China: Shanghai and Beijing

Dates: May 19 through June 5, 2008

Chinese 105: Chinese Language & Culture - Professor Ran Guo

Phone: 223-6970, rguo@hsc.edu

                                                        and

ECON 285: Economics & Economic Policy in China - Dr. Saranna Thornton

Phone: 223-6253, sthornton@hsc.edu

                                                                                                 or                           

                      HIST 285: The City in Imperial & Modern China - Professor Eric Dinmore

                                                                                    Phone: 223-6279, edinmore@hsc.edu

CHINESE 105: (3)

Chinese Language and Culture

A flexible language and culture course open to students with little or no knowledge of Chinese. Practical Chinese for hotels, transportation, restaurants, and shops will be taught and practiced in classroom; brief discussions on history, geography, religion, government structure, customs, and economic reform will also be discussed. Students cultivate cultural competence by communicating with Chinese students and visiting sites of historical and cultural interest, including the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Pudong District in Shanghai, the Terra Cotta Warriors and Soldiers, and the West Lake. Classroom discussions are dedicated to an examination and discussion of cultural issues and their impact on interaction with the Chinese: the personal, the political, and especially the economic. This course does not fulfill the foreign language requirement. Pre-requisite: None

ECON 285: (3)

Economics and Economic Policy in China

This course will examine the macroeconomic effects of economic policy decisions made by the Chinese government from the accession of the Communist Party in 1949 to the present and the interactions of those decisions with the aggregate economic decisions made by workers and businesses. Policies that will be examined include; The Great Leap Forward, Cultural Revolution, post 1978-policies implemented under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping (e.g., the one-child policy, creation of “special economic zones”, as well as Changes that occurred following Deng’s leadership (China’s accession into the World Trade Organization in 2001, expiration of the Multi-Fiber Agreement in 2005, decisions to continue pegging the Yuan to the US$, etc.), increased government investment in public capital (e.g., Three Gorges Dam, highway construction, etc.). Private sector economic behaviors to be analyzed include: increased investment in the coastal “special economic zones”, mass migration of labor to the east, etc. The course will be taught in China (primarily Beijing and Shanghai) and will include briefings by economists at the US embassy in Beijing and the World Bank. Field trips will be organized to economic sites of importance in China’s economy. Pre-requisite: Economics 101.

HISTORY 285: (3)

The City in Imperial and Modern China

This introduction to Chinese urban and architectural history is to be offered as part of the May Term 2008 program in Beijing and Shanghai, People’s Republic of China. The course will begin with a brief overview of late imperial (ca. 1350-1850) and modern Chinese history. Discussion topics will include the form of the imperial city, Chinese architectural principles and feng shui, urban engineering, urban social class relations, and Western influences on modern urban China. To complement the formal class sessions in Beijing and Shanghai, students will participate in group excursions to the Great Wall, the Grand Canal, Xi’an, Nanjing, Suzhou, and Hangzhou. These excursions will entail walking tours, museum visits, and cultural events.

Pre-requisite: None, though History 205-206 or a 300-level course in East Asian history is recommended. Co-requisite: This course must be taken in conjunction with Chinese 105.

 ________________________________________

• Each student will take Chinese 105 along with either Econ 285 or History 285 for a total of 6 credits.

• Dates: May 19 - June 5, 2008
• Depart directly from Washington Dulles Airport
• No on campus component
• Cost Estimate: $6,600 - $7,000.  This includes H-SC tuition at a 20% discount of the on-campus rate; the study abroad fee, insurance, and travel costs such as round trip international air. Other amenities include accommodations and breakfasts, some meals, entrance fees, insurance, and transportation throughout the country and some gratuities.
• Costs do not include: personal expenses such as laundry, phone calls or entertainment; additional meals not included above; and expenses which are not part of the academic program.

Deadline: Completed application and $500 non-refundable deposit due February 8, 2008.

For more information contact: The Office of International Studies, 315 Bagby Hall,

Mary Cooper, Director  mcooper@hsc.edu  434-223-6311