Other China Resources

Even though significant segments of the University’s activities and programs are not easily categorized by academic units, they nevertheless constitute an important part of the University’s China initiatives and a strong testament to UM’s long standing engagement with China.

Alumni Association

When President Mary Sue Coleman traveled to China in June 2005, the Alumni Association created the Chinese Alumni Relations Program and hosted a series of well-attended alumni events in Beijing and Shanghai, where President Coleman met with a large number of alumni and future alumni highly supportive of and enthusiastic about UM’s partnerships in China.

Under the leadership of Jo Rumsey, Assistant Executive Director, the Alumni Association continues to organize activities in China which allow alumni and potential students alike to stay connected to the global as well as local UM networks and to remain abreast of UM’s latest China-related initiatives.

In November 2005, the Alumni Association launched “e-TrueBlue: China,” a monthly newsletter for University of Michigan alumni in China. The Chinese Alumni Relations Program also maintains a Web site where alumni may find out about alumni events in China, browse current and past issues of “e-TrueBlue: China,” and update their contact information.

THE ASIA LIBRARY

Open Book

The site of one of the nation's foremost collections of Chinese language resources in all formats, the Asia Library supports the research and teaching activities in East Asian Studies in the University community. The collection of the Asia Library is an extension of the Graduate Library's research collections for humanities and social sciences. As of June 2006, it boasts:

712,249 volumes of books,
44,147 reels of microfilm,
32,243 sheets of microfiche,
3,764 CD-ROMs,
2,483 current serial titles and
79 newspapers, of which 399,881 volumes, 30,908 reels and 24,151 sheets are in Chinese.

China Journal Net, a Chinese full-text database, as well as the purchase of numerous CD-ROMs, are some of the latest major acquisitions in electronic resources under the library's programmatic activities in collection development.

The Asia Library Homepage was one of the first multilingual (English, Chinese and Japanese) web pages in North America devoted to East Asian Studies. Maintained by the Asia Library staff, the homepage serves as an extension of the library's services, and plays an important role in assisting faculty and students by providing easy access to the networked information resources from all over the world. Additionally, it offers newly developed sections: new book alert, online request forms for acquisitions and reference service.

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BENTLEY HISTORICAL LIBRARY

The Bentley History Library (BHL) has played an important role in both documenting UM’s history with China and promoting academic exchange with Chinese institutions. In 2006, BHL published The University of Michigan and China: 1845-2006, edited by Nancy Bartlett, Division Head of BHL’s University Records unit.

Joint Seminar on Archival Methods

As early as 1982, BHL has been engaged in substantive exchange with Chinese libraries and archives. In 1998, under the leadership of Francis Blouin, BHL Director and Professor of History and Information, BHL and State Archives Administration of China (SAAC) formally established the Joint Seminar. Largely financed by SAAC, the Joint Seminar brings a group of Chinese archivists to Ann Arbor and sends BHL archivists to China on alternate years for several weeks each time. Chinese participants of the exchange are chosen through a highly competitive process administered by SAAC, and they represent a wide range of archives and archival interests in China.

In the summer of 2006, a delegation of 30 Chinese archivists attended the fourth Joint Seminar at BHL. They participated in a series of seminars and workshops, presented their own findings, and traveled to New York and Washington DC to attend meetings of the Society of American Archivists.

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CHINA DATA CENTER

The Center Data Center (CDC) at the University of Michigan integrates historical, social and natural science data in a geographic information system, where spatial and temporal references are maintained through a relational database. This will facilitate comparative and interdisciplinary uses of the data, enable both non-specialists and China scholars to understand and utilize these data, and enhance knowledge of China. CDC’s core missions include: to support research in the human and natural components of local, regional and global change; to promote quantitative research on China studies; to promote collaborative research in spatial studies; and to promote the use and sharing of China data in teaching and research.

Current Externally Funded Collaborative Research

CDC Teachers

Shuming Bao, Senior Research Coordinator
1. Changing Responses of Land Dynamics and Vulnerability to Flooding Under Policy and Environmental Change near Poyang Lake, China
UM Co-Investigators: Dan Brown, Associate Professor of Natural Resources & Environment; Mark Wilson, Professor of Epidemiology, Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Director, Global Health Program
Project Partner: Jiangxi Normal University
Funding Sources and Amounts: The Land Cover and Land Use Change Program, NASA: $530,000; National Science Foundation: $45,000
Duration of Funding: September 2005 - September 2008

2. The Development of Space-Time Model and Technology
Project Partner: Jiangxi Normal University
Total Project Funding: RMB 100,000
External Funding Sources: China National Science Foundation
Duration of Funding: September 2005 - September 2007

3. An Information Technology-Based Study of the Transmission and Spread of Contagious Diseases in Time and Space
Project Partner: Jiangxi Normal University
Total Project Funding: RMB 1.5 million
External Funding Sources: China National Science Foundation
Duration of Funding: May 2005 – April 2009

4. An Early Warning System for Schistosomiasis in China,
Project Partner: Jiangxi Normal University
Total External Project Funding: RMB 1.2 million
External Funding Sources: China Ministry of Science and Technology
Duration of Funding: January 2005 – December 2007

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CHINA INITIATIVES COORDINATOR

The China Initiatives Coordinator serves as a resource for all UM units interested in developing academic programs in China. Under the supervision of the Office of the Vice Provost for International Affairs, the coordinator helps to identify partner institutions in China (UM schools and departments seeking to enter formal partnerships with Chinese institutions should consult the coordinator on preliminary versions of the agreement or memorandum of understanding), works with schools and colleges to develop programs, assists in setting program goals and strategies, and works with a faculty steering committee to identify and develop University-wide opportunities in China. Additionally, the coordinator compiles and maintains an inventory of China-related projects and programs across the University.

Currently, Jen Zhu holds this position. She received her BA, in political science and art history, from Johns Hopkins University, a Certificate of Study from the Johns Hopkins University – Nanjing University Center for Chinese and American Studies, and a MA in Chinese studies from the University of Michigan. Having had extensive experience working and living in China, she continues to be an avid China watcher.

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CHINA STUDIES DEGREE OPTIONS

CCS

While doctoral degrees in Chinese Studies can be pursued only through an academic department, the Center for Chinese Studies (CCS) offers a terminal Master’s Degree program in Chinese Studies, and three joint-degree programs.

1. Master of Arts Degree in Asian Studies: China

This program offers a broad, interdisciplinary approach to the study of China. Each student is required to successfully complete Third Year Chinese as determined by either a placement test or Chinese language courses offered through the UM Department of Asian Languages and Cultures, in addition to the fulfillment of other program requirements.

2. MBA/MA Dual Degree Program

CCS and the Stephen M. Ross Business School at UM offer a three-year dual MBA/MA degree program to prepare professionals in the international business community to meet the challenges of an increasingly complex global economy.

3. JD/MA Dual Degree Program

Starting in Fall 2006, prospective students are invited to apply for admissions to a dual degree graduate program jointly created by CCS and the Michigan Law School. Successful completion of the program leads to a JD in Law and Master’s Degree in Chinese Studies.

4. MPP/MA Dual Degree Program

Also new as of Fall 2006 is the Master of Public Policy/MA in Chinese Studies degree program jointly offered by CCS and the UM Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.

Applicants to the joint degree programs must file separate applications to be admitted by both schools. For program information, please contact Maryellen Bartolome, CCS Student Services Coordinator, at mbartolo@umich.edu.

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INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH

The Institute for Social Research (ISR) has supported many research projects on China and currently enjoys a productive affiliation with the Research Center on Contemporary China (RCCC) at Peking University. Under the tenure of Professor Shen Mingming, who received his PhD in political Science from UM, RCCC has strengthened its link with UM in efforts to promote rigorous social science scholarship in China and to generate systematic social and economic data.

POPULATION STUDIES CENTER

UM- Global Research Training in Population Health: Research Training in Population Health in China and South Africa.

For more than 10 years the Population Studies Center (PSC) has partnered with the NIH/Fogarty International Center (FIC) in a model program to foster an integrated effort to develop a research training infrastructure in population health within the international community. PSC currently has a particular emphasis on improving research training and capacity in China and South Africa. Faculty research programs include studies that examine the links between socio-economic inequality and demographic change with special attention to the rapid political and economic transitions and rural-urban differences in income and access to resources that remain large in both countries.

Summer Reserch

Directed by Professor David Lam, the FIC Research Training in Population Health in China and South Africa program provides financial and intellectual support for trainees in South Africa and China. More specifically the training program will include both long term and short term training: doctoral training at the University of Michigan, doctoral training at the collaborating foreign institutions (mainly Peking University in China and the University of Cape Town in South Africa), post-doctoral training at Michigan and at the collaborating foreign institutions, and in-country training in the form of workshops and collaborative research. One example of short-term training is the seminar in international population research, titled “Population Research in Developing Countries.” This training seminar has been extremely successful, providing a forum for interaction between UM researchers and Fogarty trainees and providing a focal point for bringing together trainees from different countries. The seminar is targeted toward Fogarty international trainees, but is also open to other international students who attend the summer courses as well as U.S. students interested in international research. It provides an opportunity for foreign trainees to interact and share their research interests and experiences, to meet UM faculty, and to raise questions with faculty and with one another. The seminar also provides an important mechanism for formal instruction in the responsible conduct of research.

The other integral project of PSC's FIC training grant is led by Professor Yu Xie. The goal is to collaborate on UM and PKU training and faculty research. PSC has been invited, in collaboration with the UM Center for Chinese Studies, has launched a program within the UM – Peking University Joint Institute for Interdisciplinary Humanities and Social Sciences, called the “Survey Research and Quantitative Social Science Program.” The program trains Chinese graduate and postgraduate students, as well as junior scholars, in survey and demographic research using statistical methods. The ultimate goal is to raise the level of demographic data collection and analysis in China. Housed in the interdisciplinary Joint Institute, the Survey Research and Quantitative Social Science Program is ideally situated to interact with demographic researchers located in different units at PKU.

In addition to the training program with PKU, one individual research project that encourages such collaborations is a project set to launch a new longitudinal study - the Chinese Family in Transition (CFIT) study - in the provinces of Liaoning and Hunan. The bulk of funding for this project comes from the China Population and Development Research Center (CPDRC), the research arm of China's National Family Planning Commission. Professors Xie, James Lee, and Albert Park are mainly responsible for designing the study. The project plans to interview and follow up all members ages 10 and older in 3000 randomly selected households in each province. The field work for the baseline survey is scheduled to begin in August 2006. The CFIT study covers a comprehensive set of topics from health and family relationships to socioeconomic status, with particular attention to the role of the family and the community in mitigating economics shocks at a time when both the economy and the level of inequality have been growing at a rapid pace. The CFIT study is a good fit with the training program at PKU, as it provides a natural bridge between demographic training and research in China.

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MICHIGAN-CHINA UNIVERSITY LEADERSHIP FORUM

Background

During President Mary Sue Coleman’s trip to China in June 2005, she met with officials from the Chinese Ministry of Education (MOE). They requested that the University of Michigan host a two-week forum for Chinese higher education leaders on the management of world-class research universities. They said that Chinese universities have much in common with U.S. public research universities, and the Forum offered formative exchanges over the philosophy, politics and procedures of public universities.

2006 Forum

Overview

President Coleman hosted the program in Ann Arbor from May 13-27, 2006. The Forum was coordinated by Dr. Constance Cook, Director of the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT) and Associate Vice Provost for Academic Affairs. A large UM team assisted with various aspects of the Forum, and about 150 UM faculty, administrators and students met with the delegation during their visit.

Participant Profile

Park

The Chinese Ministry of Education (MOE) selected 25 leaders to participate in the Forum, including 20 university presidents, vice presidents, or chairmen of the university council (i.e., university party secretaries) from top-ranked Chinese universities, plus five officials from MOE, the National Academy of Education Administration (NAEA), Department of Cultural and Educational Experts, and Organization Department of the Community Party of China (CPC).

Chinese University Representatives:

Mr. CHENG Tianquan, Chairman of University Council, Renmin University of China
Mr. HU Minqiang, Vice President, Southeast University
Mr. HU Shuxiang, Chairman of University Council, University of Electronic Science and Technology
Mr. JIANG Chengyu, President, Northwestern Polytechnical University
Mr. JIANG Maofa, Vice President, Northeastern University
6. Mr. LI Jian, Chairman of University Council, Central South University
Mr. LI Wei, President, BeiHang University
Mr. LI Wenxin, Vice President, Wuhan University
Mr. LIU Jianping, Chairman of University Council, Tianjin University
Mr. LUO Weidong, Chairman of University Council, University of Science and Technology Beijing
Mr. QU Zhenyuan, Chairman of University Council, China Agricultural University
Mr. WANG Jinsong, Vice President, Tshinghua University
Mr. WU Dexing, President, Ocean University of China
Mr. XU Wu, Vice Chairman of University Council, Vice President, University of Science and Technology China
Mr. YANG Quanming, Chairman of University Council, Sichuan University
Mr. ZHAN Tao, President, Shandong University Not traveling with delegation
17. Mr. ZHANG Wenjun, Vice President, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Not traveling with delegation
Mr. ZHOU Qifeng, President, Jilin University
Mr. ZHU Jun, Vice President, Zhejiang University Not traveling with delegation

Ministry of Education Representatives

Mr. WEI Guo, Division Chief, China Training Centre for Senior Personnel Management Officials
Mr. LI Wenchang, Vice President, National Academy of Education Administration
Mr. YANG Changju, Department Chief, State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs
Mr. ZHANG Ailong, Division Chief, Office for Universities Directly Administered by MOE
Ms. ZHANG Jie, Vice Director, Educational Theory Department, National Academy of Education Administration

Accompanying President LI Wei from BeiHang University

Mr. CHEN Jiangfeng

Visiting from May 13-15

Ms. WU Qidi, Vice Minister for Higher Education, and a five-person delegation that will be traveling with her

Budget

The Chinese Ministry of Education funded a substantial share of the Forum. Additionally, there were significant contributions from foundations, corporate partners, and the UM President’s Office and Provost’s Office. Many other UM units contributed Forum materials, services and meeting rooms.

Key Donors
Dow Chemical: $25,000
Apple: discounted iPods ($2,700)
Fisher Scientific: $25,000
Carnegie Corporation: $50,000
Elkes Family Foundation: $7,000 for iPods
The John D. Evans Foundation: $7,000 for iPods
Ford Foundation: $50,000
Richard and Susan Rogel: travel and lodgings for Xiang Gao, violinist at closing banquet.

Themes

Yuan

MOE/NAEA requested that the Forum cover five major topics, each of which had several subtopics. The major topics were:

Strategic planning
Research and technology transfer
Undergraduate, graduate, and professional education
Management of medical schools
Building world-class faculties

The Forum had 36 presenters, including President Coleman, Interim Provost Edward Gramlich, associate provosts, college deans, senior faculty, and Michigan Congressman Joe Schwarz. The presenters used various active learning strategies such as case studies, role-plays, and small group discussions, and as a result, there were lively exchanges with the Chinese delegation at every session.

Social Events

A series of social events took place throughout the Forum to promote collaboration between the Chinese universities and UM faculty and corporate partners. The Down Chemical Company sponsored the opening ceremony at the Museum of Art; Fisher Scientific International sponsored a luncheon at the Bentley Historical Library; and the UM Medical School organized a dinner for the delegation at the Biomedical Science Research Building. President Coleman hosted the final dinner at her home, which ended with a concert given by Xiang Gao, a distinguished Chinese American musician.

One night, small groups of participants dined at the homes of nine UM college deans and faculty members. Many UM presenters joined the delegation for a meal either before or after presentations, and luncheons on Central and North campuses were arranged for the Chinese participants to meet UM faculty members and UM students, both Chinese students and those studying China.

The delegation spent one afternoon at tours of the Ford Rouge Plant (where the Ford Motor Company Executive Vice President for International Operations addressed the delegation), Henry Ford Museum, and Greenfield Village. Additionally, there were walks in the Arboretum and a series of campus tours.

Evaluations

MOE Evaluation

The Chinese Ministry of Education evaluated the Forum through focus groups and participant essays. The MOE’s final report expressed satisfaction with UM’s collaboration in planning the Forum, the care with which UM made the arrangements, the choice of topics and presenters, the variety of instructional and other activities during the Forum, and the extent of resources – “human, material and financial” – that UM devoted to the Forum.

UM Evaluations

During the Forum, UM conducted formative evaluation with focus groups and surveys in order to improve the learning experiences of the delegates during that two-week period. The information that follows concerns summative evaluation at the end of the Forum to assess its impact.

Surveys and focus groups with Chinese participants

On the UM survey on the final day of the Forum, 23 of the Chinese delegates gave the Forum the highest rating (excellent) and the other two participants rated the Forum as “good” – a rating of 3.92 on a four-point scale. Individual presentations also received either the highest rating, “very useful,” or the second highest rating, “useful.”

Of the Chinese participants, 92 percent strongly agreed that the Forum program enhanced their understanding of U.S. research universities, especially in the following three areas:

Faculty recruitment, retention and evaluation
University management structures, especially decentralization and faculty governance
Fundraising

The Chinese participants also strongly agreed (36 percent) and agreed (64 percent) that the Forum program was useful in helping them with current challenges they face at their own institutions. The participants generated a long list of actions they might take when they return to their own institutions, and 65 percent of the participants have issues involving “faculty recruitment and retention” on the very top of their action lists, e.g., developing a standard process for evaluating faculty or considering the development of a tenure system. Some also mentioned the possibility of giving more authority to the departments; developing a more student-centered environment, including active learning; and engaging their alumni in order to do more fundraising.

In the focus groups on the final day, the Chinese delegates talked about their satisfaction with the Forum, all that they had learned, and what they planned to do with the information once they returned to their campuses. They indicated their intention to find ways for their universities to collaborate with UM in a multitude of ways.

In late fall 2006 or early winter 2007, a Chinese graduate student at UM is expected to interview some of the Chinese delegates to determine the immediate and long-term outcomes for their institutions.

Survey of UM participants

Over the summer following the Forum, UM sent surveys to the 112 UM faculty and administrators who participated in the Forum activities. The surveys asked what they learned regarding Chinese higher education and what future collaborations with Chinese institutions might result from the Forum.

UM participants mentioned that they had learned more about current Chinese higher education issues as a result of the visit and commented that the Forum could lead to more of the top Chinese students coming to UM for graduate study. Steve Grafton, the Director of the Alumni Association, who hosted the delegates at a luncheon in the Alumni Center and then traveled to China for alumni events, said that the Forum had brought a “heightened awareness of UM” and strengthened UM’s reputation in China.

Statue

UM survey respondents who were already involved in collaborations with Chinese colleagues said that the Forum had enhanced their collaborations. Others talked about new contacts, and by mid-July, several UM faculty had already gone to China to talk with officials they met during the Forum.

Another survey will be sent to UM participants in six months to ask about new collaborations that resulted from the Forum. Additionally, Rackham will be tracking the number of Chinese students applying to UM graduate programs and comparing the numbers (and undergraduate institutions) to those from the previous years to see if the Forum appears to have increased both the number and quality of graduate student applicants to UM.

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STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES IN CHINA

Many opportunities exist for UM undergraduate and graduate students to study in China. Depending on academic interests and language abilities, students may choose to participate in programs administered by UM Office of International Programs, programs offered by individual UM departments or schools, or programs run by other universities and for-profit study-abroad programs.

A Quick Guide to Study-in-China Opportunities Offered by UM:

(UG=Undergraduate, G=Graduate)

	Student Eligibility	Program Key Objectives	Primary Language Used	Costs	Internship Opportunities?
OIP Programs	UG, UM Honors Program requirements for IES program	Language training, courses on Chinese history, politics and society	Chinese	UM tuition, OIP fee, room, board, travel	No
Business	UG, G	Business courses	English	UM tuition, room, board, travel	Yes
MHIRT	UG, G	Publich Health studies and research	Chinese, English	Room, board, travel	Yes
B.A.S.E.	G	Architecture theory and practice	English	UM tuition, room, board, travel	No
Engineering-Semester/Year	UG, G	Engineering courses, Chinese culture and language	Chinese	UM tuition, room, board, travel	No
Engineering-Summer	UG	Engineering courses, Chinese culture and language	English	UM tuition, room, board, travel	Yes
CCS-PKU	G	Social science seminars and field visits	English	UM tuition, room, board, travel	No
Summer in Tibet	UG	Courses in Tibetan culture and language	Tibetan, English	Program fee, UM tuition/fee	No
GIEU	UG	Multicultural, professional experience	English	Program fee, travel	Yes

Programs Administered by UM Office of International Programs (OIP)

OIP administers three programs in Beijing. The two programs, one in Peking University (PKU) and one in Beijing Normal University (BNU), are both offered through the University of California Education Abroad Program and both begin with a mandatory seven-week intensive language training session focused on developing skills at the intermediate and advanced levels. UM students who wish to spend only the fall semester in China remain at BNU, where they take courses in written and spoken Chinese, and in Chinese literature and history covering the period 1900-1949. Those who elect to stay for the academic year may do so at BNU or, following the summer program, move to Peking University. At PKU's College of Chinese Language and Culture, the language and literature curriculum emphasizes improvement of spoken and written Mandarin and deepening one's understanding of Chinese society and culture. Students with sufficient proficiency may audit or take regular university classes in history and social sciences at both campuses. Supervised independent study for credit is encouraged. UM students participating in the program pay UM tuition, in addition to other related fees and expenses.

The third program, the UM Beijing Honors Program, is new in Winter 2007 and offered through the Institute for the International Education of Students (IES). Eligible students desiring an in-depth look at Chinese history, economics and culture take a series of month-long module courses, “Ethnicity in Contemporary China,” “Contemporary China through Literature and Film,” and “A Changing China in International Affairs,” all of which are taught in English at Beijing Foreign Studies University. The program begins with a two-week introduction to China, with Chinese language instruction beginning upon arrival and continuing throughout the semester. The module structure allows for extensive field trips and experiential learning.

Non-OIP UM Programs

International Exchange Program for Business Students

Administered by UM Center for International Business Education, this program consists of a semester-long study abroad program for MBA students at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and a semester-long study abroad program for BBA students at Chinese University of Hong Kong. Tuition is paid to UM for full-time credit course, and students are responsible for additional fees and expenses.

The Minority Health and Health Disparities International Research Training (MHIRT) Program

Summer Research

Supported by the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities and the Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, and administered by UM Center for Human Growth & Development, MHIRT provides undergraduate and graduate students from disadvantaged populations or underrepresented populations with an intensive international research experience and facilitates productive international collaborations in research and training for both the UM and the host sites. In 2006, four program participants – three undergraduate students and one MPH student – worked in China. Two of these students worked on a project entitled “emotion regulation as a complex system” and the other two on a project entitled “role of optimism/pessimism and health-related quality of life in pregnancy outcomes.” Participants are funded by the program.

Beijing Architecture Studio Enterprise (B.A.S.E.) Summer Program

The A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning first launched its studio abroad program in Beijing in Summer 2004, and the program continues to flourish with about a dozen UM graduate students participating this summer. Based out of a former electronics factory in an area of the city called Dashanzi, currently an international hotbed of cultural production, Beijing Studio is a two-fold collaboration between Peking University’s Graduate Center of Architecture, directed by Yung Ho Chang, who is also the chair of the architecture department at MIT, and the newest school of architecture, B.A.S.E. At B.A.S.E. students and faculty work with a wide cross-section of students from several schools of architecture in North America and China. The program runs from the beginning of May through June. The first week takes place in Ann Arbor, where participants immerse themselves in a language and cultural intensive, and the following six weeks they work out on individual and collective projects in Beijing. Students pay UM tuition, and scholarships are available.

College of Engineering – Shanghai Jiao Tong University Program

The College of Engineering offers two Shanghai programs in cooperation with Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU). Both programs take place at SJTU, and courses cover subject matters such as Naval Architecture, Energy, Electronics and Information Technology, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Life Sciences, Biotechnology, Civil Engineering, Chemistry, Business, Agriculture, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Chinese Language. One program is offered in the fall and/or winter semester, and the main language of instruction is Mandarin Chinese. The other program is offered in the summer, and the courses are taught in English by UM faculty. A four-week engineering practicum opportunity is available to interested students in the summer program. In the past, internships were completed with major companies such as Delphi, GM, Volkswagen, Lucent, and Shanghai Automotive Industrial Company. Students pay UM tuition in addition to travel and living expenses.

Center for Chinese Studies – PKU Summer Program in the Social Sciences

In 2006, the UM Center for Chinese Studies (CCS) launched its Beijing Summer Program at the UM-Peking University Joint Institute. Participants in the inaugural program include graduate students from UM, two other American universities, Cambridge University, and a variety of Chinese universities. With emphases in cultural immersion, interdisciplinary study and intercultural dialogue, the program has two thematic segments, Social Survey and Quantitative Social Science, and Social Theory and Chinese Studies. The program offers seminars led by UM and Chinese professors and discussions held at social and corporate institutions. The primary language of instruction is English. UM students participating in the program this year are fully funded by a Fulbright Grant.

Summer Study in Tibet

The first program of its kind to be offered by any academic institution in the United States, Asian Studies 350/351 is a comprehensive 6-week, 6-credit program for the study of Tibetan language, history, and culture that takes place entirely in Tibet. Students spend time in Tibet's capital, Lhasa, and neighboring urban areas; various rural areas on the high plateau of Central Tibet; and one of Tibet's culturally unique border regions. Course materials range from Tibetan language, Buddhism, and traditional religious history to contemporary social, cultural, and political issues. The program makes use of leading Tibetan and Western experts residing in Lhasa, extended visits to central Tibetan religious and historical sites, and field-work projects in various settings. Participants have to pay a program fee in addition to UM tuition.

Global Intercultural Experience for Undergraduates Program (GIEU)

Folk Art

An initiative from the Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Vice President for Student Affairs, this program promotes experiential field study by sending small groups of undergraduates and faculty members to locations in the U.S. and around the world for three to four weeks of engaging intercultural academic studies. In Summer 2006, two groups of participants went to China. The Shanghai group explored the opportunities and challenges that global firms face in China, and the Beijing group focused on sports management issues related to the 2008 Summer Olympics. There is a program fee, which may be covered by the student’s earnings from the internship position he/she secures through the program.

Other Programs

UM students may also choose to study in China by participating in programs administered by institutions such as The Johns Hopkins University-Nanjing University Center for Chinese and American Studies and Michigan State University, and those offered by study-abroad companies such as CET and CIEE. They can also enroll directly in Chinese universities as guest or non-degree students. There are more restrictions in terms of credit transfer, and in most cases students may not be able to apply UM financial aid towards the cost of studies.

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MUSEUM OF ART (UMMA)

The University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA) is home to the largest collection of Asian art in the state of Michigan, with more than 4,000 objects that range in time from the third millennium BCE to the present and represent cultures from Afghanistan to Java and Japan. Special strengths include Chinese and Japanese painting as well as Chinese and Korean ceramics.

UMMA’s holdings in Chinese art are widely considered to be among the strongest in university hands anywhere in the United States. The Chinese painting collection at UMMA is renowned for its breadth and depth, with more than 200 works representing major artistic movements from the thirteenth century to modern times. Ming period painting in both the courtly and literati styles is a special strength, with works by such luminaries as Wu Wei, Zhou Chen, Wen Zhengming, and Sheng Maoye, to name only a few. There are nearly 400 examples of Chinese ceramics in the Museum, ranging in date from the Neolithic period to the twentieth century, and particularly rich in pieces of the Han (second century BCE–second century CE) and Song (tenth to thirteenth century) periods. Other clusters of interest include bronze mirrors, Buddhist sculpture, calligraphy, rubbings (particularly of the famous second-century Wu Family Shrine), nineteenth-century textiles, and twentieth-century posters and traditional prints.

In May 2006, the museum received a $1 million pledge from Dr. Cheng-Yang Chang in honor of his deceased wife, Shirley, to be recognized in the naming of The Shirley Chang Gallery of Chinese Art in the museum’s new addition. Dr. Chang also gifted to the museum more than 30 traditional Chinese paintings by his father, noted artist Ku-Nien Chang.

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WORK IN CHINA

With China’s emergence as a major power in world economy and politics, an increasing number of students and alumni are looking to gain valuable personal and professional experience by working in China. Many UM students and alumni have successfully found jobs in China and in China-related fields, and their strategies vary from gaining employment in large, multinational firms with Chinese interests and offices to landing positions in up-and-coming Chinese companies.

In addition to a fine education, which makes UM students and alumni highly qualified employees in any part of the world, the University provides numerous resources for students and graduates with career aspirations in or related to China:

The Career Center: Job fairs and interviews where students are matched up with multinational companies
Overseas Opportunities Office: Internship opportunities, and Peace Corps
The Alumni Association: Alumni networks and connections

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