China 2010 Urbanization, Regional Development and Planning

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1 China 2010 Urbanization, Regional Development and Planning Overview: Urbanization, regional development, and planning are the particular focus of this field course to the People s Republic of China. As a whole, the program will provide an indepth examination and immersion experience of China. In addition to the core items, the curriculum will broadly include elements of physical geography, human geography, history, religion, cultural studies, art, and architecture. Through reading assignments, lectures, guided field tours, field exercises, and independent activities, including meeting with students and faculty, students will gain a broad and holistic understanding of China, particular with reference to urbanization, development, and planning. Given the logistical nature of the course, it is always in session - 24 hours a day, every day. Field activities will take place largely in Shanghai and Beijing. Shanghai is emerging as the leading financial and commercial center in a Chinese economy that has been the world s fastest growing for more than 25 years. Thus, the city is at the epicenter of economic and social change in the most rapidly changing nation. Beijing, the political capital and site of the 2008 Olympics, is also at the forefront of social and economic transformation in China. Both cities serve as valuable laboratories for studying urban function and form, from historical and contemporary perspectives. Each also serves as excellent case study in urban and environmental planning. The course is a three-credit course and is listed as Geography 450. Schedule: Subject to minor changes, the travel and field components of the course consist of eighteen days starting from June 12, 2010 and returning June 30, Twelve days are at East China Normal University (ECNU; a leading research university in China) and six days will be in Beijing. One day is a travel day with us crossing the Int l Date Line (thus losing a day ). Featured Field and Other Course Activities: Traditional lectures, student presentations, and seminar discussions are complemented by five lectures from ECNU faculty featuring hands on activities such as calligraphy, painting, and tai-chi. Enrolled students are required to engage and interact with ECNU students in both academic and formal social activities. Using Shanghai s urban landscape as a laboratory, along with assigned readings, we will study urban form, urbanization, development and planning via field visits to: a) the Bund historic district, site of late 19 th and early 20 th European trading houses; b) the Pudong Development area (home to two of world s six tallest buildings); c) Nanjing Lu pedestrian shopping area, which is ranked as one of world s premier shopping streets; d) Xujiahui sub-cbd, a hot spot of commercial development in Shanghai;

2 e) the Shanghai Museum and the Shanghai Urban Exposition Museum; and f) the rapidly disappearing old town. We will also visit traditional tourist destination of outstanding cultural, political, and historical significance. In Beijing, these include the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, the Ming Tombs, and the Great Wall. In Hangzhou, these include scenic West Lake, Yue Fei s Tomb, and the Lingyin Temple (China s most heavily visited Buddhist temple). Other sites and features in Shanghai include the Jing-An Temple, the Huangpu River Cruise, and a visit the water town of Zhouzhuang, a United Nations World Heritage site. About the Instructors: George and Jennifer Pomeroy are the course instructors. George Pomeroy is Professor of Geography- Earth Science at Shippensburg University. First traveling to China in 1987, George has studied urbanization and development in China for two decades. Jennifer Pomeroy, Adjunct Professor of Geography Earth Science and currently a Ph.D. student at the University of Maryland (College Park), was born and raised in Urumqi, China and is a native speaker of Chinese. She lived in several years in Beijing, prior to studying and eventually settling in the U.S. This will be their third field course taught in China (the first was in 2005). As with the earlier course, East China Normal University is a close collaborator in developing the program. Travel Costs Exclusive of tuition, the program costs approximately $3000. This amount includes transportation (air and ground), room, meals, taxes, and admission fees. Upon purchase of airfare, these costs are nonrefundable. In addition, students are required to pay tuition for the three credits. Students taking six credits during the summer are eligible for financial aid loans including program costs. Tuition Tuition is additional and varies, depending on graduate or undergraduate status, and state of residency. Please contact the Extended Studies office for information specific to tuition. Housing In Shanghai, we stay at the International Students Dormitory on the campus of East China Normal University. In Beijing, we will stay at a mid-range hotel or guest house. Transportation We will fly via commercial airlines from a Washington, D.C. area airport to Shanghai (Shanghai Pudong Int l Airport) and will return from Beijing Int l Airport. Travel between Shanghai and Beijing will be on express rail. Busses are used extensively for local transportation throughout the course. Eligibility and Rules Students from across the university, who are in good academic standing are eligible to enroll in this course. Applications accompanied by a first payment, are accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Registration On-line registration is available for these courses at Click on the Study Abroad Courses button, then on "Current Courses." Registration DEADLINE: tentatively, January 22.

3 Application A separate and required program application is available from Prof. George Pomeroy, one of the course instructors. Other informational items, including handouts on deadlines and other requirements, are distributed with the application. Dr. Pomeroy s contact information may be found below. Student will be required to pay the first installment of the program fees ($1650) by Friday, January 22 (a preliminary deadline). A second payment of $1350 is required by Friday, April 11. In addition, there are other requirements of a less immediately critical nature (i.e., possession of a valid passport). Additional Materials Each student will complete the following official university forms: Code of Conduct Form, Liability Waiver, and Medical Information Form. There is an assortment of other lesser requirements, please contact the instructor for more details. Final Comment The instructors have several sets of expectations, which relate broadly to a) our relations with those outside the group; b) relations with one another within our travel group; c) the challenges of traveling in a developing, non-western context, and d) stance of individuals to the course demands (including the assignments). Behaviors that are at odds with these expectations are not acceptable and are punishable. The more serious the discrepancy with expectations - the more serious the sanction. Traveling and studying in China, you will be representing not only yourself, but your colleagues, our department, our university, and our country. Indeed, impressions of the United States will be made based upon you interaction with others, behaviors, and appearance. Represent your country well. Respect your fellow travelers. Everyone has something to offer when traveling in close quarters (often more is learned from and about our travel companions than we might realize). We will all need each other s help in getting to and from places and in maintaining our safety. Remember, respect (for other s time and possessions), patience and understanding are better part of valor. Lifelong friendships are the best result from this. China is a fast-changing and rapidly developing country. It is also a foreign place both legally and culturally. Things are not the same in China as in the United States with respect to what, when, how, and why things happen and you should not expect them to be! In fact, may be some things are done better here than at home! You are expected to acknowledge this, even if you do not possess a full understanding of a given situation. Contact: George Pomeroy Jennifer Pomeroy Professor Adjunct Professor of Geography Geography - Earth Science Department Shippensburg University 1871 Old Main Drive Shippensburg PA voice fax gmpome@ship.edu

4 Shippensburg University students display their artwork after a session of Chinese painting (2008). Shanghai s skyline continues to take shape (2008).

5 The Great Wall at Badaling. Photo by George Pomeroy, 2005.

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