The Freeman Spogli Institute (FSI) is planning to launch a faculty-led initiative in collaboration with the Bing Overseas Studies Program (BOSP) and the Stanford Center at Peking University (SCPKU) in Spring Quarter 2023-24.

This pilot program aims to provide students with a fundamental understanding of China’s role in the global system and the various factors that brought the country to where it is today. By attending lectures in English from Stanford faculty who are top experts in China Studies and experienced leaders in U.S. diplomacy, it aims to offer students the opportunity to learn about Chinese politics, policies, and challenges while living in Beijing.

The Stanford Center at Peking University opened in 2012, under the Freeman Spogli Institute, with a primary goal of helping students gain a better understanding of China through firsthand experience.

This faculty-led program is designed to give undergraduate participants both the opportunity to experience a cultural exchange as well as gain insights into the forces that shape the world’s second-largest economy.

“Studying away is about more than academics; it’s about embracing the world as a classroom. Our partnership with SCPKU and the Freeman Spogli Institute offers a new opportunity for Stanford undergraduates to gain a deeper understanding of China,” said Aron Rodrigue, Burke Family Director of BOSP.

Situated within the Peking University campus, SCPKU provides a unique space for cross-cultural engagement, bringing Stanford students closer to their Chinese and other international counterparts.

SCPKU Director Jean Oi, the William Haas Professor on Chinese Politics in Stanford’s Department of Political Science, and a senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute emphasized that, “in this pivotal moment in global relations, fostering people-to-people exchanges between the U.S. and China is paramount. SCPKU takes pride in offering this distinctive opportunity to Stanford students.”

Participants will not only be fully integrated into campus life, but also have access to a diverse range of Stanford courses taught by professors including Andrew Walder, Jean Oi, and Scott Rozelle.

"At this critical moment in U.S.-China relations, we need more Stanford students to better understand China. That is one reason why this program at Peking University is so important," added Michael McFaul, director of FSI. "As an undergraduate student at Stanford, I had the chance to study overseas and it changed my life. I hope this new collaboration can have the same impact for today’s students.”

FSI plans to welcome up to 20 Stanford undergraduates to participate in this pilot program. While the program is still being finalized, applications have opened and will be accepted through Nov. 13, 2023. Program leadership is striving to finalize the program details by the application deadline and will promptly notify the applicants if there is any change in the status of the program. To learn more about this pilot program, visit here.

Join BOSP and FSI to learn more about the new program at an information session scheduled for Thursday, October 12, at 6:30pm at Sweet Hall, Room 020. Register for the session here.

For more information about BOSP programs worldwide, please visit bosp.stanford.edu.

Please be advised that there are some outstanding program details awaiting final confirmation, and we are dedicated to ensuring their resolution before the application deadline.