Lehigh in China

Application Deadline: March 13th

Program Overview:

This program runs during first summer session, May 16th thru June 27th.

Shanghai is a world-class city. This Manhattan of the East never sleeps. Situated where the Yangtze River flows into the Pacific Ocean, this city rose as one of the premier sites for modern capitalism in the 1920s and 30s. Art Deco buildings from that era are now interspersed with new high-rises. A stroll along the riverside Bund at night melds the past and the present: the lights of the old financial district on one side mix with the glow of the new financial district on the other. Invisible now is the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution which attempted to institute a peasant utopia by smashing the artifacts of elite Chinese history. This gateway to China is home to thousands of business people from countries all over the world. It is just one step inside the country that is home to one fifth of the world’s population and which is steeped in history, culture, and color.

Living in Shanghai

Getting around Shanghai is easy and cheap. It is a hop and a skip to the amazing Shanghai Museum, historic districts, the warehouse district of vanguard artists. There are shopping arcades with everything from designer to imported or locally produced clothing, shoes and other goods and restaurants featuring Chinese and international cuisine of every kind. Markets specializing in fabric, clothing, shoes, electronic—you name it, they got it—abound. So too internet cafes, bookstores, video stores, groceries, 24 hour convenience stores, and fast food outlets. Nightlife includes movies, opera, theater, acrobats, and an immense variety of restaurants, bars, and discos run by people from countries all over the world. Students can travel by metro, bus, or taxi, or walk.

Shanghai is a port city and provides easy access by plane, train, and bus to other places inside China or by plane to other cities around the world.

The Lehigh Program

Students will live two to a room in a hotel downtown with easy access to metro, shopping, etc. Students should have access to the internet in their rooms and possibly a refrigerator and a stove top. For two weeks, students will be immersed in Chinese language and culture. Then they will have a four-week unpaid internship . Students will engage with the local Jing’an community association and meet with students from a local university. The group will visit sites around the Shanghai area and take an overnight trip to a scenic area outside of Shanghai, such as the lake city of Hangzhou or the bamboo forests outside Anji. Every Monday evening, students meet with the faculty advisor. During the internship period, students will meet again with their Chinese teachers on Fridays. For exercise, students can join gyms or participate in early morning programs run by locals in Jing’an Park. Students are also encourage to meet locals to exchange ideas in the English Corner of public parks, such as Peoples’ Park.

Six week program: leave Newark airport May 16, leave Shanghai June 27. Students are encouraged to travel in China or Asia before or after the program.

The program involves working, learning, sightseeing, and field trips. While at internship placements, students will be working in various companies in Shanghai, including multinationals, joint ventures, state-owned companies, foreign-owned companies, hospitals, ngos, schools, or government offices. Options vary each year depending on the majors and interests of the student participants. There may also be opportunities to help work on planning for the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai. Students will work on independent projects, in teams, or on projects with their Chinese colleagues. While some internship positions are more demanding than others, students are encouraged to make the most of their experience. Learn some Chinese and make an effort to make friends outside of their cultural bubble. It is also an opportunity for those interested in possibly working internationally to scope out the job scene, make connections, and explore options. In other words, while Lehigh and FESCO provide a safe and mentored environment, students are encouraged to take the initiative.

This program is hosted by the Shanghai Foreign Service Co., LTD (FESCO). The administrator of the Education section, Ms. Yi, is in charge of program in Shanghai.

Some students choose to stay in Shanghai the entire summer. Some students have done this by initiating their own paid internships in the US and just having FECSCO finalize the arrangements in Shanghai. Others ask FESCO to find them internships that will accept them for an entire summer (this must be specified in the first line of the “objective” section of the “resume” which is sent to FESCO). Generally, companies prefer a longer commitment. Due to the competitive nature of the Shanghai job market (it is one of the hottest in the world), companies who agree to host our students are not required to compensate the students for the one month period. For students who chose to stay in Shanghai often will move from the hotel to an apartment. By the end of the six week program—after which Lehigh and FESCO are no longer responsible for the student’s welfare—students have learned out to live and work in Shanghai and are well-equipped to function in this international city on their own.

Courses Descriptions:

There are no prerequisites. Chinese language knowledge is an obvious plus but not required for participation.

Asia 386: Chinese Culture in a Multinational Worksite (Internship)

Students explore the interaction between Chinese and non-Chinese cultures at a variety of work sites in the city of Shanghai, a port city that has involved people of many nationalities since its birth in the 1840s. This project-based course involves a faculty mentored practicum at one or more specific sites related to the student’s own field or major, assigned readings, weekly electronic blackboard discussions, a 3 page summary of the work experience along with copies of work accomplished at the jobsite (if relevant and the company does not object) sent to the professors in charge. This course qualifies for GCP credit.

Grades will be based on the quality of the student’s blackboard discussions and evidence of student engagement in the internship.

Summaries can be placed in the blackboard Assignments or sent by email to all mentoring professors (Cook, Yao, or Weisman). Personal comments and suggestions on the program are always welcome and should be sent by email to the professors.

All emails addresses are available in the Communication folder of the Blackboard site.

Chin 91, 191, 291 Chinese Language and Culture

Students will be placed in beginning, intermediate, or advanced Chinese language classes by FESCO based on a test (using simplified script) immediately upon their arrival. Grades will be based on improvement shown in the final test and on teacher’s reports regarding daily attendance and participation.

The cultural aspect of this course will be based on student participation in lectures, tours, and other group activities arranged by FESCO. Students are also required to respond to cultural questions on the electronic discussion board.

If you have questions about the program, please feel free to contact:

Prof. Connie Cook	Prof. Rick Weisman	Prof. Yuliang Oliver Yao
Mondern Languages & Liturature	Civil & Environmental Engin.	Economics
Email: cac8@lehigh.edu	Email: rnw1@lehigh.edu	Email: yuy3@lehigh.edu

Students interested in appying, may print out a Shanghai Application (applications are

also available in our office) and submit it to:

Lehigh University

Study Abroad Office

32 Sayre Drive, Coxe Hall

Bethlehem, PA 18015