Click Here to Download the Application
As part of the coordinated efforts to enhance the U.S.-China High-level Consultation on People-to-People Exchange, the All-China Youth Federation, in cooperation with the IVY Council, launched the China-US Youth RME (Research, Mentorship, Exchange) Partnership Program in 2011. The Program aims not only at promoting understanding of young people on each other’s country and enhancing cooperation and friendship between both sides, but also at consolidating the social basis for the development of China-US relations.
What is the China-US Youth RME Partnership?
40 delegates will represent the Ivy League during the RME Program, and the program will last for 12 days. Selected delegates will depart from their home cities for Beijing on August 10th. Delegates will spend their first four days meeting the other Ivy League and Chinese students, and participate in a number of activities to get acquainted with their peers and put together a plan for the projects they will work on for the following portion of the trip. After these four days in Beijing, delegates will divide into smaller groups and head off to different parts of China to conduct research on the cultural and economic history of the province they have been assigned. Delegates will have a certain degree of freedom so that the destinations they visit coincide with their own interests. On the 10th day of the trip, delegates will gather together again in either Beijing or Shanghai to share the research they have conducted on their trips and their experiences in China.
The Ivy Council encourages any undergraduate any one of the eight Ivy League schools to apply. The entire cost of the trip will be covered. It is our goal to ensure that financial considerations will not factor into an applicant’s decision to apply, and our partners in China, the All-China Youth Federation, has generously provided the funding to make this program happen. Thank you for your interest in Ivy-China, and we look forward to welcoming you to our 2012 RME delegation.
Dates to Remember
June 12: Final Day to Submit App for Students Applying For Delegation Leader, 11:59 PM EST
June 14: Final Day to Submit App, 11:59 PM EST
June 17: Summer 2012 Delegation Selected & Notified
June 21: Final Day for Selected Students to Confirm Attendance
August 10: Departure Date
August 23: Return Date
Key Activities of China-US Youth RME Partnership
The Chinese and US applicants will form 5 groups. Each group will need to submit a project/plan after online discussion and planning, with a research subject according to the research directions and their destination province’s conditions. The organizers will provide fund for each group to conduct a 12-day research with based on their project plan.
Activities include
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Dialogue and Discussion
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On-site Investigation
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Cultural Tours
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Home Stay Experience
Sample Research Topics
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China’s economic development and global economic governance
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China’s social development and urbanization
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China’s agricultural development and construction in rural areas
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Environmental protection and sustainable development
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Multi-cultural development and cultural industries
Schedule
July: On-line Planning
The 5 groups make their plan according to their research direction and destination provinces’ conditions. Sub-groups can be divided if needed. The Plan should include 1) subject of research, 2) methods of research, 3) program schedule in destination province, 4) expected achievements.
Departure
Delegates will depart from their closest major airport on August 10.
Day 1: Arrival
Meet the delegates, and cultural tour of Beijing
Day 2: Opening & Training
Each group is composed of 20 Chinese students, 17 Ivy League delegates, and 3 US students studying in China. Training and ice-breaking activities will be organized.
Day 3: Team Building
Team building activities will be arranged.
Day 4: Meetings and Visits
Meetings with national leaders and visits to government agencies or academic institutions will be arranged.
Day 5: Leaving Beijing for Destinations
The research groups will leave for different destinations where they will carry out their projects.
Day 5- Day 10: Implementation
All the groups will conduct research in the related provinces and cities.
Day 10: Back to Reviewing city (Beijing or Shanghai)
Groups will arrive in the reviewing city and finalize their researches and reports.
Day 11: Project Review
Participants will come back to Beijing to demonstrate their findings and exchange views. Experts and mentors will give comments and present certificates to the participants. Cultural tour and other exchange activities will also be conducted according to the time.
Day 12: Departure
Follow-ups:
Each group should submit their detailed reports to the organizers within two weeks after the end of the program.
What is the Cost of Attendance?
Our Chinese partner, the All-China Youth Federation, has provided the funding to ensure that the cost of airfare, hotels, food, and other expenses are covered. We encourage you to have your own spending money prepared in case you are interested in purchasing additional items. Selected delegates will be responsible for applying for a Chinese visa, which will cost $140. I will assist selected delegates in the process of applying for this visa.
Who is the Ivy Council looking for?
We are looking for 40 undergraduates at the Ivy League universities who represent the leadership and diversity of our schools. In our mission to bring the students at our eight universities closer together, the Ivy Council seeks students who have demonstrated leadership at their institutions and can work well with individuals who may be very different from themselves. Whether you are involved in your school’s student government, a cultural organization, a club sport, or one of our many Ivy Council delegations, we hope that you are passionate about something at your campus and can bring to the Ivy-China program something unique to you.
Delegation Leaders
Within these 40 students, I am looking for 5 to 6 students interested in serving as delegation leaders during the RME program. Delegation leaders should be students who have experience traveling in China or have attended a past Ivy-China event. While the Ivy Council delegates are in Beijing, delegation leaders will be responsible for overseeing groups of 7 to 8 students. Delegation leaders will be responsible for ensuring smooth communication between our Chinese partners and the individual delegates, and will have the opportunity to lead smaller groups in evening activities such as karaoke or a Peking Duck dinner. Delegation leaders will be called upon at the conclusion of the trip to evaluate what went well during the trip, and what needed to be improved, and may have the opportunity to assume the role of Ivy Council Vice President for External Affairs in the coming year. If you are interested in applying as a delegation leader, please see the delegation leader section in the application. Students who apply as delegation leader may still be accepted into the RME Program, even if they are not selected to be a delegation leader.
How To Apply
Interested students should submit the following documents before June 14, 11:59 PM EST (or June 12, 11:59 PM EST if applying for Delegation Leader) to the following email external@ivycouncil.org. Accepted students will be notified on a rolling basis, so submitting your application earlier will yield a faster response. Any current undergraduate at one of the eight Ivy League schools is eligible to apply. Here is what you need:
- Completed application form
- Resume
- A photo (Please make sure that your face is clearly visible. Passport-like photo preferable.)
- A copy of your passport (Photo page and signature page)
Click Here to Download the Application
Contact
Please email Alexander Tsu, Vice President for External Affairs, at external@ivycouncil.org if you have any additional questions.
