This past summer, CSS provided an immersive experience for students through a newly created international component of its Mānoa Academy program. Called Mānoa Academy Beijing, this inaugural four-week program included a two-week study abroad component in Beijing, China, and delved into topics of health and aging in China and Hawaiʻi. The program was designed to give participants a tailored experience that provided global perspective on relevant issues occurring throughout the world.
“Manoa Academy Beijing offered an experience that was different,” said UH Mānoa junior Anthony Silva. “It made me think differently, it made me see life differently.”
Mānoa Academy Beijing students spent the first two weeks of the course on the UH Mānoa campus, learning about health and aging and the landscape of Hawaiʻi. Students also learned conversational Mandarin from the Confucius Institute at UH Mānoa, as well as historical and cultural facts about the host country in preparation for their trip.
The second half of the course was spent at the Beijing Foreign Studies University, a prestigious research university in Beijing, China, where students further explored health and aging, as well as the social systems for health and community and globalization.
Morning lectures also included lessons in tai chi and calligraphy, allowing the students to gain a better appreciation for the Chinese culture. Afternoons were spent with excursions to some of China’s most culturally and historically significant landmarks, such as the Summer Palace, Tiananmen Square and the Great Wall of China, which deepened the participants understanding of their host country.
“To really experience it firsthand is really one of the most valuable parts that anybody could get from this type of experience,” said Joshua Fuentes, a Mānoa Academy Beijing student.
The program also offered students a chance to become global leaders, challenging them in a different environment.
“Ultimately, what everyone does want to do, is to make some kind of impact on the world,” said David Enriquez, another Mānoa Academy Beijing student.
The study abroad portion of the course was made possible through a partnership with Hanban, the Chinese Ministry of Education and Hawaiian Airlines. The partnerships covered all room, board, airfare and excursion fees for Mānoa Academy Beijing participants.
