We are happy to announce a joint IUN-IUSB Study Abroad Trip in May 2026! Following our two successful joint study abroad trips in China in May 2024 and May 2025, we will launch another trip open to undergraduates of ALL IU CAMPUSES between May 15 and 26, 2026.
This 11-day study abroad program to China (May 15-26, 2026) explores four Chinese cities: Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, and Shanghai. This immersive experience provides a unique opportunity to engage with diverse regions of China, examining both the country’s rich historical and architectural heritage and the relationship between local culture and business practices. This program is open to all IU students. Maximum number of students: 18. All IU students are eligible to apply for travel grants and scholarships for the trip. No prior knowledge of the Chinese language or experience in China required.
All students must be registered IU students with a minimum of sophomore credit status in good standing with a minimum 2.75 GPA.
The Study Abroad in China Program is sponsored by the Offices of Academic Affairs at IU Northwest and IU South Bend and is managed by the Office of International Programs at IU South Bend.
The China trip is part of two Summer I 2026 online courses:
- HIST T190 Literary and Intellectual History in Modern China
- Either BUS D300 International Business, or BUS B399 Business and Society
IUN and IUSB students register for those courses through their home campuses. Other IU students register for these courses as transient transfer students at IUN and IUSB.
The following is a brief introductory video to the trip, followed by some detailed information about the trip, in writing.
The following is more detailed information about
- trip application
- trip itinerary
- scholarship and financial aid
- China visa application
- How to pay for personal purchases while in China
- Contact information for group co-leaders and the IUSB office for overseas studies
- Check out what our previous trip participants say about the China trip
1. Application for the May 2026 China trip starts on Sept. 15 and ends Dec. 1, 2025
The application for the 2026 study abroad program in China is open on September 15, 2025, through the IU Education Abroad website here (https://abroad-iu.via-trm.com/program_brochure/29751). The application has two closing dates: November 7 and December 1. Those who apply by November 7 receive priority consideration. The applicant needs to submit an application letter and fill out an application form. The trip cost is $3,500 per person. The price covers the round-trip flight from Chicago O’Hare Airport to Beijing on May 15 through our flight back from Shanghai to Chicago O’Hare on May 26, including most meals and all activities, hotel rooms, admission tickets to parks and museums, high-speed train, and airfare while in China. It also includes health coverage while in China, and all other charges associated with the trip, such as a chartered bus in each city we visit, and tour guides. The trip charge does not include application fees for a passport or a China visa, nor trips to and from the O’Hare Airport. A trip deposit of $300 is due by Jan. 2, 2026. All accepted applicants will receive a link to the bursar’s office for the deposit after the deadline in December.
2. Trip itinerary:
11 Days China Tour (Beijing – Chengdu – Chongqing – Shanghai)
| Date | City | Itinerary | Meals | Accommodation |
| May.16
2026 |
Beijing | Arrive at Beijing Capital Int’l Airport at 12:35. Rickshaw tour in Beijing’s narrow Street, home visit, free time around Shichahai lake(什刹海), Nanluoguxiang (南锣鼓巷)and Yandaixiejie (烟袋斜街). Beijing Roast Duck dinner. Check in hotel. | XXD | Beijing
Mercure Beijing Downtown |
| May.17
2026 |
Beijing | visit the Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City. After lunch, visit the Temple of Heaven(天坛), Kongfu / Acrobatic Show at afternoon. Instant-boiled Mutton hotpot | BLD | Beijing
Mercure Beijing Downtown |
| May.18
2026 |
Beijing | Visit the Summer Palace(颐和园). After lunch, visit the Badaling Great Wall(八达岭长城), drive back to downtown. Free time at 2008 Beijing Olympic Park (appearance of the Bird’s Nest and Water Cube). | BLD | Beijing
Mercure Beijing Downtown |
| May.19
2026 |
Beijing/
Chengdu |
Check out. Leave for airport, fly to Chengdu in the morning. Arrive at Chengdu Shuangliu Airport around 12:00. After Lunch, Visit the Sanxingdui Museum (三星堆). Dinner show (Changing face, teapot). Check in hotel. | BLD | Chengdu
Holiday Inn Express Chengdu North Railway Station |
| May.20
2026 |
Chengdu | Visit the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding (成都大熊猫繁育研究基地) in the morning. After lunch, Free time at Kuanzhai Alley (宽窄巷子) . After dinner, take Gaotie to Chongqing around 16:30, arrive in Chongqing around 18:00. After dinner, free time at Hongyadong. Check in hotel. | BLD | Chongqing
Holiday Inn & Suites Chongqing Nan’an |
| May.21
2026 |
Chengdu/
Chongqing |
Visit the Ciqikou(磁器口), Jiefangbei(解放碑), Liziba (李子坝),Take Cable car go through the Yangtze River(乘索道穿越长江). Drive to Wulong, check in hotel. | BLD | Wulong
Tianyi Fangcaodi Holiday Hotel |
| May.22
2026 |
Chongqing/
Wulong |
Breakfast and check out. Leave for Wulong, visit the Longshui Ravine(龙水峡地缝景区)and the Tiansheng Sanqiao (天生三桥). Drive back to Chongqing, after Pipa Garden hotpot dinner, check in hotel. | BLD | Chongqing
Holiday Inn & Suites Chongqing Nan’an |
| May.23
2026 |
Chonqing/
Shanghai |
Fly to Shanghai around 8:00. Arrive at Shanghai Hongqiao airport around 10:30. After lunch, visit the Zhujiajiao Water Town (朱家角水乡). Dinner and check in hotel. | BLD | Shanghai
Holiday Inn Express Shanghai Zhenping |
| May.24
2026 |
Shanghai | Visit the Yu Garden (豫园)and City God’s Temple Bazaar (城隍庙) in the morning. After lunch, free time at Nanjing Road (南京路) and the Bund(外滩). After dinner, Huangpu River Cruise tour(乘船游览黄浦江). | BLD | Shanghai
Holiday Inn Express Shanghai Zhenping |
| May.25
2026 |
Shanghai | Visit the Shanghai Center, overlooking Shanghai on the 118th Floor (546M), Shikumen (石库门). After lunch, visit the Shanxi North Road Historical and Cultural Street(陕西北路历史文化街区), Free time at a Shopping Mall. | BLD | Shanghai
Holiday Inn Express Shanghai Zhenping |
| May.26
2026 |
Shanghai | Shanghai Pudong –
After breakfast, leave for Shanghai Pudong Airport, fly back to U.S., End |
B |
3. Scholarship and financial aid
Scholarships and financial aid may be available to all applicants. Please contact your campus student affairs for information on how to apply for financial aid and scholarships from your campus.
Students should apply for scholarships immediately after they complete their online application for the China trip. For IUN students, the website for scholarship application is https://one.iu.edu/task/iu/scholarships. Your application will be directed to the scholarship committee which will find study-abroad scholarships that match your criteria.
For IUSB students, the online site for scholarship application is https://students.iusb.edu/scholarships/iu-south-bend-scholarships/study-abroad.html.
Students at other IU campuses should check with their campus financial aid office to find out how to apply for study abroad scholarships.
Scholarship application deadline: Nov. 14, 2025.
Students from all IU campuses can also directly contact the trip’s co-leaders and the director of international programs at IUSB below.
4. China visa application
The accepted applicants for the China trip need to apply for a US passport (if they do not have one yet) and a China visa. Application for the China visa needs to be initiated within 3 months of our trip, beginning mid-February 2026. Application for a Chinese visa is online after Sept. 30, 2025. The application link is here: https://consular.mfa.gov.cn/VISA/. You need to find out which Chinese consulate, or the Chinese embassy, is the place that handles your visa application in the online application. Here is the Consular Jurisdiction of the Chinese Embassy and Consulates General in the United States of America: https://us.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng./lsfw/lqhf/202407/t20240708_11450067.htm. Please follow the instructions carefully as you proceed.
After getting online approval for the Chinese visa application, the applicant needs to submit the physical passport and the visa application fee ($140) to the Chinese consulate or embassy where the applicant’s state is within its jurisdiction. Proxy service is available at an additional price.
5. How to pay for personal purchases while in China
While in China, making payments on your own, we suggest you bring a few hundred dollars in cash. On the other hand, we strongly encourage you to install the Alipay app on your phone for your payments. Alipay is a digital payment method supported by Alibaba, a Chinese internet and online shopping behemoth comparable to Amazon. It is widely used in China for the payment of almost everything, from subway, restaurants, hotels, to street vendors. Many Chinese no longer carry cash and instead use Alipay or WeChat Pay. While WeChat Pay must use Chinese bank cards, Alipay can use American credit cards/debit cards and does not charge an extra fee for each transaction.
6. Contact information for group co-leaders and the IUSB Office for International Programs
Trip co-leaders:
Diana Chen Lin, professor of history, IU Northwest: dchenlin@iu.edu
Haiyan Yin, professor of international business and finance, IU South Bend: haiyin@iu.edu
Trip administration:
Lisa Zwicker, Director of International Programs at IUSB: zwicker@iu.edu.
IUSB International Programs Office:
Mia Washington, iusbintp@iu.edu
7. Check out what our previous trip participants say about the China trip in the blogs they created
China and beyond: A trip through the eyes of a foreigner
Bridging Cultures: Reflections on China’s Historical and Modern Identity
Historical Changes in Contemporary China
Layered Landscapes: How Chinese Architecture Bridges Memory and Modernity
The Arts of China: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding the Arts within China
The Political Evolution of China: From Imperial Past to Communist Future
From Dynasties to Skylines: A Journey Through China’s Past and Possible Futures
From Alleyway to Archway: Shanghai during the Rise of the CCP and Beyond
China: The Preservation of the Past to the Present





















