The Institute of World Politics will offer a new course on Chinese Military Thought and History this spring taught by China expert Dr. Christopher Lew. Dr. Lew is currently President of Water Dragons Consulting and Senior China Policy Analyst at SAIC.
The course (IWP 677) will explore Chinese military thought from both a historical and philosophical perspective to provide a greater understanding of Chinese military decision making processes at the strategic and operational levels.
The course will open with an examination of fundamental strategic issues as dictated by China’s geography and cultural differences from its neighbors before transitioning into a study of the philosophical underpinnings of Chinese military thought such as Sun Tzu and the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. After establishing this basis, the course will examine case studies and trends through China’s medieval and pre-modern periods before drawing deeper focus on events during the modern era, such as the Opium Wars, the Sino-Japanese Wars, the Chinese Civil War, and the Korean War. The last portion of the class will discuss China’s current military posture in light of these factors and in reaction to the evolving international situation.
IWP president John Lenczowski said of Dr. Lew: “Having received his Ph.D. under the direction of the great professor Arthur Waldron at University of Pennsylvania, Chris became one of the top China experts in the US intelligence community. He has contributed to IWP seminar programs, and we are delighted to have him join our faculty. He will enable us to deepen our China studies program.”
Dr. Lew, who also teaches courses in modern East Asian history and contemporary China at the University of Maryland University College, has dedicated his career to studying Chinese politics, economics, military affairs, and history. His current work with Water Dragons Consulting involves navigating the Chinese political-economic landscape and networks through the use of advanced analytics while his support of U.S. Pacific Command through SAIC involves interpreting northeast Asian decision-making processes.
This course will be offered on Tuesday evenings from 6:30-9:30pm during the Spring 2015 semester.
Please click here to read Dr. Lew’s full biography.
