Art, History, Culture

Art, History, Culture: Students in the China Summer Program
learn on location

If you’re a Saint Mary’s student, then walking along the Great Wall, scaling the Yellow Mountains, and hanging out with students at Ho Hai University in Nanjing, China, may be on your list of summer activities. Each year Saint Mary’s students fly off to the Far East for the China Summer Program.

A partnership with Creighton University, the Saint Mary’s program immerses students in Chinese culture from the get-go. They enroll in one of a selection of 3 credit classes that teach the art, culture, history, language, philosophy, and theology of China.

Junior Julie Hagopian is enrolled in Professor Alice Yang’s "History of Chinese Women" course. Julie is a history major and advertising minor and is pursuing Chinese language studies through the University of Notre Dame. “I took this [History of Chinese Women] course because of my history and Chinese majors, and also my interests in feminism and other cultures,” Julie explains. “Our big projects revolve around getting interviews from women here in China, depending on our chosen topics.”

In addition to coursework, students in the program tour Chinese landmarks including the Forbidden City, Great Wall, and Tiananmen Square. “This experience is not like anything else,” says Julie. “Although the culture shock can be severe even with everyday things like using the restroom or
the way we eat meals, it is wonderful to see things
from the completely different side of the world.”

Learn more about the China Summer Program.