Harvard Summer Program in Shanghai, China
This page contains content from the Summer School 2009. For current information, visit the Harvard Summer School website at www.summer.harvard.edu.
Information on the programs being offered summer 2010 will be available online in early September.
Biological studies and hands-on laboratory research in Shanghai
Faculty: Robert Lue, Xiao-Li Meng, and Alain Viel
(8 credits: UN) Limited enrollment
Program dates: June 22–August 17
Application deadline: February 27
Cost: $7,350
Located on the mouth of the Yangtze River, Shanghai is one of the world’s most exciting and fastest-growing cities. It emerged as an important nexus for international trade and cultural exchange in the 1920s and today is the vibrant center of China’s economic ascendancy, a fascinating mixture of East and West and a global city for the twenty-first century.
This eight-week program combines coursework in the life sciences and the social sciences, and is specifically designed to promote interdisciplinary learning across both broad fields in the context of contemporary China. Students choose two courses from three possible offerings described below. Offered in collaboration with a major university and a biotechnology company in Shanghai, the program enrolls both US and Chinese students, creating an exciting cross-cultural learning environment. All instruction is in English.
Course of study
Students enroll in two of the following three courses, designed to present multiple combinations that are both intellectually coherent and highly interdisciplinary.
BIOS S-101 Study Abroad in Shanghai, China: Supervised Laboratory Research in the Life Sciences
This course, taught by Alain Viel, offers an intensive research experience in a Chinese laboratory across a range of fields in the life sciences, including molecular and cellular biology, developmental biology, and biochemistry. Students participate in experimental projects linked directly with ongoing research in their host laboratories. In addition to their time in the lab, students also meet as a group to form a close-knit community based on the sharing and discussion of their ongoing projects. Prerequisite: introductory coursework with laboratory in chemistry, molecular biology, or cellular biology.
BIOS S-103 Study Abroad in Shanghai, China: Living Science—The Biology of Life and Society
The life sciences are a pervasive part of society today and affect the individual lives of every citizen around the world. This course, taught by Robert Lue, uses the vibrant social backdrop of China to showcase the changing impact of life sciences research on rapid economic and cultural change. An emphasis is placed on how developing drug therapies for disease are based on understanding cell biology and further influenced by genetic and environmental factors. The course also collaborates with participating biotechnology or pharmaceutical companies for an inside view of how therapies are being developed specifically for China, and includes five weeks of lecture and field trips coupled with a three-week full-time internship at a local biotechnology, pharmaceutical, or healthcare company. Prerequisite: introductory coursework with laboratory in chemistry, molecular biology, or cellular biology.
STAT S-105 Study Abroad in Shanghai, China: Vital Statistics for Life and Medical Sciences
This course, taught by Xiao-Li Meng, introduces vital statistical thinking and tools for designing, collecting, and analyzing quantitative evidence in the life sciences, with a focus on drug development and more generally on biological and medical research. Through case studies involving the well-known drugs Viagra, Fen-Phen, and Vioxx, as well as quantitative analysis of DNA evidence, students learn the vital importance of understanding the fundamental principles and techniques for statistical inference, particularly experimental design, observational studies, hypothesis testing, and Bayesian statistics. Prerequisite: introductory coursework in statistics.
Course credit
For Harvard College students, this program counts as two half-year courses (4 credits each) of degree credit.
Transfer credit. Harvard Summer School courses and credits are accepted toward degrees at most colleges and universities. Since degree requirements vary among schools, students are advised to obtain transfer credit approval from their home institutions before registering for Harvard Summer School courses.
Faculty
Robert Lue, Professor of the Practice of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Director of Life Science Education, Harvard University
Xiao-Li Meng, Whipple V. N. Jones Professor of Statistics and Chair, Department of Statistics, Harvard University
Alain Viel, Senior Lecturer and Director of Undergraduate Research in Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University
Application
Students must be at least 18 years old to apply. The application materials, outlined below, are due February 27:
- An application form (the application period for this program has ended)
- Official transcripts (sent directly from schools to the address below; unofficial copies of transcripts are accepted for Harvard College students only)
- A $50 nonrefundable application fee
- A supplementary statement describing interest in the program, relevant coursework, and travel experience abroad (not a prerequisite)
Applications should be addressed as follows:
Matilda West
Study Abroad Coordinator
Harvard Summer School
51 Brattle Street
Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
Students will be notified of admission decisions by mid-March.
Cost
The cost of the program is $7,350, plus a nonrefundable $50 application fee. In addition, students are responsible for a health insurance fee ($165; waived if students have US insurance that provides coverage outside the United States) and for transportation to and from Shanghai. The cost of the program covers the following:
- Tuition
- Room and some meals
- Excursions (including meals when appropriate)
Program directors will advise students of likely additional expenses.
Payment deadlines
Harvard Summer School online services allows accepted students to make payments or deposits with a valid credit card.
Students can also mail their payment, along with a completed Study Abroad Payment Form (available in Forms), to:
Student Financial Services
Harvard Summer School
51 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
For those admitted to the program, a nonrefundable deposit of $735 must be received by April 15 to secure a place in the program. Payment in full is due by May 15. A $100 late fee will be charged for payments received after this date.
Funding
Harvard College students are eligible for funding through the Harvard College Office of International Programs (OIP), as well as a variety of centers around campus. All Harvard Summer School study abroad programs qualify for summer funding. Programs of eight weeks or longer in duration (including extensions of Harvard Summer School Programs approved by faculty members) qualify for Rockefeller International Experience Grants; programs of shorter duration qualify for other summer grants.
Students may consult the Funding Sources Database for more information on all sources of funding. Please note that the funding application deadline for summer grants and Rockefeller International Experience Grants is February 27.
To apply for any study abroad funding, students need to provide information about the program’s budget, submit an application through the Common Application for Research and Travel (CARAT), as well as supplementary documents to the relevant center, if necessary. Additional information on the funding application process is available through CARAT.
Also see the Harvard College Financial Aid Office summer school page for information about assistance.
Other Harvard students may be eligible for financial assistance through their Harvard financial aid offices. Students enrolled at other institutions should consult their respective financial aid offices.
Accommodations
Students stay in dormitories at the host university in Shanghai. All rooms are doubles and include breakfast.
Additional information
Contact Matilda West, matilda_west@harvard.edu.
Students with disabilities should contact the disability services coordinator as soon as possible: (617) 495-0977, (617) 495-9419 (TTY), or disabilities@dcemail.harvard.edu. Request-for-accommodation forms and supporting diagnostic documentation must be submitted by April 15. See the Disability Services page for more information about disability services, including request forms and guidelines for documentation.
Students applying for admission to Harvard’s study abroad programs should understand that although the University provides reasonable assistance and support to facilitate the participation of qualified students in its programs (including students with disabilities and health impairments), some of our programs are located in parts of the world where accommodations may not be readily available. Students are encouraged to be forthcoming with the disability services coordinator about any specific needs and functional limitations so that the Summer School can collaborate with those students in a way that fosters their safe participation and allows them to fully appreciate any barriers that they may face, depending on the location and rigors of the particular program.
Harvard Summer School is aware of the risks associated with international travel. Should the US Department of State issue a travel warning for any of the countries in which a study abroad program is planned, the program in that country may be canceled.