Kunming - Regional Development in China & Southeast Asia

A boat floating during sunset in Kunming

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Overview

Quick Facts

City:

Kunming [1]

Country:

China [2]

Program credits:

16 credits

Language(s) of Instruction:

English

Chinese

Language prerequisites:

None

Kunming, the City of Eternal Spring, has long been known for its ideal climate and ethnic diversity. Now, Kunming is emerging as an important gateway city between China and Southeast Asia for regional trade and people movement. Yunnan Province itself shares borders with several Southeast Asian countries (Vietnam, Myanmar, and Laos), and has many cultural and social commonalities with its Southeast Asian neighbors.

As newly built highways, high-speed rail networks, and waterways link Kunming with key Southeast Asian cities like Hanoi, Bangkok, and Vientiane, the city serves as an ideal place to learn about the important economic, environmental, and development issues affecting China and its Southeast Asian neighbors. Kunming also has a unique population of ethnic Yunnanese, Han Chinese from all reaches of China, Southeast Asian business people, and Western expats to learn from.

While in Kunming, you will take classes at Yunnan University, one of the top education centers in the region. The university, home to many research institutes focusing on cross-border issues, is one of the prestigious “Project 211 Universities,” specially targeted by the Chinese government for growth in research and development strategies. Kunming has more international and Chinese NGOs than any other city in China, and the IES Kunming Center will invite experts from these institutions to provide valuable perspective on key regional issues. While on field trips throughout Yunnan and Southeast Asia, you will explore local and official responses to regional sustainability challenges.

Kunming and the surrounding areas will be your classroom. The Yunnan Provincial Museum has excellent exhibits for you to explore Kunming’s historical beginnings and Yuantong temple is an excellent site to learn of local religious Buddhist practices. Visit the Gaoxing high-tech investment zone, Thai shopping malls, or the Dounan international auction center that ships flowers globally. Go to Lake Dianchi for a perspective on environmental development or spend time in Chenggong Kunming’s newest district to witness the birth of an entirely new urban space. When you travel with your instructors and other students in the program on the academically-focused field trips to other countries such as Vietnam, Laos, or Thailand, you'll continue your academic studies, research and exploration of course topics and special issues.

We want you to feel at home in Kunming, so we will do everything we can to help you integrate into life there. Immerse yourself in the Chinese language and culture through extensive learning opportunities around the city, and to go to social events and activities planned for you and your fellow students throughout the semester to learn more about the Chinese culture.

Program Dates

These dates are preliminary and are subject to change. Students should not book flights according to these dates.

Academics

Our mission is simple: to provide you with the best study abroad program possible—which includes the highest quality academic and cultural experiences.

While in Kunming, you take 16 credits per semester.

The required core course is worth 5 credits
The language class is worth 5 credits
All elective courses are worth 3 credits unless otherwise specified

Courses and field placements include special lectures and presentations by local organizations and agencies, such as the Yunnan University GMS Research Center, The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund, Mekong River Commission (Laos), Asian Development Bank (Hanoi and Bangkok offices), and others.

You customize your own academic experience by selecting from the following required and optional program components:

Regionalism in the Greater Mekong Subregion core course (required, 5 credits) - This course focuses on the history of regional interaction between China and Southeast Asia from the colonial period to the present day and examines the historical, economic, and political forces that forced these states to war and isolationism in the 20th century and the forces that are making the region increasingly interdependent. The course focuses on theory and practice of inter-state cooperation, influence of people movement and immigration throughout the region, and present-day, trans-boundary issues and conflicts. A special emphasis is placed on China’s current strategic plans for integration with its southern neighbors and the ASEAN community’s response to those plans. In addition to seminar discussion, you will meet with officials, NGOs, and commercial stakeholders in Yunnan Province and in Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand who influence regional development policy.
Chinese Language course (required, 5 credits):
CN102 (Beginning Chinese)
CN212 (Intermediate Chinese)
CN312 (Advanced Intermediate)
CN412 (Advanced Chinese)

Choose Two

Field Placement or Service Learning and Seminar (3 credits)
Economic Development in China and Southeast Asia (3 credits) - This course comparatively examines the economic development paths of countries in China and Southeast Asia by looking at growth indicators and structure, poverty alleviation, and policy and reform approaches. It also examines the benefits of cross-border trade at the local, national, and inter-regional level and analyzes the theory, practice, and effects of free-trade zones, foreign direct investment and aid, sustainable agriculture, ruralurban migration, eco-tourism, and regional infrastructure projects.
Ethnicity in the Borderlands of China and Southeast Asia (3 credits) - The border regions of China and Southeast Asia have always been semi-porous to people movement. Often located in geographically remote areas, these regions have become home to marginalized ethnic groups with trans-national identities. This course examines the treatment of these ethnic groups by dominant national forces and analyzes familial, societal, and religious dynamics that bind these groups together. The course also examines the challenges these groups face as they deal with modernity and define themselves in an urbanizing and globalizing society. A unique focus is placed on waves of Chinese/Yunnanese emigration to Southeast Asia and Burmese, Thai, and Vietnamese ethnic hill groups.
Environmental Sustainability and Transboundary Resource Dilemmas in the Greater Mekong Subregion (3 credits) - This course examines debates over impacts and repercussions of development projects on downstream countries, including biodiversity effects, ecological and livelihood impacts, and more. The overview includes a political ecological approach to understanding society-environment relations across the diverse and changing region with emphasis on issues of contested natural resources and the structures and policies developed for environmental management.
Independent Research (3-5 credits) *for continuing second semester students only

Courses

This is a list of potential course offerings. After you are accepted, you will see a list of final course offerings in your MyIESabroad account.

To learn more about IES Abroad’s innovative theoretical and pedagogical approaches to teaching language abroad, refer to the IES Abroad MAP for Language & Intercultural Communication [3].

Partner Institution(s)

Yunnan University
Established in 1923, the university campus has buildings with French Colonial and Modern Chinese architecture style, a sizeable modern library, and is in close proximity to Green Lake Park.. Currently, Yunnan University is one of the "Project 211" universities in China authorized by the central Chinese government to be specially developed. Currently, there are close to 10,000 full-time undergraduates, and another 3000 graduate students at the university. The campus has a lot of gardens and green spaces, plus some unique buildings that were used as dormitories for students taking imperial scholar examinations (in the late 1400s) and others that were built when the university opened in 1923, and are now protected historic buildings.

Field Study

IES Abroad Kunming organizes field study trips that complement IES Abroad courses and contribute to a general knowledge of Chinese and select Southeast Asian cultures and societies.

There are frequent field study trips in Kunming, as well, for all courses including language.

Housing

Our job is to make sure that your greatest challenge is deciding what landmarks to see first or discovering the best café—not finding a place to live where you feel comfortable. We do our best to locate housing that is reflective of how the local students are living. Our goal is that when you leave Kunming, it will feel like home.

Homestays - Homestays provide the ideal environment for learning about China and improving your Chinese language skills. Our homestays are located within a short walk or bus ride to the Center. All homestays feature a private bedroom. While living in a home may involve making some sacrifices of privacy and personal freedom, our Chinese homestay families are universally eager to get to know you and share their ideas, language, and culture with you. If you don’t have Chinese language experience, we will find you a suitable “English-friendly” homestay.

You are provided breakfast and dinner by your host family, seven days a week, while the program is in session.

International Student Dormitory - Live in a double dorm room with a fellow IES Abroad student. The dormitory is located in the IES Abroad Kunming Center on the Yunnan University campus. Each room is fully furnished, and there is Internet access in each room at no extra cost. No meal plan is provided, but you can eat at inexpensive restaurants on campus or around Kunming.

Student Life

Part of making you feel at home in Kunming is doing our best to help you feel safe and cared for. Whether it is an orientation program that prepares you, housing that is well-located and comfortable, or the field trips that take you to places off the beaten path—we’re all about our student services. This is just one of the things we’re known for.

Orientation

The program begins with a specially designed week-long orientation program introducing you to the IES Abroad staff, your fellow students, adjusting to life in Yunnan province, and regional development challenges in China and Southeast Asia. After arriving in Kunming the group will travel off-site for five days to picturesque Dali where you will learn about efforts to protect the lakes and mountains around Dali, experience the cultural heritage of the Bai people, and tour China's Mekong river dams. Topics such as academics, housing, transportation, cultural adjustment and health and safety are covered during your orientation. 1-1 language and area studies class advising sessions are arranged, as well as homestay placements, and service learning interviews.

CORE™, IES Abroad’s Comprehensive Orientation and Re-entry Experience, begins during orientation and continues throughout the semester with activities focusing on cultural adjustment, goal achievement, and preparing for the return home.

Extracurricular Activities & Cultural Events

Redefine the way you live and learn in Kunming through cultural events, such as:

Celebrating local holidays such as Chinese New Year and Mid-Autumn Festival
Attending weekend workshops on local music, dance, and artistry
Learning of Kunming’s sustainable food movement
Yunnanese and Southeast Asian cooking classes
Buddhist meditation and Yoga classes
Survival Thai and Vietnamese language classes (not for credit)

Field Trips

Although your adventure begins in Kunming, our field trips take you to other great places around Southeast Asia to provide contrast and context for what you learn in Kunming.

Your core course instructors lead you on a mobile learning trip that starts in Kunming, and travels to locations not easily accessed through independent travel. The cost of this extended mobile learning trip is included in your program fee. Extended mobile learning trips are accompanied both by professors and IES Abroad administrative staff.

Extended Mobile Learning Trips
Yunnan Province: Thailand or Vietnam, and Laos
Join your instructors on an exploration of critical regional issues across borders in Southeast Asia. As part of the core regionalism course you will discuss key historical, political, and development issues with local officials, business people, and student groups who are either empowered or disaffected by China’s regional plans. Past trip highlights include an overnight at Ha Long Bay (Vietnam), fiveday stay in historic Luang Prabang (Laos), and homestays with ethnic hill groups in northern Thailand.

Yunnan Province: Dali or Xishuang Banna
Spend a long weekend visiting a unique location in Yunnan Province, listening to guest lecturers discuss relevant regional issues.

Optional Pre- or Post-Semester Trip to Tibet
An optional 10-day trip to Tibet is offered to all Kunming students either before the fall semester or after the spring semester. For the optional Tibet trip, you’ll travel to Lhasa, learn about Tibetan Buddhism, hike high mountain passes, and visit the Jokhang Temple and various monasteries, including the Sera Monastery to observe a debate ritual. Lodging will be provided either in local hostels or camping, and most meals and all local transportation is provided. Note: The destination of this optional pre- or post-semester trip is subject to change or cancellation at any time. You are responsible for all costs associated with this optional trip.

**This trip begins in Beijing, so book your arrival flights accordingly. You will be responsible for your own transportation from Beijing to Kunming after the field trip, and for your own accommodations up until the start of your program (Pre-Fall trip participants). **

IES Abroad field trip destinations, activities, and length of stay may vary according to term and availability.

Center

IES Abroad Kunming [4]

The IES Abroad staff at the Kunming Center can’t wait to welcome you. Located in culturally diverse Kunming, we will be there to support you when you need it.

Our Center
The IES Abroad Kunming Center is located on the campus of Yunnan University, one of China’s top research universities. The building is 6 stories, without an elevator. The IES Abroad Kunming Center shares the same floor as the student dorm rooms and IES Abroad classrooms. This contributes to the vibrant living-learning community for IES Abroad students, staff, and faculty. There is wireless internet access in the Center space, including the classrooms, offices, and resource room.

Features of the IES Abroad Kunming Center include:

Staff offices
Multi-purpose Resource Center/IES Abroad Library
Classrooms

The building is also used for housing for other international students from Southeast Asia, classrooms, and offices.

Center staff:

Meet the Director
Brian Eyler | Center Director
Brian Eyler holds a Masters of Pacific International Affairs (MPIA) from UC San Diego specializing in China’s economic development and received his undergraduate degree from Bucknell University. He has studied and worked in China for more than 14 years. His current academic research focuses on the international downstream effects of China’s economic development projects in the Mekong River basin (in China’s Yunnan province) upon Southeast Asia. Prior to becoming the Center Director in Kunming, Brian worked as the IES Abroad Center Director in Beijing for seven years and has led the Kunming Summer programs since 2011.

IES Abroad Staff

Will Feinberg
Student Affairs Coordinator

Faculty
Language Faculty
IES Abroad language faculty are experienced Chinese language instructors from the Yunnan University College of International Students. The instructors are dedicated to teaching the IES Abroad language curriculum and utilize standard and innovative Western second language teaching methods.

Area Studies Faculty
IES Abroad area studies faculty typically hold advanced degrees from prestigious Chinese or Western universities, have studied or taught at Western universities, have published in China and abroad, and currently hold positions at universities such as Yunnan University, Kunming Institute of Technology, and the China Academy of Sciences, or are prestigious Fulbright scholars. All faculty are actively involved in producing research related to the curriculum at IES Abroad Kunming.

Cost