子曰。學而時習之、不亦說乎。 有朋自遠方來、不亦樂乎。人不知而不慍、不亦君子乎。

"To study and to review it in a timely fashion, is that not, indeed, a pleasure?" says the Sage; "to have friends come from afar, is that not also a delight?" 

With some allowance for our more pragmatic age, these lines from the Analects of Confucius might be adapted to characterize our modern enterprise: study, consolidated through application, and friendship that spans the distance between nations and cultures--these are the goals of MIT-China. Founded in 1994, it has become a pre-eminent program for applied Chinese Studies, giving young scientists, technologists, and managers the chance to work in a Chinese setting and participate in the rapidly expanding world of Chinese business and technology.  We welcome your participation in this exciting endeavor.  

 

Program Opportunities

Internships

MISTI’s award-winning international internship program provides a one-of-a-kind, world-class experience for MIT students: the opportunity to gain real-life work experience in leading companies and labs around the world. Best of all, all expenses are paid, including airfare.

 

Students combine their knowledge of Chinese language and culture with their technical or business expertise by working as interns in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. (Note: Post pandemic, currently, internship opportunities are offered in Hong Kong and Taiwan only).   We offer 8-12 week internships during the summer or 6 to 12 month internships at various times during the year.  We also encourage students to explore exciting new hybrid Study Abroad + summer internship opportunities in Hong Kong and Taiwan.   

  • Mandatory Pre-Departure Preparation
  • Encouraged to attend all MIT-China Forum events
  • Minimum GPA of 4.0
  • Chinese language fluency preferred
  • Two years of Mandarin Chinese courses or equivalent fluency for internships (for MIT-China Educational Technology Initiative (CETI) teaching applicants, Chinese language is preferred but not required. Note: MIT-CETI has not resumed yet since the start of the pandemic)
  • One course on China
  • Informational meetings are available year-round. Contact program lead to schedule.
  • Complete the MISTI Launchpad Application – By December 1. Schedule meeting with Country Program Managing Director – Due to the high number of student applications and inquiries, most meetings are small group Zoom sessions. 
  • Commit to MIT-China Program – Latest by April 1 (the earlier the better to secure program funding)  
  • Once approved, complete the Country-Specific Application – April 1 at the absolute latest.
  • Internship matching process – September to April 1, rolling thereafter. 
  • Mandatory Pre-Departure Sessions – Mid-April to Late May
  • September 1 – Complete internship report

How to Apply

Earn transfer credit and experience Chinese culture at universities in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

See MISTI Program Discovery page for details.  Explore opportunities for longer stays in Greater China with our new, hybrid Study Abroad + Internship option.  i.e. semester abroad + a summer internship.  

  • Study Abroad Application
  • Interview
  • Minimum GPA of 4.5
  • Mandatory Pre-departure Preparation
  • Encouraged to attend all MIT-China Forum events

 

Exchange:

  1. Apply for MIT exchange for the term you wish to study. Go to the MISTI Portal, find your program, and apply before the deadline.
  2. MISTI will be in touch regarding an interview with the applicable MISTI Program Manager and major department.

Direct Enroll:

  1. Apply directly to the host university/program provider by their program deadline. (Their deadline may be earlier than the MISTI deadline.) 
  2. Apply to MISTI for MIT approval to study abroad before the deadline for the term you wish to study. Go to the MISTI Portal, find your program or use the Direct Enroll General Application to apply.
  3. MISTI will be in touch regarding an interview with the applicable Program Manager.

How to Apply

Financial Aid:

Financial aid can be used to study abroad during academic terms. Awards will be adjusted based on expenses such as airfare, living expenses, and local tuition costs. Students should meet with their financial aid counselor and a MISTI Program Manager at least one term before they go abroad to start planning how aid will be affected. MISTI and Student Financial Services will work together to gather and verify cost information . Based on this information, financial aid counselors will advise students on their adjusted financial aid packages and process any refunds accordingly.

Scholarships:

Click here to learn more about external study abroad scholarships.

CETI HK

MIT-China Educational Technology Initiative (MIT-CETI)

More than an internship, the MIT-China Educational Technology Initiative (MIT-CETI)  is a student-run Greater China teaching and educational technology implementation initiative. Since 1996, MIT-CETI has worked with students and faculty in China on science and engineering course content through online platforms such as OpenCourseWare,  iLabs (Internet labs), and D-Lab (development labs).  Note:  MIT-CETI has not yet resumed since prior to the pandemic. 

See links below for CETI history:

 

 

 

Fung Scholars1

MISTI Fung Scholars Initiative

Funding for up to 20 MIT undergraduate students per year to do Fung Foundation-supported research internships at universities in the Greater China region and across the world. Note:  Post-pandemic, to date, MISTI Fung Scholars research internships have resumed in Hong Kong and Singapore. 

MISTI-China Program Fung Scholars history:    

MEMSI1

January Hong Kong Entrepreneurship Workshop

The MIT Entrepreneurship and Maker Skills Integrator (MEMSI) is held each year in January.  Approximately 15 students from MIT and 15 students from universities in Hong Kong are selected to join the MIT Hong Kong Innovation Node in Hong Kong for 2+ weeks of intense learning on entrepreneurship and product maker skills. 

MEFTI1

Summer Hong Kong Entrepreneurship Workshop

The MIT Entrepreneurship and FinTech Integrator (MEFTI), held in the second half of August each year,  is designed to bring companies and students together to work on real world projects that involve evolving technologies to enhance business processes for wealth management, insurance, and regulatory domains. Approximately 15 students from MIT and 15 students from universities in Hong Kong are selected for this workshop at the MIT Hong Kong Innovation Node office. 

Virginia Adams in China1

MIT-China intern Virginia Adams at Tencent in Shenzhen, 2018

China summit

Alumni Network

Beijing Alumni Gala Event, November 2018

Global Seed Funds for MIT-China

MISTI's Global Seed Funds program supports MIT's global engagement by promoting collaborations between MIT faculty and researchers and their counterparts abroad.

Shenzhen Fablab1
Michael Davidson1

MIT Greater China Fund for Innovation

The MIT Greater China Fund for Innovation supports new collaborations between faculty and research scientists at MIT and their counterparts in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

 

Learn more about this fund

Meet Your Program Manager

Contact Us
Sean in San Francisco

Get in touch with Sean Gilbert, Managing Director for MIT-China | Singapore | Australia | New Zealand, to get your questions answered.  

seang [at] mit.edu | 617-253-5068