2010 East Asia International Term
One of our longest running terms abroad, the next East Asia Term will take place in Fall Term 2010. Information for this term will be sent to students on campus during Fall Term 2009.
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For over 30 years, students have traveled throughout the culturally diverse countries of Japan, Taiwan and China, including the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
The term will be divided into two parts: four weeks in Japan, 10 days in Taiwan and five weeks in China. The co-directors of the term will be Dr. Marsha Smith (Sociology Department) for Japan and Dr. Norm Moline (Geography Department) for China.
Academic Program
Augustana faculty will teach four 3-credit courses and a required 1-credit seminar. Students may enroll in three or four of the 3-credit courses, two of which are taught in each half of the program. The seminar will begin with weekly introductory sessions in the spring term and will continue overseas.
ISS 300 International Studies Seminar: East Asian Cultures, taught by Dr. Norman Moline and Dr. Marsha Smith
In Japan and Taiwan the courses will be:
ARHI 373 (PP, G) Japanese Art Dr. Naoko Gunji
ECON 364 (PS, Q) East Asian Markets Dr. Ann Ericson
In Taiwan, Hong Kong S.A.R. and China the courses will be:
ASIA 305 (PH, G) Traditional Chinese Medicine Dr. Robert Tallitsch
SOC 303 (PS, G) Population Problems Dr. Marsha Smith
These courses integrate texts and lectures, including some by special guests, with field experiences at different sites chosen for their relevance to the courses. Participation on the East Asia International Term satisfies general education Global Perspectives and Learning Community requirements.
About The Faculty
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Dr. Ann Ericson, Associate Professor of Business Administration, teaches marketing and international business. She has a special interest in social policy issues in marketing and regularly leads students in research projects for local non-profit organizations. She taught in Japan and Taiwan on the 2004 and 2007 East Asia terms. During 2008-09 she developed and led Augustana's inaugural international term to Vietnam. For the past three summers she has taught at Vietnam National University - Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's largest public university. Her East Asian Markets course surveys the economics of the global market, centering on trade policies, financial markets and business practices of selected East Asian countries and their economic relationships with each other and the rest of the world, particularly the United States.
Dr. Naoko Gunji, Assistant Professor of Art History, specializes in Japanese religious art. A native of Chiba prefecture in Japan, she earned her Ph.D. at the University of Pittsburgh. During the 2007-08 academic year she was a postdoctoral fellow at the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures, affiliated with the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. Her current research examines the art, architecture and rituals related to mortuary ceremonies at the imperial temple in the medieval period. In 2003 she assisted a study tour in Japan for the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia, designed to facilitate teaching and learning about Asia in high schools. On the East Asia term her course will focus on the religious, political, social, cultural, and artistic significance of Japanese art and architecture.
Dr. Norman Moline, Edward Hamming Professor of Geography, taught on the first East Asia term in 1974 and has co-directed all subsequent Asian terms. He is adviser for Augustana's exchange program with Lingnan University in Hong Kong. During 1998-2004 he directed four summer ASIANetwork College-in-Asia Institutes funded by the Freeman Foundation. He is a member of The International House of Japan and the China specialty group of the Association of American Geographers and was chair of that association's Committee on Scientific Freedom and Responsibility in the early 1990s. His main interests are cultural geography, historical geography, resource management and urban planning. For the May-June 2009 issue of Journal of Geography he wrote an invited article "International Studies Become Pilgrimages. He will direct the program in Taiwan, Hong Kong S.A.R., the People's Republic of China and Hawaii.
Dr. Marsha Smith, Professor of Sociology, Social Science Division Chair, will direct the Japan portion of the 2010 term. She taught on the 1992, 2004, and 2007 East Asia terms and directed the Japan half in 2010. She has published numerous articles on China, including the development of non-governmental organizations in the Pearl River Delta and the impact of tourism on Naxi-Mosuo/Bai-Yi identities in Yunnan. In 2005 she was selected to participate in the ASIANetwork Fulbright-Hays project "The Fifth Dragon: The Pearl River Delta Faculty Development Project." In 2009 she attended and presented an invited paper at the 16th World Congress of the International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences which met in Kunming. She was editor of the ASIANetwork Exchange (2002-05) and now is a member of the board of ASIANetwork. Her academic interests include aging, family, gender and demography.
Dr. Robert Tallitsch, Professor of Biology, has taught on five previous East Asia terms between 1989 and 2004. His current professional interests focus on computer-assisted anatomical instruction, funded in part by the National Institutes of Health. He has authored numerous articles and three major anatomy textbooks. In 1998 he was one of ten faculty selected for ASIANetwork's summer seminar in China. In 2003 he was a short-term guest lecturer at Huazhong Normal University in Wuhan, China. In 2005 he participated in a CIEE program in southwest China and will participate in another CIEE program in Beijing and Tibet in 2010. He brings a comparative perspective to the study of Traditional Chinese Medicine, including acupuncture, herbal medicine and Qi Gong, and its relationship with Western medicine.
Application Procedure
Application for the program consists of two steps. Students should submit the official application online. In addition, students must submit a $500 deposit to the Business Office. Both steps must be completed no later than January 18. Only students in good standing (i.e., not on academic, social or disciplinary probation) are eligible. Eighty students will be selected. If more than eighty students apply, participants will be selected based on a matrix combination of year in school and grade-point average, but also on the personal statement submitted with the online application. Students who have been on a previous fall or spring international term will be placed at the end of the alternate list. Since this program is scheduled only once every three years, students who will be sophomores, juniors or seniors are eligible, and some from each year will be included in the group selected. The list of students chosen for the program will be announced in late January within two weeks after the application deadline.
Schedule
August 19 Depart from Chicago
August 20 Arrive in Osaka
Osaka is the core of Japan's second largest metropolitan area which has over 16 million people. Historically Osaka has been the commercial capital of Japan, being the home of many leading manufacturers and port activities. It boasts a number of important museums and art galleries. From Osaka we will visit nearby Nara with its famous world heritage sites at Todaiji and Kofukuji temples. The year 2010 marks the 1300th anniversary of the start of the Nara period when the capital was moved to Nara, often cited as the beginning of a unified Japan. We will participate in special anniversary exhibits and activities. Our accommodations are at the Shin Osaka Youth Hostel.
August 24 Arrive in Kyoto
Spared from World War II bombing, Kyoto, the national capital from 794 to 1868, retains its classic beauty and its place at the heart of traditional Japanese culture. We will visit many living monuments to Japan's cultural, artistic and spiritual past, including Heian Shrine, Kiyomizu Temple, Golden Pavilion Temple, Ryoanji-Zen garden, and Nijo Castle. Our accommodations are at the family-run Higashiyama Youth Hostel in an older neighborhood close to the Philosophers' Walk and other sites. Students will spend a weekend at the homes of Japanese families in the Kansai region (Kyoto-Nara-Osaka-Kobe area).
September 1 Arrive in Hiroshima
We will take the high-speed shinkansen (bullet train) to Hiroshima and stay at the Aster Plaza International Hotel within walking distance of Peace Park. During our stay in Hiroshima, the target of the world's first atomic bomb attack on August 6, 1945, we will visit the Peace Memorial Park and Museum, guided by Hiroshima Interpreters for Peace. Finally, we will visit Itsukushima Shrine on the "sacred island" of Miyajima. Its majestic torii gate stands in the ocean during high tide.
September 4 Arrive in Matsuyama
A ferry ride across the Inland Sea of Japan will take us to Matsuyama on Shikoku Island, the smallest of Japan's four major islands. At Ehime University students will introduce us to campus and university life. Matsuyama, with a population of nearly half a million, retains much of the culture of rural Japan. It is home to the Dogo Hot springs, the oldest hot springs in Japan. We will visit the nearby town of Tobe, home of Japan's blue and white porcelain pottery.
September 8 Arrive in Tokyo
Tokyo, the world's most populous metropolitan area, is the heart of modern Japanese culture, business and government. The city is an extraordinary mix of the latest trends and ancient traditions, a bustling urban center whose neighborhoods retain some flavor of small villages. We will visit many varied neighborhoods and museums and utilize the excellent subway and railway systems. Phillip Hoffmann, Augustana graduate and now Minister-Counselor for Public Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, will speak to our group. Our accommodations are at the National Olympic Memorial Youth Center in the Yoyogi area near the Meiji Shrine.
September 21 Arrive in Taipei
Taipei is the political and commercial capital of the Republic of China on the island of Taiwan, a center of rapid economic growth and international trade. In the midst of its modern façade, Taipei preserves China's traditional past. We will visit the world famous National Palace Museum, the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial and an important traditional Chinese Medicine hospital. Faculty from Academia Sinica and Taiwan National University will give lectures to our group. We will stay at the conveniently located Chien Tan Overseas Youth Activity Center. A field trip is planned to the port of Keelung and the national park at Yeiliu on the beautiful north coast.
September 29 Arrive in Hong Kong S.A.R.
Since July 1997, Hong Kong has been adjusting to its new status as a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. Under the "one nation, two systems" policy, Hong Kong still functions as one of the world's major capitalist trade, financial and industrial centers. This cosmopolitan city of seven million people has one of the most beautiful urban settings in the world with its impressive skyscrapers standing near water or mountains. We will take field trips through the harbor (one of the world's busiest container ports) and to some public housing estates, which house approximately 45 percent of the city's population and are considered by some a model for high-density urban living. We will stay at the 20-story YWCA Guest House in the Kowloon section of the city.
October 7 Stop in Guangzhou
Only 100 miles from Hong Kong and linked by high-speed rail service, Guangzhou is the hub of Guangdong Province, a centerpiece of China's economic reform policy and one of the world's fastest growing commercial areas. It was the only port open to Western commerce from 1759 to 1842 and a focal point of the first Opium War (1840-42) between Britain and China. We will visit historic Shamian Island and Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall and observe the modern landscape that dominates Guangzhou.
October 7 Arrive in Guilin
Guilin is nestled in the midst of spectacular tower karst (limestone) formations. A 50-mile boat trip on the Li River will take us past the mountains and terraced agricultural fields that have inspired painters and poets for centuries. Professor Ru from the Institute of Karst Geology will lead a trip to the 2,000-year-old Lin Canal connecting the Li and Chang Jiang (Yangzi) watersheds. We will visit a Ming imperial tomb and a traditional cemetery. Our centrally located Universal Hotel provides good opportunities to see city sites and bike to the countryside. We will travel to Wuhan by overnight train.
October 11 Arrive in Wuhan
Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province, is situated at the confluence of the Han River and the Chang Jiang (Yangzi River). It is a large industrial city with some important sites in modern Chinese history. We will visit Hua Shan township village, beautiful East Lake Park, the modern Han Yang Economic Development Zone and the Wuhan Performing Arts School. At Huazhong Normal University, with which Augustana has an exchange agreement, we will listen to a guest lecture and have informal conversations with Chinese students and our recent graduates who are teaching English at the university. Our lodging at the Holiday Inn-Riverside overlooks the wide and busy Chang Jiang.
October 16 Arrive in Kunming
Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province, is known as the "spring city" because of its year round pleasant weather. Located at an elevation of 1,891 meters in the central part of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, Kunming is home to twenty-six Chinese ethnic minorities. We will visit the Yunnan Museum of Minority Nationalities and the Yunnan Nationalities Village. Kunming has a number of flower markets. A trip to Green Lake during the evening will allow us to listen to local gatherings of singers and dancers and to see other cultural activities.
October 19 Arrive in Lijiang
The Old Town of Lijiang,home to the Naxi ethnic minority, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997 because of its traditional architecture and lovely canal systems. The Jade River divides into three sections at Lijiang and forms the canals and waterways which flow along the old town streets. Lijiang is located near the sacred Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, one of Yunnan Province's highest mountains which contain one of the southernmost glaciers in the Northern Hemisphere. It contains thirteen peaks, the highest of which is 5,600 meters, and extends twenty-two miles long and twenty miles wide. We will take a cable car to Yak meadow located on the sacred mountain.
October 22 Arrive in Chengdu
Chengdu dates from 316 B.C. Its 2300-year history is linked closely with the arts and crafts trades. It is the major city of Sichuan Province, one of China's largest and most densely populated provinces and a place popularly known for spicy food. Highlighting our stop will be a visit to the Chengdu Research Base for Giant Panda Breeding where Augustana graduate, Sarah Bexell, is the Director of Conservation Education and Communication. We will have a half-day field trip to LeShan, site of the largest Buddha in the world, a 71 meter high stone structure begun in 713 AD.
October 23 Arrive in Xi'an
This city, whose name means Western Peace, is the capital of Shaanxi Province. Intermittently the capital of the empire for over 1000 years, it was the main eastern point of the Silk Road which extended as far west as Rome. At different times it was one of the world's largest cities; its classical Chinese urban design became a model for other cities. Around Xi'an are imperial tombs of 11 dynasties extending from 12th century B.C. to 8th century A.D. We will visit the Terra Cotta Army figures near the tomb of Qin Shi Huangdi, the dynastic unifier of China in 221 B.C. Other key landmarks are the city wall, the bell tower, the Moslem quarter and one of China's best provincial museums.
October 26 Arrive in Yan'an
We will travel by bus north of Xi'an for about 200 miles through the loess plateau rural landscape which shows its almost 4,000 years of intensive use. Yan'an, located in the north-central part of Shaanxi Province, during the 1937-45 era became a center of wartime resistance and the base from which the Communist movement grew under the leadership of Mao Zedong. We will visit the sites of Mao's agrarian reform and resistance movements and observe the unique houses dug into the thick loess deposits. Recently, the oil resources and apple orchards of this area have become increasingly important and evident in its cultural landscape.
October 28 Return to Xi'an
October 29 Arrive in Chengde
Located about 130 miles northeast of Beijing beyond the Great Wall, Chengde was established as a summer retreat for the Q'ing dynasty emperors during the 18th century. It is one of the largest complexes of imperial palaces, gardens and temples in China. Often these structures, many of which are restored, were modeled after Tibetan temples such as the famous Potala temple in Lhasa. On the bus trip to Beijing, we will hike on the Great Wall at Jinshanling near Gubeiko.
October 30 Arrive in Beijing
Beijing first became the capital of China during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and achieved its current capital status when the People's Republic of China was proclaimed in 1949. We will visit Tiananmen Square, the Great Hall of the People, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palaces. Surrounding these historic sites are new commercial and residential buildings and congested roads that characterize this rapidly modernizing world-class city, now preparing for the 2008 Olympics. Our lodging will be at the centrally located Jianguo (Qian Men) Hotel. As our last stop in China, Beijing provides good opportunities to reflect on East Asia's blend of past and future.
November 5 Arrive in Honolulu
Back on American soil and in the midst of a large Asian-American population, we will use this stop to help us re-enter our own culture, review our experiences in Asia, visit Pearl Harbor, compare Hawaii's ethnic diversity with minority issues considered in East Asia, and enjoy some rest and recreation.
November 10 Arrive in Chicago
Cost
The total cost of the program is $16,800 (approximately $3,400 more than the expected fall term costs on campus). This amount includes tuition, round trip airfare from Chicago, ground transportation, all meals, lodging, field trips, scheduled special events, visas, insurance, student activity fee and the comprehensive fee. The only expenses not included are books, snacks, local bus, subway or taxi fares, purchases for personal or gift purposes and individual side trips on open days. Personal spending habits determine the size of these expenses, varying in the past from as low as $500 to well over $1,000. Given changing currency exchange rates, Augustana reserves the right to make necessary adjustments to meet costs of the program.
For students who participate in this program, the Financial Aid Office determines increased need and allows greater eligibility for student loans. A special scholarship fund from alumni donors helps students with the greatest need. The Financial Aid Office will provide additional information.
Students who will be sophomores or juniors may apply to use Augie Choice money (up to $2,000) for this program. These applications are available from the Augie Choice Office on the first floor of Evald Hall or contact Becca Poock (beccapoock@augustana.edu or 794-8287).
The amount of $16,800 is payable to the college in three installments: $500 at the time of application in January, $6,300 by May 1 and $10,000 by July 1. A detailed handout on refund policy will be available at the information meeting in December.
For more information, contact either of the co-directors: Dr. Norman Moline, (309) 794-7303 or normmoline@augustana.edu, or Dr. Marsha Smith, (309) 794-7270 or marshasmith@augustana.edu, Augustana College, 639 38th Street, Rock Island, IL 61201-2296.
