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REU China

Join us on a month long journey this summer that will take you into the heart of China and explore some of this country's most pressing environmental issues and the ways in which China is working to solve them.

We will visit Beijing, Nanjing, and Shanghai among other places, and attend lectures by leading experts in their subject and visit field sites through Beijing Forestry University and Nanjing Forestry University. In addition, you will get to visit amazing sites such as the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, and the Oriental Pearl Tower! It will be an experience that transforms your life!

IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE, you:

  1. MUST be at least a sophomore when applying
  2. MUST have a valid *passport* with at least 6 months before expiration
  3. MUST sign up for 3 credit hours in Global Experiences in Agriculture/Environmental Science (NRE 493/593/793)
  4. MUST bring a positive attitude and an openness to experiencing a new culture!

In addition, students will be required to begin some participation upon acceptance. We will assign a subject and the student must find 5 peer-reviewed papers to print and read before orientation begins. Visit our website for more information on topics.

At the end of the program, the student will hand in a completed report on the assigned subject as well as give a public presentation on it. Credit will be pass/fail, based on a variety of factors (participation, attitude, effort, punctuality, completion of work)

Students participating in the program will have all expenses paid, including:

  1. round trip airfare,
  2. room and board, and
  3. free participation in group tourist activities.

APPLY TODAY!

Every year the program's participants show exceptional courage when experiencing things well outside of their own cultural norms. They continue to exhibit grace, humility, and a sense of humor in the face of new foods, crazy driving, and the near constant barage of locals wanting to touch their hair or take their pictures (often as stealth-selfies). This year was no exception. Our students once again made us proud of them! Past participants of our program have gone on to masters and doctoral work, the Peace Corps, and international business. Every student who has participated in this program has a positive life-altering experience.

As with every year, students had to complete a research project and then write a fully researched paper on their project and create a PowerPoint presentation and poster. This year, students were encouraged to maintain a regular blog about their experiences.

We do not have 2016 work on the website yet. But here you can view last year's Proceedings to get an idea of what students are doing in China. And here for years 2012-2014.


We are looking forward to another year in China in 2017! Check back with us if you are interested in learning about Chinese culture and conducting research in the lab of a foreign university in a foreign country!

What is REUG?

The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) and Graduates (--G) program supports active research participation by all participating students in a variety of environmental and ecological research areas. This program is funded in part by the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). REU projects involve students, in meaningful ways, in ongoing research programs or in research projects specifically designed for the REU program.

For general information on the NSF REU Program, please visit their website.

REU-China at AAMU and NFU

  • The REU site at Alabama A&M University (AAMU) is an international program which will provide an eight-week research experience to undergraduates beginning mid-May.
  • Students spend three days at AAMU followed by seven weeks at Nanjing Forestry University (NFU) in China and the remaining three days again at AAMU.
  • The program will focus on ecological and environmental scientific research of the quickly urbanizing landscape of Nanjing Province in China. This research will engage students in a broad range of ecological and environmental scientific research with a focus on hypothesis-driven quantification, experimentation and the modeling of human-induced ecological and environmental changes, particularly ecosystem responses to urbanization.

Goals

  • The program will expose talented students to international collaborative research. Students will improve their written and verbal communication skills and enhance their self-confidence and ability to do teamwork.
  • The program is designed to enhance students’ critical thinking and analytical skills, and provide networking opportunities among students, faculty, and scientists in the US and China.
  • Each student will complete a research project, prepare a written report, and give a presentation.
  • Additionally, students will be exposed to China’s language, culture, and history.

Nanjing Forest University (NFU)

Nanjing Forest University (NFU) is our main partner. This is because of ( 1 ) its strength and history in ecology, environmental, and natural resource research, particularly under urban setting; ( 2 ) existing collaborations and our common interest in further strengthening it in research and education; ( 3 ) the similarities of academic programs, and ( 4 ) past successes of NFU in collaborating with several other international institutions (e.g. in Denmark, Japan, and Canada). (read more)...

Funding

The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (grant No. 2009-51160-05462 and No. 2013-38821-21250) and The Research Experiences for Undergraduates program is funded through the National Science Foundation (grant # 1063101).

REU China Website Links

Contact Us

REU China
Carver Complex - Bonner Wing Room 212B
Lisa Gardner
Program Coordinator
lisa.gardner@aamu.edu
256.372.5950