Peking Launches Gap Year Plan For Chinese Students

The China Gap Year Plan will fund ten young people with up to RMB50,000 to encourage them to find their interests internationally.

AsianScientist (Apr. 16, 2015) – Peking University (PKU) has launched a fund to encourage students to go on a “Gap Year.”

Although popular in the West, the concept of the gap year has yet to take off in China. During their gap year, young people choose to experience another kind of lifestyle before they enter the next stage of life, usually before college enrollment or after college graduation. Traveling and volunteering are some of the most popular alternatives during their gap year.

On March 19, 2015, the China Gap Year Foundation and China Gap Year Plan was launched at a ceremony held at the Yingjie Overseas Exchange Center at PKU. This activity was hosted by China Youth Development Foundation and co-organized by PKU’s Office of Student Financial Aid.

Entrepreneur Qiao Xinyu together with Chang Lei and Cheng Ming set up the China Gap Year Foundation at the end of 2014 to help spread the idea of gap year. It is the first domestic fund specially providing financial support for 18 to 28 year-old students all over Chinese universities to attend domestic and international activities lasting from three months to one year. The plan aims to help young people find their interests and enhance their abilities by exploring the world.

China Gap Year Plan will choose ten young people to join the plan in 2015. The fund will give students awards of RMB50,000, RMB30,000, RMB10,000 and RMB5,000 (US$8063 to US$806) based on their performances to help them to accomplish their gap year dream. From March 20, applicants can sign up and submit their self-designed gap year plans.

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Source: Peking University.
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