Colorado College’s Political Science department has received an additional infusion of young blood. After adding Professor Coggins to the team last year, we are pleasantly surprised to see yet another talented new hire. It is an honor to welcome tenure-tracked Professor John Yasuda to campus.
After teaching only one block, Professor Yasuda is already developing an impressive reputation. His unique pedagogy and presence-- what some have labeled “effervescent” and others call “authoritarian”-- is a refreshing new approach to teaching political science and Asian studies alike. The Lotus sat down with Professor Yasuda in block two in order to give the student body an introduction to the interests, style, and origins of CC’s newest Asia scholar.
It is not everyday you get to study with the star of China’s favorite reality dating show. Yet with Professor Yasuda, we find that by far this is by his least interesting attribute. In fact, the subject of his soon to be published book seems more tailored to the interests of CC students. It explores the relationship between food safety/scarcity issues in China and the government’s strategies for solving hunger in the world’s most populous country. In his own words, his research focuses on “the way institutional design contributes to regulatory outcomes irrespective of regime type.”
His goal at CC is to dispel the many common myths about Asia which plague western scholarship. First on his list is any theory which holds China as culturally, geographically, ethnically, or politically monolithic. He believes that for leaders of the future, regardless of discipline, “there shouldn’t be a blind spot” regarding Asia.
If you need more reason to study with Professor Yasuda, look no further than his rewarding teaching style. His Harvard, Oxford, and Berkeley pedigree is apparent in the ethic and energy he brings to the classroom. It is a fusion of east-coast “fluff” and west-coast informality, undergirded by english procedure.
Most noticeably, he uses oxford questions, ample hands-on exercises, and tutorial essay discussions to create an environment that fosters intelligent debate; It is somewhat hostile, often hilarious, and always like a shot of adrenaline. He challenges students to think quickly and form arguments with new information.
Professor Yasuda refers to himself as a “third culture kid.” That is, a Japanese-American who grew up in Hong Kong. It was there that he became fluent in Mandarin. His initial interest in great power politics came from experiencing Hong Kong’s transition from British to Chinese (PRC) control in the 1990s.
We concluded our interview with his take on Hong Kong’s umbrella revolution. From his perspective as both an insider and outsider in Hong Kong, Professor Yasuda says he was exhilarated to watch Hong Kongers stand up for themselves. “It's been a long time coming.”
However, he is pessimistic when asked about the potential of such a movement. He doesn’t believe Hong Kongers have any real power or leverage to achieve their goals in the short term. That said, he reassures us “change will come.”
http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~jyasuda/pdf/CVRESUME.pdf
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