Overview | Academics | Cost | Location | Life Abroad | Student Voices
Offered by the Council for International Education and Exchange (CIEE), the China in a Global Context program is for students with no Chinese language background and those who have studied Chinese for several semesters. The program offers Chinese language training at both standard and intensive levels coupled with coursework, taught in English, in global studies, economics, international relations, and area studies.
Known for its economic prowess and long history of foreign influence, Shanghai is China's financial and industrial capital. The last decade has seen massive development in this metropolis of over 19 million; construction of the city's infrastructure and transportation system is constant. With an elevated light rail, the world's first commercial high-speed maglev train, and 13 subway lines, the city boasts one of the fastest growing rapid transit systems in the world. Those in search of old Shanghai, however, can still find the legacy of its magnificent past.
Known for its economic prowess and long history of foreign influence, Shanghai is China's financial and industrial capital. The last decade has seen massive development in this metropolis of over 19 million; construction of the city's infrastructure and transportation system is constant. With an elevated light rail, the world's first commercial high-speed maglev train, and 13 subway lines, the city boasts one of the fastest growing rapid transit systems in the world. Those in search of old Shanghai, however, can still find the legacy of its magnificent past.
Visa
A student visa is required. U.S. citizens must have a U.S. passport valid for at least six months beyond the end of the program. CIEE will provide you with visa information.
Orientation
IAP expects you to be an active participant in preparing yourself for your study abroad experience. As a participant on an IAP program, you will receive a pre-departure orientation, either in-person or online. The type and format of this orientation will vary by program and will be provided to you upon acceptance to the program.
Students will participate in a CIEE Online Pre-Departure Orientation. Meeting with students online, the Academic Director and Program Coordinator share information about the program and site, highlighting issues that alumni have said are important, and giving students time to ask any questions before leaving home. The online orientation allows students to connect with others in the group, reflect on what they want to get out of the program, and learn what others in the group would like to accomplish.
A mandatory weeklong orientation session, conducted in Shanghai at the beginning of the program, introduces students to the country, culture, and academic program, as well as provides necessary logistical information about adapting to life in Shanghai. Students also take their language placement exam at this time to determine their appropriate Chinese language level. Required and optional workshops and local excursions are led by CIEE staff. Students also meet individually with the Academic Director to finalize course registration and preview assigned materials for their required courses. Ongoing support is provided on an individual and group basis throughout the program.
Housing
Participants select one of three housing options. While every effort is made to accommodate the first choice, CIEE is unable to guarantee any housing option prior to the start of orientation week.
Campus Residence Hall with CIEE Roommate-The Campus Residence Hall is a five-story facility located on the ECNU campus and has a common lobby with 24-hour security and laundry facilities. There is a student computer room and study lounge on every other floor, as well as a kitchen and bathrooms on each floor. The residence hall is a 10-minute walk from the CIEE Study Center, where students can meet with faculty and staff and use library and computer facilities, and is within walking distance to a light rail and other public transportation.
Campus Residence Hall with Chinese Roommate-This option is located in the same residence hall as previously described, but students are paired with a Chinese student from ECNU. The Chinese roommates are required to speak only Chinese, so this option is recommended for students who wish to live in a more intensive Chinese language environment.
Meals are not included in these two housing options and are the responsibility of the student. Three meals a day are available in the campus cafeterias at a moderate price.
Chinese Host Families-Chinese host families are located within five to 15 minutes from campus by public transportation. Students have their own room in the host family apartment and share the living room, kitchen, and bathroom. Students are invited to most family meals, but should budget for their own lunches, for most weekend meals outside of the home, and for all meals during group field trips and individual travel. Chinese family members speak Chinese only. This option is highly recommended for students who want to live in an entirely Chinese language environment and to make rapid progress in Chinese language.
Both housing options are equipped with Internet access via a broadband ADSL connection. A limited number of computers are available in the CIEE Study Center and Campus Residence Hall, and nearby Internet cafes offer access for a low hourly fee. Students are encouraged to bring a wireless-enabled laptop as the CIEE Study Center has wireless access.
Excursions and Activities
A variety of field trips complement classroom work, including visits to local Chinese companies and factories, government agencies, and media groups. Group cultural activities include an acrobatics show, a river cruise along the Bund, a bike ride through the French Concession, a Chinese and CIEE student talent show, international student sporting events, and group meals with Chinese roommates and families. To expose students to locations outside of Shanghai, the program includes a weekend trip to areas in neighboring provinces, such as Yangzhou, Mount Huang, or Putuo Island.
A number of non-credit optional classes are offered to program participants, including Chinese martial arts, cooking, calligraphy, chess, music, and Shanghai dialect.
The weeklong field trip includes lectures and visits to famous historical and contemporary sites of great national and international importance. Depending on the circumstances, the destination for the weeklong field trip is either Beijing, the political epicenter of China, or Nanning in Guangxi province, which is the center of China's reach into Southeast Asia. Guangxi is also home to the most diverse collection of ethnic minorities in China. A field trip to Nanning includes visits with members of the local ethnic minorities and a visit to the Sino-Vietnamese border.
While in Beijing, activities include hiking on the Great Wall, riding through the last of the hutong or old alleyways, visiting such architectural marvels as the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace, touring the world famous Bird's Nest and Water Cube at the Olympic Center, and visiting the Great Hall of the People, the site of China's national legislature. The field trip is intended to go beyond tourism; its goals are both educational and cultural. Students are expected to complete pre-departure readings; attend classroom lectures, films, and discussions; and conduct fieldwork assignments during the trip.
Insurance
You will be enrolled in the UW System required health insurance through Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI) and the cost of the insurance coverage is included in program fees.
On-Site Support
CIEE Resident Director
Returned Student Network
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here to see testimonials from students abroad or to contact a returned student.
Established in 1951, East China Normal University (ECNU) is one of China's key institutions of higher learning that specializes in teacher education, and is nationally known for its Chinese language and literature program. It enrolls more than 16,000 students and 1,000 international students. The University is located on the bank of the Liwa River northwest of the city. Known as the "Garden University" for its beautiful grounds, students have access to campus facilities including a library, playing fields, basketball courts, recreation center, small shops, and restaurants. The CIEE Study Center at East China Normal University is centrally located and close to Shanghai's large commercial areas.
Students in the China in a Global Context program develop functional communicative skills in Mandarin Chinese through small classes, tutors, and language clinics. They learn about external forces that are affecting China and how China is responding to those forces; new and old issues in Chinese society and political, historical and cultural changes; and how these factors combine to affect China's external rise and internal development.
All core courses are taught in English. They typically meet once per week for three hours, and may include required site visits in Shanghai, usually held on Fridays. Students attend required language classes for two hours per day, four afternoons per week, from Monday through Thursday. These language courses are offered at eight levels. Beginning and intermediate level Chinese language students may choose to take accelerated language classes for four hours per day, four mornings and afternoons per week. Students are placed into the appropriate level based on a language proficiency test.
Class sizes are very small and require active student participation. Most language classes have between four and eight students, although accelerated language courses and special courses for heritage learners may be smaller. Area studies courses typically range from five to 25 students.
Classes are typically co-taught by head language instructors who introduce new content and assistant language instructors who work with smaller groups of students to focus on accuracy and consistency of pronunciation through daily drills and other exercises. Students are encouraged to participate actively and to speak only in Chinese whenever possible inside the language classroom building.
Each student must maintain a 16-credit course load, which involves enrollment in one required Chinese language course (6 credits), one core course (3 credits), two electives (6 credits), and the required Chinese Language and Culture Practicum (1 credit). Students who choose the accelerated language option are enrolled in two Chinese language courses (12 credits), one core course (3 credits), and the Chinese Language and Culture Practicum (1 credit). Academic year students in their second semester are not required to repeat the Chinese Language and Culture Practicum.
In addition to the required 16 credits, students may choose to enroll in the Area Studies Writing Workshop (1 credit).
Program Web Page(s)
www.ciee.org/study/programOverview.aspx?pID=1793#1rightForYou
Course Equivalents
Use the links below to see a list of courses that students have taken on this program before and the UW equivalents. Note: this list only includes pre-approved courses for your program and may not be an exhaustive list of courses or departments. You will get instructions on the course equivalent process after acceptance.
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