Welcome to the Kansas Asia Scholars 2010-2011 website!

The Kansas Asia Scholars program* is housed in the KU Center for East Asian Studies and is supported by the Confucius Institute at the University of Kansas and a generous gift from the Freeman Foundation of New York and Stowe, Vermont. The KAS program is designed for KU students who intend to become elementary or secondary schoolteachers through the Baccalaureate (undergraduate) Teacher Education Program in KU's School of Education. Students already enrolled in or who plan to enter a teacher education program for world history, social studies, world languages or other subject areas that include teaching about China are especially encouraged to apply.

Approximately fifteen students will be selected to participate in the KAS program in 2010-2011. The highlight of this program is a three-week, subsidized study tour to China to be in late May and early June 2011. Students will study Chinese language, culture, and history at Huazhong Normal University in Wuhan, China for the first two weeks, followed by a week of group travel to famous sites such as the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City in Beijing. Prior to the study tour, students will gain a basic understanding of contemporary Chinese history, culture, and language by meeting several times as a group during in the spring 2011 with an instructor.

Academics: All students will complete two three-credit-hour undergraduate courses during the three-week study tour in China. These courses, Elementary Conversational Chinese (CHIN 100) and History of East Asia (HIST 118), will be taught for the first two weeks of the program by experienced instructors at Huazhong Normal University. The University is located in the city of Wuhan in Hubei Province in central China. A short, non-credit seminar on language and pedagogy may also be given jointly by Huazhong Normal University faculty and a faculty member from KU's School of Education. In addition, students will enroll in a one-credit-hour directed readings course during summer semester 2011 for a service learning project to be completed later upon return to Kansas.

Service learning: During the fall semester, each student completes a service learning project that includes sharing his or her understanding of China with others. Service learning projects are tailored to each student's individual interests such as education-related projects in schools or after-school programs in Kansas and/or in the metropolitan Kansas City area. Program staff will assist students in identifying appropriate venues.

Costs and Program Subsidy: Each student selected for the Kansas Asia Scholars will pay a non-refundable program fee of $1200 to the Confucius Institute at the University of Kansas. Students will also be responsible for miscellaneous personal expenses and incidentals, plus the cost of a one-credit-hour directed readings course in summer 2011 and a passport (if not already in-hand).

The cost of the Kansas Asia Scholars program beyond the fees noted above is highly subsidized by the Confucius Institute at the University of Kansas and the Freeman Foundation of New York and Stowe, Vermont. The KAS program will cover the costs of tuition and fees for CHN 100 and HIST 118 (six credits) and associated study materials, international and domestic airfares, local transportation, accommodations, meals, entrance fees to historical sites, visa fees, and the KU Study Abroad fee for all selected participants.

Please note: Dates and program information may be subject to change due to exchange rate fluctuations or other causes as determined by the Kansas Asia Scholars Program Director.

Financial Aid: KU students who qualify for summer financial aid in the form of Stafford and/or other loans, Pell or SEOG Grants, and scholarships may apply the aid to the cost of this Study Abroad Program.

Application Procedures: Applications are available at the Center for East Asian Studies, 1440 Jayhawk Blvd. Bailey Hall Room 201 or from this website. Early application is strongly encouraged. The application deadline is November 19, 2010.

More information: Contact Nancy Hope, Center for East Asian Studies,1440 Jayhawk Blvd., 201 Bailey Hall at nfhope@ku.edu or 785-864-3918.

*The Kansas Asia Scholar program builds upon the achievements of the KAS between 2002 and 2006, information about which is archived on this website. [Top]