AASCU Trip to China
- Higher Education Conference, Beijing, October 14-19, 2009
- Post-Beijing Conference, Gansu Province, October 19-23, 2009
Each October, AASCU leads a delegation of representatives from member institutions to China to encourage the development of partnerships between AASCU and Chinese institutions, foster greater understanding of China's higher education system, and promote good will and understanding between our two countries.
Campuses may send presidents, provosts, chief international officers, or anyone else on the campus that needs to know more about Chinese higher education or seeks to establish ties with Chinese higher education institutions. If you or someone on your campus is interested in partnerships in China, we urge you to consider this special opportunity.
This October, the AASCU trip to China will begin with travel to Beijing on Wednesday, October 14th. The first portion of the trip is a long weekend in Beijing, ending Monday, October 19th.
The Beijing long weekend includes the following:
- Sightseeing in Beijing on Friday
(Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, etc.) - Formal banquet Friday night
- Sino-American Conference on Higher Education
(Topic: Preparing Undergraduates for Careers: Strategic Programs and Structures) - Chinese Student Recruiting Expo (30,000 attendees)
- Meeting with U.S. Embassy and Consular officials about student visas and other travel issues
- Trip to the Great Wall
Following the 4-day Beijing program, AASCU participants have a number of options:
- Travel to Gansu Province (Lanzhou and Dun Huang) in western China (with George Mehaffy) for a comprehensive introduction to Chinese higher education, visiting local universities, and learning about Chinese history and culture.
(See detailed description below) - Travel to partner schools or other travel (arrangements made on your own, no involvement by AASCU)
- Return to the United States
Beijing Portion of the trip: October 14-19, 2009
Conference fee for the Beijing trip is $550.00 U.S. per person, which includes ground transportation (to and from the Beijing airport); city and Great Wall sightseeing guides and entry tickets; local transportation in Beijing, conference registration fee; banquet Friday night; lunch Saturday; and rental of a shared AASCU booth for student recruitment.
The conference fee will NOT include: visas for entry into China; 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.
Beijing accommodations will be at the Jinglun Hotel (4 star). The daily standard room rate will be approximately $170 US per night, including breakfast and 15% service charge; suites will cost approximately $285 per night.
Schedule for the Beijing Conference Weekend
Wednesday, October 14
Depart from the United States
Thursday, October 15
Arrive in Beijing, limited sightseeing
Friday, October 16
Organizational meeting for all travelers; Sightseeing in Beijing (Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Hutong Tour); Higher Education Conference begins with a Grand Opening Banquet
Saturday, October 17
Higher Education Conference (all day)
Sunday, October 18
Meeting with Students Interested in Study in U.S.; Tour of the China EXPO 2008; Afternoon trip to the Great Wall
Monday, October 19
Meeting with U.S. Embassy and U.S. Consulate Staff; Departure for Post-Beijing Activities or Return Home
Post-Beijing Trip to Gansu Province: October 19-23, 2009
Some of you may wish to make a special trip to western China following the long weekend in Beijing. We will have a small group of no more than 14 who will travel to Gansu Province in western China. We will be hosted for two university visits: Lanzhou University and Lanzhou University of Technology. We will also meet with Provincial education officials.
In addition to in-depth university visits, we will be introduced to the cultural and historic sites of this ancient part of China, accompanied by Madame Yang Meng, one of the senior officers of our Chinese partner institution, China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE), plus a local guide, ensuring that we will have a rich and comprehensive visit to two very different higher education institutions and the unique landscape of this western region of China.
Schedule for the Post-Beijing Trip to Gansu Province
Monday, October 19
Noon: Depart Beijing for Lanzhou (capital city of Gansu)
Evening: Banquet hosted by Provincial Education Committee
Tuesday, October 20
Morning: Visit to Lanzhou University
Afternoon: Depart Lanzhou for Dun Huang
Wednesday, October 21
All day: Cultural and historical site visits
Thursday, October 22
Morning: Cultural and historical site visits
Afternoon: Depart Dun Huang for Lanzhou
Friday, October 23
Morning: Visit to Lanzhou University of Technology
Afternoon: Return to Beijing
Saturday, October 24
Remain in Beijing, return to the United States, or further travel.
University Information
Lanzhou University
Founded in 1909 and located in Lanzhou, the capital city of Gansu Province, Lanzhou University is one of the key universities under the Ministry of Education. At the conference on Asian Higher Education held in Manila, Philippines in 1993, 100 universities were cited for their academic excellence; Lanzhou University ranked sixth among the 26 universities selected from China. Lanzhou University is active in developing international education exchange and cooperation through the international exchange of post-graduate students, visiting scholars and scientific research cooperation with universities and organizations in more than 30 foreign countries and regions. For more information visit http://www.lzu.edu.cn/notice/English/Introduction.htm
Lanzhou University of Technology
Lanzhou University of Technology was established in 1919 as Lanzhou Technical School. The institution has particular strength in engineering, as well as a strong foundation in the science fields and excellent programs in liberal arts. The University has a total of 22,000 registered students, of which 14,000 are full-time specialty and undergraduate students and 1,000 graduate students.
International exchange and cooperation programs are highly valued by Lanzhou University of Technology. The University has successfully established academic cooperation and exchange programs with 30 universities in more than 10 countries. For more information visit http://yuanxi.lut.cn/english/
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Information about the Cities To Be Visited
Lanzhou
Lanzhou is situated on the upper course of the Yellow River, where the river emerges from the mountains. It has been a trading center since early times, being at the southern end of the route leading via the Hexi Corridor across Central Asia. Lanzhou is not only the geometrical center of China but also a center in the northwest in terms of transportation, telecommunication and the Silk Road Tourism Ring. With mountains in the south and north of the city and the Yellow River flowing from the east to the west, Lanzhou is a beautiful modern city with both the grand beauty of northern cities and the prettiness of southern cities.
Dun Huang
The national, historical city of Dun Huang is a renowned tourist city famous for the Mogao Caves. Dun Huang, long ago referred to as 'Sha Zhou' (beautiful desert oasis), was the hub of middle and eastern silk routes in ancient times. In ancient times, Dun Huang was the center of trade between China and its western neighbors. At that time, it was the most westerly frontier military garrison in China. With the flourishing of trade along the Silk Road, Dun Huang was prompted to become the most open area in international trade in Chinese history. It provided the only access westward for the Chinese Empire and eastward for western nationalities.
The 5-day post-Beijing trip to Lanzhou will be $1,850 per person for all expenses ($1,650 double occupancy) including:
- Domestic travel within China (Roundtrip airfare from Beijing to Lanzhou; roundtrip airfare from Lanzhou to Dun Huang)
- Hotel rooms for 4 nights
- Meals
- Airport pickups and local transportation
- Tickets for tourist attractions
- Guide
- University visits
AASCU will make hotel reservations for Friday night (or multiple nights) in Beijing at the end of the trip, but the cost of the hotel room(s) in Beijing for Friday, October 23rd and beyond is not included in the price quoted for the Lanzhou trip.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact George Mehaffy (202 478-4672 or mehaffyg@aascu.org) or Arlene Jackson (202 478-7834 or jacksona@aascu.org).
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How to Register for the Beijing Conference (and Post-Beijing Trip to Gansu)
The deposit for this trip is $550.That deposit will cover the Registration Fee for the Beijing conference (see conference description above for a description about what is covered by the registration fee). Participants will be responsible for paying separately for their hotel in Beijing, plus some meals and other out-of-pocket expenses. You have an option of being invoiced now or after July 1st for the $550 deposit.
Participants interested in the Post-Beijing Lanzhou trip should indicate that on the Registration Form. The cost for that trip is $1,850 for all expenses ($1,650 each person for double occupancy). We will invoice all Lanzhou travelers for that portion of the trip in late summer.
Following receipt of your registration form, we will be sending out detailed information about travel insurance, medical information, day-to-day itinerary, and general reading.
Special Note on Registration Process:
AASCU is migrating to a new meeting registration system. Please select the most appropriate option below for you to register:| I want to register through AASCU’s new registration system and believe that my personal information is already in the AASCU database. (I have attended a meeting or had some other relationship with AASCU in the past). | Register
IMPORTANT NOTE: Online registration will be available starting August 15, 2009 |
| I want to print out and fax my registration form. | Download Form (pdf) |
| I want to call Felicia Durham at 202- 478-4673 to register for this meeting. |
Please note:
To complete the application process, you should either Register Online or send in the Registration Form (pdf) immediately. As soon as possible, you should also send in the Airline Confirmation Form (pdf) and the Hotel Confirmation Form. (pdf)
For Chinese visas, AASCU will work directly with the Chinese Embassy here in Washington, DC to manage the processing of China visa applications for all travelers. Please read the information below and on the Chinese Embassy website carefully. You will be asked to submit the application, a separate passport photo, your passport, and a check made out to AASCU for $130 once your registration has been accepted.
If you have any questions, please contact Arlene Jackson at 202 478-7834 or jacksona@aascu.org.
Important Reminder:
Hotel Information
AASCU will make hotel reservations and have rooms blocked for you. Please make sure that you send your Hotel Confirmation sheet ONLY to AASCU.
Download Hotel Confirmation Sheet
Airlines Information
All travelers will be met at the Beijing Airport by AASCU/CEAIE staff and transportation will be provided to the Jinglun Hotel, if an Airline Confirmation sheet is sent to AASCU.
Download Airline Confirmation Sheet
Recommended Airlines
There are three (3) airlines that provide the most direct service between the U.S. and Beijing:
Continental: 800 525-0280
(Non-stop service between Newark, NJ and Beijing)
Northwest/KLM: 800 225-2525
(Departure from Detroit or Minneapolis via Tokyo)
United: 800 241-6522
(Non-stop between Chicago and Shanghai, then on to Beijing; non-stop between Washington, DC (Dulles) and Beijing)
Airlines fill up quickly for the peak season of October; we recommend that you make your reservations as soon as possible.
Visas for China
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AASCU will facilitate the issuance of Chinese visas for all travelers for this trip. Please note these requirements:
In late summer, we will send a note to all participants, asking them to FedEx their passport, the visa application, a passport photo, and a check made out to AASCU for $130, along with a return, prepaid FedEx envelope. We will take the passports and visa applications to the Chinese Embassy for group processing, and then FedEx the passport with visa attached back to each traveler. |