Established by American University in Washington, D.C., the Beijing Program has been in China since 1985. Still maintaining a strong institutional affiliation with AU, the program began to operate independently accepting students from other universities in the fall of 2004.

It is our belief that China will emerge as an economic and political powerhouse in the not so distant future. Culturally and politically different from the US, the most powerful nation in the world, China's ascendancy necessitates dialogue and understanding not just at the governmental level but also at the grassroots level. It is the mission of our program to promote such understanding. It is also in keeping with American University's efforts at globalization.

The program has a wide range of courses to suit various needs of students and all courses, except the advanced Chinese classes, are taught in English. It also has a long established travel program and internship practice, among others.

It also creates other opportunities for students. For example, in the fall of 2004, three of our students appeared on China's Central TV, discussing American presidential election for half an hour. We also take students to nearby villages to study rural economy and peasant life.

After attending our study abroad program, we hope that students will gain a multi-faceted, systematic knowledge of Chinese culture and society. We welcome all students, regardless of race and gender, to apply to our program when they consider going abroad to study in China