AU students are part of a rising number of U.S. students studying abroad in China.
During the 2007-2008 school year, 54 AU students studied abroad in China as compared to 23 students during the 2003-2004 year.
More than 10,000 U.S. students have signed up to study in the country this year, according to USA Today.
Ethan Merritt, the senior study abroad advisor at AU, said the increase in the number of students signing up to study in China began a couple years ago and said it is most likely coinciding with China rising power economically and politically.
"AU students are largely an adventurous group and realize that now is a very interesting time to be in China with the tremendous transition and economic expansion Chinese society is undergoing," he said. "Indeed, AU students are really at the forefront of study abroad trends with so many in such numbers studying abroad in China, a growing area for study abroad."
Michaela McGill, a senior in the School of International Service who studied abroad in China in the fall 2007 semester, said she chose China because she had already been to Europe and wanted to try something new.
"It sounded exciting and different than the other programs," she said.
Julia Moon, a junior in the Kogod School of Business, said she is interested in studying abroad in China because of its economy.
"I am a business major and everyone knows that China is currently one of the major economic powerhouses of the international community," she said. "Most of the businesses either go through China or are in China, and since China is growing at an unbeatable rate compared to other countries it's definitely an interest for anyone studying business."
According to "The World Factbook," China has the second highest GDP internationally. The United States holds the first place position on the list. In the last 30 years, the real annual growth rate for China has been consistently in the double digits, something that many countries fail to achieve in twice the amount of the time of China.
China's rising economic power is not the only incentive to study abroad in the country. The nation's heightened status in international politics also has a great effect on the popularity of the study abroad program in China, especially at AU, according to Merritt.
"From my perspective, there is very much an awareness here at AU that the U.S.-China relationship will be an increasingly vital and complicated one moving forward and so greater exchange and interaction through such things as study abroad are critical," Merritt said.
The greater interest in China has been reflected in the increase in the number of China-related courses, including Chinese language, offered at AU, he said.
