China Scholars Program
Application period closed
The application period for the fall 2024 course has closed.
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Introduction to Contemporary China
The China Scholars Program (CSP) is a synchronous, online course for high school students in the United States, sponsored by the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education and the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI).
In the fall program, “Introduction to Contemporary China,” students explore key issues in contemporary China, spanning politics, economics, social issues, culture, and the arts, emphasizing its relationship with the United States. This one-semester, college-level course offers students a rare opportunity to develop expertise on a rising world power of critical importance to 21st-century global dynamics.
Real-time, “virtual classrooms” with leading scholars, experts, and former government officials from Stanford University and other institutions, provide a rigorous learning experience. The program also includes an opportunity to meet with high school students in China participating in SPICE’s Stanford e-China Program.
The CSP selects about 20 exceptional high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors from throughout the United States to engage in the course. Those accepted must be available to participate from late August through December, including attendance at 12 or 13 real-time “virtual classrooms” on Thursday evenings, 6pm Pacific Time (specific dates TBA).
Coursework includes weekly reading and writing assignments, as well as an independent research project, culminating in a formal, academic paper. Final research projects will be shared with peers, and students are also asked to share with their home schools or local communities.
Students should expect to devote approximately 6 hours per week to complete the lectures, discussions, readings, and assignments. Since this is a distance-learning course, however, students can structure most of the work around their individual schedules.
Students who successfully complete the course will earn Stanford Continuing Studies Program credit.
See CSP Frequently Asked Questions for more information.
Contact Dr. Tanya Lee (tanyalee@stanford.edu), China Scholars Program Instructor, with further questions.
The China Scholars Program offers two courses:
- In the fall, the research-intensive “Introduction to Contemporary China” is offered to U.S. high school students.
- In the spring, CSP partners with Stanford e-China for “U.S.–China Co-Lab on Climate Solutions,” a collaborative experience bringing high school students from the U.S. and China together in one course.
CSP in the News
- "Worth the Wait: Reflections on the Inaugural SPICE China Day." October 4, 2023.
- "China Scholars Program and Stanford e-China Alumnae Launch Project 17." September 6, 2022.
- "High School Students in China and the United States Collaborate." July 9, 2021.
- "How SPICE’s China Scholars Program Accelerated My Love for International Relations." May 4, 2021.
- "China Scholars Program Instructor Dr. Tanya Lee Interviewed by US-China Today." November 10, 2020.
- "China Scholars Program: East Asia Through a STEM Lens." September 1, 2020.
- "The China Scholars Program: Continuing a 45-year Tradition of Bridging Stanford and Schools." October 8, 2018.