This Resource Hub is designed to provide clear, practical guidance for Americans who are planning or considering academic travel to China, including students, scholars, faculty, and others working in educational or research settings. Our aim is to assemble reliable context, vetted opportunities, and lessons from recent travelers so visitors can understand current conditions and make informed choices about study, research, and collaboration in China. While others may find these materials useful, the Hub is specifically designed to support those traveling for academic and educational purposes and focuses on the social sciences and humanities fields as opposed to business, personal, or STEM-focused pursuits.
This Resource Hub is designed to provide grounded information so travelers can make well-informed decisions about travel. This guidance has been compiled based on the best practices of scholars, students, and institutions involved in such academic travel since 2020. These materials are for reference only and should be used in the context of guidance from your home institution, official travel guidance, and your own personal circumstances.
The US-China Education Trust gratefully acknowledges the Henry Luce Foundation and other funders for financial and programmatic support; the U.S. Department of State and Federal Bureau of Investigation for their guidance on content; the Hopkins-Nanjing Center, NYU Shanghai, CET Academic Programs, and others for sharing their on-the-ground knowledge; Chloe Bohn for compiling this document; Rosie Levine and Ryan McElveen for their strategic vision and editorial guidance; and Rebecca Jin, Owen Wang, Alison Xiao, and Tianyi Xiao for their design and publication support.
Updated April 2026
Voices from the field
