Engineering & Renewable Energies
A Summer for Fun, Friends, and Your Future
Explore
Have fun discovering Shanghai’s urban cityscape and latest innovations.
Network
Meet new friends and engineers. Build your own community.
Get Inspired
Launch your future today! Investigate how engineers design solutions for everyday urban life.
The Destination
Welcome to Shanghai, where twisting skyscrapers rise above the Huangpu River, and millions move through its densely packed urban centers.
If you’re interested in how innovative engineering solves real-world problems while responding to climate challenges, Shanghai offers a powerful place to explore. Set along the Yangtze River Delta, the city has always been shaped by its relationship to water, balancing growth with the realities of flooding, typhoons, and rising water levels. Once a small fishing village, it became a major global port shaped by international trade and influence. Today, it’s a living example of how cities evolve through rapid growth and constant change.
There’s nothing more uniquely Shanghai than the rich diversity of its neighborhoods. Spend time in the French Concession, where tree-lined streets and small cafés create a slower pace, then explore traditional lilong alleyways lined with shikumen houses. Stop for xiao long bao (soup dumplings), crispy scallion pancakes, or tanghulu (candied fruit), and move through busy streets lined with small eateries and vendors cooking local delicacies right in front of you.
Cultural Awareness
CIEE wants all our students to feel welcomed, supported, and empowered to succeed while studying abroad. No matter where you choose to study abroad with CIEE, our staff will be on hand throughout your program to provide advice, resources, and support.
Social feed above may feature posts from all CIEE Study Abroad programs, including college programs.
Sample Itinerary
Top Rated Activities
Overnight Excursion to Wuxi
Travel beyond Shanghai to Wuxi, a historic city along the shores of Taihu Lake, one of China’s largest freshwater lakes, spanning more than 2,000 square kilometers. Known for its calm, shallow waters and misty shoreline, the lake is framed by low hills, willow trees, and stone paths that reflect a slower, nature-centered way of life. Wuxi also sits along the Grand Canal, a vast man-made waterway built over 1,000 years ago to connect northern and southern China for trade, shaping the region’s development.
Visit Huishan Old Town to explore traditional streets and architecture, then see the towering Lingshan Grand Buddha, one of the largest Buddha statues in China. Along the way, try local specialties such as Wuxi-style sweet spare ribs, steamed buns, and wontons. Learn and reinforce vocabulary related to nature, architecture, food, and art. This overnight experience offers a vivid contrast in scale, landscape, and daily life.
Huangpu River Cruise
Cruise along the Huangpu River, the waterway that shaped Shanghai’s rise as a global city and still divides it today into Puxi (historic west) and Pudong (modern east). Take in one of the most striking contrasts in the world: the Bund’s long stretch of European-style buildings—neoclassical, Gothic, and Art Deco—has remained largely unchanged for over a century, earning Shanghai the nickname “Paris of the East.” Across the water, Pudong’s skyline tells a different story, rising almost entirely in the past 30 years, with landmarks like the twisting Shanghai Tower, the Shanghai World Financial Center, and the Oriental Pearl Tower.
As you take in the views, you’ll feel the warm, humid air and a light breeze off the river while commercial vessels move through this active shipping route—offering a close-up look at the infrastructure that keeps the city running.
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Eligibility
- Participants must be 14 years old and above.
- Program open to all current high school students: Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors.
- For scholarship eligibility requirements, please check our scholarship page.
- Please note: China maintains strict regulations regarding medications brought into the country. We encourage student families to consult with their doctor and research whether the student's medications are legal and available in China.
For more information, refer to our detailed Program Essential Eligibility Criteria.
Dates & Fees
Application Fee
$25
Program scholarships and tuition include iNext Travel Insurance, but do not cover the cost of flights. Find additional details about what’s included with your tuition.
More questions? Find answers, get application support, sign up for virtual presentations, or contact us!
Program |
Application Due |
Start Date |
End Date |
Costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program Summer Session I 2027 3 weeks | Start Date | End Date | Costs $7,000 | |
| Program Summer Session II 2027 3 weeks | Start Date | End Date | Costs $7,000 |
Ready to change your life?
What's Included
Interactive Classes
Housing
3 Meals/Day
(Dietary Needs Accommodated)
All Ground Transportation
(Once In-country)
Optional Flight Chaperone
(Flight Cost Not Included)
Pre-departure Advice and Orientation
Access to WIFI
(No international data plan or SIM card included)
All Cultural Activities and Excursions
Comprehensive Medical and Travel Protection
24/7 Emergency On-site Support
Our Staff
Jia Ma
Center Director
Program Leaders guide and support our High School Summer Abroad participants through every step of their program.
Get Started
1
2
Connect with your Teachers or Parents
Share your plans and confirm you're on track to meet all required steps to go abroad.
3
Contact Us
Send us an email if you still have questions or need information about enrolling.
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