Shanghai, China - (ECNU)

at-a-glance:

The goals of this program are threefold: to provide academic courses taught in English to give each student a solid foundation in Chinese international affairs, economics, and history; to provide each student with innovative Chinese language training in small classes with teachers trained to teach Chinese as a second language; and to offer immersion into the local Shanghai community by offering a Chinese homestay, internship and teaching opportunities, and weekly group excursions into Shanghai and the surrounding areas of the city.

academics

Established in 1951, East China Normal University is one of China's key institutions of higher learning and is best known for its liberal arts and sciences programs. It enrolls more than 11,000 undergraduate and 3,000 graduate students. Established in 1998, the CIEE Study Center in Shanghai is centrally located and close to Shanghai’s large economic development areas. The program is designed to provide participants with a deeper understanding of China as it emerges to take a leading role in the global economy. Students are introduced to the language, culture, history, and politics that shape and mold the economic development of the nation.

Academic Links:

Online Course Catalogue

Vanderbilt Course Evaluation List

ECNU Website

CIEE Program Details

student life

The University is located on the bank of the Liwa River in the northwest area of the city near the Zhongshan light rail station. The East China Normal University campus is large and has excellent facilities, including a large library, classroom and administrative buildings, dormitories, extensive playing fields, and various small shops and restaurants. Students attend intensive language classes mostly in the afternoon Monday through Thursday. The language classes are small and students are encouraged to participate actively. The area studies courses take place in the mornings or evenings Monday through Thursday. Course related field trips are usually held on Fridays and sometimes on the weekends.

housing

Students are provided with three options for housing: an off-campus apartment with other CIEE students, an off-campus apartment with Chinese roommates, or a Chinese homestay. Off-campus apartments, with CIEE students, are located in an apartment facility near the Zhongshan Park subway stop. Each apartment contains three or four bedrooms, a spacious living room, two private baths, and a kitchen and washing machine.

Off-Campus Apartments with Chinese Roommates are recommended for students who wish to live with a Chinese roommate; two CIEE students are placed with 1 Chinese roommate. These apartments are located just outside the university’s main gate. Each apartment contains 3 private bedrooms, communal living room, kitchen, and bathrooms. The apartments include a washing machine, telephone, television, and an internet connection. Chinese students are typically from ECNU or another university in Shanghai.

Chinese homestays are available within a 5-10 minute bike ride from the campus. Students are placed with a Chinese family in a three or four-bedroom apartment. Students have their own room in the apartment and share the living room, kitchen, and bathroom with the host family. Students are invited to most family meals, but should budget for their own lunches and most weekend meals outside of the home.

location

Known for its economic prowess and long history of foreign influence, China’s largest city, Shanghai, is the perfect locale to study abroad. There has been massive development in the Pudong Special Economic Zone with new skyscrapers erected on a regular basis. Construction of the city’s infrastructure, including bridges, tunnels, and a new train system, is constant. The modernization and economic development in China can easily be witnessed in this vibrant and cosmopolitan city, although those in search of old Shanghai can still find remnants of its magnificent past.

expenses

Program Costs: Semester Costs; Summer Costs

application

Shanghai Application