This research seminar looks at the institutional foundations of policy processes in China, Japan and Korea from a comparative perspective. Based on essential theoretical concepts for the study of institutions and policies (part I), students will acquire basic understanding of the structures and processes of policy-making and policy implementation in the three countries (part II). Taking food safety governance as a case study (part III), students will deepen and apply this knowledge. They will 1) identify the policy processes and the interactions of important political, economic and civil society actors in the field of food safety in China, Korea and Japan, 2) work out the differences and similarities between approaches in the three countries, 3) learn about international food safety standards and norms of food safety, and 4) analyze transnational entanglements between governments, food businesses and civil society actors.