Fall,Study abroad China

Fall 2008

Calendar
August 29: Arrival in Beijing.
August 30- 31: Orientation at Peking University and in the city of Beijing.
September 1: Classes begin.
October 1-7: Midterm break and study trip in North China.
November 24-28: Last week of classes and finals.
December 1-13: Study trip around China.
December 14: Farewell dinner.
December 15: Last day of the semester.

Courses
China in the Global Economy (3 credits)
This course will examine the evolution of China's increasing role in the global economy. It will deal with different aspects of China's foreign economic relations, including trade, investment, the impact of WTO accession, regional integration and international economic institutions.

Chinese Arts & Culture (3 credits)
This course aims to give students a better understanding of ancient and modern Chinese fine arts (painting, sculpture, architecture, etc), as well as folk and popular arts (crafts, opera and film). A comparative approach will be employed to highlight differences with Western genres.

Chinese Political Reforms (3 credits)
This course aims at understanding the two and half decades of reforms in the People's Republic of China. By discussing the reforms' background conditions, international context, policy options, difficulties, achievements, failures, and possible future, the instructor intends to lead an advanced course on contemporary Chinese political economy.

Chinese Media and Society (3 credits)
This course examines the role of media in contemporary Chinese society in an era of globalization, and changing social structures. The new forms of media, internet and cellphone, as well as traditional radio and TV will be thoroughly explored.

Chinese Women's Studies (3 credits)
The contemporary status of Chinese women and the issues they face will be the focus of this new course. Besides the treatment of women under the old society, most attention will be devoted to women's uphill struggle for equality in the 20th century.

American and China(3 credits)
This course concentrates on Post Cold War events in the context of American predominance, decline of Soviet power and emergence of China as a new force on the international scene.

Business and Marketing in China (3 credits)
This course introduces students to China's multi-faceted business culture as well as practices. It includes topics such as capital markets, banking system, tax structure, labor relations, consumer behavior, government-business relations. It prepares students for both understanding practical aspects of business and starting a career in multinational firms.

Chinese Literature and Society (3 credits)
Chinese culture boasts a rich and sophisticated canon of literary genres and works: the prose of the Han, poetry of the Tang and Song, the drama of the Yuan and the novels of the Ming and Qing. This course is designed to treat this classical tradition as background and goes on to focus on modern Chinese literature, which is primarily literary works by 20th century Chinese authors such as Lu Xun, Ding Ling, Ba Jin, Xu Zhimo, Chen Yinzhen, and Baai Xianyong.

China in Transformation, 1840s-1960s (3 credits)
The course aims at understanding of China's transition from a traditional society to a modern nation by examining the historical forces since the mid-19th century. Nationalism and Communism will be two organizing themes that provide a framework to thread various phenomena all the way to Chinese Communist victory in 1949. The post Mao reforms that undid China's communist economic system will also be discussed.

Rural Economics (3 credits)
This course is designed to help students understand the rural dimension of China's economic transition. It examines the impacts of economic reforms on the life of Chinese peasants, including the effects of marketization and globalization on income structure, labor mobility, ownership rights and other major aspects of the rural economy. It also provides an overview of the implications of the changing economic landscape for social and political development in rural China. The reading materials include a diverse and balanced collection of studies done by both external and domestic specialists.

Philosophy and Science in Pre-modern China (3 credits)
By examining Chinese philosophy, science and technology, this course will elaborate on the relationship between culture and the advancement of science and technology in Chinese historical contexts. It seeks to explain both the preeminence of Chinese tradition and, so some extent, the lack thereof in modern times as a result of East-West encounters.

International Finance (3 credits)
This course focuses on international financial markets, exchange rates, China's balance of payments.

Business Strategies with Chinese Characteristics (3 credits)
This course discusses business strategies in Chinese cultural contexts. The Classics, such as the Art of War and 36 Strategies will be used to analyze contemporary cases.

Language Reforms in Modern China (3 credits)
As part of the efforts to westernize China, leading Chinese intellectuals in the 20th century tried to rid the nation of Chinese characters, the only living hieroglyphic language. The course traces the rationale, the cultural conflicts and the ultimate failure of this iconoclastic movement..

Independent Studies (1-4 credits)
Independent studies can be arranged with faculty. Topic range covers research projects from contemporary political, economic, and diplomatic issues to historical inquiries. Different credits will be rewarded in accordance with the amount of research work.

Internship (3 credits)

Chinese Language (non-immersion track)
Language classes have three levels, elementary, intermediate, and advanced. Tutorial sessions will be available upon request.

Chinese Language I ( 6 credits)
Through intensive instruction and pattern drills, the elementary level class will not only introduce students to Chinese language but more importantly will help students to master basic spoken Chinese. At the end of the course, students should achieve a level of functional Chinese in daily life.

Chinese Language II (6 credits)
The purpose of the intermediate level class it to help students increase reading comprehension as well as oral proficiency in Mandarin. After this class, students will independently learn Chinese on their own and participate in advanced language training course either in the US or in China.

Chinese Language III (6 credits)
Students in the advanced class will learn to appreciate various unique aspects of written and spoken Chinese. Chinese will be the language of instruction with the purpose of reinforcing students' skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Also, introducing and discussing important aspects of Chinese culture and current news will become an integral part of the advanced level.

Chinese Language Immersion Track(12 credits)

This is a new program for the language serious students. The class size is small with one on one drills.

Immersion I
The immersion Chinese Language classes are designed for advanced language students. They normally meet three hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon daily, five days a week, except Friday afternoon, including two hours of lecture and drill, two hours of language task session, and a one-hour individual session (one-on-one). In addition, there is a language table every Wednesday. Students should be aware that the immersion course is very demanding. In addition to the five daily hours of class, students should expect to spend at least another three to four hours in class preparation and self-study daily.

Immersion II
The format is the same as Immersion I, except that this is more advanced.

Chinese Folklores( 1 credit, spring & fall )
This course is for students on Chinese immersion track. The instructor will discuss Chinese cultural traditions, religions, and all kinds of social practices that permeate Chinese life. It is four weeks in length and readings will be selected from books, articles, and contemporary news.

Social Issues(1 credit ,spring & fall)
To understand contemporary social issues by reading and discussing is the purpose of this course. Among the major topics are peasant laborers in cities, education, environment, etc. Students will conduct interviews, by using Chinese, as part of this class.

Popular Culture(1 credit, spring and fall)
The focus of this course is on the youth culture, music, movies, TV programs, and the immerging internet culture. Interactions with college students forms part and parcel of this attempt to understand China's youth.

Language Internship(1 credit, conducted in Chinese).

Martial Arts and Calligraphy ( non-credit)
These courses are designed to enrich students' lives in Beijing as well as helping them understand specific aspects of traditional Chinese culture.

*Classes are subject to cancellation if enrollment is below 5 except language classes.