International Relations in Beijing Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The Chinese language courses at IES are very rigorous, so I found that my language level had many improvements, although placement into the class levels is not always extremely accurate. Subject classes are not as rigorous as they are at my home university. Going into the semester, I knew very little about Chinese politics and international relations, so although in my case the classes were very informative, I still found that they weren't extremely challenging. However, I think that having a low academic commitment was also part of the experience because it gave the students time to focus on seeing Beijing and other areas of the country without sacrificing academic standing.

On-site administration of your program

I found the staff at IES to be supportive of all of my personal problems. The professors in the program helped me develop and senior thesis by personalizing the course work to my interests (as well as those of other students) and providing me with resources for extended exploration that I would not have found on my own. Th center staff always made themselves available resolve any problems that I might be having, and the RAs in the program are well chosen and trained to mentor and help students navigate the country with success.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The program staff put me in a host stay that was very comfortable. I didn't get the experience I was expecting to have of feeling like a member of the family unit, but I believe this is not necessarily a problem with matching students with their home-stays, but rather a cultural difference I was not prepared for.

China has an incredible variety of food, and I think it is very easy for every person to find something that they like to eat. It might be a little less friendly for gluten-free diets, but neither I nor any of the students I was with found it extremely difficult to find food that we were comfortable eating. I certainly wish I could find real Chinese food again in the States!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The program facilitates some opportunities for students to mingle with Chinese citizens, however I think it is mostly the responsibility of every student to put themselves out there and find ways to interact with Beijing locals and people in any other city they may visit.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

The program staff is always available to make health recommendations and take care of minor health issues. The program also provides an insurance to receive care for more serious health problems.

China in general is a very safe country with very low heavy-crime rates. I felt safer walking around, even late into the night, in every city that I visited in China than I would in most places in the United States.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

China is not an expensive country when seen in terms of dollars. I personally was spending about $50 a week for food and daily expenses, or $100 a week when I treated myself to non-essentials and high-priced outings. Even traveling in the country is much cheaper than doing so in the U.S.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

The language pledge at IES was well-enforced so students were always encouraged to use mandarin.

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Americans

• Field Study course in Tibet
• Time allowed for independent travel
• Flexibility with housing options

• Academic rigor
• Facilitating more experiences with non-americans
• Diversification of faculty

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