- Region
- Asia
- Term
- Spring
- Student Year
- Junior
- Courses Offered By
- College of Arts and Letters
As the capital of the world's most populous nation, Beijing is the political and cultural center and international focal point of much that happens in contemporary China. The atmosphere in Beijing is much like any capital city, and with a large foreign business and diplomatic community, Beijing has a strong international presence. Beijing is undergoing astonishing growth and change while trying to hold on to its storied past. Whether you wander through old alleys at the city center or walk onto the field at the Bird’s Nest Stadium in Olympic Park, Beijing offers a dynamic of old versus new unmatched by any other city in the world. Traditional style homes and narrow alleyways are being demolished to make way for newer and larger architectural structures. However, Beijing also reflects China's long and evolving history when different dynasties were based there and constructed some of the nation's most well-known and culturally-important sites such as the Great Wall, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, the Forbidden City, and Tiananmen Square. There is no doubt that spending time in Beijing is vital to understanding China.
Programming in Beijing is diverse and accommodates a range of students from those with no previous Chinese language study to those with multiple semesters and proficiency. This bilateral exchange program offers students the opportunity to enroll in undergraduate courses alongside local students and take classes taught in English or Chinese, or to pursue an intensive Chinese language curriculum.