"It's a once in a lifetime opportunity to see China and the Olympics," said College sophomore Dennis Murphy, who is going on the Penn-in-Beijing program this summer.
The summer abroad program - run by the Center for Global Communication Studies at the Annenberg School for Communication - is centering its second-annual program and its courses around the fact that the Olympics will be in Beijing later in the summer.
"It is exciting because the students will be studying the Olympics, an event covered worldwide," said program director and Cinema Studies professor Peter Decherney.
Since the program is scheduled for June and the Olympics do not start until mid-August, students will get to see the final touches to many of the Olympic sites, including the National Stadium and the National Aquatic Center, better known as the Water Cube.
"Although we won't see the games, we will see the planning for the games, which is equally important," said Communications Ph.D. student Christopher Finlay, who will also be co-teaching a media course during the program.
Studying the Olympics and the other major media events in real time offers a major learning opportunity to students, he added.
To that end, Finlay said portions of the curriculum have been left open to discuss contemporary issues - like China's relationship with Tibet - that are being highlighted by the current focus on China.
The Beijing Olympics have been advertised at the high-tech Olympics, so the students will also get to see different technological improvements around the city, the China Radio office, the Central Broadcasting Center for China and hopefully the office of Google China, added Finlay.
"I want to see the different perspectives and restrictions between the U.S. media and Chinese media," said Murphy.
Other students are attracted to the chance to experience the culture.
"I hope to gain knowledge of the Chinese culture and improve my Chinese," said College sophomore Alisan Oliver-Li, who also wants to go back to her roots in China.
As Beijing is relatively inexpensive - new bicycles cost about $4 -- students will be staying in a hotel during their three-week program, but they will be encouraged to explore the city, which is an experience in itself, Decherney added.
The 20 students going on the program will be attending classes with other Chinese students at the university.
In regard to the recent acts of violence concerning Tibet, Finlay said students need not worry, as maximum precautions are being taken to ensure their safety.
"As of today, I do not anticipate any such problems for Americans in China this summer," Political Science department chairman Avery Goldstein wrote in an e-mail. He was also a panelist at a discussion focusing on the current political situation in China held yesterday.
"I'm not very worried, I know I'm in good hands," said Oliver-Li.
