This summer, the Department of Geographical Sciences warmly welcomed the second cohort of students from Nanjing Normal University (NNU). This group of sixteen individuals are part of the joint program between NNU and the department's Master of Science in GIS Program. On June 25th, 2019, the MS GIS program hosted an orientation luncheon for the new arrivals.

During the course of the program, students spend a year studying at their home institution (NNU) before transferring to the U.S. to complete a six-month residency at UMD prior to graduation. All class instruction — whether given in China or the U.S. — is conducted in English.

They will be attending classes at the University of Maryland this summer and fall, culminating with a Capstone Symposium in November which will serve as a portfolio of what each student has accomplished in the program. The NNU students will graduate alongside our MS GIS students this coming December. 

While they are here in Maryland, the program has planned several trips such as a tour of the U.S. Capitol and a visit to the African American Museum of History.  We are looking forward to their stay and our continued relationship with NNU. More information about this joint collaboration can be found on the UMD Office of International and External Affairs website.