Office of Global Engagement

SUMMER 2025 - CHINA: Chinese Language, Arts, and Culture

In this Brown Global Summer Program, students will explore the Ancient Capitals of China through the lens of arts and language.

OVERVIEW

This immersive summer course offers students the opportunity to gain first-hand, in-depth knowledge of Chinese culture through the lens of arts and language, enhanced by a three-week field trip to three of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China. 

Program Highlights:

  • An online asynchronous summer course with a mandatory three-week in-country residential travel component to mainland China;
  • Intensive, first-hand study of Chinese culture through guided discovery of three of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China: Xi’an (Chang’an), Luoyang, and Beijing;
  • Examination of cultural artifacts and historical relics at museums and visits to important archeological sites;
  • Exploration of royal court culture, including palaces, mausoleums, treasures, the feudal system, dragon imagery and vernacular culture, including Buddhism, Taoism, and other religions in imperial China;
  • Guided tours of all major sites of cultural interest, including the Youli Castle Site in Henan Province, where King Wen of Zhou (1112 BC - 1050 BC) was imprisoned and created the sixty-four hexagrams of the Chinese classic, I Ching (Book of Changes);
  • Special guest lectures from local Chinese experts on culturally significant topics, such as the evolution of dragon imagery throughout Chinese history.

FACULTY MEMBER

Liwei Jiao (East Asian Studies) 

COURSEWORK

  • Course Title: EAST 0311: CHINA: Chinese Language, Arts, and Culture 
  • Credit: Participants will earn one unit of credit, equivalent to four semester hours.
  • Prerequisites: None
  • Language of instruction: All classes are delivered in English. No Chinese language proficiency is required. Chinese proficiency at the Intermediate mid level or below will not directly aid in understanding this course’s content but will facilitate communication with local Chinese. However, no Chinese language skills are needed for the course itself.

DATES

*June 23, 2025 – July 31, 2025

 *Please note that program dates and itinerary are tentative and will be finalized in Spring 2025. 

ITINERARY

June 23 – June 25, 2025

*Pre-travel online coursework (asynchronous)

June 27, 2025

Arrival in China; check in to program-arranged housing

June 27 – July 22, 2025

Delivery of in-country program – Beijing, Xi’an, and Luoyang

July 22, 2025

End of in-country program; check out of program-arranged housing

July 23 – July 31, 2025

**Post-travel online coursework (hybrid — asynchronous / synchronous)

*The online pre-travel coursework will be fully asynchronous and will consist primarily of independent course reading and independent review of pre-travel orientation materials.  

**The online post-travel coursework will involve both asynchronous and synchronous components.  Asynchronous work will consist of independent work on a final project, due by July 31, 2025.  Synchronous work will consist of one real-time Zoom session for final project presentations, which will be scheduled at a mutually convenient time for all participants.

HOUSING

In China, students will be housed in hotels in multiple occupancy rooms with a shared bathroom.  Housing arrangements are subject to change as the program is finalized.

Please note that all participants are required to stay in program-arranged housing. Independently arranged housing will not be permitted. 

All breakfasts and most lunches will be provided and paid for by the program.  Students will be responsible for paying for their own dinners out-of-pocket.

PROGRAM COST

Brown Global Summer Program participants are billed for Brown Summer Session Tuition and a Global Housing, Meal & Activity Fee that covers housing, program activities, and some meals while in-country.  The tuition and fees for Summer Session 2025 will be published on the Student Financial Services website. The estimated Global Housing, Meal & Activity Fee for this program is $3,900.

This program also has anticipated expenses, including airfare, that will not be billed by Brown.  We will be uploading detailed estimates of the unbilled expenses for this program in the coming weeks on this website. 

SUMMER GRANTS

Brown undergraduates who receive financial aid during the academic year may be eligible for a Summer Grant towards their Summer Session charges. Eligible students will be contacted by the Office of Financial aid in late February/early March with information about their eligibility. 

TIMELINES 

Please make note of the following deadlines for Summer 2025 programs.  Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

  • Saturday, February 1: Preferred Application Deadline
  • Saturday, March 1: Final Application Deadline
  • Friday, March 7:  Admissions Decision
  • Saturday, March 15:  Commitment Deadline
  • April 1 - April 15: Students Purchase Flights

VISITING STUDENTS 

Visiting students from other (i.e., non-Brown) colleges and universities are welcome and encouraged to submit a visiting student application to any Brown Global Summer Program. 

As part of the application process, visiting students must also submit an official academic transcript to demonstrate that they meet the following two eligibility criteria:

  • Active enrollment as a degree-seeking, undergraduate student at the time of program delivery (i.e., graduating seniors are not eligible)
  • Good academic standing

Instructions for submitting an official transcript as a visiting student are provided in the online application for each program.

CONTACTS

Chris Van Booven, Assistant Director of Global Programs