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Academic Program

At the LIU Global China Center, a crucial component of how students connect to the local environment is language study. Courses in Mandarin Chinese at the International College of Zhejiang University account for 8 credits in the fall semester and 6 in the spring semester, and students will be in class with language learners from all over the world. In addition, the China Center encourages students to develop extracurricular interests that will supplement their language learning opportunities, such as language exchange or becoming involved in Chinese student groups. The pursuit of global understanding and intercultural competence requires significant emphasis on language study, and the China Center is committed to incorporating as much Chinese language as possible in all coursework. Assignments in an area studies course could require students to prepare questions and conduct simple interviews, and some sections of classical texts will be studied in Chinese as well as English translation.

There is a combination of required and elective courses to complete the academic program. The required courses include the Junior Seminar: Theory, Culture, and Representation, and area studies courses such as Heritage and Innovation and Ethnic Minority Studies. Elective courses cover a range of activities and interests, including Chinese martial arts, painting, literature, film, and creative writing. Through the variety of academic, creative, and extracurricular activities, students have the chance to bring multiple perspectives to the question of how to understand their encounter with this new environment, and how to describe and analyze their experiential learning in clear terms, building a basis to understand their past experiences, and to promote future learning opportunities. By the end of spring semester, students complete a self-designed independent project or internship that will serve as a tangible demonstration of how cross-cultural skills can be put to use in a practical way in creating a more harmonious, better-functioning world.

Fall 2011 Courses:

Mandarin Chinese

8

Junior Seminar: Theory, Culture & Representation

3

Heritage and Innovation

3

Modern Chinese History

2

Wushu (Chinese Martial Arts)

2

Chinese Arts

2

Creative Writing

2

Spring 2012 Courses:

Mandarin Chinese

6

Junior Research Seminar

2

Ethnic Minority Studies

2

Chinese Nationalism

2

Independent Study

4

China in Film & Literature

2

Wushu (Chinese Martial Arts)

2

Chinese Arts

2

Wushu (Chinese Martial Arts)

2