This online course, suitable both for people with no previous knowledge of China and for those somewhat familiar with it, offers a critical overview of ten issues in contemporary China. It is increasingly accepted that China is becoming one of — if not the — most powerful nations in the world; yet the country remains unknown to most people outside it.

The course addresses topics as diverse as the economy, politics, the mass media and the environment. Through video lectures and resource-rich notes drawing on a variety of sources, the instructors provide answers that escape the predominant narratives about contemporary China and highlight its complexities. Taught with three other lecturers.