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Stanford e-China’s goal is to offer high-achieving high school students in China an online opportunity to engage directly with Stanford University scholars and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs to learn about cutting-edge technologies that are currently impacting China, the United States, and the world.
Students will engage in a rigorous, college-level course that introduces timely topics and innovative frameworks, facilitates opportunities for collaboration between Chinese and American students, and provides hands-on experience for Chinese students seeking to develop their academic interests and real-world projects in preparation for applications to universities abroad.
Stanford e-China is directed by the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE), a program of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University.
The Stanford e-China course is designed for exceptional, self-motivated, Chinese high school students studying in China who want to learn about:
Students will be exposed to issues and opportunities in cutting-edge fields that are shaping their academic and professional futures—green tech, finance tech, health tech, and artificial intelligence. Students will be introduced to basic aspects of Design Thinking—a creative, problem-solving framework that can be applied to future academic and professional interests. Students will be challenged to brainstorm innovative solutions to problems impacting technological advancements through a series of mini design challenges. As a final project, students will delve into the field of technology in the course of most personal interest, apply design challenge skills to expand upon areas of innovation, and develop their own entrepreneurial ideas, slides, and pitch. This process will help students clarify their academic and professional interests and demonstrate compelling experience in preparation for applications to universities abroad.
Students will also gain practical academic and professional skills as they:
The Stanford e-China course emphasizes active student participation and the development of individual academic interests. The course is organized in a series of modules, each lasting 1 to 2 weeks, addressing a different technology or design challenge. For each module, students will listen to a pre-recorded lecture by a leading Stanford University scholar or expert on the featured topic, and complete a series of readings (including some that students may choose according to their interests). This preparation informs the “virtual classes” held on Saturday mornings (Beijing time) in which students listen to and interact directly with guest speakers from Stanford University and Silicon Valley.
Students join the virtual classes on Zoom from their personal computer using a headset/camera/microphone and reliable access to a broadband Internet connection that supports video streaming. Students must be available for all or most of the Saturday morning virtual classes, approximately 1.25 hours in length. Additionally, students will be expected to allot 3–4 hours per week to complete class assignments (most can be conducted online based on each student’s individual schedule and convenience).
Students are expected to prepare each week in advance according to the instructor and guest speaker’s instructions including pre-reading, posting on online discussion boards, conducting any additional homework, and attending all online sessions on Saturday mornings.
Coursework will include:
The course is online on Zoom. The winter 2020 course is 10 weeks in length from January–March 2020 with a two-week break for Chinese New Year. Students will need to have access to the internet to complete each week’s homework as well as participate in live, online weekly class sessions on Saturday mornings. Students should allocate 3–4 hours per week.
While Stanford e-China is an online course, at its conclusion, 3 students will be selected to visit Stanford University in 2020. These 3 students will receive a scholarship of an expenses-paid trip (up to $2,000 USD) to Stanford University in Silicon Valley to attend a ceremony.
We select motivated and dedicated students who will make time in their busy schedules for the Stanford e-China course. Although students must be available for all or most of the Saturday morning virtual classes (approximately 1.25 hours in length), students can complete online class assignments (approximately 3–4 hours per week) based on their personal schedules and convenience.
The course features leading scholars from Stanford University and entrepreneurs from Silicon Valley who are actively engaged in the technological fields of green tech, fintech, health tech, and artificial intelligence. In addition to the pre-recorded lectures, students will have the opportunity to engage in real-time discussions with scholars and entrepreneurs during the virtual classes. The Stanford e-China course instructor, Carey Moncaster, will facilitate classes, logistics, assignments, and assessments. The instructor will also provide feedback throughout the program, coaching students through the process of meeting high academic standards.
Students who complete the course receive a Certificate of Completion from Stanford Program for International and Cross-Cultural Studies (SPICE), Stanford University. They do not receive direct university course credit from Stanford University. Students who successfully complete the Stanford e-China course may request a Letter of Recommendation from the Stanford e-China course instructor to support their university applications.
The three highest-performing students (based on selection of the course instructor from the maximum total of 30 students per course) will be invited to Stanford University, expenses paid trip (up to $2,000 USD), to participate in a Stanford e-China program ceremony.
Anyone holding a Chinese passport studying in mainland China in grades 9, 10, 11, or 12 (初3-高3) in high school in China. There are no school quotas. Students should have a high-level of English proficiency to communicate, read, and write at a university level.
You should also:
Yes, students need a high level of English proficiency to engage successfully in this course. Students who score 90 or above on TOEFL should feel confident in their ability to participate fully. Within the application process, students also have the option to complete the Duolingo English Test and submit letters of recommendation from a high school English teacher. We may also request an interview for select applicants.
No, students do not need to have any prior academic exposure to any of the course topics or any specific prerequisites—green tech, fintech, health tech, or artificial intelligence. This course does not require, nor is focused on advanced scientific or quantitative skills.
Students will learn about timely challenges and opportunities to address problems and create solutions within each of the tech fields, especially in the United States and China. Students will apply aspects of the design thinking framework to solve problems within each technological field and then delve into developing a proposal for a related project of personal interest. Through mini design challenges, students will be guided through the process of brainstorming, defining, testing, and revising ideas for innovative prototypes.
No, we assess student applications holistically.
The Duolingo English Test combines an English proficiency test with a brief video interview. Duolingo’s technology and format allows a student to complete the test at any time or place, as long as the student has access to the Internet. A link to the Duolingo English Test is on the Stanford e-China application or at https://englishtest.duolingo.com/test/StanfordEChina. Students must take the test by the application deadline. Using the Duolingo link from the Stanford e-China application will ensure that both Stanford and the student receive test results within 48 hours. The fee for the test is $49 USD payable directly to Duolingo online. Students may find more information on the Duolingo test at https://englishtest.duolingo.com/applicants.
No. While standardized test scores are often useful in assessing an applicant’s academic achievement and potential, we know that not all students have standardized test scores available. However, we expect applicants who have do have standardized test scores to report them in the application process.
The application for the Stanford e-China course may be found online at http://stanfordechina.org/. Admission to this program is competitive based on a student’s personal statement, academic record, English proficiency, and teacher recommendations. Up to 30 exceptional high school students from China will be accepted per course. An application review committee will make the final selections.
The tuition fee for the 10-week winter 2020 course is $3,000 USD. Tuition is payable upon acceptance to the program. When as student is accepted to enroll in the course, we will send specific information to the student with steps to submit the tuition fee online directly to Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education, Stanford University.
At this time, there are no scholarships available. However, based on academic evaluation throughout the course, three students from a maximum total of 30 students per course) will be invited to Stanford University in Silicon Valley, expenses paid up to $2,000 USD, to participate in a Stanford e-China program ceremony.
A student must submit a complete application including a written personal statement, two strong recommendation letters from current or recent teachers in the student’s school, an official high school transcript uploaded by the school counselor or registrar, and evidence of English proficiency. There is no application fee. All materials are due by the deadline (priority deadline of October 15, final deadline November 15).
Grade 9 students should request their middle school transcripts be uploaded to Stanford e-China.
The TOEFL is not required to apply to Stanford e-China. If the student has taken the TOEFL and believe it is a good representation of English abilities, the student may submit it as part of the application. In lieu of the TOEFL, we ask each student to complete a Duolingo English Test. We may also ask for a student interview.
Stanford e-China applications are available online at http://stanfordechina.org starting August 15, 2019. The Stanford e-China winter course runs for 10 weeks, January–March, 2020.
August 15, 2019–October 15, 2019: Priority application period for the winter 2020 course (January–March, 2020). Students with a complete application by October 15, 2019 will receive priority consideration for admission. Additional applications will be considered on a rolling basis, as space remains, through November 15, 2019.
October 15, 2019: Priority application period closes.
November 1, 2019: Priority acceptance decisions sent to students.
November 15, 2019: Final application period closes.
December 1, 2019: Final acceptance decisions sent to students.
December 5, 2019: Tuition due, and course preparations and introductions commence.
January 4, 2020: Course officially starts with first Saturday morning virtual class.
January 4–March 21, 2020: Course duration, with January 25 and February 1 holiday break.
The winter 2020 course is 10-weeks, not including a two week holiday for Chinese New Year. The dates of the virtual classes are: January 4, 11, 18; February 8, 15, 22, 29; March 7, 14, and 21. (No classes will take place January 25 or February 1.) The virtual classes will be held online Saturday mornings at 9:00-10:15AM Beijing time.
Yes, Stanford e-China courses will be offered on an ongoing basis, with the next sessions in the spring and summer of 2020. Spring and summer courses will be shorter (4-6 weeks) in duration, followed by a 10-week course in winter. Please check back for details or stay informed of SPICE-related news by joining our email list and/or following SPICE on Facebook and Twitter.
Please email any questions to Carey Moncaster, Stanford e-China Instructor, at cmoncaster@stanford.edu.