May 17, 2011 - Claremont, Calif. - When you hear the term “summer school,” you rarely envision travel to China as part of the curriculum.  Yet, thanks to a new study abroad program, three Harvey Mudd College students will head to Peking University next month for summer studies in Beijing, China.

For eight weeks—June 4 through July 30— Trevor Apple ’13, Crystal Bong ’13,  and Kevin Samrick ’13 will study Chinese language, history and culture.  They will also participate in an Introduction to Electrical Engineering course taught by HMC Engineering Professor Ruye Wang.

Offered in collaboration with the China Studies Institute, all courses will be taught in English and course credits can be officially transferred back to HMC.

“[The Institute] has been offering humanities, social sciences and language courses to hundreds of U.S. students in the past few years. This is the first effort to offer a technical course,” said Wang. “Students will experience the society, culture and language of China, which is valuable in their future career in a progressively more globalized environment.”

Students will stay in Peking University campus dorms and visit locations such as the Great Wall, Forbidden City and the Lama Temple. They’ll also travel to Ping Yao, a well-preserved, ancient Chinese town in Shanxi Province.

Weekly course work will include eight hours of language study, plus four hours each of Chinese history and electrical engineering.

Established in 1985 by American University in Washington, D.C., China Studies Institute, now independent, began accepting students from other universities in 2005.  Anticipating China’s emergence as an economic and political powerhouse in the near future, its programs are designed to promote students’ understanding of Chinese culture and society.

As a leader in science, mathematics and engineering education, HMC has an ongoing mission to provide its students with a rich background in the humanities and social sciences. The study abroad program provides HMC students the opportunity to continue their education while absorbing the rich culture of another country.