This Virginia Tech program will bring students to the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in Hefei, China, for six weeks of intensive Mandarin Chinese study and internships. Instruction in Mandarin Chinese will be provided four mornings per week; internships will be arranged on Wednesdays at a Chinese company. The company will be determined according to the interests of the Virginia Tech student. In addition to these components, students will be guided on excursions to local and national UNESCO sites such as Mount Huangshan, Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui - Xidi and Hongcun, the Great Wall and the Forbidden City in Beijing.

Students will take courses in Mandarin Chinese, and one lecture course on The History of Science in China. Students will receive a certificate for the internship from the respective company they work with. This program is open to all graduate and undergraduate students.

Overview: The University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) is a national research university in Hefei, Anhui, China. USTC was established by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Beijing in September 1958, which was hailed as "a major event in the history of Chinese science and education." In the early 1970s, the university was moved to Hefei, the capital of Anhui Province. As the only major university affiliated with CAS, USTC has been regarded as the cradle of scientists and research engineers in China. As a part of CAS, the university has functioned as an important national base for scientific research and technological innovation, operating two national laboratories - National Synchrotron Laboratory and Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Science. USTC has gained an international reputation for its excellence in education and research. USTC is a member of the Chinese Ivy League. It was ranked 24th among Asia’s best universities by US News and World Report.