Dr. Richardson-Barlow is an experienced university instructor, teaching undergraduate and master’s level university courses across the breadth of East Asian studies, with a focus on economic, political and international relations in the Asia-Pacific. She also supervises undergraduate student final year projects at the University of Leeds.

Dr. Richardson-Barlow is an Associate Fellow with the UK Higher Education Association (UKHEA). She has received recognition for teaching and learning support in higher education in line with the professional standards framework identified by the UKHEA. She has also been nominated for teaching awards at the University of Leeds.

During my time at Leeds, Dr Richardson-Barlow has been one of the most enthusiastic instructors I’ve had the pleasure of learning from. Her classes manage to break down complex issues into a digestible format great for introducing students to the topics at hand, delivered with enthusiasm, inspiring strong conversation both after class and in the seminars. I’ve found it easy to stay engaged in class, and her lectures have driven me to learn more about the teachings outside the class in my own time. I’m very thankful for having chosen her module for my final semester at Leeds, not only for the quality of the teaching, but for the knowledge and curiosity in international politics and economics that I’ll be taking forward into my professional career.

-University Student, 2020

The following is a list of courses taught at the University level in Asia-Pacific Studies. Detailed course information is available on request, along with lecture and seminar materials.

Course: East Asia’s Regional Political Economy (Course ID: EAST3271)

Position: Instructor, Undergraduate Course

Department: East Asian Studies, University of Leeds; Leeds, UK

Topics Taught:

1. Profiling East Asia’s Regional Economy
2. East Asia, Regionalism and Globalisation
3. Economic Geography of East Asia’s Regionalisation
4. Regionalism in Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia
5. East Asia and the Asia-Pacific
6. Financial Regionalism
7. Regional Integration & Free Trade Agreements
8. Energy Security & East Asia
9. Environmental Security and East Asia
10. Global Challenges & Covid-19

Course Description: East Asia is one of the world’s most dynamic and diverse regions. It is also becoming an increasingly coherent region through the inter-play of various integrative economic, political, and socio-cultural processes, otherwise known as ‘regionalism’. Studying these regionalism processes may be understood in the broadly context of East Asia’s regional political economy. Moreover, the integrative processes of regionalism are closely bound to East Asia’s regional economic development. Japan played a particularly important initial role here from the 1950s onwards, and now China is also providing the region with significant economic momentum. This module explores the various aspects of East Asia’s regional political economy with special reference to regionalism and development. Key themes include regional organizations, international business, cities and infrastructure, environment, international migration, energy security, international development, trade, finance and geopolitics.

Course: Topics in Contemporary Asia-Pacific Societies (Course ID: EAST 2605)

Position: Co-instructor, Undergraduate Course

Department: East Asian Studies, University of Leeds; Leeds, UK

Description: The Asia Pacific region is a dynamic part of the world, home to some of the world’s largest economies and populations. In light of the region’s significance and diversity, building skills to understand societies in the Asia Pacific is increasingly important. The module will equip students with the vocabulary and the skill set to critically approach societies in the Asia Pacific region. In examining societies from a number of perspectives, the students will develop an understanding of theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of contemporary Asia Pacific societies. In the process, they will also master some key concepts and frameworks that can be applied to their future studies.

Topics taught:

1. Theories and methods of Asian Studies
2. social inequality, gender, and minorities
3. Culture & rituals
4. Urbanisation, energy & environmental concerns,
5. migration
6. Globalisation in contemporary Asia Pacific societies.

Course: Southeast Asia in its Global Context (Course ID: EAST3703)

Position: Instructor, Undergraduate Course

Department: East Asian Studies, University of Leeds; Leeds, UK

Topics Taught:

1. Globalisation and the World Economy 
2. International Political Economy: Concepts and Theories
3. Global Multilateralism
4. Singapore & Brunei
5. Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar & Vietnam (CLMV group)
6. Malaysia & Thailand
7. Philippines & Indonesia
8. Transnational Issues and Southeast Asia 
9. Economic Regionalism in Southeast Asia
10. Environmental policy in Southeast Asia
11. Southeast Asia within the Global Economic System

Description: Southeast Asia has proved to be one of the most dynamic regions in the world economy over recent decades. The region could have not achieved this transformation without a series of dynamic engagements in the globalizing world economy, and this is the prime focus of this module. After giving a general introduction to Southeast Asia, we examine contemporary developments in the world economy, with particular attention paid to globalization. We then look at different theories and concepts of international political economy (IPE) that help explain the nature and structure of the world economy and globalization, and where Southeast Asia fits into this. These introductory studies provide the background context for looking at sets of Southeast Asian countries in a case study approach. Here, we shall look at different aspects of the region’s development and globalization experience (e.g. Singapore and transnational capital, Philippines and migrant workers). After this we will study certain region-wide themes: the 1997/98 regional financial crisis and its aftermath; economic regionalism in Southeast Asia; Southeast Asia and global multilateral institutions (WTO, IMF and World Bank).

Course: EAST 5017 M: China and the Developing World

Position: Co-instructor, Masters Course

Department: East Asian Studies, University of Leeds

Lecture & Seminar Sections Taught:

1. China’s Energy Security and the Developing World
2. China’s Trade and the Developing World
3. China’s Infrastructure Diplomacy: East Asia
4. China’s Soft Power

Course Description: This module will explore Beijing’s ambitions in its engagements with the developing world with the view to determining China’s specific and overall interests in the developing countries. The geo-political implications of China’s expanding role in the developing countries will also be investigated. The module aims to provide students with the tools of analysis that they will use to critically assess and interpret developments in China’s relations with the developing world and their implications for the international political economy. In particular, the discussion and analysis will enable students to process, understand and examine China’s growing power in Africa and Asia. By the end of the module students will have a broad knowledge of the evolution of China’s international relations, including its contributions to international development. This module is designed to improve students’ understanding of China’s evolving power in international relations in the 21st Century, and alert them to its growing interests, economically and politically, in the developing world. The lectures, discussion and analysis include an assessment of the forms and operations of China’s Direct Overseas Investment in the developing regions and examine China’s impact on the global energy security in view of its growing appetite for natural resources. This module examines China’s relations with specific African and East Asian countries. Overall the module would consider the socio-technical, socio-cultural, geopolitical, governance, industrial, geographic and environmental dimensions of China’s growing engagement with the developing world.

Course: Korea: Politics, Economy and International Relations (Course ID: East3604)

Position: Guest Lecturer, Undergraduate Course

Department: East Asian Studies, University of Leeds; Leeds, U.K.

Lecture & Seminar Sections Taught:

1. Korea’s Green Growth Development
2. Introduction to North Korea

Course Description: Korea has one of the oldest histories of any nation on Earth. In contemporary times, it has become one of the most important countries in Asia, and there are a number of economic, political and geo-strategic reasons to support this assertion. Over the last few decades, South Korea has achieved a remarkable transformation from agrarian economy in the 1960s to a modern industrial state by the 1990s. Consequently, other countries around the world have sought lessons from economic development model. This economic transformation has been accompanied by a political transition from military rule to democratization, one of East Asia’s most fascinating political developments of recent times. Added to this, relations between South and North Korea, and the matter of Korean reunification, are of critical security and geo-strategic significance for East Asia and the wider international community. This module also makes a study of North Korea – one of the world’s most bizarre and mysterious nation-states. More generally, Korea has assumed a more prominent position in the East Asia region, not least because it has become its third largest economy. This module also will cover Korea’s relations with key international partners (Japan, China, Southeast Asia, the US, Russia and the European Union), as well as with international organizations such as the WTO and IMF.

Course: Political Econ of Pacific Rim (Course ID: EAST5041M)

Position: Guest lecturer, Masters Course

Department: East Asian Studies, University of Leeds; Leeds, U.K.

Lecture & Seminar Sections Taught:

1. China & Taiwan
2. Southeast Asia

Course Description: The Pacific Rim region has recently emerged as the new centre of global economic gravity. Encompassing East Asia, Pacific America and Oceania, the Pacific Rim accounts for some of the most powerful and dynamic economies of the world. It is a highly diverse global economic region, ranging from the less developed economies of Southeast Asia to advanced industrial countries such as Japan and the United States. This module examines the Pacific Rim from a political economy perspective, considering how politics and economics have combined to determine the region’s rise within the international economic system. We look at key broad issues that are defining the political economy of the Pacific Rim (e.g. globalisation), as well as make case studies on the different national economies of the region. Special emphasis is placed on the various interfaces between the Pacific Rim’s domestic and international political economy.