2026 China Program 2 Application: Climate/Environment Emphasis
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In Summer 2026, the Baucus Institute will bring up to 20 students from Montana-based colleges and universities to China for this month-long program. Students will be hosted on Hangzhou Wanxiang Polytechnic’s campus in Hangzhou, bookended with trips to Beijing and Shanghai. This program has an emphasis on learning about China’s sustainability efforts, with lectures and site visits. Students will also participate in several cultural courses and day trips to culturally and historically significant sites.
Please complete this application and submit it, along with a letter of recommendation, no later than midnight on Friday, January 23, 2026.
Program Dates: Likely June 29 to July 26, 2026.
Host: Hangzhou Wanxiang Polytechnic and the Max S. Baucus Institute
Destinations: Beijing, Hangzhou, and Shanghai, China
Program: NOT for credit, but for cultural exchange and learning about environmental and climate issues. To download an example itinerary from a previous year, please click here.
Expenses: Almost none. Nearly all expenses are covered, including flights to/from China, in-country travel, lodging, travel insurance, and most meals. Participants will need to cover personal expenses such as souvenir purchases and snacks.
Students will need to put down a $200 refundable deposit to secure their spot in the program. This deposit will be refunded after participation in the program and submission of a 400-word reflection paper on the experience.
Requirements: Be in good academic standing and enrolled at a Montana-based university or college in Spring 2026. Also, have a current U.S. passport that is valid through at least January 2027.
Letter of Recommendation: Students, please have the writer of your letter of recommendation include how they know you and why you would be a good fit for this group excursion. The Institute is particularly interested in how students perform in moments of stress and also as part of a group.
Other details: This program has an emphasis on learning about China's sustainability efforts, with lectures and site visits to power plants, EV battery manufacturers, and the Wanxiang Innova Smart City project. Students will also participate in several cultural courses, likely including tea ceremonies, martial arts, language classes, calligraphy, making incense art, and woodblock printing. Day trips usually include visits to a silk museum, the Xixi wetlands, a tea farm, and an evening canal cruise through Hangzhou. Lunches and dinners are group events, creating informal opportunities for American and Chinese students to learn about each other over shared meals.
If you have questions, please contact the Baucus Institute at hello@baucusinstitute.org.