Each semester students pursue a one-on-one topic as an independent study class for 1 unit of credit. Students should consult with their Chinese professors to come up with specific content they would like to study for this tutorial. In addition to weekly oral and written reports, all students report on their progress in structured oral midterm exams. These presentations take place before a team of faculty. The final exam includes a handwritten essay (approximately 2,000 characters) and an oral presentation before a team of faculty.
Instructors are chosen for the tutorials based on their teaching experience and level of expertise. They may be selected from ZUT and a wide range of educational institutions in Hangzhou. Although the focus of the one-on-one tutorial is Chinese language acquisition, the unique nature of the course allows students to conduct research and gain special knowledge in a topic of interest to them. Topics that the previous students have studied are:
2007-2008
20th Century Chinese Ink Painting
A Cultural History of Chinese Women in the 20th Century
Ancient Chinese Military History
Buddhist Tradition in China
Chinese Conceptions of Marriage
Chinese Contemporary Art: Post-Cultural Revolution Painting
Chinese Cosmologies and Myths
Chinese Education Administration and Methodology from Pre-School to Higher Education
Chinese Folklore and Superstition
Chinese Medicine
Chinese Religion & Religious Policy
Chinese Science Fiction&Fantasy Literature
Chinese Urbanization
Concepts of Environmentalism in Chinese Traditional Philosophy
Confucianism, Daoism,and Buddhism in Chinese History & Society
Effects of Tourism on Local Communities in China
Environmental History-Effects on China’s Development
Environmental Studies and Environmental Protection Policy in China
HIV/AIDS Awareness and Sex Education in China
Lu Xun’s Literature and His Impact on Modern China
Marital Relations in China-The Influence of Sexuality on Marriage
Modern Chinese Film history
Religions in Modern China
Sino-Japanese Relations
The History of China’s Economic Development in the 20th Century
Topics in Chinese Foreign Policy
Traditional Chinese Medicine
1949-1954: Chinese/Hangzhou History
An Examination of the 2008 Olympics and Its Impact on Chinese Cultural and Economic Expansion
China and International Trade and investment
China-Asia Relations
China’s Economic Relationships With Other Asian Countries
China’s New Role on the World Stage
China’s Reform and Opening up-Looking at Cultural Change Over the Past 30 Years
Chinese Buddhism: In Theory and In Life
Chinese Current Economic Situation
Chinese Environmental Protection
Chinese Ethnic Minorities
Chinese Financial Policy
Chinese Medicine
Chinese socialinguistics and Dialectology
Chinese Socialinguistics and Dialects
Chinese Youth of Today
Chinese Youth: 1980 and Onwards
Christianity in China
Comparison: History of Nationalism & Patriotism in China
Defining the Chinese Middle Class and Role
Dialects in China and Hangzhou
Environmental Problems and Policy in China
How Tourism Effects Chinese Culture and Society
Jazz and its Influence in Chinese Society
Modern Chinese Economy
Myths, Legends and Fairytales of China
PRC-Taiwan Relations
Religions in China and the US: a Comparison
Role&Women in China-Past and Present
Sino-American Relations in the 20th and 21th Centuries
The 2008 Olympics’ Influence & Impact on China
The 2008 Olympics Influence and Impact on China
The effects of Modernization, Industrialization and Population on China’s Environment
The May 4th Movement-Historical Causes and Effects on Modern Chinese Intellectual Thought
The Role of the People’s Liberation Army in Chinese History and Contemporary Society
Traditional Chinese Medicine-Origins, History, Compared to Western
US-Chinese Relations Since 1949
Women in China
PREVIOUS YEARS:
20th Century Chinese Warfare
20thc. Chinese Diaries in Japan
Changes in Women's Status Since 1949
Children's Literature and Elementary Education
China's AIDS Problem
China's Economic Reform
China's Environmental Protection
China's Ethnic Minorities
China's Financial Policy
Chinese Business Culture
Chinese Business Relations with Korea
Chinese Buddhism
Chinese Historiography:Comparing Popular History with Records
Chinese Historical Linguistics and Dialectology
Chinese Landscape Painting
Chinese Literature in Ming and Qing Dynasty
Chinese Myths and Fairy Tales
Chinese Psychology
Environmental Protection in China
Ethics in Chinese Medicine
Fate in Chinese Culture
The History of Hangzhou
Homosexuality in China
Impact of the 2008 Olympics
Influence of Christianity on Modern China
Literature of the Cultural Revolution
Migrant Labor in Zhejiang Province
News Media and Journalism in Modern China
Pan Tianshou, his paintings, biography, and influence
Sino-Japanese Relations
Traditional Industries in Hangzhou
Urban Chinese Youth of Today
Water Pollution Control
The Writings of Luxun
Students are free to propose other topics but with the understanding that the School in China reserves the right to ask the student to change topics if the topic proposed is too uncommon or non-academic.
Other course descriptions