China Seminar

China is the emerging superpower of the 21st century. China is on the move....but to where?
What's really happening there? What does it imply for the United States, for economic life, and for the Christian church?

Join students from Gordon College and Biola University for 18 days of travel and study in China:

• Meet with Chinese businessmen and women, and Chinese scholars and students.  
• Visit businesses, factories and universities--and outstanding historical and cultural sites across all of China
• Meet and worship with Chinese Christians.  
• Taste street life and urban culture in 5 major Chinese cities and visit the New Economic Zones that are reshaping the global economy.

China transformed itself economically over the past three decades and now has the potential to reshape the world in the 21st century. This seminar offers a vivid, personal introduction to China's recent history, its present economic promise, and the many challenges posed by its unprecedented growth.

Program Dates
THIS PROGRAM WILL NOT BE OFFERED IN 2009. 

Download the SUMMER 2008 itinerary below.

Draft of China 2008 Itinerary (PDF)

Locations
The trip will span the continent, visiting cities and regions with historic and contemporary economic significance including Beijing, Xi'an, Guilin, Guangzhou, Xiamen, and Shanghai. In addition to businesses, factories, special economic zones and universities, students will also visit outstanding historical and cultural sites including:

• The Great Wall
• Beijing's Forbidden City
• Xi'an's terra cotta warriors
• The fabled mountain landscapes of Guilin
• Guangzhou's Shamien Island, where U.S.-China trade began amidst opium and war in the early 19th century
• Shanghai's "bund," China's Wall Street and emerging global finance capital

A typical day will include a short faculty lecture/briefing, one or two official events or visits, and considerable free time for individual exploration of the city.

Seminar Leaders

• Stephen L. S. Smith, Ph.D., Professor of Economics and Chair of the Economics and Business Department, Gordon College. Professor Smith, an international and economic development specialist, is a longtime student of the Chinese economy. A Hong Kong resident for many years, he has visited many parts of China's Guangdong province.
• Steven Rundle, Ph.D., Professor of Economics, Biola University. Professor Rundle is a veteran of many international seminar trips, including several to China. He is co-author of Great Commission Companies: The Emerging Role of Business in Missions. (InterVarsity Press, 2003).

Participants
This seminar is open to all Gordon students. There are no course pre-requisites. Local guides and Chinese language speakers will be with the group at all official functions and visits. Meetings will be translated as necessary. Participants are not required to have any level of Chinese language fluency.

Curriculum

• This is a 2-credit general elective course offered by Gordon's Department of Economics and Business and Department of History. Students may elect is as either EB291 or HI291. It has three parts: a modest pre-trip component during the spring 2008 semester, an 18-day tour of China in late May and early June 2008, and a term paper due after the trip.
• Pre-trip component (30% of total grade). Students read several books and meet three times during spring semester 2008 to discuss trip plans, gain perspective on Chinese history and culture, and discuss the readings. This prepares students for experiences in China and will help participants generate questions they can later ask Chinese officials and business people with whom they interact.
• Class participation--that is, the student's conduct and participation in all learning opportunities during the trip. 40%.
• Post-trip component: 8-10 page summary paper. 30%. Drawing from both the readings and trip experiences, the paper will detail how the student's perspective on China has evolved during the course, touching on such themes as the student's reflections on China's economy, recent history, business and religious climates, and culture. Due July 1, 2008.
• Download the EB291 Syllabus from the Blackboard site.
  

Cost
Total program cost including non-refundable application fees is $3,985. This covers: tuition, visa and roundtrip airfare, lodging (4-star hotels), meals, in-country transportation, entrance fees.
A $130 non-refundable application fee and program deposit must accompany the application. The remainder will be billed to student accounts-full details available from Student Financial Services.

Students are required to obtain passports-sufficiently in advance of the trip to allow GEO to obtain a visa for China entry. Students must also secure any needed immunizations.