To make the overall experience in China more complete, a trip to Beijing, the capital, is planned. Beijing is not only the political and administrative center of a resurgent China, it is also China's single greatest repository of monuments and treasures from the imperial era. Students are exposed to China's rich culture and witness phenomena involved in the transition to a market-based economy. They learn about the challenges such a transition entails and appreciate the prospects for the country's future. The outgoing and lively Shanghainese have been known for centuries for their quick wit and business acumen.
Close contact is possible between American and Chinese students both in and out of classes.
Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs offers summer study in Geneva. The program, now in it's eighth year, is designed to provide a small number of graduate students in international relations and related fields with a pragmatic approach to the workings of specific international organizations. Geneva offers the ideal site for the study of international organizations. The first several days of the eight-week program are devoted to a general orientation to Switzerland and the city of Geneva. Following orientation, students will begin working in an international organization.