Overseas Studies

Students interested in a serious study of Japanese language, history, culture, and social organization are encouraged to apply to the Kyoto Center for Japanese Studies (KCJS), a September-to-April program managed by Stanford and including students from other American universities.

Students with two years of Japanese may attend the full academic year or Autumn semester; attending only Spring semester requires two and a half years of Japanese. In Spring Quarter, the Stanford Center for Technology and Innovation (SCTI), also in Kyoto, focuses on Japanese organizations and the political economy of research, development, and production of high technology and advanced industries, followed by an optional two-to-three month internship in an agency, firm, or laboratory in Japan. The minimum language requirement for participation in SCTI is two quarters of Japanese Language, Culture, and Communication B, or five quarters of Japanese Language, Culture, and Communication A. For students choosing to participate
in a non-technical internship, five quarters of Japanese Language, Culture, and Communication B is required.

For information about either program in Kyoto, students should contact the Overseas Studies office in Sweet Hall.

Inter-University Programs

Students should take note of the Inter-University Program for Chinese Language Studies (administered by the Institute of East Asian Studies, 2223 Fulton Street, Room 608, #2318, Berkeley, CA 94720-2318; 510-642-3873; http://ieas.berkeley.edu/iup/; iub@socrates.berkeley.edu) and the Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies located in Yokohama (http://www.stanford.edu/dept/IUC/; 650-725-1490). Stanford is a member of these consortia programs.

Students interested in the exchange program with the Department of Chinese at Peking University in Beijing should consult the chair of the department early in the academic year.

The Stanford Program in Beijing

Students interested in studying Chinese language, history, culture, and society are encouraged to apply to the Stanford Program in Beijing at Peking University through the Overseas Studies Program in Sweet Hall. Most courses are taught in English. All courses count toward graduation and most carry credit in one or more departments. Specific courses offered for each year can be viewed at http://osp.stanford.edu/program/beijing/courses/

Students in the Beijing program are required to have some proficiency in Chinese. The minimal requirement for enrollment is one year of college-level Mandarin; preference will be given to those students who have two or more years of preparation. Native speakers are expected to demonstrate their level of language ability (speaking, listening, writing, and reading) by providing results of a language placement test that is given by the Language Center. All students are required to continue taking Mandarin Chinese language classes while enrolled in Stanford in Beijing. Varying levels of language courses are offered, and placement will be determined in accordance with students' proficiencies. Students with no previous language experience or those desiring to improve their Chinese may want to consider the Stanford-Peking University Summer Program that combines an intensive five-week language program at Stanford with a four-week practicum at Peking University and is equivalent to one year of college-level instruction.

For further information about the Stanford Program in Beijing, please contact:

Stanford Program in Beijing
Shaoyuan Building 7, Room 309
Peking University
Beijing 100871 P.R. China
Tel: 86-10-6275-7311
E-mail: beijing@osp.stanford.edu

The Stanford-Peking University Summer Program

The Stanford-Peking University program combines an intensive five-week language program at Stanford University (June 22-July 22) with a four-week practicum in Chinese at Peking University in Beijing, China (July 23 - August 21). Intensive Chinese is offered at the first, second, and third year levels. At Peking University, there are five levels of instruction based on proficiency. Each course is equivalent to one year instruction. Classes meet for four hours of instruction, Monday through Friday.

For further information about the Stanford-Peking University Summer Program, please contact:

Language Center
Asian Summer Language Program
Building 30, Main Quad
Stanford University
Stanford, California 94305-2015
Tel (650) 723-6355
Fax (650) 725-9377
E-mail: asiansummerlanguage@lists.stanford.edu

For information about Stanford Summer Session please contact:

Summer Session Office
Stanford University
Stanford, California 94305-3005
(650) 723-3109
E-mail: summer.session@stanford.edu