China: Inside a Rising Global Power
Summer 2012: May 13 to June 2 (tentative dates)
Program Location
Beijing -- Arrival in Beijing begins with a 2-day orientation including getting to know one another, Chinese culture, customs and etiquette. Get to know China’s capital by exploring places such as the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Tibetan Lama Temple, the 2008 Olympic sites, and more. Experience and climb the world famous Great Wall and spend the evening at local villages. Learn about Chinese society and politics and China’s role on the global stage from Chinese diplomats, university professors, and government officials. Learn about Chinese business from local business leaders and expats from overseas companies.
Tianjin – Visit China’s largest port city, which is also a focal point for China’s current economic development program. Interact with Chinese university students. Learn about traditional Chinese medicine and practice Taichi. Interact with high-level local officials about city development. Visit Fortune 500 companies located in Tianjin’s vibrant economic development zones.
Chengdu -- Experience and participate in a community service activity at the Chengdu Bainan School, a school for children of migrant laborers from the Chinese countryside. Explore traditional architecture and visit a local village to experience a day in the life of a Chinese minority ethnic group family. Visit the world famous panda sanctuary and study how the Chinese government has worked to save this rare species.
Shanghai – Check out Shanghai’s breathtaking skyline. Meet with business leaders and learn from their experiences navigating the cultural differences between the East & the West, marketing products in China, and figuring out the local political structure. Visit and shop Shanghai’s famous Nanjing Road shopping district. Experience the fantastic Shanghai Acrobat show. Celebrate together on the last night of the trip with a cruise down the Bund!
Academic Program
This short-term study abroad program gives students the opportunity to take part in an immersive three-week academic and cultural excursion across China. Led by political science Professor Edward Yang, this 3 credit program offers a choice between two courses - Global Politics (GPOSC 200) or Contemporary Chinese Politics (POSC 371).
Through participating in this 3-week program, students will not only see firsthand the rich cultural and historic traditions of China but also experience how the force of globalization is transforming this great nation. Students will visit multinational factories and plants in China to gain a deeper understanding of China’s role as a global manufacturing center and integration in the global economy. By visiting cosmopolitan cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, students will see with their own eyes how globalization serves as a unifying force of popular cultures and life styles. By visiting less-developed rural villages, students will also see first-hand that globalization generates inequitable distribution of benefits to the society.
This program is also designed to help students develop an understanding and appreciation of other perspectives in the global community. Throughout the program, students will interact extensively with Chinese college students, scholars, business leaders, governmental officials, and local villagers. These interactions will strengthen American students’ understanding of the Chinese citizen perspective, an increasingly powerful community that encompasses almost 22 percent of the human race.
Instructional methods include lectures, field work and journal assignment and/or papers. Lectures and guided tours are planned throughout the 3-week trip. Grade assessment for the two courses will be based on the following components: (1) pre-departure assignments, (2) travel reflections, (3) group presentations, and (4) participation and academic focus. Lectures will be held in hotel conference rooms, classrooms at local universities, and at the tour sites.
Tentative course offerings:
GPOSC 200--Global Politics (3)
POSC 371--Special Topics: Modern China (3)
Communication:
- Internet: Students will have Internet access for most of the program in their room. Students will not have much time to ‘hang out’ in their rooms, so access time will be limited. There may be times where students will have very limited or no internet access.
- Voice: The standard mobile system is GSM and Chinese providers are building out a 3G network. After arrival, the program director can help students purchase cell phones with Chinese SIM cards to assure accessibility between faculty and students during the program in China. Students may also explore options such as SKYPE (www.skype.com) for communication while in China. The program director will have cell phones for emergency contact purposes.
Accommodations
Students will be housing in hotels, hostels, and residence halls/dormitories.
The program will cover approximately half of the meals.
Expenses for these meals are included in the cost.
Program Costs
For the current projected costs for this program, please click on the following link to the Fees for JMU Study Abroad Programs page.
Visa: participants will be advised of visa requirements
Health information: Check the World Health Organization website or Centers for Disease Control website for the most up-to-date information on health information for travelers to China.
Application
For more detailed instructions and to download the application, please click on the following link to the Applications and Forms section for JMU Short-Term Programs.
Students will be required to have a personal interview.
For More Information
For additional information about the program in China, please contact the program director:
Yi Edward Yang
Associate Professor
Department of Political Science
Tel.: (540) 568-3328
E-mail: yangyx@jmu.edu
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