Semester in China Provides Student Travel Opportunity

Columbia College Chicago is partnering with Central China Normal University [CCNU] for a Fall 2012 Semester in China program, offering scholarships for Columbia students to spend a semester learning Chinese language and culture.

As part of the “China Initiative,” the college is forging partnerships with several colleges and universities in China, including the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, Tongji University in Shanghai, and CCNU and Hankou University in Wuhan. The partnership with CCNU began this spring, when representatives from the school visited Columbia’s campus, and were impressed by Columbia’s education and thought leadership in arts and media. As the first step towards an ongoing partnership where students from both institutions will travel to the other, CCNU offered 30 semester-long scholarships to Columbia College students for the Fall 2012 semester.

“Opportunities like this help to position Columbia College not just as a national leader in arts and media education, but an international leader as well,” said Mark Kelly, vice president of student affairs at Columbia College Chicago. “This is an incredible opportunity for our students to learn firsthand about an amazing country and its culture.”

Thirty scholarships are available for the program, a 12-week semester beginning in September and running through January 2013.The program location is Wuhan, Hubei Province, People’s Republic of China. When those 30 students return to Chicago, they will in turn serve as ambassadors to students from China who visit Columbia in future semesters.

Kelly went on to say, “We’re also quite lucky to have the opportunity to host their students in the future. Columbia has always been a diverse place in all areas but international students, and we’re excited to bring even more diverse backgrounds and viewpoints to our campus environment.”

The scholarships include housing, tuition and a modest stipend. Students will study Chinese culture and language and will earn up to 15 credit hours to apply toward their Columbia degree. Qualified Columbia undergraduate students will have a minimum 3.0 GPA, completed at least 30 credit hours and one full semester at Columbia.