Sino-US CHEPD 1+2+1 Program 

The Sino-US CHEPD program is designed for undergraduate and graduate Chinese students to study at participating AASCU member institutions. The  program is jointly administered by AASCU and the China Center for International Educational Exchanges (CCIEE).  Students who complete the program receive two separate degrees from a US institution and their Chinese home institution.

Participate.
1+2+1 students graduate from UW Eau Claire
CHEPD 1+2+1 students graduate from UW Eau Claire.

Sino-US 1+2+1 CHEPD program is the largest student mobility program between the US and China.

Under the platform of Sino-US Cooperation in Higher Education and Professional Development (CHEPD), with joint administration of the China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE) and the China Center for International Educational Exchange (CCIEE) in China, AASCU is proud to offer the Sino-American CHEPD 1+2+1 Program.

Since 2001, this program has provided the opportunity for Chinese students to spend up to two years at an AASCU institution to pursue undergraduate and graduate studies. Participants then receive two separate degrees from their Chinese home institution and their U.S. host institution.

The CHEPD 1+2+1 Program has become the largest and most successful program of its kind. Recognized by the Chinese Ministry of Education as a Program of Excellence, it is one of most important platforms for cooperation between Chinese and American universities.  

Graduation 2019
CHEPD 1+2+1 Program Graduation, 2019.

Criteria to join.

  • AASCU member 
  • Eligibility to grant J visas 
  • Institutions MUST offer ESL or bridge programs 
  • Identified designated campus coordinator  
  • Ability to host Chinese visiting scholars 

How will you benefit?

  • Opportunity to partner with an extensive range of Chinese institutions 
  • Support and network for developing robust academic exchange programs 
  • Teaching and research opportunities for faculty members  
  • Scholarship resources for US students 
  • Additional program development opportunities 
impact

20+ years 

Our program has built sustainable partnerships for over two decades. 

170

Number of participating institutions – 40 AASCU members, 130 from Chinese partners.

$300 M USD

U.S. campuses have received of approximately $300 million in tuition, fees, room and board.

Program Structures and Types 

Chinese students who pass the national entrance examination will complete their initial year of study in China. They will study in the US during their 2nd and 3rd years, then return to their Chinese home institution for the final year. After completing all the degree requirements, the student will receive two degrees from both US and Chinese institutions. 

First-year graduate students are selected from Chinese universities to spend two or three academic semesters studying in an AASCU member university. They return to their Chinese universities for the final academic year. Qualified students will be granted diplomas and masters’ degrees from both Chinese and U.S. universities.

Students follow the regular 1+2+1 Program, i.e., the International Cohort Program students complete their freshmen year in Chinese university. In the second and third years of the program, students come to the United States to complete their sophomore and junior years at the US partner university. Students return to China to finish their senior year at Chinese university and graduate with two separate bachelor’s degrees from Chinese and American universities. All students participating in this program have already had their four-year curriculum mapped out, through articulation agreements between the two partner institutions.

Learn more about ICP.

Students who are not interested in pursuing a degree in the United States, but are seeking study abroad experiences, can apply for the Youth Exchange Student program for one academic semester or one year through US partner institutions. YES students are allowed to transition to 1+2+1 Program degree-seeking status once they are on the US campuses. 

CHEPD 1+2+1 Program Participating Institutions
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Testimonials

Studying abroad at NAU has helped me exercise my independent thinking and problem-solving abilities.  The ability to expand my horizons and experiences will be very beneficial to my future work and life.

Tingxiao Lu

Mass Media and Film major  
Northern Arizona University and Nanjing University of the Arts

During my time at Troy University I gained a lot.  I experienced humanistic care; gained professional knowledge; and learned how to face difficulties independently.  

Yin Xiatoting

Broadcasting and Journalism Major
Troy University and Nanjing University of the Arts  

Our Partners

CCIEE

The China Center for International Education Exchange (CCIEE) is an independent legal entity established by China Educational Association for International Exchange (CEAIE), affiliated with the Ministry of education of China. Over the past thirty years, CCIEE has extensively conducted short- and long-term programs such as student exchange, study in China, teaching training, self-funded overseas-study. Aiming at promoting education exchange and cooperation between China and other countries, CCIEE insists on bringing in high-quality foreign educational resources, and facilitating China’s education to be internationalized and worldwide recognized. 

CEAIE

Founded in 1981, the China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE) is China’s nationwide not-for-profit organization that conducts programs and activities that facilitate international educational exchanges and cooperation. CEAIE is fully committed to promoting the advancement of education, culture, science and technology; and strengthening understanding and friendship among the peoples of all countries and regions of the world. 

Interested in participating in the
Sino-American CHEPD 1+2+1 program?

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Does your institution have an ESL/bridge program?*
Does your institution grant J1 visas?*
Do you currently work with any Chinese institutions ?*

 

 

Questions about this program? Let us know.

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American Short-Term Study in China Initiative

ASSCI provides funding and support through AASCU and the Embassy of China to facilitate partnership building through institutional based faculty-led study abroad programs in China. 

Apply now.
AASCU meets with members of the Chinese embassy.
AASCU meets with members of the Chinese embassy.

ASSCIASSCI supports faculty-led study abroad programs.

The American Short-Term Study in China Initiative (ASSCI) is a scholarship program offered by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the United States of America and administered by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU). The scholarship will fund institutional-based, faculty-led study abroad programs in China. Faculty members with existing China study abroad programs, or institutions interested in developing a program for studying in China, are encouraged to apply by submitting a funding proposal.

Who should participate?

  • Faculty from accredited US institutions  
  • Faculty members with existing study abroad programs with Chinese institutions 
  • Faculty members that have plans to create study abroad programs, but need matching partners 

How will you benefit?

  • Scholarship support for students’ expenses in China 
  • Support for identifying Chinese university partners and developing robust academic exchange programs 
  • Opportunity to partner with an extensive range of Chinese institutions 
  • Teaching abroad opportunities for US faculty  

Applying to ASSCI.

Proposals should be submitted by faculty on U.S. campuses, with support from the provost, along with accompanying approval and signatures from the individual responsible for study abroad programs on each campus.

The ASSCI program focuses on joint efforts between U.S. and Chinese partner institutions. Chinese partners must be recognized by the China Scholarship Council (CSC) [Search Universities & Regions_Universities & Programs_留学中国 (campuschina.org)]. AASCU can assist with identifying Chinese institutional partners. Applicants requiring assistance with identifying a partner to apply for the scholarship should indicate this when completing the application form.   

Proposals will be accepted through October 15 every year.  Submitted proposals will be reviewed and rated by the Selection Committee organized by the Chinese Embassy and recommended to CSC for approval.  Applicants will be notified by December 15 every year.   

  • Program fee, AASCU member: No charge 
  • Program fee, non-AASCU member: $1000 

Students in the program will be eligible to receive the ASSCI scholarship. The scholarship covers the following expenses for each participating student:
 

  • Tuition at the Chinese institution 
  • On-campus accommodation 
  • Health insurance 
  • Monthly stipend 
     

The scholarship does NOT cover: 

  • Tuition at the US institution 
  • Airfare and other travel expenses to China 
  • China visa application fees 

Applicant must be a:

  • Faculty in any discipline who teaches a course that requires students to study abroad in China 
  • Faculty who are interested in developing a course for students to study abroad in China  

The course must meet the following requirements:

  • Co-designed and co-taught with a Chinese partner institution, with at least 50% of the content delivered by the Chinese partner on site in China
  • Offers academic credits for all the students  
  • Has a duration of no less than four weeks and no longer than one academic year 
  • Has a minimum of six students 
  • Has a maximum of no more than 30 students 

The selection committee will use several criteria when reviewing applications:

  • The proposed program will be measured for clarity of learning goals and the extent to which the program’s activities contribute to those goals. 
  • The proposed program includes faculty leadership at the US institution. 
  • The proposed program uses the resources of the Chinese partner, such as academic strengths, location in China, and connections outside the institution.  
  • The proposed program involves students from the Chinese partner institution. 

 

  1. Complete and submit the Proposal Form and Nomination Form before October 15, 2023
  2. Submitted proposals will be reviewed by a Selection Committee organized by the Chinese embassy and AASCU. They will then recommend proposals to the CSC for approval.  
  3. Applicants will be notified by Dec. 15, 2023.  
  4. Once an American institution has received notification of its successful application, participating students, under the supervision of the leading American faculty, will complete individual scholarship applications on the CSC website during Jan.–March 2024. 
  5. Faculty-led group study abroad in China, May–July 2024. 

Proposal form.   Nomination form.

Visit the China Scholarship Council website for more information about the scholarship.

China Scholarship Council

Instructions for students who are admitted in a study abroad in China program on your campus and the teaching faculty will work with you to fill out the ASSCI scholarship application. 

CSC application instructions.

A form to submit to certify physical health.

Physical examination form.

 

Applications will not be considered complete
without the following items.

Frequently asked questions 

Faculty  in any discipline can apply for the ASSCI program. The students in the program are qualified to apply for the scholarship automatically once the program is approved. 

The scholarship for each student covers tuition paid to the Chinese partner institution, accommodations, a monthly stipend, and comprehensive medical insurance. The value of each scholarship for a four-week program could be approximately $10,000 or more. 

Part of the scholarship, such as tuition fees, accommodation fees, and comprehensive medical insurance, goes to the host university directly. The student receives a monthly stipend upon arriving at the Chinese campus. 

  • ¥2500 per month for undergraduate students 
  • ¥3000 per month for master’s students 
  • ¥3500 per month for doctoral students 

Yes. You will need to state that you have no partner and you’re requesting assistance in the proposal form. AASCU will work with the Chinese embassy to find a matching partner for the program.  Once you accept our recommendation and work out the articulation plan with the recommended partner, we will continue to work on your application for funding. 

Once your proposal is approved, all students registered for the course are qualified to apply. However, the student applicant must be a full-time student who is not a Chinese citizen. 

You will need to renew your program with the embassy if there is no change to the previously approved program. The renewal process is simple. The purpose of renewal is for the embassy to have a record of the program each year. If there are changes at the partner institutions in China, such as different teaching faculty, altered course description or delivery methods, etc., you will need to submit a new proposal for approval. Your students will also need to apply for the scholarships through CSC’s online application every year to participate and receive the scholarships. 

Only eligible students can apply for the scholarship. The leading faculty member is responsible for all the expenses, including international travel, room, and board in China. It is possible that your partner university will be able to cover room and board. However, these costs are not considered part of the scholarship program. 

There are no limits and restrictions for institutions. We welcome faculty members in any major as long as the proposal reflects the goals, and the teaching curriculum involves joint activities of the program that contribute to those goals. Multiple faculty members from one institution could submit individual proposals for separate funding as long as they have partners in China. 

Have questions about the American Short-Term Study in China Initiative? Let us know.

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Civic Engagement Awards

AASCU’s American Democracy Project recognizes individual leadership at the provost, faculty, and staff levels in civic engagement on AASCU member campuses.

Nominate by April 21 in five categories.

It is our honor to shine a light on the great work being done on AASCU ADP campuses. 

Our work to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and experiences to be informed and engaged, ready to tackle current and future issues to ensure a thriving and equitable democracy is more important than ever. The American Democracy Project recognizes leadership in civic engagement on AASCU member campuses through awards presented at the Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement (CLDE) conference in June. 

Nominate by April 21 for the 2023 Civic Engagement Awards.

Honoring Individuals

Barbara Burch Award

in recognition of exemplary faculty leadership.

Learn more.

William M. Plater Award

in recognition of exemplary leadership by a chief academic officer.

Learn more.

John Saltmarsh Award

in recognition of exemplary early-career leaders.

Learn more.

Spirit of Democracy Award

in recognition of exemplary staff leadership.

Learn more.
Honoring Institutions

We the People Award

One of AASCU’s Excellence & Innovation Awards, given to recognize institutional team commitment to meaningful and deep civic engagement work. 

Learn more.

The Spirit of Democracy Award  

Established in 2022, this award is given in recognition of exemplary leadership from staff (non-faculty, non-senior administrator) in advancing the civic learning and engagement of undergraduate students.

Nominate by April 21.
About the award
  • Nominees must be a staff member (defined as non-faculty, non-senior administrator), affiliated for more than five years on an AASCU campus, who demonstrates leadership in advancing the civic learning and engagement of undergraduate students. 
  • Nominations must include an endorsement from campus leadership, the nominee’s curriculum vita, and additional documents that provide examples of the nominee’s sustained leadership in advancing civic learning and infusing equity into their work. 
  • Presentation: Annually in person at the Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement conference in June and a virtual acknowledgment will be made at AASCU’s Annual Meeting in November.
  • Recipients will receive a commemorative to acknowledge the national recognition.
  • 2022: Romy Hübler, University of Maryland, Baltimore County 

2023 nominations for the Spirit of Democracy Award are open.

Nominate by April 21.

2022 Award winner

Romy Hübler is the inaugural winner of this award, which honors exemplary leadership from staff in advancing the civic learning and engagement of undergraduate students and the work of AASCU’s American Democracy Project. As a founding member of UMBC’s Center for Democracy and Civic Life, Romy’s energetic and innovative work is integral, relational, organic, and generative—perhaps not surprising, as she is a national leader in developing and disseminating the Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement Theory of Change. Through her sustained mentorship and skills as an educator, Romy empowers, includes, and inspires students. Her nominators explained that “there is a spirit that permeates the Center for Democracy and Civic Life’s work and programs that encompasses hope, imagination, determination, resilience, and community. It is the spirit of democracy, and Romy is the embodiment of that spirit. 

2022 Winner Romy Hübler

Associate Director of the Center for Democracy and Civic Life
University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Spirit of Democracy Award nominations are open until April 21.

Please reach out to us with any questions about this process.

Catherine Copeland

Catherine Copeland
Director, American Democracy Project (ADP)

Contact.

The John Saltmarsh Award for Emerging Leaders in Civic Engagement 

Awarded to exemplary early-career leaders who advance the wider civic engagement movement in higher education via community-campus collaboration to build a broader public culture of democracy committed to justice, equity, and inclusion.

Nominate by April 21.
About the award
John Saltmarsh
John Saltmarsh

This award was established in 2011 to honor John Saltmarsh, Professor of Higher Education at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. 

John Saltmarsh is Professor of Higher Education in the Department of Leadership in Education in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. He has published widely on community engaged teaching, learning and research, and organizational change in higher education, including the co-edited book Publicly Engaged Scholars: Next Generation Engagement and the Future of Higher Education (2016), and the edited volume with Matthew Hartley, ‘To Serve a Larger Purpose:’ Engagement for Democracy and the Transformation of Higher Education (2011). He is the co-author of the “Democratic Engagement White Paper” (NERCHE, 2009) and “Full Participation: Building the Architecture for Diversity and Public Engagement in Higher Education” (Columbia University Law School: Center for Institutional and Social Change, 2011). From 2005-2016 he served as the Director of the New England Resource Center for Higher Education (NERCHE). From 1998-2005 he was the director of the national program on Integrating Service with Academic Study at Campus Compact.  

The award was named in John Saltmarsh’s honor to recognize a long-standing passion of his: nurturing and preparing the next generation of higher education leaders (staff, faculty, or administrators) to sustain and advance the civic engagement movement. The award recognizes emerging higher education leaders whose community partnership work is grounded in reciprocity, mutual respect, shared authority, and co-creation of goals and outcomes. 

  • Be faculty or staff members at an AASCU institution.
  • Demonstrate their community partnership work is grounded in reciprocity, mutual respect, shared authority, and co-creation of goals and outcomes. 
  • Exhibit contributions to sustain and advance the civic engagement movement in the areas of practice, institutionalization, and scholarship.
  • Nominees must be an emerging higher education leader whose community partnership work is grounded in reciprocity, mutual respect, shared authority, and co-creation of goals and outcomes on an AASCU campus. 
  • Nominations must include an endorsement from campus leadership, the nominee’s curriculum vita, and additional documents that provide examples of the nominee’s contributions in the areas of practice, institutionalization, and scholarship. 
  • Presentation: Annually in person at the Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement conference in June and a virtual acknowledgment will be made at AASCU’s Annual Meeting in November.
  • Recipients will receive a commemorative to acknowledge the national recognition.
  • 2022: Bekah Selby, Emporia State University (KS) 
  • 2021: Margot Morgan, Indiana University Southeast 
  • 2019: Allison Rank, State University of New York at Oswego 
  • 2018: Nicholas Hartlep, Metropolitan State University in Minnesota 
  • 2017: Danielle Lake, Assistant Professor of Liberal Studies, Grand Valley State University (MI) 
  • 2016: Jennifer Purcell, Assistant Professor of Leadership Studies, Kennesaw State University (GA) 
  • 2015: Adam Bush, Chief Academic Officer, College Unbound 
  • 2015: Lane Graves Perry, Director of Service Learning, Western Carolina University (NC) 
  • 2014: Bethany Fleck, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Metropolitan State University of Denver (CO) 
  • 2013: Brandon Kliewer, Assistant Professor of Civic Engagement and ADP Campus Director, Florida Gulf Coast University 
  • 2012: Emily Janke, Special Assistant for Community Engagement, University of North Carolina at Greensboro 
  • 2012: Paul Markham, Assistant Professor and Co-Director at the Institute for Citizenship and Social Responsibility, Western Kentucky University 
  • 2011: Cecilia M. Orphan, National Manager, American Democracy Project 

2023 nominations for the John Saltmarsh Award are open.

Nominate by April 21.

2022 Award winner

Bekah’s nominators compared her to “a bright and shining beacon of light that illuminates leadership and civic engagement with the objective of making our world a better place.” In addition, John Saltmarsh acknowledged that Bekah’s work “enhances a healthy and functioning democracy through empowering women, increasing student voting, and studying the issues of voting restrictions and felony disenfranchisement.” Indeed, Bekah’s work on food insecurity and global warming and financial literacy show the depth and breadth of her commitment to impacting lower income individuals and working to resolve inequities in our society that endanger the health of our democracy. We congratulate Bekah on her achievement and look forward to seeing her future accomplishments. 

2022 Winner Rebekah (Bekah) Selby

Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Economics
Emporia State University (KS)

John Saltmarsh Award nominations are open until April 21.

Please reach out to us with any questions about this process.

Catherine Copeland

Catherine Copeland
Director, American Democracy Project (ADP)

Contact.