Description

The Ethnic Identity and Cultural Studies study abroad program in Beijing, China is designed for students with 0-4 semesters of Chinese, Tibetan or Uyghur language study and an interest in exploring China's ethnic minorities and cultural identity. This program is ideal for students majoring in the social sciences with an interest in multi-ethnic China and modern life in Beijing and rural ethnic areas of China.

Academic Program
The CIEE Study Center at Minzu University of China (MUC) opened in spring 2007. Students develop their critical skills by engaging in the analysis and interpretation of social and cultural issues of China through reading and discussing relevant scholarly literature, by developing field research skills, as well as benefiting from community immersion experiences. The program takes full advantage of the multicultural campus environment at MUC, and is ideal for students majoring in the social sciences and humanities with interests in multi-ethnic issues, anthropology, sociology, religious studies, and policy and development studies. While the content courses cover all major themes mentioned above, the fall semester has a unique course focused on religion and ecology, and the spring program offers a unique course focusing on cinema and identity in contemporary China.

In addition to Mandarin Chinese Language studies, this program offers Tibetan and Uyghur language courses for credit taught by instructors at the University. The Less Commonly-Taught Language Track advances contemporary China studies by training future professionals with both linguistic and cross-cultural competence whose area specializations are in ethnic regions of China. Other rare languages such as Mongolian, Dai, and Kazakh, are also offered through MUC and are available to CIEE students with advance approval and pending class enrollment. Many of these languages are deemed critical languages in both academia and government, and Uyghur is listed as a preferred language by the U.S. National Security Education Program.

Academic Culture
The program's host university, Minzu University of China, is one of the top universities in China and has a long historical tie with prominent scholars and universities in North America and Europe. Many of its founding scholars, such as the late Professors Fei Xiaotong, Pan Guangdan, Wu Wenzao, and Ling Yaohua 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. International students have ample opportunities to participate in both formal and informal campus events across different colleges and departments.

Language classes meet Monday through Thursday for a total of eight hours per week for 12 weeks. Area studies courses take place three times per week for a total of three hours each. The class format is seminar-based and students are expected to come prepared to discuss assigned readings.

Highlights

• Gain critical understanding of diverse ethnic communities in contemporary China through interactive seminars and guided fieldwork
  
• Enhance your Mandarin Chinese language skills or learn a less commonly taught language such as Tibetan and Uyghur with native speaking language faculty and peer tutors
  
• Be part of a highly acclaimed multicultural campus community in China that has the feel of a small liberal arts college
  
• Experience daily life of Tibetan farmers, nomads, and craftsmen

Tibet Field Study Experience
Each semester students take part in a ten-day mid-semester field trip to Lhasa, capital of the Tibetan Autonomous Region, and rural Northwestern China. Students prepare for the experience by completing reading assignments and seminar discussions on the ethnic diversity of China, and prior to their departure, students also receive fieldwork assignments from both language and area studies instructors. The field trip typically includes homestay experiences with Tibetan farmers, nomads, and traditional artists in culturally Tibetan areas of Eastern Qinghai and Southern Gansu Provinces. Students engage in reflective discussions both during and following their trip to contextualize their broader experience living and studying in China. In case travel to Tibet is not possible, the program will only visit Tibetan regions within Mainland China.

Cultural Reimbursement Program
As a means of encouraging students to enrich their study abroad experience, CIEE offers a Cultural Reimbursement Program. Through this program, students are reimbursed for their participation in such cultural activities as Chinese film screenings, theater performances, traditional music concerts, and visits to local museums and historic places of interest. Students are encouraged to invite peer tutors to such events when possible.

Immersion
Peer Language Tutors
Program participants, whether enrolled in the Chinese Language Track or the Less Commonly Taught Language Track, are paired with local students for weekly one-on-one language tutorials. These tutorials provide students with extra conversation practice in Mandarin, Tibetan, or Uyghur, and give students the opportunity to experience firsthand the lifestyle of their local peers from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

Target Language Meals
CIEE arranges group meals for students twice per month, which include language teachers, peer tutors, and Resident Staff, to encourage students to utilize their Chinese, Tibetan, or Uyghur in an informal setting. Students attending the optional meals practice speaking only in the target language with their teachers and peers.

Degree Level

Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Subject Areas

• Anthropology
• Asian Studies
• Chinese Language
• Ethnic Studies
• Religious Studies
• Sociology

Cost in US$:

Please check the CIEE website for current program pricing.

Program Fees Include:

The CIEE programs fee includes an optional on-site airport meet and greet, tuition, housing, orientation, full-time program leadership and support, cultural activities, field trips, pre-departure advising, visa fees, and a CIEE iNext travel card which provides insurance and other travel benefits.

Experience Required

yes

• Overall GPA 2.75
• Previous coursework in anthropology, sociology, development, or global studies recommended.

This Program is open to

Worldwide Participants.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Apartment/Flat

Participants Travel

Independently

Typically Participants Work

Independently or in Groups

Scholarships are Available

We have several scholarships that students can apply for. Contact CIEE for details.

Application Process Involves

• Letters of Reference
• Other
• Transcript
• Written Application

CIEE's Mission Statement

Since 1947, the Council on International Educational Exchange, known as CIEE, has been in pursuit of its mission, "to help people gain understanding, acquire knowledge, and develop skills for living in a globally interdependent and culturally diverse world. Our services to young people studying, working, teaching, and traveling abroad are more important than ever.

Year Founded

1947