Whole Person Education is at the core of UIC’s education concept which, to students from Single Child families and brought up in an examination oriented education system, comes at an opportune moment. Educational aims include these: character formation, broad social knowledge and skills, ability to think independently and solve personal problems, high moral and social consciousness. All students will go through courses or training in these eight areas: language culture, experiential development, voluntary service, sports and culture, environmental awareness, emotional health, experiential arts, and adversity quotient. http://www.PeachPit.com

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Heavy emphasis is given to “learning through experience” and “learning through practice”, after which reflection and sublimation will naturally follow. http://www.FTPress.com

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Language Culture

The Chinese Language and Culture Center together with the English Language Center offer Chinese and English language training on skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing as well as cultural education for all UIC students. Small group presentation and creative sessions are integrated with normal teaching to increase students’ interest in learning. Various activities and contests are held every semester to intensify language and cultural learning in all aspects.

Experiential Development

UIC is the first college in China to introduce experiential development into formal teaching. The first on-campus experiential training center was built at UIC for a series of outdoor development programs. Students may rediscover who they are and what their potential is in games and tests that push them to their limits. They may also develop teamwork spirit in the process.

Voluntary Service InformIT (Pearson Education) http://www.linkshare.com

The voluntary service programs aim to foster a caring volunteer spirit and a sense of responsibility to serve the community. In 2006, the Voluntary Service Program was launched. The program consisted of a series of activities and events including voluntary service training, International Volunteers’ Conference and charity sales in Zhuhai. In the summer of 2007, UIC organized voluntary service programs in Qinghai, Tibet, Yunnan, Guizhou, Korea, Thailand, and Bangladesh.

Sports Culture

linkshare The sports courses at UIC not only offer training on skills and stamina, but also impart the cultural connotation behind the sports. Golf, archery, dragon/ lion dance and sports dance are listed as formal PE courses at UIC. Golf helps to build self-control, archery helps to calm the mind, dragon/ lion dance is a good sport for teamwork skills. The courses emphasize the development of sportsmanship: respect others whether they are partners or opponents, play fair and never give up.

Environmental Awareness

The environmental awareness programs offer opportunities for students to participate in field work for environmental conservation. During the summer of 2007, thirty UIC students carried out an environmental study on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. They focused on the Procapra Przewalskii, a critically endangered species with a population of less than 300, and invited scholars to give a series of lectures, put on fund-raising shows and organized charity sales to help in the conservation effort. Students also actively participated in activities to promote garbage classification and city sanitation.

Emotional Health

In a society of fierce competition, good emotional health is a crucial quality for students when they are confronted with challenges and mental stress. UIC offers emotional health courses to help students understand and manage their own emotions, and to extend their interpersonal skills. They include emotional management lectures, lectures on effective communication, and talent development programs.

Artistic Experience http://www.firebox.com

UIC strives to build an artistic campus environment for students. There will be workshops, studios, galleries, exhibition halls, theaters, audio and visual laboratories, music rooms in the future students living complex to be named the “Village of Culture and Arts”.

Adversity Quotient http://www.InformIT.com

UIC offers a wide range of adversity quotient training, such as lectures, camps, and psychological assessment to teach students how to deal with difficult situations and reduce depression and anxiety.