Harvard Summer Program in Shanghai, China

Life sciences, statistics, and hands-on laboratory research in Shanghai

Faculty: Robert A. Lue and Alain Viel

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 statistics with cutting edge laboratory research in translational biology, and is specifically designed to promote interdisciplinary learning in the context of contemporary China. Offered in collaboration with a major research university and medical school in Shanghai, the program enrolls both American and Chinese students, creating an exciting cross-cultural learning environment. All instruction is in English.

Course of study

BIOS S-101a Study Abroad in Shanghai, China: Supervised Laboratory Research in the Life Sciences

Alain Viel

(4 credits: UN) Limited enrollment.

This course offers an intensive research experience in a Chinese laboratory across a range of fields in the life sciences, including cancer biology, immunology, developmental biology, and biochemistry. Students participate in experimental projects linked directly with ongoing translational research in their host laboratories at a leading Shanghai medical school and research institute. 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-106 Study Abroad in Shanghai, China: Biological and Statistical Perspectives on Human Disease

Robert A. Lue and Viktoria Liublinska

(4 credits: UN) Limited enrollment.

The life sciences and statistics are pervasive in society today and affect the individual lives of every citizen around the world. This course uses the vibrant social backdrop of China to integrate biological and statistical thinking, introducing tools for understanding disease and emerging drug therapies. An emphasis is placed on how drug therapies are based on cell biology and genetic and environmental factors, and how principles of statistical inference can be used to design drug studies, test scientific hypotheses, and predict the survival of a patient.

Prerequisite: introductory coursework in the biological sciences and statistics.

Course credit

See Study Abroad Credit Information.

Faculty

Alain Viel, PhD, Senior Lecturer on Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University
Robert A. Lue, PhD, Professor of the Practice of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University
Viktoriia Liublinska, MA, Doctoral Candidate in Statistics, Harvard University

Application

The application period is now closed.

Students must be at least 18 years old, have completed at least one year of college or be a first-year student, and be in good academic standing to apply.

The application materials, outlined below, are due January 31, 2013:

  • A completed online application that includes:
    • A $50 nonrefundable application fee
    • A statement of interest in the program, including information on relevant coursework in chemistry and biology, and travel experience abroad (previous travel is not a prerequisite)
    • Transcripts (student record accepted for Harvard students)

Program directors may ask for interviews.

Students will be notified of admission decisions by mid-February.

Cost

There is a nonrefundable $50 application fee. The cost of the program is $7,750 and includes the following:

  • Tuition
  • Room and some meals
  • Excursions (including meals when appropriate)

In addition to the program fee, students are responsible for:

  • A health insurance fee (waived if students have US insurance that provides coverage outside the United States)
  • Transportation to and from Shanghai
  • The cost of passports and visas
  • Any immunizations

Suggested budget

See a sample budget for estimated expenses.

How to pay and funding options

See Funding and Payment for payment deadlines, deposit amounts, and more information, including funding options for Harvard College students.

Accommodations

Students stay in dormitories at the host university in Shanghai. All rooms are doubles and include breakfast.

Additional information

Contact Robert Lue, robert_lue@harvard.edu.

Students with disabilities

Students should contact the disability services coordinator as soon as possible. See Students with Disabilities for more information.