Definitely the time of my life! I couldn't ask for anything better. I learned a lot about China through courses and field trips. In Shanghai I stood in the room where the first Communist meeting was held. You get chills when you think about what actually happened. Nanjing, Sanzhou, Hanzhou and Wuxi were equally impressive. To get a history lesson in the place it happened is priceless.
The semester and academic year curriculum offers courses and internships (professional, community service, etc.).
Courses are offered at the University of International Business & Economics (UIBE).
Internships are organized at various companies, NGOs and humanitarian organizations.
Students choose one of the following curricular options. Note, Academic Year students may choose different options for each semester.
Chinese language study (9 to 12 credits) plus up to two elective courses (6 credits)
Chinese language study with Tutorials (18 credits; additional fee of $750 required)
Chinese language study (9 to 12 credits) plus internship (3 to 6 credits)
Four to six elective courses (12 to 18 credits)
Four elective courses (12 credits) plus internship (3 to 6 credits)
Chinese language courses
Chinese language courses are taught using the immersion method, each course reinforcing the others.
Three to four Chinese language courses are combined during the same semester.
Students take an evaluation exam during the registration process to determine level of proficiency and course placement.
Each course is 2 to 5 credits (depending on level of proficiency), for a total of 12 credits (in most cases).
Students spend 15 to 20 hours per week in Chinese language classes.
Chinese Comprehensive Reading (Fall & Spring)
The goal of this course is to build listening skills and proper pronunciation of Chinese Mandarin. Grammar instructions and vocabulary acquisition are the main content of class.
Level & Credit: beginner (8 credits), intermediate (6 credits) and advanced (6 credits).
Prerequisites: placement test to determine level.
Text: Modern Chinese Beginner's Course, Intermediate Chinese Course, Bridge, and International Business Chinese.Chinese Listening (Fall & Spring)
The goal of this course is to build listening skills and proper pronunciation of Chinese Mandarin. Grammar instructions and vocabulary acquisition are the main content of class.
Level & Credit: beginner (6 credits), intermediate (4 credits) and advanced (4 credits).
Prerequisites: placement test to determine level.
Text: Modern Chinese Beginner's Course, Intermediate Chinese Course, Bridge, and International Business Chinese.Chinese Speaking (Fall & Spring)
The objective of this course is to facilitate the acquisition of language necessary to express oneself in daily situations as well as in more difficult contexts. Students will carry on daily communication, business conversations and negotiations throughout the course.
Level & Credit: beginner (6 credits), intermediate (4 credits) and advanced (4 credits).
Prerequisites: placement test to determine level.
Text: Modern Chinese Beginner's Listening Course, Chinese Listening Comprehension and Advanced Listening Comprehension, Conversational Chinese 301, Chinese Situational Dialogues and Intermediate Chinese Speaking.
Chinese Reading & Writing (Fall & Spring)
Students are required to write and correct essays regularly. Part of the class is utilized for selected readings, discussion, grammar lessons and vocabulary building. By the end of the semester students will be able to read articles, periodicals and essays, and carry on daily writings in a wide variety of social and business situations.
Level & Credit: intermediate (4 credits) and advanced (4 credits).
Prerequisites: placement test to determine level.
Text: Understanding China through Newspaper Reading, Business Writing in Chinese and Chinese for Economics and Trade.
Chinese Newspaper Reading (Fall & Spring)
Students are required to write and correct essays regularly. Part of the class is utilized for selected readings, discussion, grammar lessons and vocabulary building. By the end of the semester students will be able to read articles, periodicals and essays, and carry on daily writings in a wide variety of social and business situations.
Level & Credit: advanced (2 credits).
Prerequisites: placement test to determine level.
Text: Understanding China through Newspaper ReadingBusiness Chinese (Fall & Spring)
The objective of this course is to facilitate the acquisition of language necessary to express oneself in formal and professional settings. Students will carry on daily business conversations and negotiations throughout the course.
Level & Credit: advanced (2 credits).
Prerequisites: placement test to determine level.
Text: Business Writing
Chinese language courses with TUTORIALS
Students have the option of enrolling in intensive Chinese language classes with Tutorials.
Group classes are combined with individual and personalized (student-to-teacher) instruction.
This option increases the number of instructional contact hours in Chinese language to 30 (or more) per week for a total of 18 credits.
Students who select this option will be charged a Tutorial fee of $750 in addition to the regular program fee.
Due to the intensive nature of the curriculum students may not combine this option with elective courses and internship.
Business, law & diplomacy courses (electives)
Elective courses are 3 credits and taught in English.
Courses change from time to time with little notice from UIBE.
A course will be offered if 10 or more students enroll.
Contact a KEI advisor if you have questions.
Marketing in China (Doing Business in China) (Fall & Spring)
This course is given for international students who are interested in studying the Chinese economic, political and cultural environment and /or purposing China-oriented economic research. The objective of the course is to provide students with the necessary intellectual capabilities and skills to excel in a career directly or indirectly related to China.
3 credits. Prerequisites: none Usually offered in the Fall and Spring.Chinese Economic & Business Systems (Fall & Spring)
The course aims to provide an introduction to China's overall economic environment and the major strategic and operational issues facing multinational corporations in doing business in the Chinese market.
3 credits. Prerequisites: none Usually offered in the Fall and Spring.WTO & China - Multilateral Trading Systems (Fall)
The objective of the course is to provide background knowledge on the economic context in which WTO functions and to introduce the basic principles and rules according to which it operates. Issues about China's accession to WTO, such as impact on domestic economy, on its trading partners, and on China's further reform will also be covered in the course.
3 credits. Prerequisites: none Usually offered in the Fall.Human Resources Management in China (Fall)
This course will help students understand how the management of people is influenced by the social, ethical, and legal environment; by diversity in the work place; by the organizational culture; and by the business strategy. Students will learn how to perform the following activities: selecting employees; career development; evaluating and rewarding performance; and managing conflict. Topics will include: the strategic, legal, and global human resource environments; planning and job analysis; recruiting; performance management; training and development.
3 credits. Prerequisites: none Usually offered in the Fall.Chinese Political, Economic & Legal Structure (Fall)
The aim of this course is to acquaint students with present-day China, especially its political, economic and legal structures, It consists of 14 two-and-a-half-hour lecture/seminar sessions concerning the changes since China implemented its reform and open-up policy, especially after its accession the World Trade Organization.
3 credits. Prerequisites: none Usually offered in the Fall.Chinese Marketization Process (Fall)
This course aims at enabling participants to understand China's marketization process, especially since its accession to the WTO, focusing on government policies, development stages and things that need to be done. It first looks at China's accession to the WTO and then the criteria for market economy as proposed by some developed countries. Then it concentrates on China's reform process in various respects including the reform of the government administrative system, reform of the state-owned enterprises, marketization of labor, capital, land, trade, intermediary organizations, and finance. It will also look at the improvement of the legal system. And finally, it will give a measurement to China's marketization process.
3 credits. Prerequisites: none Usually offered in the Fall.International Management Behavior (Spring)
The course is about International management. It shows how cultural factors influence behavior in the workplace and the boardroom, and examines the skills needed to manage across national borders. Members of different societies have different priorities and values when they make and implement decisions. These differences influence how the manager deals with other people in superior- subordinate, peer, buyer-seller, negotiation, and consultancy relationships.
3 credits. Prerequisites: none Usually offered in the Spring.Chinese Business Ethics (Fall or Spring)
Business ethics is applied ethics. It is the application of our understanding of what is good and right to the assortment of institutions, technologies, transactions, activities, and pursuits that we call business. A discussion of business ethics begins by providing a framework of basic principles for understanding what is meant by the terms good and right.
Business transactions are for the most part carried out within market structures. We need to examine the ethical aspects of the market activities.
Apart from discussing general ethical principles including Utilitarianism, the principle of rights, the principle of justice, the principle of attention and the principle of virtue, emphasis is laid on the current issues in Chinese business ethics, including the impact of the Chinese cultural tradition and its socialist market economic system. Cases will be provided for discussion and students are required to take an active part in it.
3 credits. Prerequisites: none Usually offered in the Spring.Chinese Foreign Trade & Investment (Spring)
Through a comprehensive survey of China's foreign trade development and reform, the achievements in utilization of foreign capital, the course will first study the evolutionary aspects of China's economic and trade policies since 1979, then several major issues of current China's external economy will be discussed, including future policy choices towards trade and attraction of foreign investment, the relationship between trade and FDI (foreign direct investment), the emerging Chinese MNCs (multinational corporations) in the world market, sectoral effects of China's joining WTO etc., The policy analysis will be complemented by relevant theoretical discussions.
3 credits. Prerequisites: none Usually offered in the Spring.International Business Environment (Fall or Spring)
Coming into the 21st century, the world economy is diversified and complex. To help students understand better of today's world economy, fundamental knowledge of global business environment is necessary. This course aims to provide some basic concepts of business environment in the form of lectures, concentrating upon the political, economic, cultural and social, legal and ethical, and technological environment facing and affecting international business, especially in China.
3 credits. Prerequisites: none Offered in the Fall or Spring.Chinese Foreign Economic Relations (Fall or Spring)
This course focuses on the development of Chinese foreign economic relations in the past three decades (1980-2010). With rich materials and vivid pictures, it will analyze Chinese foreign economic relations since her reform and open policy was applied. The course consists of two parts: (1) General economic relations, such as Chinese foreign trade, FDI inflow, investment abroad, FTAs (free trade agreements), etc; (2) Specific economic relationships between China and different countries/regions, especially China-USA, China-EU, China-Japan/Korea, China-Africa, and so on.
3 credits. Prerequisites: none Offered in the Fall or Spring.International Trade & FDI In China (Fall or Spring)
This course is intended to provide for the students a better understanding of the development of China's international trade and foreign direct investment. It starts with a review of trade history between China and other countries from the earliest practice through the Silk Road to the founding of the People's Republic. The course then focuses on the changes taking place in trade policies, legislation, and practices from 1949 all the way to the present. It involves discussions on the contemporary trade issues, such as trade disputes with trading partners, huge foreign reserves, product safety, the protection of intellectual property rights, appreciation of RMB, trade protectionism, and the impact of China's accession to the WTO on China's economy.
3 credits. Prerequisites: none Offered in the Fall or Spring.Case Study of International Corporations Marketing Strategies in China (Fall or Spring)
The course aims to focus on the multinational corporations' marketing strategies and operational issues facing multinational corporations in doing business in the Chinese market. On completion of this course, students will be able to: Understand the developments in international marketing; Appreciate how China's recent economic and political history has shaped its business environment for foreign firms; Apply basic principles to understanding the management of international marketing in the Chinese context; Understand how to adopt 4 P's and SWOT strategies to analyse firms; Explore the successful strategies the international firms adopt in marketing in China
3 credits. Prerequisites: none Offered in the Fall or Spring.Transnational Corporation Management (Fall or Spring)
This course aims to focus on the Chinese transnational corporation growth and development which contains Chinese characteristics and model, and compare the difference between Chinese transnational corporation and western transnational corporation.
Topics in this course include: the theory that explain the transnational corporation development in east and west, the business environment that transnational corporation faces, the global strategy and market entry model, the global marketing strategy and technique, the global operation system and international allocation, the international human resource management, the organizational structure and control system that transnational corporation adopt, the international finance management, cross-culture management and international public affair management. Through the course study, the student will be able to understand the Chinese transnational corporation growth and developments in an international perspective, understand the mechanism of transnational corporation process, and sharpen the management skill for working in transnational corporation in China and foreign countries.
3 credits. Prerequisites: none Offered in the Fall or Spring.Intercultural Business Communication in China (Fall or Spring)
This course is an introductory to intercultural communication theory and its practical principles in Chinese business context. Lectures in this course will touch upon the following topics: cultural values and thought patterns; face value and relations; cultural influence on verbal and nonverbal communication; intercultural business negotiation; intercultural business writing, intercultural business etiquette and protocol, intercultural marketing and advertising, intercultural business ethics, intercultural business competence, etc. The purpose of the course is to help students increase their cultural awareness and sensitivity by providing them with a basic framework they can use to identify and analyze cultural differences in business communication. It also intends to help students develop effective strategies in dealing with potential conflicts and improve their intercultural business communicative competence. The course is integrative in approach.
3 credits. Prerequisites: none Offered in the Fall or Spring.Business Culture and Consumer Behavior in China (Fall or Spring)
On completion of this course, you will be able to understand the Chinese business culture on greetings; meetings; business entertainment; appointment; addressing Chinese; public behavior; business attire; conversation topics; Chinese women; business gift-giving; body languages; five rules for doing business in China; business travel in China; Through lecture of Chinese consumer behavior---the way to live, you can also understand the Chinese cultural value; possible marketing implications of man- to- nature orientation; possible marketing implications of man- to- himself orientation; relational orientation; interdependence and face.
Chinese cultural values and their implications in business part will focus on market entry options for foreign firms; recommendations for western firms while operating in China; business networks in China: guanxi and guanxiwang and business etiquette in China.
3 credits. Prerequisites: none Offered in the Fall or Spring.Chinese Economic and Social Developments and Problems (Fall or Spring)
This course focuses on major issues of current Chinese economy and society. China has had a rapid economic growth since 1990s as a result of many reforms. With rich materials and vivid pictures, the course will touch upon China's economic reform and discuss some social problems accompany with the reform in the past three decades (1978-2008).
3 credits. Prerequisites: none Offered in the Fall or Spring.Environmental Protection in China (Fall or Spring)
This course focuses on the relation between environmental quality and the economic behavior of individuals and business organizations and the efforts human beings have made to stop degradation of the natural environment. The course explores how serious the environmental problems are in the world with more emphases on the issues China is facing and the economic policies and activities that have induced the environment degradation. It also examines the rough route the international community has taken to work out agreements to stop the Earth from deteriorating and the key issues that have kept countries from reaching the agreements.
3 credits. Prerequisites: none Offered in the Fall or Spring.China in the Global Economy (Fall or Spring)
Description coming soon
3 credits. Prerequisites: none Offered in the Fall or Spring.Internship: Professional (Fall and Spring)
Internships allow students to gain practical experience not attainable in a classroom setting.
Placement is based on available positions and student interest.
See INTERNSHIP section for more information.
3 to 6 credits (can be extended to 12 credits, depending on time commitment). Prerequisites: none Offered in the Fall and Spring.
Chinese culture courses (electives)
Elective courses are 3 credits and taught in English.
Courses change from time to time with little notice from UIBE.
A course will be offered if 10 or more students enroll.
Contact a KEI advisor if you have questions.
Insights into Chinese Culture (Fall or Spring)
Following the main directions of research and interpretations on the studies of Chinese culture and society this course intends to provide an introduction to the Spirit of Chinese Culture. The topics will cover the scope of the Chinese society in historical, geographical and ethnic terms; the distinction between rural and urban society in China; the relationship of individual, group and society in Chinese culture; family as the core of Chinese society; the main structures of economic and political power in Chinese society; the restructuring of social power since the open-door police; and the changing class structure and patterns of inequality in Chinese society. Students attending the course are encouraged to make comparative studies between different cultures and societies in fields he/she is interested in with a purse of promoting understanding between different peoples in today's world.
The aim of the course is a keener sensitivity to different cultural identities and a more understanding coach to cross-cultural affairs in this globalizing age.
3 credits. Prerequisites: none Offered in the Fall or Spring.Understanding Chinese Characteristics (Fall or Spring)
This course intends to suggest an intellectual method to understand and deal with a few important concepts in the deep-seated and most cherished values in Chinese culture. The concepts selected are: respect for the individual person; human rights; freedom; equality; democracy; and the universal respect of law, which are based on the socio-political definition of modernity. Students are encouraged to make comparative studies for a better understanding of the nuances of their meanings in different cultures. In a world that is deeply interconnected technologically, economically and is often interactive politically the understanding of and respecting for different cultural identities is of great value. We aim at a keener sensitivity to different cultural identities and a more understanding approach to cross-cultural affairs in this globalizing age.
3 credits. Prerequisites: none Offered in the Fall or Spring.General Outline of China (Fall or Spring)
The course consists of a series of lectures and discussions on things about China, such as politics, economy, culture, history etc. The aim is to familiarize international students with China's cultural heritage and the political, economic and legal structures of contemporary China so that they may have a better understanding of China and the Chinese people, and this will lay a good foundation for their future China-related studies and careers.
3 credits. Prerequisites: none Offered in the Fall or Spring.Experimental Study of Global Culture (Fall or Spring)
Globalization is in essence about changing perception of space and time. Globalization predisposes cultural globalization and cultural globalization thus refers to the process of changes of global cultures. As a higher-level course in Intercultural Communication, this course is an experimental, task-based course designed to help overseas students to acquire a better understanding of this dynamic view of global cultures in China. The main concerns are not only the phenomenon of global village, which is the result of "medium is the message", due to the "effect of technology", but also the directions and models of changing cultures and their possible impact on intercultural communication and cultural identification.
3 credits. Prerequisites: none Offered in the Fall or Spring.Chinese Traditional Culture and Leadership Behavior (Fall or Spring)
The course aims to focus on the leadership behaviors characterized by Chinese indigenous traditional culture, which is different from Western leadership behavior rooted in Western culture.
3 credits. Prerequisites: none Offered in the Fall or Spring.The Great Chinese Revolution (Fall or Spring)
This course is designed as an introduction to the discipline of Chinese history and culture for students concentrating on China’s economy and society. Following the main directions of research and interpretations in the field, the course will discuss topics covering the great Chinese revolution since mid Qing Dynasty, including the dominating ideas in Chinese society; the main structures of economic and political power; the aftermath of the great revolution since 1800, and the changing class structure and patterns of Chinese society. The course will provide a historical perspective for students interested in pursuing their further studies on China.
3 credits. Prerequisites: none Offered in the Fall or Spring.Internship: Community Service (Fall & Spring)
Internships allow students to gain practical experience not attainable in a classroom setting.
Placement is based on available positions and student interest.
See INTERNSHIP section for more information.
3 to 6 credits (can be extended to 12 credits, depending on time commitment). Prerequisites: none Offered in the Fall and Spring.
Internships & community service
Internships (for-credit) and community service (not-for-credit) allow students to learn from practical experience not attainable in a classroom setting.
Internships require a minimum commitment of 240 hours (6 credits).
Community service does not have a minimum time requirement.
Placement is based on professional interests.
Positions are available in business, marketing, finance, communications, commerce law, public relations, teaching English and humanitarian aid.
Below is a list of possible placements.
Actual placement may be at a different company or organization.
Definitely the time of my life! I couldn't ask for anything better. I learned a lot about China through courses and field trips. In Shanghai I stood in the room where the first Communist meeting was held. You get chills when you think about what actually happened. Nanjing, Sanzhou, Hanzhou and Wuxi were equally impressive. To get a history lesson in the place it happened is priceless.
