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Wanxiang Ambassador Fellows Program

Description:
The Wanxiang Corporation and UChicago Career Advancement are partnering to offer a summer program that will send UChicago students to China for a pre-professional educational experience focused on exposing students to Chinese culture and language. The program is supplemented with sessions geared towards introducing students to the basics of green technology and the scope of the Wanxiang Corporation's clean technology initiatives in China. Established under the State Department’s 100,000 Strong Initiative, the program strives to create relationships and comradery between students from the United States and China with the hope of supporting collaboration and goodwill.

Participating students will travel as a group to Hangzhou, China. Housed at Wanxiang Polytechnic University, they will participate in a 6-week program that consists of 3 weeks of classroom-based Chinese language (please see below for offered language levels) and culture study as well as seminars focusing on the basics of clean energy. In addition to classes students will also participate in field trips around China geared towards advancing their understanding of Chinese culture. During the last two weeks of the program students will take part in a shadowing program held at the Wanxiang Electric Vehicle Co, Ltd. and a green energy trek to expand their understanding of the energy industry within China.

The Wanxiang Ambassador Fellows program is ideal for students looking to expand their knowledge of Chinese culture and interact with peer students. Students must be flexible and willing to immerse themselves in a new culture and approach differences with an open mind.

Selected students will be required to attend 3 orientation sessions in preparation for the program. Additionally, selected students will be responsible for completing a self-directed research paper, 6-7 pages in length, on a clean energy topic covered during the program.

Application Requirements:
1. Resume
  • Please detail your Mandarin language level under the “skills” section of your resume. Be specific to your skill level in reading, writing, speaking and listening especially if your skill level varies between the four areas. If you have received previous Mandarin instruction please list the UChicago class level or high school classes you have completed.

If you have never studied Chinese please state that you have no prior experience.
 
2. Cover Letter (should not exceed two pages single spaced), in the cover letter students should address the following 4 areas:
  • Their reasoning for wanting to attend the program/why they are a good fit for the program
  • Their interest in Chinese language and culture and how they will handle cultural differences
  • How they expect living and studying in China will impact them academically, professionally or socially
  • Their desire to increase their knowledge of clean energy initiatives in China
  • Their expectations for this program
 
3. An Unofficial Transcript
  • Incomplete applications will unfortunately not be able to be reviewed.


*Note language study for the program will be offered at 3 levels:
1. Beginner 1 (0-1 year of college level Mandarin instruction)
2. Beginner 2 (1-2 years of college level Mandarin instruction)
3. Mandarin Independent Study (for fully fluent speakers – will research and present a research project in Mandarin)
The program is designed to give students an introduction to Chinese language and culture. Language classes will occupy a significant amount of time during the program so applicants with little to no prior knowledge of Chinese are encouraged to apply. Fluent speakers may be accommodated through an independent study course where they will need to develop their own research project and present their findings in Mandarin under the guidance of a University of Chicago staff member.
For more information on the program, please contact Chiara Montanari: chiaram@uchicago.edu.
**Students must be able to participate in the entire program (estimated dates: June 25th-August 4th, 2019). The program runs from 8-5pm Monday-Friday, including some evening and weekend programming. Students are required to live in the provided housing and attend all program-associated sessions and events.

Additional Qualifications:

Students selected must hold a valid passport for at least six months after the start of the program (or be able to obtain one) and be able to obtain a visa to enter the People’s Republic of China.
Travel expenses will be paid by the Wanxiang Corporation, including visa fees, transportation to/from China, housing, most meals, and program-associated travel.

At the end of the summer, Wanxiang Ambassador Fellow participants will be required to submit a survey about their experience during the program, in addition to the research project they produce during the summer.