Illicit Economies in Asia

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

This course examines the "hidden" side to Asia's transnational economies. It introduces students to the dynamics and history behind how countries deal with clandestine flows of goods, people, and services across borders. The first half of the course will explore current debates and different scholarly approaches to illicit economies and underground activities. In the second half, we will focus on issues of human and drug trafficking, illegal finance, undocumented migration, as well as disease and displacement that thread across South, Southeast and East Asia since the early 20th century. This course emphasizes the importance of transnational and historical context for understanding the challenges that illicit economies pose for many Asian countries today. There are no pre-requisites to take this course.