Campus News

First undergrad program in China to start

The School of Public and International Affairs and the Carl Vinson Institute of Government are co-sponsoring UGA’s first study-abroad program in China for undergraduates May 16-June 6.

Aimed at providing students with an opportunity to experience China’s complex society first-hand, the three-week program includes study in three cities-the commercial center of Shanghai, the capital city of Beijing and the cultural center of Chengdu. In each location, students will meet with government officials to better understand the cultural, legal and social institutions of China and the intricacies of their government.

“Although China is a dictatorship that does not tolerate political dissent, the country has allowed a market economy to develop in many parts of the country,” says Bob Grafstein, UGA political scientist and China study-abroad faculty member. “Based on China’s size and growth, it is now a regional military power and a major economic force in the world.”

The three-week program curriculum includes the following courses: “Democracy and Dictatorship,” “Comparative Legal Systems” and “Culture and Social Institutions.”