The China Study Tour 2006 will adopt a structure very similar to that of the 2004 Tour. The focus is on learning through cultural immersion. We hope to expose participants to all facets of living and doing business in the most populous nation on earth. This not only includes examining the nuances of conducting organizational activities in a very different environment than that of the United States, but also covers everyday aspects of culture, cuisine, and history.
The Tour offers two courses as a means of focusing attention on the differences and similarities between China and the United States in very specific areas. Members of the Tour are required to register for at least one of these courses. Preference will be given to those who register for both. Spouses/significant others who are accompanying students on the Tour are, of course, exempt from this requirement. Due to potential space constraints, each registered student is allowed to invite only one guest.
Below are some details regarding the trip. These will be subject to change as and when the need arises.
Two graduate courses will be offered:
1. Global IT Management: Focus China taught by Dr. Madhu T. Rao.
2. Legal Issues in China taught by Dr. Gail Lasprogata.
The courses will meet three times each before departure, and once upon return to Seattle. While in China, each course will have a few joint classes with Chinese MBA students. This may involve joint case discussions or lectures. In addition, there will be several mandatory company visits and cultural excursions.
Neither course has prerequisites. We would, however, advise that you take MBA560 and MBA513 in advance of the Study Tour. This is optional.
Hangzhou is a famous resort city just south of Shanghai. Set around the idyllic West Lake (Xi Hu), Hangzhou has been famous as one of China's beauty spots and best known resorts for centuries. In 2004, the tour visited Alibaba.com (the world's largest B2B e-commerce company) as well as a technology park. Cultural sites included the Lingying Buddhist temple, the bamboo forest (as seen in Crouching Tiger...), the wooden pagoda, and tea gardens. We are currently working to develop an itinerary for this city.
The cost of the tour is $2800 per person. This fee includes the following:
- Airfare from Seattle to Beijing
- Airfare from Beijing to Hangzhou
- Airfare from Shanghai to Seattle
- Round Trip train/bus fare from Hangzhou to Shanghai
- All hotel accommodations for the entire tour
- Internal transportation within China by air-conditioned buses
- All entrance fees for cultural excursions
- Most meals and drinks
- Final "Farewell to China" party and River Tour.
Please note that the fee does not include the tuition cost for the courses.
What are the likely dates of the flights?
Do I need a visa to get into China?
Do I need to have proof of health insurance?
How will getting around within China be? Can I manage without knowing any local dialect?
How about local transportation, if I want to go exploring in the city?
What kind of accommodations will we have while in China?
Can I have a room to myself, if I am willing to pay extra?
I am also bringing my spouse/significant other. Will we be able to stay together?
Are alumni allowed to join the Study Tour?
What will the weather be like while we are in China?
Are all the meals covered in the cost of the study tour?
How expensive is China? Will I have a lot of out-of-pocket expenses?
What
are the dates of the likely flight plan?
We do not have the exact times yet but the flight departs Seattle on Saturday, September 2nd and arrives in Beijing on Sunday, September 3rd. The flight home departs Shanghai, on Sunday, September 16, and arrives Seattle on the same day. I will give you exact times as soon as they become available. Back to top
I would like to extend my stay in China and visit some other places in the region. Can I book my own air ticket?
In general, we try to encourage everyone to travel as a group and allow us to book the ticket for them. The advantage of this is that we can keep everyone together on the same flight and we can take advantage of bulk rates on tickets.
That being said, if you want to extend your stay, as several students have done in the past, it does make sense for you to book your own ticket. I have no problem with that. We reduce your payment by the air ticket amount (that is, the amount that we pay the agent).
A couple of cautions. First, we may not know which airline we are taking until close to the tour. You would then have to scramble to get on the same flight. With FF miles, the blackout dates may not allow you to travel with us. Second, it will be your responsibility to meet us at the hotel on the day we arrive. We will have local representatives receiving us and a bus to take us to the hotel. If you are confident about traveling in China on your own, that should not be a problem.
Do
I need a visa to get into China?
Tourist visa's ("L" visa) will be required by all
persons and can be obtained through the Chinese consulate in San Francisco. It
is your responsibility to get the visa before we leave. You will need to have a
valid passport with at least 6 months available before expiration. Due to
security issues, the Chinese consulate will no longer accept mail-in
applications. This means you must send in your application through a travel
agent. Our local travel agent for the tour will take your applications and send
them to a representative in San Francisco for you. There is a fee of
approximately $75 involved.
Click here for more details on the L-Visa from the Chinese
Consulate in Los Angeles.
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Do I need to have proof of health insurance?
Yes. We require that you provide us your health insurance information prior to departure. In addition, all students are automatically enrolled into Seattle University's mandatory study abroad insurance program provided by Somerton Student Insurance Services Inc. The cost is $17.50 for a minimum of 2 weeks. Please click here for more information on insurance and liability waiver requirements. You may also want to consider additional travel insurance. (click here for a CNN article on travel insurance).
How
will we be getting around in China? Can I manage without knowing any local
dialect?
We will have a chartered bus and it will most probably be air-conditioned. And we will have a translator throughout the tour. Back to top
How
abut local transportation, if I want to go exploring in the city?
Taxis are very affordable in both Beijing and Shanghai (particularly if you share). You can get to most points in the city within $3-$5. Bikes are also available for rent if you are adventurous and like to explore. A bike rental costs about $1.00 for an entire day. Back to top
What
kind of accommodations will we have while in Beijing and Shanghai?
We stay in excellent hotels while on the tour. All rooms will be double rooms (one room with two twin beds). All rooms have clean "western style" bathrooms and are air-conditioned. All rooms have beds and linens so just basic toiletries are necessary. Towels are provided for by the hotel. We try to choose hotels that are walking distance from major attractions. For example, the 2004 Tour stayed at the Guangzhou Hotel (4-star rating) in Beijing (10 minute walk to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square), The Eastern Commerce Hotel (3-star, but great location) in Hangzhou (across the road from the lakes), and Shanghai Ramada Plaza (4-star rating) in Shanghai (right on Nanjing Road - a major shopping area, and a 20 minute walk from the Huangpo river)
Can I have a room to myself, if I am willing to pay extra?
No, I'm afraid not. All students will be assigned a roommate. If you are traveling with a guest/spouse, that individual will be your roommate. Otherwise, you may choose your own from the rest of the participants. We will be having a social get-together as we get closer to the tour and that will allow you to assess the rest of the personalities of the others on the trip and choose the most compatible roommate.
I
am also bringing my spouse/significant other. Will we be able to stay together?
Spouses/significant-others will stay together in the same room. Please note you are allowed to bring only one guest on the tour. This will be subject to space constraints as priority will be given to registered students. The guest will pay the same individual fare as registered students. Back to top
Are alumni
allowed to join the Study Tour?
Absolutely! Anyone from the Albers School family are encouraged to apply for the tour! We have had alumni join us on each of the prior China Study Tours. Of course, due to space limitations, we will give first priority to currently registered students.
What will the weather be like while we are in China?
September - November are historically the best
months to visit Beijing. The weather during this period is
is dry and not too hot, however September should still be warm during the day.
Hangzhou is very comfortable and surrounded by lakes. Shanghai will be warm and
very humid. In any case, the rooms are air-conditioned and we will have
an air-conditioned bus. Back
to top
Are all the meals covered in the cost of the study tour?
Many meals are covered. The only exceptions are during "free-time". If you are vegetarian. there are non-meat dishes, but be prepared for monotonous meals. There are many excellent vegetable and tofu dishes, and most places seem to use vegetable oil. Chinese food is heavily based on fish, pork, beef, and chicken (as well as some other more exotic creatures - if you want to be adventurous!). Our local travel agent has been very good in providing vegetarian options at all meals. Worse come to worst, there's always Pizza Hut!
How expensive is China? Will I have a lot of out-of-pocket expenses?
I would budget around 25 dollars per day + or - depending on your tastes. However, with most expenses already covered, one could survive comfortably on less --and-- with little effort one could also spend a lot more. It depends on how much you like to shop! Back to top
I am an international student currently on an F1/J1 student visa. Is there anything special I need to do related to my status?
In order to travel abroad and be eligible for reentry into the United States at the end of the China tour, you should confirm that you have the following documents with you during the trip
- If you are in the US on an F1 visa, you must carry a recently signed (within 6 months) I-20 form, a valid student visa, and a valid passport.
- If you are on a J1 visa, you must carry a recently signed (within 6 months) DS2019 form , a valid visa, and a valid passport.
If you have any other specific questions, please contact Sandra Bui, International Student Advisor, at buis@seattleu.edu.