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UMSL Students in China with Professor Fengru Li
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Bicycle facotry visited in China, 2011 |
UMSL Students Dining in China |
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PROGRAM LOCATIONS: Beijing, Chongqing, Yangtze River, and Shanghai. The program is conducted on the CYUPS, SWUPL, and SISU campuses, which are conveniently located in their respective cities. Students will have access to each University’s Law Library, in addition to high speed Internet connections for most of their activities.
PROGRAM DATES: TBD - *Subject to cancellation. We are working on pricing for the program and will let you know ASAP whether the program will be offered, and if so, how much it will cost.
Housing & Meals
Curriculum
Field Trips
Faculty
Cost & Financial Aid
Visas
Transportation & Insurance
ABA Approval Academic Credit and Eligibility
Changes, Withdrawals and Refunds
Students with Disabilities
Emergencies
Practical Travel Information
Applications and Program Contact Information for:
UM School of Law
Gonzaga University School of Law
University of South Dakota School of Law
Housing & Meals
In Beijing and Shanghai, students and professors reside at the CYUPS and SISU Hotels located on their respective campuses, in double rooms with private baths, television and Internet connections. In Chongqing students and professors will stay in the Continental Grand Hotel, a high quality business class hotel near the SWUPL campus (transportation will be arranged to get students to and from classes), also in double rooms with private baths, television and high speed Internet.
The cost of the course includes a shared 2-person double room and breakfast at each hotel, as well as lunch at each campus. Students are generally on their own for dinner except for the closing banquet in each of the three cities and the dinners on the boat trip on the Yangtze River.
We can help students arriving a few days early (which we strongly encourage) or staying after the course ends, but students must pay all hotel and meal costs directly for any additional nights.
Field Trips
The program has a number of field trips tied to each course, including visits to Chnese courts to observe live criminal and civil case sessions; visits with business law leaders and practitioners; and sessions with leaders of the international trade and investment legal community; visits with environmental authorities.
At the end of the 2-week cycle in each Beijing and Chongqing and at the end of the one week course in Shanghai, there will be a closing dinner at program expense for all U.S. and Chinese participants.
Cost & Financial Aid
Program costs are currently estimated at $US 6000 which includes tuition and fees for the 6 U.S. law credits; all course-related travel inside China; all lodging inside China from the evenings of May 27-July 6; all breakfasts at the hotels and all lunches eaten on campus, as well as at least 3 dinners; all meals during the Yangtze River cruise; emergency medical and related evacuation insurance; and all course materials.
**NOTE: THIS ESTIMATE OF $6000 AMOUNT DOES NOT INCLUDE EITHER INTERNATIONAL AIR TRAVEL TO AND FROM CHINA, OR CHINESE VISA COSTS, WHICH STUDENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ARRANGING AND FUNDING ON THEIR OWN. IN ADDITION, STUDENTS WHO CHOOSE TO STAY IN CHINA AFTER THE JULY 9 COURSE ENDING DATE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ARANGING AND PAYING SEPARATELY FOR THEIR OWN TRAVEL TO THE CHINESE DEPARTURE CITY FROM WHERE THEY WILL RETURN TO THE US.**
In addition to program costs, we encourage students to budget for additional expenses. While the amount of additional expenses will vary per student, students should budget for an additional $1000.
FINANCIAL AID
Students enrolled in the program are eligible for financial aid to the extent that participating students are eligible to receive it. Students should contact their own school financial aid office for assistance and aid information.
At the University of Montana, students should contact Connie Bowman at (406) 243-5524.
At the University of South Dakota, students should contact Lindsay Miller at (605) 677-5446.
At Gonzaga University, students should contact Joan Henning at (509) 313-3859 or jhenning@lawschool.gonzaga.edu
Visas
Students are responsible for obtaining their own visas and will need an F Business Visa as explained in this link immediately below:
http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/hzqz/zgqz/t84247.htm
- A Chinese F Business Visa requires a letter from one of the schools which will be provided to each program participant by
- The University of Montana in late March 2013. The F Visa may be obtained in one of several ways including:
- Directly from the Chinese Government through the following web site: http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/hzqz/zgqz/t84247.htm
- A commercial visa processing service specializing in China, such as:
Travisa (http://www.visaexpress.net/china/chinabusinessvisa.htm)
NOTE: MS. Ruth Matheny at the Travisa San Francisco office is prepared to work with the entire program group through the Chinese San Francisco Consulate, regardless of whether a program participant resides in a state technically subject to that consulate jurisdiction.
Her contact information is:
Ruth Matheny
Travisa
564 Market Street, Ste 214
San Francisco, CA 94104
Send documents to:
Travisa - San Francisco
Tel: (415) 837-0771
Tel: (800) 421-5468
Fax: (415) 837-0775
- A travel agency specializing in China travel. The University of Montana has successfully worked with Ms. Jean Wei on a number of prior China travel and visa matters involving our University. Her contact information is:
Jean Wei
CITS (USA)
16 North Marengo Avenue, #201
Pasadena, CA 91101, USA
Tel: (626) 568-8993 Cell: (626) 241 0084
Fax: (626) 226 5884
Email: Jean.wei@hotmail.com
**Special Visa Recommendations: It is strongly suggested that each program participant pay extra for expedited processing and handling of the visa application, including overnight mail both ways, for tracking and deadline purposes. Your valid passport must have at least six (6) months of remaining validity and at least one blank visa page in it.**
Transportation & Insurance
Transportation: Participants are responsible for arranging and purchasing their own international airfare between the U.S. and China. As noted above, the $US 6000 program cost includes transportation costs within China for travel to the various sites; and students who wish to return to the U.S. on or around July 7 from Shanghai will also have flights to their Chinese gateway cities (probably Beijing in most or all cases) paid for as part of this program cost. Everyone will travel as a group within China to Chongqing, the Yangtze River, to Shanghai, and on field trips.
Insurance: All participants are required to have overseas medical health and emergency evacuation insurance, the cost of which is included in the program costs. The University of Montana will make these purchases for each participant who needs it.
ABA Approval Academic Credit and Eligibility
ABA Approval |Academic Credit
The American Bar Association Legal Education Committee has approved this program for all six (6) academic credits, which makes these credits eligible towards a J.D. degree at any ABA-accredited law school which chooses to accept them. Acceptance of any credit or grade for any course taken in the program is subject to determination by the student’s home school. The program’s sponsoring law schools have preliminarily determined that law students must enroll in all (six) 6 credits as a condition for participation.
Eligibility
All US law students who have completed their first year of legal studies at a US ABA-accredited law school and who are in good academic standing at their law school are eligible to enroll, although preference will be given to UM, USD and GU students. In addition, non-law students may participate to the extent their universities recognize the academic credits. The University of Montana has approved the program for six (6) graduate credits. Participants are required to comply with their own school’s student disciplinary and honor codes throughout the program, and those failing to do so will be sent home in addition to facing their own school disciplinary sanctions as warranted.
**There are no prerequisites for enrollment in any of the courses in the program. The program enrollment will be capped at 33 students from US universities. Last year, 33 students participated in the program from the University of Montana, the University of South Dakota, and Gonzaga University. In addition, thirty Chinese law students participated in the program. We expect similar numbers of Chinese law students from each Chinese university to participate in the program this year. **
Changes, Withdrawals and Refunds
This program is subject to change as to content and location based upon currently unforeseen circumstances including those generally falling within the scope of force majeure events such as natural disaster, war, epidemic illnesses, etc. In addition, the program will be cancelled in the event that (1) fewer than 18 US students enroll; (2) China becomes subject to a US State Department travel warning; (3) China imposes any new legal restriction making the program too difficult to administer; or (4) other extreme circumstances. The program’s sponsoring schools are committed not to increase program costs if any changes are needed; and in case of cancellation students will be provided a refund of all monies advanced within twenty days after the cancellation, excepting non-refundable deposits. In the event of cancellation of the program after a deposit has been paid, the Program Director will use his or her best efforts to make arrangements for each student enrolled to attend a similar program, if the student so desires. Students will be promptly notified of the following and given an opportunity to withdraw from the program if (1) major changes are made in the course offerings or other significant aspects of the program; (2) prior to the commencement of the program, a US State Department Travel Warning or Alert covering program dates and destinations is issued for the country in which the program will be conducted; and (3) during the course of the program, a US State Department Travel Warning or Alert covering program dates and destinations is issued for the country in which the program is being conducted. If a student withdraws from the program as permitted prior to the commencement of the program, or if the program is canceled, the student will receive a refund of all monies advanced within twenty days after the cancellation or withdrawal. If a student withdraws from the program as permitted during the course of the program, or if the program is terminated, the student will be refunded fees paid except for room and board payments utilized prior to the date of termination or withdrawal.
Program participants will be provided with current U.S. State Department travel information about China at least once before they depart, along with any updates. In the event that China becomes subject to a US State Department travel warning, all students will be notified through email and other means by the program director. Sponsoring schools will respond immediately to a State Department warning or advisory by cancelling or terminating the program; or relocating all or part of the program within the country to any site not subject to such warning or advisory. In addition, the sponsoring schools will seek immediate US Embassy and Consulate help and guidance in response to any such advisory or warning.
**The 2012 Program did not have any significant changes or cancellations.**
Students with Disabilities
This program will make all reasonable efforts to ensure full participation by persons with disabilities, although participants should note that not all facilities, buildings, and transportation are equipped for accessibility.
Emergencies
The program will handle emergencies as any arises. These include medical and safety emergencies. Participants will be asked in connection with their registration to provide emergency contact information. In addition, the program will provide emergency contact information for participant family members who need to communicate with participants in China. To the extent necessary because of exigent circumstances, the program will retain the discretion to discontinue the program before its conclusion and arrange for evacuation from China.
When UMSL was founded in 1911, the School recognized the unique role it played in the development of Montana business. The non-litigation aspects of law practice have been a hallmark of the School for many years. (photo to right: Barbara Morrison, Copyright 2013)
