Notes of Guidance for Exchange Students Peking University, Beijing

Facts

 Language of instruction: Chinese & English  Number of students currently enrolled: 32,000+  Semester 1: September - January  Semester 2: February - June  Important information: Availability of courses taught in English can be limited in some areas About the University Peking University is a comprehensive and national key university. The campus, known as "Yan Yuan" (the garden of Yan), is situated in the Haidian District of Beijing’s western suburb, with a total area of 274 hectares. It is located close to the Yuanmingyuan Garden and the Summer Palace. Peking University offers courses in basic and applied sciences, social sciences and humanities, medicine, management and education.

Website: http://www.isd.pku.edu.cn/html/english/

Academics

Course/credit load: Please refer to our exchange credit guide: http://www.ed.ac.uk/files/atoms/files/international_exchange_credit_loads.pdf

Courses available: UG Courses taught in English: http://dean.pku.edu.cn/englishcourses/index.html

All UG Courses: http://dean.pku.edu.cn/pkudean/course/kcb.php?ll=1

Course enrolment: The School of Chinese as a Second Language: study programmes depend on the results of the Chinese language test which students take during orientation week. Other departments: select courses after registration.

Please note that all the departments reserve the right to register students into certain courses depending on programme and course availability. http://www.isd.pku.edu.cn/index.php?m=content&c=index&a=lists&catid=89

Academic restrictions Courses are unavailable in these faculties/programmes:  Health Science Centre  Faculty with special pre-requisites  Tailor-made programmes  Shenzhen Graduate School Master-level courses are only available with the faculty’s permit

Notes of Guidance for Exchange Students Peking University, Beijing

Your final course selection must be agreed and approved with your Exchange Coordinator and any course changes made whilst you are away must have their approval.

Accommodation http://www.isd.pku.edu.cn/index.php?m=content&c=index&a=show&ca tid=70&id=570 University accommodation: Information on the link above. Application process: Students apply online. Keep an eye on the International Student’s Division’s for regular updates. Private accommodation: Students can also choose to live in private accommodation. Private accommodation amounts to approx. 2000-5000 Yuan per month.

Costs Estimated costs of living: Between 1000 - 3000 Yuan RMB per month Insurance: Starting from Spring 2016, students MUST purchase a designated medical insurance plan. The compulsory medical insurance plan costs 300 Yuan RMB per semester

Employment You will be unable to work while studying at Peking University.

Orientation Please find info on the orientation programme from the previous year. The format largely remains the same. http://www.isd.pku.edu.cn/index.php?m=content&c=index&a=show&ca tid=138&id=1217

Visas You may apply for your Chinese Visa at the Chinese Embassy/Consulate in the UK. When applying for your visa, please remember to bring a valid passport, the original copy of the university's admission notification and a Visa Application Form for Foreign Students Studying in China (also known as the JW201/JW202 form). Do make sure that your letter of admission and JW202 form are handed back to you together with your passport after obtaining your Chinese visa. You will need these documents to apply for Residence Permit after your arrival in Beijing.

International Students who will be studying in China for more than 6 months are required to obtain an ‘X1' Visa.

Notes of Guidance for Exchange Students Peking University, Beijing

Important: (1) The ‘X1’ Visa is only valid for 30 days after your arrival. You must apply for a Residence Permit within these 30 days. Otherwise, you would be considered staying illegally and heavily fined. (2) According to Chinese law and regulations, students with visa-free access cannot get any other valid visa within mainland China. PLEASE apply for X1/X2/L visa before you come to China.

It is not advisable to arrive a long time before the day of registration since you will not be able to apply for a Residence Permit prior to registration.

You will get a Visa Application for Study in China (JW 202) authorized by Shanghai Municipal Foreign Affairs Office. You should then contact the Chinese Consulate to obtain your student visa. Students should nominate the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) as the visa sponsor by completing and returning to OSA an application for visa sponsorship with all the required documents and payment. The administrative cost for the sponsorship is HK$300.

Financial evidence will not be require for your visa application

Disability Statement

Some destinations may be more accessible than others for disabled students. If you require any adjustments due to disability or specific learning difficulty and you wish to study abroad please contact Thomas Ozers in the International Office ([email protected]). We will work together with you to explore the help available at your host institution. It might also be helpful if you discuss this with your Personal Tutor and the Disability Office as well.

These notes are for guidance only. We have tried to keep them up to date, but it is very difficult to do so without your input. So, if you can keep notes of any inaccuracies in this information we should be glad to hear of them on your return to Edinburgh. Any other observations and impressions about your stay will also be useful and will help those students who participate in the exchange in future years.

These notes are for guidance only. We have tried to keep them up to date, but cannot guarantee 100% accuracy. If you notice any errors please contact [email protected].

Notes of Guidance for Exchange Students Peking University, Beijing

Edinburgh student’s advice to future students at Peking University: Accommodation: “Shaoyuan Dorms – expensive and small. Global Village – great but not available. Host families, private accommodation – Lianjia Agency, Ziroom for short term. Think carefully about location. Take into account that a flat geographically further from the university may be a better option than one that is geographically closer if you may commute by subway, oftentimes faster, more convenient and more reliable than the bus.” General Advice: “Download WeChat and contact the Peking University Western Student Union for any questions to seek advice regarding accommodation”