Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Wirtschaftswissen­schaftliche Fakultät

China is the world's mostpopulous country, with a fascinating culture stretching back nearly 4,000 years. Many of the elements that make up the foundation of the modern world originated in China including: paper, gunpowder, credit banking, the compass and paper money.

After stagnating for more than two decades under the rigid authoritarianism of early communist rule under its late leader, Chairman Mao, China now has the world's fastest-growing economy and is undergoing what has been described as a second industrial revolution. The People's Republic of China (PRC) was founded in 1949 after the Communist Party defeated the previously dominant nationalist Kuomintang in a civil war. The Kuomintang retreated to Taiwan, creating two rival Chinese states - the PRC on the mainland and the Republic of China based on Taiwan.

(excerpt from BBC World News Country Profiles: May 4, 2012)

Partner Universities

The School of Business and Economics has the following partner universities in China:

1. Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou (SYSU)

2. Peking University, Guanghua School of Management 

3. University Xiamen, Wang-Yanan-Institute of Economics 

Studying in China (in general)

 
Visa

With regard to the visa application, there are three possibilities, of which the following should be most suitable for the purpose of a study abroad period:

X visa: student visa, suitable for all students, especially those who will study in China for more than six months. Usually students can apply for X visa by submitting passport, admission notice, visa application form (JW202/201), physical examination report (required in some countries) and photos to the local Chinese embassy or consulate. Any student holding an X visa must apply for the residence permit within 30 days after entering China.

Please check the Visa page of the Chinese Embassy for up to date information: http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/ywzn/lsyw/vpna/t900567.htm

Finally, please make sure that you at apply for a visa at least 2-3 months before entering the country.
 

Climate

The Yangtze River serves as China's official dividing line between north and south. Given the size and varied landscape of the country, there is no one time in the year when weather is ideal in every part of China. Of course, the warmest areas in winter are to be found in the South and Southwest.

China has a climate dominated by dry seasons and wet monsoons, which leads to clear temperature differences in winter and summer. In winter, northern winds coming from high latitude areas are cold and dry; in summer, southern winds from sea areas at lower latitude are warm and moist.

China climates differ from region to region because of the country's extensive and complex topography. In the south of the Nanling Mountains, rains are prolific and the temperature is high all year round. In the Yangtze and Huaihe river valleys in the central part of China, there are four distinctive seasons.

In northeast China, summer is short but there is much sunshine, while winter is long and cold. Precipitation is limited in northwest China where it is cold in winter and hot in summer.

(excerpt from www.china-travel-tour-guide.com: May 15,  2012)

China: Facts and Figures

•    Full name: People's Republic of China

•    Population: 1.35 billion (UN, 2010)

•    Capital: Beijing

•    Largest city: Shanghai

•    Area: 9.6 million sq km (3.7 million sq miles)

•    Major language: Mandarin Chinese

•    Major religions: Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Taoism

•    Life expectancy: 72 years (men), 76 years (women) (UN)

•    Monetary unit: 1 Renminbi (yuan) (Y) = 10 jiao = 100 fen

•    Main exports: Manufactured goods, including textiles, garments, electronics, arms

•    GNI per capita: US $4,260 (World Bank, 2010)

•    Internet domain: .cn

•    International dialling code: +86

Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou (SYSU)

http://www.sysu.edu.cn/2012/en/

Sun Yat-sen University was founded in 1924 by Dr. Sun Yat-sen— a great leader of the 20th century. The university is a vibrant community of scholarship and learning, characterized by its revolutionary spirit. The mission of SYSU is to advance knowledge and educate students in arts, science, technology, and other academic areas that will best serve the nation and the world in the 21st century.

Semester Dates

Fall Semester: early September - mid January, including exam period

Spring Semester: mid February - mid June, including exam period

Application Deadlines

31 January of preceding year.

Faculties

The SYSU Business School consists of the following departments:

• Department of Business Administration
• Department of Accountancy
• Department of Hospitality and Service Management
• Department of Marketing
• Department of Finance and Investment
• Department of Management Science   

The School of Business offers the following Undergraduate and Master’s Programs (and thus courses in these fields):

More information about SYSU’s Business School can be found on it’s homepage http://bus.sysu.edu.cn/en/index.aspx

Housing

The SUSU helps incoming students to find on-campus housing. In principal, international students either live in the International Student Hall or in the Students Dormitory Building.

International Student Hall

Each room in the hall has a private bathroom, internet connection plug, telephone and air-conditioner. Inside the Hall, there are shared laundry rooms, gyms, TV rooms and reading rooms, as well as an international students' canteen inside. Also, the rooms come furnished with a bed and bedding. The hall is located close to the classrooms. The accommodation fees of the International Student Hall on the South Campus are:

• Single room: approximately €200 per month or 7 Euro per day
• Double room: approximately €130 Euro per person per month or 4 Euro per person per day

Photos of the International Student Hall can be found at: http://iso.sysu.edu.cn/ywb/living/93388.htm

Students Dormitory Building

This Building is located in the South Campus' Eastern District (the Chinese students’ residential district). It is very convenient to live here: student canteens, shops, bookstores, sports facilities and swimming pools are all within easy reach. Living with the Chinese students in the same district, you will interact and make friends with them and gain an insight into the lively campus life. The Building is eight floors without an elevator. Each room includes a bathroom and a balcony. The room is equipped with an air conditioner, an electric fan, a telephone set, two beds, two desks, two bookshelves, and two internet connection plugs. Two students share one room. 

On the first floor of the building, there is a public laundry room, reading room and a TV room. Students have to provide the bedding themselves. The building supplies hot water for showers at pre-set times: 5:30-7:30 pm and 9:30-11:00 pm. The rent for the Dormitory Building is approximately €300 per semester.

Language of Instruction

The School for Overseas Educational Exchange offers short-term language programs:
The training program lasts from 1-4 weeks, according to trainees' needs and requirements. Apart from language training, this program usually arranges varied cultural activities and traveling upon students' needs. Group applications are welcome all year round.

The tuition for the language courses are approximately:

• €140 / 1 week
• €240 / 2 weeks
• €340 / 3 weeks  
• €400 / 4 weeks

More information regarding the Language program can be found at: http://eng.sysu.edu.cn/admissions/internationaladmissions/programsoffered/5673.htm

Some information about Guǎngzhōu

Known to many in the West as ‘Canton’, Guǎngzhōu is the first city most travellers to mainland China visit. Wrapped in a perpetual haze of pink smog and flashing neon lights, the city overwhelms with its energy, colour, and sheer size. Influenced by neighbouring Hong Kong, consumerism has swept up the city in a head-spinning frenzy, but scratch away Guǎngzhōu’s glittery surface and you’ll find a place quite special among China’s major urban centres. It just takes some time to grow on you.

It wasn’t long ago that Guǎngzhōu exemplified the worst of rampant urbanisation: never-ending flyovers, ugly architecture and traffic-clogged streets. In recent years, the city has been given a makeover and its scrubbed-up appearance has given it a cosmopolitan edge. Stodgy concrete apartment blocks are giving way to shiny high rises and shopping plazas. Efforts to relieve traffic congestion have resulted in a clean, modern metro system and tougher traffic laws. Trees and flowers have been planted on roadsides and well-kept gardens and parks add splashes of colour to the contemporary grey landscape.

The city remains as chaotic as ever, but underneath all the glitz and noise there are pockets that still retain their character from earlier years. Many of the elegant churches, villas and mansions on the former foreign enclave of Shamian Island have been restored, and you’ll find hidden among Guǎngzhōu’s back lanes some lovely old residences, temples and gardens that haven’t been touched in generations.

Of course, you can’t talk about Guǎngzhōu without mentioning the food. It’s here that you’ll try Cantonese cuisine cooked at its very best. The city boasts the largest number of restaurants per capita in China; the Cantonese will make certain you won’t leave their city hungry.

(excerpt from BBC World News Country Profiles: May 8, 2012)

Peking University, Guanghua School of Management

www.gsm.pku.edu.cn/index/en/index_en.html

Peking University is a comprehensive and national key university. The campus, known as "Yan Yuan"（the garden of Yan, is situated at Haidian District in the western suburb of Beijing, with a total area of 2,743,532 square metres (or 274 hectares). It stands near to the Yuanmingyuan Garden and the Summer Palace.

The university has effectively combined research on important scientific subjects with the training of personnel with a high level of specialized knowledge and professional skill as demanded by the country's socialist modernization. It strives not only for improvements in teaching and research work, but also for the promotion of interaction and mutual promotion among various disciplines.   

Thus Peking University has become a center for teaching and research and a university of a new type, embracing diverse branches of learning such as basic and applied sciences, social sciences and the humanities, and sciences of medicine, management, and education. Its aim is to rank among the world's best universities in the future.

Semester Dates

Fall semester: Early September - end of January
Spring semester: Early February - end of June
 

Application Deadlines

Spring Semester: November 10 of the year before intended enrollment (must be received by PKU by this date).
Fall Semester: March 10 of the year before intended enrollment (must be received by PKU by this date).

Faculties

The Guanghua School of Management consists of the following departments (and thus offers courses in the following fields):

• Accounting
• Applied Economics
• Business Statistics and Econometrics
• Finance
• Management Science and Information Systems
• Marketing
• Organization Management
• Strategic Management

About Guanghua School of Management

Founded as the Imperial University of Peking in 1898 and renamed in 1912, Peking University is recognized not only as the supreme center of learning in China, but also as one of the most important universities in Asia and the world.

As the business school of Peking University, the Guanghua School of Management (GSM) was established in December 1993 through a merging of the Department of Economic Management and the Center for Management Science. Originally called the School of Business Administration of Peking University, its name changed in September 1994 in gratitude of a generous donation made by the Guanghua Education Foundation.
GSM now has more than 100 full-time faculty members, providing bachelor’s, master’s, doctorate, MPAcc, MBA and EMBA education based on a rigorous curriculum and current academic research. The school also provides customized internal training for employees of large multinational and local companies, as well as the Executive Development Program (EDP) for top executives. GSM has consistently attracted students from across the globe, and has successfully channeled a great number of its exceptional graduates into the business world as future leaders. GSM has established exchange programs and extensive cooperation with almost 100 universities in other countries. Through such relationships, GSM continually expands its global network of contacts.
 

Housing  

International students may live on campus in the Shao Yuan dormitory. If international students, however, extend their period of study, they will not be provided housing in Shao Yuan. The standard dormitory rooms for international students are equipped with TV, telephone, internet access, a desk, a chair, a closet, and an electric fan. Two students will share a room, and students share a communal bathroom and showers on each floor. Accommodation in this standard dorm room costs US $3.50 per person per day.

 
If you wish to live in other types of accommodations, you may send a special request for alternative housing at the time of new student registration, but PKU cannot guarantee the availability of other housing arrangements.
 
In buildings 6,8, and 9 there are also single rooms available for students.
       

Costs of Living

Accommodation:  approx. €1800 per semester

Board (meals):  approx. €900 per semester

Transportation and other miscellaneous costs: approx. €600 per semester
 

Some information about Peking (Běijīng)

A vast and symmetrical metropolis, Peking is the orderly seat of the communist political power in China, so its architecture traces each and every mood swing from 1949 to the present, from felled hútòng (narrow alleys) to huge underground bomb shelters scooped out during the paranoid 1970s. One moment you are sizing up a blank Soviet-style monument, the next you spot a vast, shimmering tower rising up from the footprint of a vanished temple.

History may have been trampled in Peking over the past half century, but there’s still much more substance here than in China’s other dynastic capitals, bar Nánjīng or Kāifēng. You just need to do a bit of hunting and patient exploration to find the historical narrative. It’s also essential to sift the genuine from the fake: some of Peking’s once-illustrious past has been fitfully resurrected in the trompe-l’oeil of rebuilt monuments. Colossal flyovers and multilane boulevards heave with more than three million cars but ample pockets of historical charm survive. It’s the city’s epic imperial grandeur, however, that is truly awe-inspiring.

Frank and uncomplicated, Peking’s denizens chat in Běijīnghuà – the gold standard of Mandarin – and marvel at their good fortune for occupying the centre of the known world. And for all its diligence and gusto, Běijīng dispenses with the persistent pace of Shànghǎi or Hong Kong, and locals instead find time to sit out front, play chess and watch the world go by.

                       (excerpt from BBC World News Country Profiles: May 10, 2012))
 

 Xiamen University – The Wang Yanan Institute for studies in Economics 

wise.xmu.edu.cn/english

Xiamen University was founded in 1921 by Tan Kah Kee, the well-known patriotic overseas Chinese leader. It was the first university in China founded by an overseas Chinese. Over the past ninety years, as the result of following the school motto: Pursue Excellence, Strive for Perfection, Xiamen University has accumulated rich experience in offering its educational programs and has presented its distinctive features in running the programs. Equipped with a strong team of faculty and staff, Xiamen University, which provides a fairly complete range of programs of education, has become a first-class comprehensive university in China with extensive international influence. Since its founding, Xiamen University has produced more than 200,000 undergraduates and graduates for the country and over 60 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) have studied or worked at Xiamen University.

Semester dates

Fall Semester: beginning of September – mid February

Spring Semester: mid February – mid July

Application periods: 

Spring semester: Oct. 1—Dec. 15

Autumn semester: Feb. 15—June 1

Also note, there is an application fee of approx. €50.

The Wang Yanan Institute for studies in Economics (WISE)

Xiamen University (XMU) has long been an institution for economic studying with an inspiring history. Established in 1921, the School of Business quickly developed into the Department of Economics of Xiamen University in 1923 becoming one of the few earliest departments of economics then in the country. It enjoyed a rapid and solid development under the guidance of Professor Wang Yanan, the late president for 19 years whose unremitting effort and determination brought the Department of Economics, then the School of Economics, to the top of its peers.

At present, the School of Economics of XMU hosts five national key programs recognized by the Ministry of Education-- Accounting, Finance & Banking, Political Economics, Public Finance and Statistics; two key research centers in social sciences, the Center for Accounting & Development and the Center for Macroeconomics Research; a national center for economic studies & training, and a Base for Innovations in Philosophy and Social Sciences which is a  “985 Project (II)” for “Macroeconomic Analysis & Forecasting” project.

Faculties

Courses offered at WISE have a strong mathematical character.
Courses, including descriptions and literature are provided at:
http://wise.xmu.edu.cn/english/loadpage.asp?id=55
WISE homepage-> Programs-> Course descriptions

Housing

All the exchange students should live in the Overseas Student Dormitory of Xiamen University in Xiamen campus, where the rent is 6-12 Euro per day. (Only standard rooms and four-bend rooms are available. Electricity and water fees are not covered.) Exchange students can also apply for living outside the university which costs about 150-200 euro a month.

Costs of living

• Accommodation: approx. €110-180 per month
• Meals: approx. €70 for meals per month
• Health check in Xiamen Quarantine Bureau: approx. €50 
• Residence Permit in Xiamen (Visa): approx. €50 (<1 year)
• Textbook fee: based on the courses you take, approx. €40 per semester
• Insurance premium: approx. €75 
• There may be other expenses, but it won't be much.

Some information about Xiamen

Located at the southeast coast of China, Xiamen is a tourist city of Fujian Province famous for its attractive seascape. As one of the major seaports since ancient times, it boasts a wide gulf with deep water but without freezing and silting. The name of 'Xiamen' was consequently given, which means 'a gate of China'. As one of the forerunners of the special economic zones of China, the city mainly consisting of Xiamen Island, Gulangyu Island, the north bank area of the Jiulong River and Tong'an County, is connected with the mainland by the Gaoji Seawall, Xiamen Bridge, etc. The city has been called the Egret Island because of the hundreds of thousands of egrets inhabiting there. This is due to the beautiful natural scenery, the fresh air and the clean environment of the city.

Being of a subtropical monsoon climate with mild weather all year round expect the typhoon months, Xiamen is an ideal tourist destination for you. It is a typical littoral city with abundant tourist attractions such as islands, mountains, temples and parks, etc., providing you with a full sightseeing schedule. The well-known Gulangyu Island, South Putuo Temple and other tourist areas like Jimei, Hulishan Battery, Wanshiyan, etc. are highly recommended. A sea tourist line is also available for you to enjoy the amazing scenery of many beautiful small islands around.

                  (excerpt from www.travelchinaguide.com,  May 15, 2012)

For (daily updated) information about what’s is going on at Xiamen, visit: www.whatsonxiamen.com