Seminar Dates: June 25-July 13, 2018
Travel Dates: Depart for Beijing June 22, 2018, arrive Beijing June 23, 2018, depart Beijing after course ends July 14, 2018
Location:  Stanford Center at Peking University (SCPKU), Beijing, China
Director:  Randall Stafford, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine, Stanford Prevention Research Center
Co-Instructors:  Liubai Li, MD, PhD; Yi Song, MD, PhD, Yi Xing, MD, PhD; Professors of the Institute of Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Peking University
Teaching Assistant: Catherine Jan, BOptom(hon), Centre for Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Peking University
Eligibility: Stanford University graduate and professional students are given priority. Stanford clinical trainees and junior/co-term undergraduates are also eligible. Must be enrolled for Fall 2018-19.
Fees/Cost: Airfare, accommodations, and food are covered by the Stanford Center at Peking University (see Program Cost for more details)

Course Description

China's extraordinary economic growth has fostered numerous social changes that threaten to offset the benefits of economic prosperity.  Most prominent is rapid urbanization with substantial rural to urban migration.  Resulting changes in health behaviors include increases in smoking, alcohol intake, overweight/obesity, pollutant exposure, and sedentary lifestyles.  These changes exert distinct pressures on different population segments.  Particularly impacted are adolescents and young adults.  Unfavorable changes in their health behaviors presage magnified downstream increases in chronic diseases.  Numerous problems are increasing in this age group, including substance abuse, depression, risky behavior, weight gain, visual impairment, infertility, and self-harm.  China is modifying some economic strategies and shifting towards primary health care as well as adopting policies to directly improve the health of adolescents and young adults.

This three-week seminar at SCPKU in Beijing will focus on: 1) classroom discussions led by Stanford and Peking University faculty, and 2) team-based, practical research projects that will develop proposals for innovative prevention research.  Peking University faculty will also facilitate access to local information and resources.  The course emphasizes experiencing Beijing through course-related site visits and students seeing the local culture.  The seminar will culminate in a public symposium led by the faculty where the student teams will also present their project results.  All instruction will be in English.  Stanford participants will be matched with Chinese graduate students.  The seminar is a non-unit bearing course, but credit for directed research is readily available.  Experience in China, public health/medical training, or Chinese language skills are NOT required.

Application Process

Both a main seminar application and supplemental application are required plus an official Stanford transcript via Axess (submit transcript to Connie Chao). Please submit transcript and both applications at the same time online.  The deadline to apply is Tuesday, March 27, 2018 and a rolling selection process will be used. Applications received after the deadline will be considered for the waitlist. 

FOR CHINA-BASED STUDENTS: Click here for more information and the application process.  Please email your CV to Sanjiu Zhang by April 10, 2018.

For More Information

Contact Catherine Jan and Dr. Stafford with "SCPKU Seminar" as your email Subject. As we will be using a rolling selection process, don't delay in contacting us if you're interested.