China Today: Culture, History, & Society
The College of Advancing and Professional Studies and the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Massachusetts Boston are pleased to announce the following international summer program in China.
About the Program
Beijing, Shanghai, Yangtze River, Chongqing
China is an ancient country and the most populous in the world. It has undergone tremendous and even explosive transformation in the last three decades since the death of Mao Zedong. It has become a more open society and its rate of economic development has been truly dazzling. Meanwhile, it is facing enormous challenges in the areas of politics, society, ethnicity, and environment. "What’s going on in China" has become, in the words of one prominent scholar, the biggest question on the planet at this moment.
The China Today program will provide participants an extraordinary opportunity to learn firsthand about China. The focus will be on important current issues that include economic development, urban-rural divide, regional diversity, environmental challenge, and popular culture. While the focus will be on contemporary China, students will also be introduced to some major events in twentieth century Chinese history, such as the rise of "oriental Paris" Shanghai in the early 20th century, the founding of the Chinese Communist Party in the 1920s, and China’s war experience during WWII. As an integral part of the program, students will also visit major historical sites such as the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City (previously the Imperial Palace), and arguably the largest square in the world, Tian’anmen Square (The Gate of Heavenly Peace Square). The choices of the three cities on the program: Beijing, Shanghai, and the less known but no less fascinating Chongqing (on upper Yangzi River & China’s "war capital" in the 1930s & 40s), provide a rich and rather complex picture of a vast and hugely diverse and rapidly changing country.
No prior knowledge of the Chinese language or Chinese history is required. Anybody who is curious about "what’s going on in China" may apply. Undergraduate applicants will be given priority, while faculty, graduate students, and staff are also welcome.
One plus One is More than Two!
This program will be run in conjunction with the course Entrepreneurship in China & the U.S. These two courses will join together during the trip whenever pedagogically possible; while at the same time maintain each course’s own academic integrity. This approach has proved very successful in the past and has been intellectually stimulating and mutually beneficial to students in both programs.
Courses and Credit
Participants can earn three or six credits. Students can register for two of the following:
- HIST 478 Special Topics in History
- HIST 488 Independent Reading
- EASIAN 480 Special Topics in Asian Studies
- EASIAN 478 Independent Study
A non-credit option is also available; please contact Jennifer.goode@umb.edu for more information.
The Faculty
Weili Ye is a Professor of History in the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Professor Ye’s area of specialty is modern Chinese history. She teaches courses on the history of East Asia and women in Asia. Professor Ye's research interests are in the social, cultural, and intellectual history of twentieth-century China. She has published books on Chinese students in the United States and on women in the Chinese Revolution.
Disclaimer
Please be advised that international programs are subject to change, slight or major, at any time due to circumstances beyond our control; this includes any and all fees, dates, itinerary, and program activities. We will do our best to inform all applicants of any changes in as timely a manner as possible.
