Looking back at the long list of pages on Canvas, I feel so accomplished about finishing the Design Thinking into Action: Teen Wellbeing course. From the first “Introduce Yourself” video we filmed, edited, and shared with our classmates, to the final prototype presentation, every module showed me a different way to think about teen wellbeing and how our skills could create real, meaningful change. 

What made this course so special was that learning wasn’t restricted to the weekly virtual classes. The resource pages for each module on Canvas created a great balance between theory and practice, input and output. We learned about topics like the teenage brain, managing academic stress, creating a body map, and purpose learning. We didn’t just write essays as in a traditional class. We created prototypes with step-by-step exercises leading up to our final project. My favorite part was the design thinking process: empathizing with a real person, defining a need statement, brainstorming wildly, prototyping, and iterating based on feedback. The prototype I created, called the “Dream Door,” was designed for a friend who feels lonely and disconnected from peers and frustrated by surface-level conversations. The “Dream Door” is a small box with a bell and color-coded prompts to help her start deeper conversations with classmates. While creating the prop for my friend, I also learned to solve my own wellbeing challenges through the same process. When I gifted the finished product to my friend, her excited reaction felt better than any grade. That’s the magic of this design thinking course. When we truly empathize with someone, understand their needs, and listen to their feedback, we can see the physical results our ideas have on them. 

I participated in this course during a particularly challenging time. When the course began, I was overseas for an exchange program. Then I returned to China to prepare for AP exams, which felt like an ever-present gray cloud looming over me. Instead of adding to my stress, this course helped me navigate it more clearly. One of my favorite classes with a Stanford scholar, Dr. Cari Costanzo, combined anthropology with our connection to our bodies through an exercise called body mapping, a creative and reflective piece of art that pushed us to reflect on important aspects of our lives. When I added drawings of the AP exams in the thought bubble above my head on my body map, I realized they were my current, main priority. In this course I also learned that the concept of “failing forward” and pacing ourselves aren’t just nice ideas; they are ways to sustain our busy lives. After the Stanford e-China course ended, as I was taking an exam back in my regular school in China, I wrote about the concept of “failing forward” in my essay. I literally smiled in the middle of the exam because I was so excited to apply what I’d learned. 

I also loved the small, surprising moments, like drawing my body map and realizing I could create a stickman with my arms and legs because I’ve been drawing them since primary school. I also loved writing a reflection of my views on life and education and noticing that my love for roller coasters and seeking thrilling experiences actually drives how I approach learning. 

I left this course with a toolbox I’ll use for life, for studying, for friendships, for future projects. I’m leaving with gratitude. Thank you to Stefanie Orrick, Carey Moncaster, and the whole Stanford e-China team for creating a space where teenagers can be creative, vulnerable, and ambitious all at once. 

Innovating Wellbeing: Human-Centered Design in the AI Era (formerly Design Thinking into Action: Teen Wellbeing) is one of several online courses offered by SPICE.

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Three of SPICE’s online programs for high school students in the United States are now accepting applications for the spring 2027 academic term. The Reischauer Scholars Program (RSP) and Sejong Korea Scholars Program (SKSP) are open to high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors in the United States. The U.S.–China Co-Lab on Climate Solutions brings together students in grades 10–12 from the United States and China for collaborative exploration of climate challenges and potential solutions.

Applications for all three programs are available at https://spicestanford.smapply.io/. Application deadlines are as follows:

• Reischauer Scholars Program: October 23, 2026
• Sejong Korea Scholars Program: November 1, 2026
• U.S.–China Co-Lab on Climate Solutions: November 1, 2026

Students may apply to more than one program and indicate their preferences as part of the application process. Students accepted to multiple programs for spring 2027 will be invited to enroll in the program they ranked highest.

Brief descriptions of the three courses are provided below. Additional information, including course-specific details, is available on each program’s individual webpage.

The Reischauer Scholars Program offers an intensive exploration of Japan and the U.S.–Japan relationship. Through online discussions with scholars, diplomats, and other guest speakers, students gain insight into Japanese culture and society as well as the historical and contemporary dimensions of U.S.–Japan relations. The 2027 RSP course will run from February 1 through June 20. The application deadline is October 23, 2026.

The Sejong Korea Scholars Program provides an academically rigorous introduction to Korean history and U.S.–Korea relations. Students engage with leading scholars and experts through online lectures and participate in discussions with their peers. The 2027 SKSP course will take place from February 7 to May 29. The application deadline is November 1, 2026.

The U.S.–China Co-Lab on Climate Solutions centers on climate-related challenges, the history and future potential of U.S.–China cooperation, and broader approaches to international collaboration. Participating high school students from the United States and China will have opportunities to learn about one another’s communities and environments while working collaboratively on projects related to local, bilateral, and global climate action. The program is a joint initiative of SPICE’s Stanford e-China program (for students in China) and China Scholars Program (for students in the United States). The spring 2027 Co-Lab course will run from February 26 through May 22. The application deadline for U.S. students is November 1, 2026.

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To learn more about SPICE’s student programs, visit our Student Programs page.

My experience in the Design Thinking into Action: Teen Wellbeing course felt like a dream—it went by so fast, yet I remember every detail clearly. In three months I was transformed into a user-oriented engineer.

The first important lesson I learned from the course was about the environment—the people and perspectives around me. Through activities like body mapping, the partner prototype challenge, and the self-assessments on time management, social media, and AI usage, I realized how little I truly knew about the world I had lived in for 16 years.

The most impactful part for me was my final project, which focused on improving pedestrian safety for visually impaired people. Through my research I learned that eye problems are a significant issue in China; 17.3 million people, or roughly one in a hundred, are blind or visually impaired. Sadly, this issue receives little public attention, and the infrastructure meant to help is falling apart. According to the Minsheng Think Tank’s 2025 Urban Governance Research, over 70 percent of tactile paving in China is reported to be ineffective due to damage, obstruction, or poor installation. This prompted me to create something for visually impaired people—because even a small improvement to tactile paving can make a difference.

I started my journey of invention, following the five steps in design thinking: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test. The very first step, Empathize, became the most transformative part of my learning. At the beginning of the course, the professor drew a clear distinction between sympathy and empathy: sympathy is feeling for someone, while empathy is feeling with someone—understanding their experience from their perspective, not just acknowledging their struggle from a distance. This distinction stayed with me as I reached out to interview my user for my final project, a friend with severe visual impairment. I didn’t just ask him about his challenges; I asked him to walk me through his daily routine—how he navigated his community, what frustrated him, and what he wished people understood. It struck me deeply when he said, “I don’t need people to feel sorry for me. I just need the world to be designed so I can live independently.” In that moment, I felt the full weight of what the professor had been trying to teach us. I realized that before this conversation, I had been approaching the problem with sympathy—I felt bad for visually impaired people, but I hadn’t actually understood them. Through listening to him, I finally put into practice what I had learned in theory about empathy. I started to see the world through his eyes. That shift in mindset became the foundation of everything I designed afterward. I tried hard to break free from stereotypes to become an engineer who looks beyond cold data and lab results. I recognized that since I was designing something for humans, empathy was the most important part. I also used empathy to engage my audience in my presentation video by asking: “How would you feel if one day everything went black?”

I’m grateful that after this course, I now possess one of the most valuable skills for an engineer to practice: design thinking with a human touch. This skill reminds me that the logic behind successful products is always based on the needs of their potential users. Now I always remind myself: if you want to make a difference, you must first understand the user and the problems they face. The best way is to talk with them, think as if you are them, and most importantly, make revisions based on their feedback. Through this approach, I can best understand their needs and try to solve their challenges.

During the 10-week course, we met and spoke with scholars from Stanford who generously shared their expertise and listened to us with incredible patience and encouragement. Our instructors, Stefanie Orrick and Carey Moncaster, guided us every step of the way, and cheered for us when we reached our goals. I also gained like-minded friends through growing collaboration and connection. The program made me feel more open to new ideas and opinions and more confident in my ability to design meaningful solutions.

Looking ahead, this experience has refined how I approach any work I do. I still believe that solid skills and sound methods matter—clear logic and reliable results are important. But on their own, they are not enough. They are merely the outer shell of what I create. What truly gives it meaning is the care, understanding, and empathy I put into it. This is the kind of person I want to become—one who builds solutions that are not just functional, but deeply human-centered. Now I am still working to improve my tactile paving project and am currently preparing the documentation for a patent application. In the future, I will always make sure that the work I do is wrapped in empathy.

Thank you, Stanford e-China, for helping me find the people-oriented engineer in myself.

Innovating Wellbeing: Human-Centered Design in the AI Era (formerly Design Thinking into Action: Teen Wellbeing) is one of several online courses offered by SPICE.

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The Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE) is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for the Fall 2026 session of Introduction to Contemporary China, an intensive online course offered by the China Scholars Program (CSP). Designed for motivated U.S. high school students, this course introduces students to contemporary China through an interdisciplinary and discussion-based approach. The course is open to rising 10th, 11th, and 12th graders nationwide.

Fall 2026 China Scholars Program: Introduction to Contemporary China
Application period: May 6 to June 20, 2026
Tuition: $2500
Program dates: September 3 to December 19, 2026

As China’s global stature continues to rise, as it takes on leading roles in the clean energy transition and AI development, international trade, international security, and much more, it becomes more vital than ever to understand it. Through CSP, students explore the historical developments, domestic challenges, and global relationships that shape contemporary China and its interactions with the United States.

Throughout the semester, students participate in weekly Zoom sessions featuring leading experts from Stanford University and beyond as guest speakers. Coursework includes college-level readings, analytical discussions, and written assignments that encourage students to engage critically with current issues affecting China and the broader international community.

A central component of the program is an independent research project in which students investigate a topic of their choice related to contemporary China. Past research topics have included environmental policy, education, artificial intelligence, demographics, popular culture, public health, economic reform, and media. Students conclude the course by producing a substantive academic paper based on their research.

In addition to learning from experts and peers across the United States, CSP students will also have the opportunity to connect online with Chinese students in the Stanford e-China Program, fostering meaningful cross-cultural dialogue and exchange.

The course also offers students an opportunity to explore potential interests in fields such as international relations, political science, business, journalism, public policy, and Asian studies before entering college.

CSP provides students with the knowledge, diverse perspectives, and analytical skills needed to better understand one of the world’s most consequential countries and its evolving relationship with the United States.

For more information, please visit the course website or contact Tanya Lee with questions.

The China Scholars Program is one of several online courses offered by SPICE.

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This article was written by Dr. David Grossman, founding Director of BAYCEP and SPICE, and draws on a conference paper that he presented in 1978. The updated excerpt and photos (taken in 1974 in the People's Republic of China) were reprinted with permission from Dr. Grossman. Dr. Grossman was the Director of SPICE from 1976 to 1988. This is the first of several articles—focusing on the 50-year history of SPICE—that will be posted this year. 

Prior to World War II, the systematic study of Asia in American schools was rare. Studies of school textbooks found that the few references to Asia were marked by paternalism and stereotypes at best, and by racism and imperialist assumptions at worst. Following U.S. involvement in World War II and the Korean War, there was a notable increase in Asian studies at the collegiate level. At the pre-collegiate level, however, this growing attention to Asia was largely reflected in the addition of a Cold War dimension to the civics curriculum. In this context, China was typically studied as a geopolitical adversary, portrayed even more negatively than the Soviet Union.

In February 1972, a dramatic shift occurred in the tone of U.S.–China relations as a result of President Richard Nixon’s surprise visit to China. This watershed moment generated a surge in public demand for more current and reliable information about China and created new opportunities for reconsidering how China might be taught in American schools.

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While the roots of the Bay Area China Education Project (BAYCEP) can be traced to earlier initiatives, the pivotal moment in its development was the June 1972 Wingspread Conference, “China in the Schools: Directions and Priorities.” Previous meetings addressing China education had been convened by professional organizations such as the Association for Asian Studies (AAS), but what distinguished the Wingspread Conference was its timeliness. The three sponsoring organizations—the National Committee on U.S.–China Relations, the Center for War/Peace Studies, and the Johnson Foundation—shared a widely held belief that the moment was ripe for a focused effort to improve education about China in American schools.

One of the central themes of the Wingspread discussions was a critique of prevailing models of scholar–teacher interaction, particularly the assumption that scholars should serve merely as visiting lecturers. Conference participants urged China scholars to become more attentive to the needs of teachers and school systems and to conceive of their work as part of a reciprocal, two-way process. In perhaps the most influential proposal to emerge from the conference, Yale historian Jonathan Spence called for the development of a cohort of “scholar consultants” who would be both substantively knowledgeable and pedagogically sensitive. This idea would become a cornerstone of BAYCEP.

Ultimately, BAYCEP was the only program to emerge directly from the Wingspread Conference. As early as August 1972, Stanford professor John Lewis convened a meeting of San Francisco Bay Area educators and scholars focused on “Teaching China in the Schools.” This group subsequently submitted a proposal to the National Endowment for the Humanities under the auspices of the National Committee on U.S.–China Relations. The proposal was successfully funded and outlined a pilot project designed to strengthen humanities teaching in Bay Area schools by creating new mechanisms of cooperation between university scholars and pre-collegiate educators. It emphasized the educational value of Chinese history, society, and culture for enhancing multicultural education and sought to organize locally available resources on China through consultancy relationships, training programs, and curriculum materials that could later be adapted for use in other communities and fields of study.

The transition from this broad mission statement to a fully functioning program was not linear. Stakeholders debated the project’s target audience, the selection of appropriate content, and staff qualifications. Acceptance of a China-focused initiative in schools was by no means assured; at one point, a district superintendent rejected participation on the grounds that the project constituted “Communist propaganda.” The underlying challenge was to design a China-focused program that was both curriculum-relevant and pedagogically sound.

In this regard, BAYCEP’s most innovative component was the development of an associate, or “scholar intern,” program intended to strengthen links between universities and schools. Graduate students and recent graduates in Chinese studies or related education programs were appointed as project associates. These associates underwent intensive training and mentoring to familiarize them with effective pre-collegiate teaching methods and available instructional resources, which were notably scarce at the time. They then worked directly with teachers through professional development workshops, helping translate scholarly knowledge into classroom practice.

Although BAYCEP was not initially conceived as solely a curriculum development project, the need for instructional materials soon became apparent. In collaboration with university scholars and classroom teachers, the project first produced guides to recommended resources on China. As these guides proved necessary but insufficient, BAYCEP later developed instructional units on topics such as the Chinese language, family life, education, sports, and stereotyping. As with the professional development workshops, careful attention was given to both substantive content and pedagogical effectiveness.

True to its original mission, BAYCEP emerged as a model for linking university scholarship with pre-collegiate education. In subsequent years, parallel projects focusing on Japan, Latin America, Africa, and Eastern and Western Europe were initiated. Together with BAYCEP, these initiatives were brought under a common umbrella in 1976, enabling collaboration and cross-fertilization across area studies. This umbrella program—the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE)—continues to operate to this day.

Beyond its immediate contributions to China education, BAYCEP’s enduring legacy lies in its redefinition of the relationship between universities and pre-collegiate schools. By institutionalizing the role of the scholar consultant and embedding graduate students and recent graduates within K–12 professional development, BAYCEP moved beyond episodic outreach toward a sustained, collaborative model of knowledge exchange. Its emphasis on pedagogical relevance, mutual learning, and curriculum integration anticipated later approaches to public scholarship and teacher professionalization in area studies. The success of BAYCEP also demonstrated that international and cross-cultural education could be both academically rigorous and responsive to local educational contexts, even amid political uncertainty. As the foundational program within what became SPICE, BAYCEP served not only as a prototype for subsequent regional initiatives but also as a durable model for translating university-based scholarship into meaningful educational practice—an approach that continues to shape international education well beyond its original historical moment.

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Three of SPICE’s online programs for U.S. high school students have begun accepting applications for the spring 2026 academic term. The Reischauer Scholars Program (RSP) and the Sejong Korea Scholars Program (SKSP) welcome applications from high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors in the United States. U.S.–China Co-Lab on Climate Solutions brings together 10th–12th graders from the United States and China in the same program to collaborate on solutions to the global climate crisis.

The RSP engages students in an intensive study of Japan and the U.S.–Japan relationship, facilitating discussions with scholars, diplomats, and other guest speakers with personal and professional expertise in Japanese culture, society, and U.S.–Japan relations. The 2026 RSP course dates are February 1 to June 14. The application deadline is October 17, 2025.

The SKSP provides students an enriching and academically rigorous overview of Korean history and U.S.–Korea relations through online lectures with top scholars and experts and engaging student discussions. The 2026 SKSP course will run February through early June. The application deadline is November 1, 2025.

The U.S.–China Co-Lab program focuses specifically on climate-related issues and U.S.–China cooperation, past and potential, and strategies for global cooperation. High school students from the U.S. and China will get to know each other’s lives and environments and actively work together on projects to develop their expertise on local, bilateral, and global climate action. This is a joint program of SPICE’s Stanford e-China (for students in China) and China Scholars Program (for U.S. students). The spring 2026 Co-Lab course dates are February 27 to May 22. The application deadline for U.S. students is November 1, 2025.

Students who are interested in applying to more than one program may do so and rank their preferences on their applications. Those who are accepted into multiple programs for spring 2026 will be invited to enroll in their highest-preference course.

Applications for all three programs can be found at https://spicestanford.smapply.io/. Deadlines vary:

• Reischauer Scholars Program: October 17
• Sejong Korea Scholars Program: November 1
• U.S.–China Co-Lab on Climate Solutions: November 1

For more information on a specific online course, please refer to its individual webpage.

To stay informed of SPICE news, join our email list and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram.

To learn more about SPICE’s student programs, visit our Student Programs page.

China is at the center of global dynamics today. What does its new superpower status mean for the world? For China? How will the worsening U.S.–China tariffs affect world trade? Is China’s clean energy leadership the key to the world’s climate crisis or will China remain the world’s top emitter of greenhouse gases? Would China go to war over Taiwan? Would the U.S.? What are China’s internal challenges? Is this China’s century?  

U.S. high school students wondering about these questions and more, who want to explore the nuance and history behind the headlines, in conversation with diverse experts and classmates, are invited to apply for SPICE’s China Scholars Program.

Fall 2025 China Scholars Program: Introduction to Contemporary China
Application period: April 22 to June 15, 2025
Tuition: $2500

Program dates: August 28 – December 20, 2025

This online, college-level course for advanced 10th through 12th graders provides an overview of China’s internal dynamics and recent history, as well as its complicated relationship with the United States, with critical, timely insights into this superpower of the 21st century.

Kristina Danilenko (Huntersville, NC, Fall 2024 CSP alum) observes, “[W]ith all the generalizations and inaccuracies I hear about China (whether it be its government or people as a whole) due to the volatile political environment right now, taking your class was especially valuable in that I’m able to navigate through these swirling narratives and think critically about the information I’m consuming.”

Each week, CSP students engage with leading scholars and experts on Zoom, read deeply on that week’s topic, and engage in analytical discussion with classmates. In addition to weekly written assignments, students conduct independent research, which culminates in an academic paper. Students will also have an opportunity to meet online with Chinese students enrolled in the Stanford e-China Program.

The program’s interdisciplinary nature encourages wide-ranging student research topics. Recent papers have addressed education (“Gaokao: How Effective Is the Gateway to Chinese Meritocracy?”); economics (“Impacts of Taiwan’s Microchip Monopoly on U.S.–China Economic Relations”); environmental issues (“Till the Well Runs Dry: Water Shortages in Northern China”); cultural politics (“Children and Politics: How Children’s Cinema Shapes China’s Youth”; “Mao’s Playlist: Music of the Cultural Revolution”); as well as language, demographics, literature, and beyond.

“[My son is] getting to watch his research topic on tariffs and China play out in real time (for better or worse),” comments Jaime Zollars, parent of Griffin Zollars (Newbury Park, CA, Fall 2024 CSP alum). “The course has inspired many conversations since, and it really gave him a working base knowledge, strengthened his skills, and solidified his interest in continuing to explore Chinese studies and language alongside economics in college!”

CSP’s rigor helps students build a strong foundation for college and future careers. “This course only solidified my desire to pursue studies pertaining to Chinese politics and history, particularly within the realm of international relations,” reports one Fall 2024 alum. “Yet, even for those whose primary academic aspirations lie elsewhere, the abilities you develop during CSP—whether it involves a deeper understanding of China or building cross-cultural skills—are ones that can be applied across a wide range of fields and pursuits both within and beyond academia.” 

As China’s influence expands, the U.S. is heading towards a shortage in China expertise. CSP alums may ultimately find themselves in high demand.

For more information, please see http://chinascholars.org. Or contact Tanya Lee with questions.

The China Scholars Program is one of several online courses offered by SPICE.

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We teach Americans about China. Or Japanese about the United States. Or Chinese about Silicon Valley. Our student cohorts are often very diverse, but usually share a similar national perspective. What if we mixed that up? What if we put students from different countries in the same program and asked them to learn together—and from each other? What if we then put them to work on a common problem, sharing common goals?

[Image above: Part of one group’s final project, “Buzzing Biodiversity: The Vital Role of Pollinators in Enhancing Ecosystems,” aimed at local Beijing, Suzhou, and Irvine, CA, communities. Poster designed by Jimmy Qiyuan Zhang (Suzhou). Other group members: Annie Meitong Song (Irvine) and Xinyi Nancy Zhao (Beijing).]

This past spring, Carey Moncaster and I decided to try it. We created a joint program, the U.S.–China Co-Lab on Climate Solutions, combining the Stanford e-China Program for high school students in China, which Moncaster runs, with my China Scholars Program for high school students in the United States. Sixteen students in each country spent 14 weeks online together, exploring collaborative solutions to the climate crisis.

The U.S.–China Co-Lab (as in both “collaboration” and a hands-on “lab” done together) has two goals:

• To learn about current and potential solutions to climate change and its impacts, through a transnational lens; and
• To learn about and practice the cross-cultural collaboration skills necessary to achieve those solutions.

Climate issues were an obvious choice for the theme of the course. Not only is it the most urgent issue facing all of humanity, it is also one that avoids some of the stickier political issues between the United States and China. Chinese and American students could easily find common ground and common inspiration.

We chose to emphasize climate solutions—as opposed to problems—as a counter to discouraging narratives of crisis that surround this young generation, to instead emphasize the tools we have to correct course and heal.

“Solutions” also provided the structure for the course. Each module of the course was centered on a different area of climate solutions: Global Governance and Climate Diplomacy; Biodiversity; Green Finance; Clean Energy; Food and Agriculture. We were honored to draw on the expertise of Stanford faculty, as well as leaders from institutions like the Wilson Center and the Paulson Institute.*

In addition, we spent one week reading about cross-cultural skills. Stanford’s Scott Rozelle spoke with the students about his decades of practical experience running the Rural Education Action Program (REAP), a highly collaborative research and policy project involving transnational researchers, Chinese villagers and educators, and government officials. One student emphasized that it was Rozelle’s example in particular that “allowed me to see the ways professionals have worked together and made important findings.”

U.S.–China Co-Lab students had to work together for every assignment. The most straightforward were the in-class discussions on Zoom and the weekly, written discussion boards—which nonetheless required teaching and interpretation, with each student explaining a reading that other students had not done.

We used a design thinking approach for another assignment, the “Collaborative Prototype Challenge” developed by our SPICE colleague Mariko Yang-Yoshihara, in which each student was paired with a classmate from the other country. Through interviews, the students identified a key environmental need in their partner’s local community and brainstormed a creative prototype solution, using only materials at hand to represent it. Feedback and revision amplified this exercise in cross-cultural empathy, and the results were thoughtful, technical, artistic, and even goofy—ranging from Chinese paper lanterns made from repurposed packaging waste to a wearable air-conditioning suit to electricity generated by hamster wheels.

For our final project, the “Bilateral Media Campaign,” we stepped up the teamwork and the cross-cultural empathy. In groups of four (2 U.S., 2 China members), students created a media campaign targeting a specific climate solution, tailoring two versions for parallel audiences: one in China and one in the United States. Together, each group needed to agree on a message to inspire specific public action and two specific audiences for that message—which involved both academic and local, community-based research. With the resulting data, they had to choose medium, means, and strategy, and finally, create the materials themselves.

One group tackled invasive species and challenged teens in Arizona and Beijing to weed them out of their local ecosystems, with informative slides on buffelgrass and ragweed, respectively. A second group imagined schoolwide carbon footprint competitions between group members’ high schools in California and Shanghai. Another group sought to encourage families to adopt solar energy—for their own homes in North Carolina, or by using solar-charging personal devices in Beijing, where single-family homes are rare.

Students found the logistical coordination necessary to complete this multi-step project quite challenging and sometimes frustrating. But we considered that a realistic aspect of all collaborative problem-solving—all the more so when dealing with national boundaries, the international date line, and internet firewalls!

Feedback from the class suggests that the project was worthwhile. “I learned about the nuances and similarities between both audiences, which helped me appreciate the common ground we shared despite our diverse backgrounds,” commented one student. “The synergy that emerged from our collaboration was remarkable.”

Overall, Moncaster and I took extra care to represent a wide range of perspectives in the speakers and readings and other course materials, representing diversity in profession, academic discipline, strategy, personal background, etc. Several students commented on how their future plans had changed as a result: students who joined the program interested in policy now wanted to study climate tech as well; STEM-oriented students now understood the need for culturally informed messaging; a humanities student now felt confident in exploring environmental sciences as well.

Most importantly, friends were made, and almost all of the students plan to stay in touch with one another. Anfeng Wilson Xie, of Shanghai, China, was thankful for the opportunity to meet so many “passionate youths in the environmental field, as I have truly learned a lot from my peers.”

Feedback from the students on our first iteration of the U.S.–China Co-Lab has been overwhelmingly positive. “Its transformative journey surpassed my prior expectations,” Raiden Smith, of Tucson, Arizona, told us. He added that it “strengthened my interest in climate studies and broadened my perspective on the importance of cross-cultural communication as I’ve become more hopeful for our collaborative future.”

For our part, Moncaster and I were heartened and inspired by the intelligent, open-minded, and imaginative young people we got to know in the program and look forward to watching them forge their own future. Who knows what new solutions for our planet they may dream up together?

*We would like to offer our thanks and appreciation to all of our guest speakers for the Spring 2024 U.S.–China Co-Lab on Climate Solutions:

Thomas Fingar, Senior Scholar, Shorenstein APARC Fellow, Affiliated Scholar at the Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI), Stanford University

Darrin Magee, Director, Institute for Energy Studies, Western Washington University

Rose Niu, Chief Conservation Officer, Paulson Institute

Scott Rozelle, Faculty Co-director of the Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions, Helen F. Farnsworth Endowed Professorship, Senior Fellow at FSI, Senior Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research

Mark Thurber, Associate Director for Research, Program on Energy and Sustainable Development, FSI, Stanford University

Jennifer L. Turner, Director, China Environment Forum, Wilson Center

For more information about the U.S.–China Co-Lab on Climate Solutions, please visit https://spice.fsi.stanford.edu/fellowship/uschinacolab. The application for the spring 2025 session is open now.

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SPICE is currently accepting applications for the China Scholars Program (CSP), an intensive, college-level, online course on contemporary China for U.S. high school students. The program is open to rising 10th, 11th, and 12th graders across the United States. The Fall 2024 course will run from late August through December.

Stanford University China Scholars Program for high school students
Fall 2024 session (late August through December)
Application period: April 15 to June 15, 2023
Tuition: $2000

This exploration of China’s internal dynamics and recent history, as well as its complicated relationship with the United States, offers students critical insights into the world’s largest economy and growing superpower of the 21st century. “This program has provided me with a much broader and more nuanced understanding of China and U.S.–China relations. It has reshaped the preconceived notions I held about China and replaced them with academically vetted historical analyses” (Fall 2023 CSP student). 

Designed to provide high-achieving high school students a rich and comprehensive online learning experience, the CSP offers college-level instruction, featuring guest speakers from Stanford University and other top-tier institutions. Students engage with leading scholars, experts, and diplomats on Zoom each week, read deeply on that week’s topic, and engage in analytical discussion with classmates from across the United States. CSP students will also have an opportunity to meet online with Chinese students enrolled in the Stanford e-China Program.

The rigorous level of readings, discussion, research, and writing is a key feature of the program, helping students build a strong foundation for their college careers. Students who complete the course will be equipped with an unusual level of expertise about China and international relations—something notably lacking in the current generation of university students—which may guide their career choices. Many CSP alums have gone on to major in international relations, journalism, business, and other fields with global dimensions.

“CSP has helped me contextualize China’s transformation as it’s happening, which is something you wouldn’t really be able to study in any other kind of course,” said Angela Yang, a 2018 CSP alum who is now a reporter for NBC. “The curriculum is intensive yet very comprehensive, and it gives the inquisitive young mind a strong foundation to launch into further study of China or just a new lens through which we can better understand the world.”

More information on the China Scholars Program is available at http://chinascholars.org.

The China Scholars Program is one of several online courses offered by SPICE.

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SPICE’s programs for U.S. high school students are now accepting applications for next spring. Joining our long-running Sejong Korea Scholars Program (SKSP) and Reischauer Scholars Program (RSP) on Japan is a new program called the U.S.–China Co-Lab on Climate Solutions that will enroll U.S. and Chinese students together. 

The new Co-Lab program will be SPICE’s first truly transnational course, bringing equal numbers of 10th–12th graders from the United States and China into conversation to discuss the challenges with the global climate crisis. This program is based on four years of limited collaboration between SPICE’s China Scholars Program for U.S. students and the Stanford e-China Program for Chinese students.  Instructors Carey Moncaster and Tanya Lee are taking this experience to the next level by expanding the collaboration into a standalone program.

As in other SPICE online programs, Stanford faculty will be featured as guest speakers, sharing expertise on climate-related issues, U.S.–China relations, and strategies for global cooperation. Under the guidance of Moncaster and Lee, students will get to know each other’s lives and environments and work together on projects that could improve their own communities.

Meanwhile, the RSP and the SKSP will continue their academically rigorous introductions to East Asia, with students engaging with leading scholars, former diplomats, and other experts from Stanford and beyond.

High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors in the United States are eligible to apply to any of these three online courses. Students who are interested in more than one program can apply to two or three and rank their preferences on their applications; those who are accepted into multiple programs will be invited to enroll in their highest-preference course. 

Chinese students may apply to the U.S.–China Co-Lab on Climate Solutions after October 15.

Applications for all three programs can be found at https://spicestanford.smapply.io/. Deadlines vary:

• RSP: Oct 20
• SKSP: Nov 3
• Co-Lab: Nov 15 for U.S. students and Dec 10 for Chinese students

For more information on a specific online course, please refer to its individual webpage at https://spice.fsi.stanford.edu/fellowship/uschinacolab , sejongscholars.org, or reischauerscholars.org.  

The China Scholars Program (CSP) for U.S. high school students will not be offered in Spring 2024; applications for Fall 2024 CSP will open in April.