Schulze-Engler and Sissy Heff (eds.), Transcultural English Studies: Theories, Fictions, Realities. (Amsterdam - New York: Rodopi Press), 3 – 36.
Welsch, W. 2023. We have always been Transcultural. Brill Publishers. [Introduction]

Teaching Aids & Teacher's Website

Office Hours

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Update Date, year/month/day：2026/07/16 15:04:56	Printed Date, year/month/day：2026 / 8 / 18
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