environmental, cultural + economic sustainability

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By Term

• Fall 2013
• Spring 2013

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Program Overview

Come gain critical insight into the field of sustainability in contemporary China. Based on a model that articulates the critical necessity to balance environmental, sociocultural, and economic needs in development, you will—through interdisciplinary coursework, experiential learning, and independent research—use all of China as your laboratory to gain an understanding of emerging topics in the field of sustainability studies. You will also be able to consider the relevance of sustainability for the wellbeing of human societies, and for the potential continued benefits from economic growth long-term, for not only China, but for the entire planet.

Study abroad in Beijing and you will:

• Gain a critical understanding of sustainability and its relevance within the context of China and the larger global context
• Choose non-intensive Mandarin Chinese language study, without language prerequisites, or choose not to study language and focus entirely on area studies coursework
• Learn about critical environmental, sociocultural, and economic issues in contemporary China through social science coursework, interactive seminars, guided fieldwork, and extended community stays
• Participate in two trips, including a 10-day field study, and experience the daily lives of rural and minority peoples in China
• Be part of a highly acclaimed, multicultural campus community that has the feel of a small liberal arts college

The CIEE Difference

Coursework

Enroll in a curriculum that encompasses a range of sociocultural, political, religious, economic, and ecological issues. In addition to optional language learning in Chinese, Tibetan, and Uyghur, you’ll look at environmental conditions and public perception in China, ethnic identity, and religion, and study ethnographic methodology that will help direct both group and independent research.

Cultural Activities and Excursions

Guided visits are organized to historic and cultural sites or events in and around Beijing, and might include traditional sites such as the Great Wall, Zhoukoudian, the original site of Peking Man, Temple of Heaven, Drum Tower, or Hutong cultural areas. Visits may also include contemporary events such as music theater and rock music performances, modern art shows, and interactive or service oriented visits to sites like orphanages or institutes for autistic children.

Field Study Experiences

Enjoy two extended excursions to locations outside Beijing. These trips to rural, frequently minority, culturally-rich communities typically include homestay experiences where you’ll be encouraged to participate in local activities such as harvesting, thrashing grain, small service projects, and teaching English to local children.

Dates, Deadlines & Fees

We want to make sure you get the most out of your experience when you study abroad with CIEE, which is why we offer the most inclusions in our fees.

• Tuition and housing
• Pre-departure advising and optional on-site airport meet and greet
• Full-time program leadership and support
• Field trips and cultural activities
• CIEE iNext travel card which provides insurance and other travel benefits

Please note, program dates are subject to change. Please contact your CIEE Study Abroad Advisor before purchasing airfare. Click the button to view more detailed information about dates and fees.

Program

Application Due

Start Date

End Date

Costs

Fall 2013 (17 wks)

Extended to: 05/15/2013

08/25/2013

12/21/2013

$13,850

Program Date Notes

Program Fees

In addition to the items outlined below, the CIEE program fee includes an optional on-site airport meet and greet, full-time leadership and support, orientation, cultural activities, local excursions, pre-departure advising, and a CIEE iNext travel card which provides insurance and other travel benefits.

Participation Confirmation *

$300

Educational Costs **

$9,985

Housing

$3,250

Insurance

$102

Visa Fees

$213

This breakdown has been prepared from the program budget for the purpose of calculating eligibility for financial aid. During the course of program operations, actual figures may vary. It should not, therefore, be used as a basis for calculation of refunds. CIEE reserves the right to adjust fees at any time.

Students required to study on CIEE programs through a School of Record will be charged a $340 administrative fee in addition to the Program Fees listed.

* non-refundable

** direct cost of education charged uniformly to all students

Estimated Additional Costs

Meals not included in program fee

$1,100

International Airfare *

$1,550

Local Transportation

$300

Books & Supplies

$50

Personal expenses

$1,600

The estimated additional costs indicated are intended to assist students and parents in budgeting for those additional living and discretionary expenses not included in the program fee. Actual expenses will vary according to student interests and spending habits.

* round-trip based on U.S. East Coast departure

Spring 2013 (17 wks)

11/01/2012

02/10/2013

06/08/2013

$13,850

Program Date Notes

These program dates are tentative. Please contact your CIEE Study Abroad Advisor prior to purchasing an airline ticket.

Program Fees

In addition to the items outlined below, the CIEE program fee includes an optional on-site airport meet and greet, full-time leadership and support, orientation, cultural activities, local excursions, pre-departure advising, and a CIEE iNext travel card which provides insurance and other travel benefits.

Participation Confirmation *

$300

Educational Costs **

$9,985

Housing

$3,250

Insurance

$102

Visa Fees

$213

This breakdown has been prepared from the program budget for the purpose of calculating eligibility for financial aid. During the course of program operations, actual figures may vary. It should not, therefore, be used as a basis for calculation of refunds. CIEE reserves the right to adjust fees at any time.

Students required to study on CIEE programs through a School of Record will be charged a $340 administrative fee in addition to the Program Fees listed.

* non-refundable

** direct cost of education charged uniformly to all students

Estimated Additional Costs

Meals not included in program fee

$1,100

International Airfare *

$1,550

Local Transportation

$300

Books & Supplies

$50

Personal expenses

$1,600

The estimated additional costs indicated are intended to assist students and parents in budgeting for those additional living and discretionary expenses not included in the program fee. Actual expenses will vary according to student interests and spending habits.

* round-trip based on U.S. East Coast departure

Program Requirements

A full course load is four to six courses, with total credits falling within the recommended range of 15 to 18 semester credits. Study abroad students may choose either:

• Any selection of five-to-six area studies and language electives (students who choose this option and who have not completed one semester of college-level Chinese or demonstrate equivalent proficiency are required to include the “Communicative Chinese Language” elective)
• “Integrated Chinese” plus any selection of three to four area studies and language electives (students are placed into the appropriate Chinese language level based on written and oral placement tests taken during orientation week)

Course Load Examples for Semester Students:

Sustainability in Context: 3 credits
Environmental Conditions and Public Perception in Contemporary China: 3 credits
Field Research and Ethnographic Methods: 3 credits
Seminar on Living and Learning in Beijing: 3 credits
Religion and Ecology in Contemporary China: 3 credits
Total: 15 credits

Communicative Chinese Language: 3 credits
Sustainability in Context: 3 credits
Environmental Conditions and Public Perception in Contemporary China: 3 credits
Field Research and Ethnographic Methods: 3 credits
Seminar on Living and Learning in Beijing: 3 credits
Ethnic Diversity and Identity in China: 3 credits
Total: 18 credits

Integrated Chinese—Elementary: 7.5 credits
Sustainability in Context: 3 credits
Environmental Conditions and Public Perception in Contemporary China: 3 credits
Ethnic Diversity and Identity in China: 3 credits
Total: 16.5 credits

About The City

As the capital of the world’s most populous nation, Beijing is at the center of much that happens in China. It is a city of over 22 million people adapting as China emerges as a global player. Beijing reflects China’s long and evolving history and is home to some of the nation’s most well-known and culturally important sites such as the Great Wall, Forbidden City and Summer Palace. In addition to being the political and cultural center of China, Beijing is known as the birthplace of Chinese cinema and modern art, and has China’s largest concentration of top research institutions.

Meet The Staff

Pat Lucas

Dr. Patrick Lucas graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Oregon, with B.A.s in computer and information science, Chinese, and linguistics. He also holds an M.A. in applied linguistics from the University of Oregon, and a Ph.D. from Minzu University in Beijing in cultural anthropology. He is the first western graduate student to seek an advanced degree at the University. His research interests include identity, historical memory and narrative, boundaries and symbolic systems, as well as cultural survival and endangerment. First coming to China in 1985 as an undergraduate student, Dr. Lucas has been leading study abroad and international education programs out of Beijing since 1995.

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During the last 30 years, in addition to numerous deep-reaching social and political changes, China has engaged in an immense and unprecedented experiment of explosive economic transformation. This has led to significant improvement in the material lives of many millions of people, but not without substantial social and environmental costs. China is a country that has a vast and still growing population of 1.4 billion people, and in this case Western models of development simply have limited parallel or application. China is finding its own way step by step into an uncertain future. The need for sustainable practices in China is acute, and the consequences of failure to do better will not only compromise the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, but will also impact current generations living today. Of course, China is part of the world—whether as a consumer of the world’s reserve of fossil fuels and producer of carbon emissions, or as a commercial powerhouse and manufacturer of products for the world. Thus what happens in China not only impacts other regions and peoples, but China as a critical case study also teaches us about fundamental principles and issues related to sustainability, with potential application to regions across the world.

Come to learn about this important issue and the sweeping changes impacting diverse ethnicities and communities in China—come to learn about the problems and solutions, conflicts and compromises, different discourses and questions about identity, survival, and the future of a nation. Come to engage the many complex faces of contemporary China.

— Patrick Lucas, Resident Director

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John Urban

John Urban, Student Services Coordinator, holds B.A. degrees in Chinese and International Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has been working for CIEE since fall, 2011. Before joining CIEE, he was a yearlong participant in the CIEE Intensive Chinese Language program at Peking University during his final year of college.

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Hua Ye

Hua Ye, Program Assistant, holds a B.A. in Finnish and an M.A. in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language, both from the Beijing Foreign Studies University. In 2008 he studied abroad for an academic year at the University of Tampere in Finland, and served as a language volunteer for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, and at the Finland Pavilion during the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai. He has been working for CIEE since summer, 2012. Before joining CIEE, he taught Chinese to American students on other university programs in Beijing.

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Xie Yuanyuan

Xie Yuanyuan, Intensive Chinese Language Program Assistant and Homestay Coordinator, holds a B.A. in English and Literature from Bohai University, and an M.A. in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language from the College of International Education at Minzu University of China. She has been working for CIEE since spring, 2012. Before joining CIEE, she taught English language and literature to officers in the Chinese People's Liberation Army Artillery Command Academy.

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Where You'll Study

The Minzu University of China (MUC), formerly Central University for Nationalities, was founded in 1951. It is a unique community, where faculty and students from China’s 56 ethnic groups learn together. With over 60% of the student body representing Chinese ethnic minorities, MUC is distinguished for teaching Chinese as a second language, as well as less commonly taught languages like Tibetan and Uyghur. It consists of 10 colleges, among which the Colleges of Ethnology and Sociology, Fine Arts, Ethnomusicology, Tibetan Studies, and Uyghur Language and Literature are internationally renowned. The campus facilities include a concert hall, art gallery, ethnic minority museum, and a large research library.

MUC is one of the top universities in China and has long historical ties with prominent scholars and universities in North America and Europe. Many of its founding scholars completed their doctoral studies at Harvard University, Columbia University, and the London School of Economics. These scholars initiated China’s indigenization of Western anthropology, ethnology, sociology, and other social science disciplines. MUC continues to send its young scholars and graduate students abroad for postdoctoral studies and as visiting scholars. Nearly 75% of the faculty members at its School of Ethnology and Sociology have been visiting scholars to North America and Europe. MUC also frequently invites international scholars to China to conduct joint research projects and to give public lecture series. International students have ample opportunities to participate in both formal and informal campus events across different colleges and departments.

Housing & Meals

Housing is included in the study abroad program fee. This program offers two housing options:

International student apartments: The College of International Education at MUC has a new housing complex with apartments for international faculty members and students called the West Gate International House, located right outside the west gate of campus. Two CIEE students are assigned to each apartment which includes a bedroom, bathroom, living room, kitchen, washing machine, and Internet access via the MUC campus network. The surrounding area of the West Gate International House is culturally vibrant, offering a variety of ethnic restaurants, shops, bookstores, and even a night market.

Chinese host families: There are a limited number of host families within a 20 minute commute from campus. Students have their own room and share the living room, kitchen, and bathroom with the family. Since Chinese family members speak Chinese only, this option is recommended for students who have some foundation in the Chinese language.

Study abroad students may not live outside of CIEE-arranged housing.

Daily meals are not included in the program fee and are the responsibility of the student. Students living with Chinese host families share occasional meals together but should budget for others. Meals on campus may be at the local student cafeteria, which provides food from the different regions of China, including halal food for Muslim students. There are also a number of excellent and inexpensive restaurants and noodle shops surrounding the campus.

Orientations

You'll begin your study abroad experience in Beijing even before leaving home by participating in a CIEE online pre-departure orientation. Meeting with students online, the resident director shares information about the program and site, highlighting issues that alumni have said are important, and giving you time to ask questions. The online orientation allows you to connect with others in the group, reflect on what you want to get out of the program, and learn what others in the group would like to accomplish. CIEE’s aim for the pre-departure orientation is simple—to help you understand more about the program, and to identify your objectives so that you arrive well-informed and return home having made significant progress towards your goals.

A mandatory orientation session conducted at the beginning of the program introduces you to the country, culture, and academic program, and provides practical information about living in Beijing. Among other activities, you'll tour the National Library and Zizhuyuan Park to familiarize yourself with these nearby resources. You'll also take language placement exams during this time. Ongoing support is provided on an individual and group basis by CIEE staff throughout the program.

Internet

You are encouraged to bring a wireless-enabled laptop. You will be able to access the Internet via the MUC campus network from a wired connection in your dormitory room. However, the campus network does not natively support Apple computers, so students with OS X systems (and Intel-based hardware) need to install the Windows operating system and use the Macintosh Boot Camp utility to get Internet access in the dorms. Both Windows PCs and Apple computers can access the Internet for free in the CIEE study abroad program office via wireless Internet connections. Various sites on and near campus also provide wireless access.

Culture

Cultural Activities and Field Trips

Guided visits are organized to historic and cultural sites and events in and around Beijing, and might include traditional sites such as the Great Wall, Zhoukoudian, the original site of Peking Man, the Temple of Heaven, Drum Tower and old Hutong neighborhoods. Visits may also include contemporary events, such as plays, rock music performances, modern art shows, and interactive or service oriented visits to an orphanage or institute for autistic children. Additional site visits supplement the area studies courses. Cultural activities may include group meals and cultural panels by local students.

Field Study Experiences

Each semester study abroad students take part in two trips. One trip is an extended weekend excursion to a much-less-traveled area outside Beijing, and typically includes a rural community visit, interactions with local people, a modest hike, as well as discussion and reflection activities. The other excursion is a 10-day, mid-semester field trip to an ethnically-diverse and culturally-rich location in another part of China, such as the culturally Tibetan areas of Western China or fascinating minority areas of Southwestern China. The field trip typically includes homestay experiences with rural, and frequently minority, communities, and you will be encouraged to participate in local activities, such as harvesting, thrashing grain, small service projects, or teaching English to local children. You'll prepare for the experience by discussing and contemplating your roles as a guest or participant in these communities and homes, as well as completing reading assignments and seminar discussions on subjects like sustainability, social issues, religion, environment, and ethnic diversity in China. You will engage in reflective discussions, both during and following your trip, to contextualize your broader experience living and studying in China.

Language

This program does not have a CIEE Community Language Commitment. If you are interested in taking part in a program that requires speaking Chinese at most times, you should consider applying to one of the two CIEE programs at Peking University, which have different program prerequisites and requirements.

Peer Language Tutors

Study abroad program participants are paired with local students for weekly one-to-one language tutorials in Mandarin Chinese. These required tutorials for students taking Chinese language courses provide extra conversation practice in Mandarin and extra guidance on language coursework as needed. The tutorial experience will give you the opportunity to experience, firsthand, the lifestyle of your peers from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and through periodic activities mutually determined by you and your tutor, provides you with additional ways to engage the Minzu University China (MUC) campus community as well as the Beijing society as a whole. You'll meet four hours each week, as arranged between you and your tutor, with more tutoring hours available upon request.

Target Language Meals

CIEE arranges group meals with language teachers, peer tutors, and resident staff twice a month to encourage you to utilize your Chinese language skills in an informal setting. Those attending the optional meals practice speak in Chinese only.

CIEE Chinese Language Advisory Committee

The CIEE Chinese Language Advisory Committee (CCLAC) is comprised of specialists in the field of teaching Chinese as a second language and serves to promote the highest standards of education at the CIEE Study Centers in Greater China. Specifically, the committee advises CIEE administrators and language instructors on curriculum issues such as learning goals and objectives, instructional innovations, assessment of proficiency gains, program evaluation, and course articulation.

Academics

The CIEE Study Center in Beijing was established in 1980 and has been managing study abroad programs at Minzu University of China since spring, 2007. The Environmental, Cultural, and Economic Sustainability program began in spring 2013, and introduces the critical field of sustainability through lecture, discussion, student research, and first-hand experiential activities in China. As defined in 1987 by the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development, sustainable development is “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Since this initial conceptualization, a "three-pillar" model of sustainability has emerged, articulating the critical need to balance environmental, sociocultural, and economic needs in development. These three pillars are highly interrelated, and in this program, the sociocultural and economic dimensions are viewed as firmly embedded within the environmental—that is, the sociocultural and economic rely upon the environment. This has strong implications on how we view the field of sustainability and the urgent need for sustainable practices for the wellbeing of human societies, and for the potential of continued benefits from economic growth long term.

There is no language prerequisite for this program. This program includes non-intensive Mandarin Chinese language study or an alternative Communicative Chinese Language elective for beginners, as well as electives in Tibetan and Uyghur languages. Students who have completed one semester of college-level Chinese or demonstrate equivalent proficiency in Chinese language have the option to take all their coursework in English. Students who successfully complete Chinese study to a level that meets prerequisites for the CIEE Intensive Chinese Language program at Peking University (PKU) also have the option of transferring to that program the following semester. Academic year participants who meet necessary language requirements by the end of the spring semester can take part in the CIEE summer intensive Chinese Language program at PKU.

The study abroad program takes full advantage of the unique multicultural campus environment and other distinctive opportunities and resources at MUC, and is ideal for students majoring in the social sciences and humanities with interests in sustainability, environment, policy and development studies, sociology, anthropology, religious studies, Chinese language, and multi-ethnic issues. Most CIEE area studies courses are offered each semester; however, a few are offered alternatively in spring or fall semester to make a larger range of course offerings possible each year and provide additional selections for academic year participants.

Academic Culture

Chinese language classes meet Monday through Friday for eight to 10 hours per week, depending on the course level. The Communicative Chinese Language elective, Tibetan and Uyghur language electives, and area studies elective courses meet for a total of four hours per week. Area studies elective class format is seminar-based and students are expected to come prepared to discuss assigned readings. Students taking language courses meet with their peer tutors for two-to-four hours each week.

Nature of Classes

Chinese language classes are offered by MUC to all international students. Area study courses are taught in English and are designed especially for CIEE study abroad students. Language electives are designed and taught specifically for CIEE students.

Grading System

Language course grades are determined by regular exams, homework, quizzes, attendance, and participation. Area study course grades are determined by active participation in class discussions, attendance, writing assignments and presentations, and mid-term and final papers or other term projects. The following letter grades are assigned: A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, D, and F.

Language of Instruction

English
Mandarin Chinese
Tibetan
Uyghur

Faculty

All Chinese language courses are taught by faculty from the MUC College of International Education who specialize in teaching Chinese as a second language. Tibetan and Uyghur courses are taught by specialists in Tibetan language from the MUC College of Tibetan Studies and specialists in Uyghur language from the MUC Department of Uyghur Language and Literature. Their specialization in their native languages, cultures, and literature contributes to the dynamic atmosphere of their classes.

Course Description

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