AASCU TRIP TO CHINA

OCTOBER 2010

 

 

 GENERAL INFORMATION

 

PLEASE NOTE: to register for the trip, please go to: www.aascu.org

Click on meetings and scroll to AASCU Trip to China.

To complete the application process, you should send in these three forms:

      1.  Registration Form (immediately)

      2.  Airline Confirmation Form

      3.  Hotel Form 

 

 Additional Program Information follows:

 

1.  Program Details and Costs

 

The AASCU sponsored eighth annual trip to China will begin with a 4-day program in Beijing, co-hosted by the China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE).  

 

Following the 4-day Beijing program, AASCU participants will then:

1. Travel to Yunnan Province in southern China (with George Mehaffy) for a comprehensive introduction to Chinese higher education, visiting local universities and learning about Chinese history and culture. 
2. Travel to partner schools or other travel (arrangements made on your own, no involvement by AASCU)
3. Return to the United States

The 4-day schedule in Beijing:

 Depart the United States on Wednesday, October 13^th.  Arrive Beijing Thursday, October 14^th, 2010 

 

SCHEDULE  

Friday – October 15

* AASCU Orientation and organizational meeting for all travelers (mandatory for delegation)

* Beijing City sightseeing

* Preparation of AASCU booths - Student Recruitment EXPO

* Opening Ceremony and Banquet - 2010 International Education Forum and EXPO

 

Saturday – October 16

* 2010 International Education Forum and Expo

* Sino-American Seminar

                          Theme:  Better Education: Better Lives                

                                    

Sunday- October 17

* 2010 International Education Forum and Expo

* Student Forum and Public Session of AASCU institutions at the EXPO

* Sightseeing to the Great Wall (with guide) 

 

Monday- October 18

* AM- Meeting with U. S. Embassy representatives and Consular Staff

* PM - Departure for Post-Beijing Activities

•   Yunnan Province (with George Mehaffy)              
•  Own arrangements

Saturday- October 23 

* AASCU program officially ends

 

 

2.  Program Costs 

 

Part One:  Beijing

The conference fee for the Beijing trip is $585.00 U.S. per person. That deposit will cover registration for the Beijing conference and will include ground transportation (to and from the Beijing airport); local transportation in Beijing, meeting room rentals, conference registration; banquet Friday night; lunch Saturday; rental of a shared AASCU booth for student recruitment; city and Great Wall sightseeing, plus guides and entry tickets. 

 

The conference fee will NOT include: visas for entry into China; travel insurance; Beijing hotel charges; roundtrip U.S-Beijing airline tickets; travel insurance, other domestic travel while in China, the registration fee for the post-Beijing trip, and any personal expenses, individual sightseeing, and other personal activity while in China. 

 

You will have the option of being invoiced now or after the July 1st for the $585.00 deposit.  If you are going on the special post-Beijing trip to Yunnan, we will invoice all Yunnan travelers for that portion of the trip later in the summer. 

 

 

Student Recruitment

A special note for campuses interested in student recruitment: For our delegation, the primary purpose of the weekend in Beijing is familiarization with China and Chinese higher education issues.  We will be hosting our joint Sino-American conference in the same facility where 30,000 students will come to participate in an international student recruitment fair, seeking information about academic programs in other countries.  More than 200 booths will be set up representing institutions and countries around the world.  AASCU will have a booth shared by all of the AASCU institutions that are participating in our weekend conference.  We will be able to distribute materials and have an opportunity on Sunday to meet with Chinese students interested in coming to study in the United States.  However, our main purpose will not be student recruitment.  Our booth is primarily used to raise awareness of AASCU institutions in China.

 

If you wish to send someone to participate in the International Recruitment Fair, you should plan to rent a booth or a portion of a booth, separate from the booth that AASCU has already reserved. 

 

To reduce costs, we have made separate arrangements so that up to 3 AASCU institutions can share the cost of a booth (approximately 9ft by 9ft).  The reduced AASCU rental is $ 2,000 for an entire booth, or the cost can be pro-rated by the number of AASCU institutions sharing the booth (not to exceed 3).  If you reserve a separate booth, you should plan to have someone who speaks Chinese staff the booth for the entire weekend.  It would also be helpful to have at least some of your materials in Chinese.    

   

 

China Accommodations and Meals

Beijing accommodations will be at:

 

JINGLUN Hotel  (4 star)

3, Jianguo Men Wei Avenue,

Beijing, 100020 China

Tele: (86+10) 6500-2266

Fax:  (86+10) 6500-2022

 

The daily standard room rate will be approximately $140.00 US per night; deluxe room is $160.00 US per night; executive room is $180.00 US per night; suites are $280.00 per night; all rooms include breakfast and 15% service charge.                     

 

AASCU will be responsible for confirming all hotel reservations in Beijing.  Beijing hotel expenses and meals will be the responsibility of each traveler. Travelers can use major credit cards to pay for both room and miscellaneous expenses. 

 

 

Part Two:  Post-Beijing Trip (Yunnan Province)

In-Depth Introduction to China and its Higher Education System    October  18-23, 2010

The 5-day post-Beijing trip to Yunnan Province will be approximately $ 1,750.00 single occupancy and $1600.00 double occupancy for all expenses (airfare within China, all hotel and meal charges, local transportation, guides, university visits, etc.).  Please note:  This fee does not include hotel costs for the last night in Beijing or the transportation from the Beijing hotel to the Beijing airport for the return to the United States.  Our group will be lead by Yang Meng, a senior official with the Chinese Educational Association for International Exchange (CEAIE) with more than 20 years of experience in Chinese higher education, plus a local guide.

 

The Big Reset John Thomasian 9.8968 Normal 0

Yunnan

Yunnan Province is located in the far southwest part of China, bordering Myanmar (Burma), Laos, and Vietnam, and is situated in a mountainous area, with high elevations in the northwest and low elevations in the southeast.  Yunnan became part of the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) during 2nd century BC.  The Mongols conquered the region in the 13th century, with local control exercised by warlords until the 1930s. As with other parts of China's southwest, Japanese occupation in the north during World War II forced a migration of Chinese into the region. Ethnic minorities in Yunnan account for about 34 percent of its total population.

The Big Reset John Thomasian 9.8968 Normal 0

Kunming

Capital of Yunnan province in southwestern China, Kunming is the political, economic, and cultural center of Yunnan Province.  Because of its year-round temperate climate, Kunming is often called the "Spring City" or "City of Eternal Spring." It was important during World War II as a Chinese military center, American air base, and eastern end of the Burma Road.  Kunming is the home of Yunnan University and Yunnan Normal University.

 

Lijiang

Located on the Jade River, Lijiang has the best preserved ancient town in China - listed in the World Cultural Heritages by UNESCO. The Old Town was once the center of Lijiang and continues to maintain the original flavor of the local lifestyle, the typical groups of buildings, and the ancient cultural heritage of the region.  The city has an 800 year history from the late Song Dynasty. 

 

Schedule for Post-Beijing Trip to Yunnan Province

 

Monday, October 18 

Afternoon: Depart Beijing for Kumming (capital of Yunnan)

 

Tuesday, October 19

Morning:  Meeting with provincial education officials 

Afternoon:  Campus visit to Yunnan University 

 

Wednesday, October 20

Morning:  Campus visit to Yunnan Normal University 

Afternoon:  Historic and cultural tour of Kunming 

 

Thursday, October 21

Morning:  Depart Kunming for Lijiang  

Afternoon:  Historic and cultural tour of Lijiang

 

Friday, October 22

Morning:  Education visit to local K-12 schools

Afternoon:  Depart Lijiang for Beijing  

 

Saturday, October 23

AASCU program officially ends (return to US or travel on own to other locations)

 

  

3.  Pre-departure information

Prior to leaving for Beijing, each AASCU participant will receive pre-departure orientation materials, including a bibliography on interesting articles, safety, health and cultural information on China.

 

4.  Travel Documentation Requirements

A valid passport is required.  If you need a passport, please apply immediately at your local U.S. Post Office. For additional information here is the Passport Office website:

http://www.passportexpress.com

 

Visas are required for entry into China.  PLEASE NOTE:  You must have a valid passport which must have at least six (6) months of remaining validity with at least one blank visa page in it.   New regulations require all travelers to China must have personal interviews to obtain visas.  However, because this exchange is an institutional cooperation between AASCU and CEAIE, personal interviews will not be required if all visas are processed as a group. AASCU will work with the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., to coordinate the visa processing for our group.

 

Please follow the instructions listed below very carefully: 

 

DO NOT SEND YOUR VISA APPLICATION TO THE CHINESE EMBASSY OR CONSULATE. 

 

INSTEAD, SEND ALL MATERIALS LISTED BELOW TO ARLENE JACKSON AT AASCU…SEE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW

 

A.)  Download and complete the visa application form as instructed from the website:

      http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/hzqz/zgqz/t84240.htm. 

      Fill out the form.

 

B.)   Prepare a $160.00 check or money order, payable to AASCU.  This $160.00 fee includes the cost of a single entry Chinese visa $130.00 plus a $30.00 processing fee.  AASCU will collect all funds, and then write one check to the Chinese Embassy to pay for all visas.

 

C.)  Your passport (original…not a copy)

 

D.)  Include a return FEDEX or DHL label (with your billing account number) for mailing your documents directly to you once the visa has been processed in your passport.

 

FEDEX or DHL all four (4) items:

 

1. Visa Application Form
2. Check or money order payable to AASCU for $160.00
3. Your passport (original, not a copy)
4. A FEDEX or DHL return label with your billing account number

 

SEND TO:  Arlene Jackson

                    Director of International Education

              American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU)

                   1307 New York Avenue, 5th Floor

              Washington, D. C. 20005-4701

              202- 478-7834

 

BE SURE TO KEEP A COPY OF THE FEDEX or DHL TRACKING NUMBER SO YOU CAN LOCATE YOUR SHIPMENT IN CASE OF A PROBLEM.

 

All documents should be sent to Arlene to ARRIVE NO LATER THAN September 1, 2010.  If all materials are received by 1 September, there will be ample time to process and return before scheduled travel dates.

 

If you are unable to download the application or have other questions about the process, please contact Arlene Jackson at 202- 478-7834, or Sufei Li at sufeili@yahoo.com

 

 

5.  Health Requirements

We recommend that you contact your medical center or personal physician for detailed medical and inoculation information as early as possible. For more specific information on health/maculation requirements for China, please refer to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) website: http://www.who.int/ith/ or www.cdc.gov

 

 

6.  Insurance Coverage

All travelers must have insurance coverage.  AASCU recommends SOS Global Traveler insurance.  This program offers 24 hour worldwide medical information/assistance with additional options available to cover trip cancellation and unexpected medical/dental expenses.  SOS has local staff in China. Each AASCU Traveler is eligible for a 20% discount on the SOS insurance fee when applying online (Click "buy membership." In the membership quotation item #4 preferred pricing code- Enter the letters AASCU for the 20% discount).  Website: www.internationalsos.com

 

   

7.  Airline Options

There are three airlines that provide the most direct travel to Beijing. The airlines are:

           

               * UNITED Airlines-

                   reservation number - 800-241-6522

                   (non-stop service between Chicago and Shanghai on to Beijing)

                   (non-stop service between Washington, DC/Dulles and Beijing )

 

               * NORTHWEST/DELTA Airlines–

                  reservation number - 800-225-2525

                  (service to China via Tokyo/Narita Airport)

 

               * CONTINENTAL Airlines–

                  reservation number - 800-525-0280

                  (non-stop service between Newark, New Jersey and Beijing)

 

The approximate cost for one roundtrip coach international airline ticket per person is between $1200.00 and $1600.00

 

All travelers who complete the Airline Confirmation Form will be met at the Beijing Airport by AASCU/CEAIE staff and transportation will be provided to the Jinglun Hotel. 

Please make your airline reservations early to make certain that seats are available on the dates you wish to travel to China and return to the USA.

 

8. Domestic Travel in China

Please note that there will be sufficient time to purchase your domestic airline tickets after we arrive in Beijing. Domestic tickets for travel in China should be purchased in China because the cost is less expensive than buying a ticket in the USA. Our colleagues at CEAIE will assist all travelers who need to purchase their individual domestic airline tickets after our arrival in Beijing.

 

 

If you have questions, please contact Arlene Jackson:   phone: 202-478-7834.  email: jacksona@aascu.org.   fax: 202-296-5819.