The Baucus Institute China Summer Study Abroad programs immerse students with colleagues from other western universities, as well as Chinese law students, using faculty from all involved schools. In summer 2023, we are going on 2 cultural exchange trips with students.

2023 China Program 1: CUSEF Cultural Exchange
In June of 2023, the Baucus Institute took 8 students from Montana State University and the University of Montana to China for 10 days. Former Ambassador to China Max Baucus and his wife Mel also attended. Students traveled to Hong Kong, Beijing, and Shanghai, meeting with government and business leaders, as well as visiting cultural sites such as the Forbidden City and the Great Wall.

2023 China Program 2: Environmental/Climate Emphasis
In July of 2023, the Baucus Institute took 14 students from Montana State University and the University of Montana for 4 weeks. Students were hosted on Hangzhou Wanxiang Polytechnic’s campus in Hangzhou, with side trips to Beijing and Shanghai. This program had an emphasis on learning about China’s sustainability efforts, with lectures and site visits to power plants, EV battery manufacturers, and the Wanxiang Innova Smart City project. Students also took several cultural courses, including tea ceremonies, martial arts, language classes, calligraphy, making incense art, and woodblock printing. They visited a silk museum, the Xixi wetlands, a tea farm, and took an evening canal cruise through Hangzhou. Each student was paired with a Chinese student, and lifelong friendships formed over shared meals, trips, and conversations.

We are planning for 2 programs in Summer 2024. Stay tuned for more details! When scholarship applications open, the link will be here: